A few years after the successful introduction of the Apple AirPods, audio brand Bowers & Wilkins cannot be left behind with its own bluetooth in-ear headphones. The brand has a reputation to uphold when it comes to sound quality. You can read whether that works in this Bowers & Wilkins PI7 True Wireless Headphone review.
Bowers & Wilkins – PI 7 True Wireless Headphone
MSRP € 399,-
Color black and white
Link Bluetooth 5.0
Battery 58 mAh (earpiece), 500 mAh (charging case)
Weight 7 grams (earpiece), 62 grams (charging case)
Features microphone, IP54, tap control, noise cancellation, ambient sound mode, minijack to usb-c
Load USB-C, wireless
Website www.bowerswilkins.com
9 Score 90 
- Pros
- Play audio from any sound source
- app
- Sound quality
- Negatives
- price
- Battery life
You notice that there is a lot of caution with more luxurious audio brands to enter the Bluetooth audio market, with both speakers and headphones. That is not surprising, because the product group goes against the values ​​of these types of audio brands. For example, the high price was always justifiable because you buy such a speaker or headphones for life. A lot of attention is also paid to the sound quality, with high-quality parts and adjustment. Surely that has changed after the introduction of Apple’s AirPods, after which a huge market has arisen (or created?) for wireless headphones. Too big for audio brands like Bowers & Wilkins to ignore.
But those principles have to be swallowed for a while, for this new product group. Thanks to the presence of a battery, the wireless music equipment has a very limited lifespan and bluetooth is a huge bottleneck when it comes to audio quality and delay. No matter how good the parts or adjustment, the bluetooth signal must compress and transmit the sound data for a stable wireless connection. This takes time and detracts from the sound quality.
There are of course also advantages. No cable, that goes without saying. Techniques such as noise suppression and the passage of ambient sound require a battery in the headphones anyway and can therefore be further developed. Moreover, Bowers & Wilkins dares to innovate in a smart way with their first wireless in-ears: the PI7 True Wireless Headphone. This was launched simultaneously with the PI9, wireless in-ears that are priced less high.
The price of innovation
Because that price is a bit of an elephant in the room with this PI7 True Wireless Headphone: 400 euros. That is a lot of money for a product that has a limited life due to the battery. Then you have to offer something unique. And that’s what Bowers & Wilkins does! A USB-C to 3.5mm jack cable is placed in the box. When you connect this cable to an audio device and the USB-C port of the charging box of the PI7, the sound is passed through the box to the earphones. Innovative and very cleverly conceived!
Thanks to this technology, you can also use your high-quality earphones with other equipment. Think of in-flight entertainment or an audio tour in the museum. A unique advantage, especially when travel is possible again.
However, Bowers & Wilkins still needs to fine-tune this function. In practice I often suffered from a faltering connection. Usually after three attempts, in my case, the connection between the charging case and the earphones was stable. Fine-tuning that is possible. Because Bowers & Wilkins has a pleasant accompanying app, which you do not only use for updates. You can also use the app to fine-tune the sound with an equalizer, configure tap controls, fine-tune noise cancellation and ambient noise, and play relaxing background sounds such as wind through the trees. That is nice in combination with the noise reduction, for those who want to work concentrated, for example.
Still, the sound quality is impressive, as you would expect from the price and the brand
Refined sound
Of course Bowers & Wilkins has a reputation to uphold when it comes to sound quality and even knows how to keep it high for bluetooth in-ears. Of course, the true sound connoisseur will find fault with the bluetooth connection and minimal physical space for the parts. Still, the sound quality is impressive; as you would expect from the price and the brand, it leaves the competition behind in this area. The sound is powerful, clear and detailed. It doesn’t matter what your musical (dis) taste is, everything comes into its own perfectly. During testing, it almost felt like a shame to also use the earphones for podcasts and audiobooks.
The noise suppression is also high-quality, a lot of noise is filtered out, without there being a pressing feeling on the ears. Yet here competitor Bose with the Quietcomfort Earbuds has done its noise reduction just that little bit better. The option to let in ambient noise also works excellently, a handy function if you do want to monitor ambient noise. For example, in traffic or in a busy space.
The fit is of course important for in-ear headphones. Not only so that the ears stay in place during activities, but also to close the ear canal properly to experience the best sound quality and noise reduction. Thanks to interchangeable tips, you can adjust them to size, and in my case they also stayed in place while running.
Thanks to the microphones, the sound quality for telephone calls is also excellent. If desired, the microphones can also help you with a speech assistant.
Battery life
The battery life of earphones is not very long and of course strongly depends on the playback mode. When you have noise suppression on or let ambient noise through, the battery lasts about 3.5 hours. Without these modes, you can add an hour to that. The charging case has enough capacity to charge the earphones about four times. Those who prefer a long battery life have better alternatives to choose from. However, the earphones do charge quickly. You can also charge the charging box wirelessly.
Alternatives to the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
Bowers & Wilkins has a good reputation when it comes to sound quality, and in this case too, these bluetooth in-ears are better than the competition. The addition of the option to connect the charging case to the audio source ensures that the earphones also distinguish themselves in terms of innovation. However, the audio purist, who would usually choose the brand, will be a bit disappointed with the audio quality. That listener is simply better off with a wired alternative. That is not a disadvantage, but a general characteristic of wireless in-ears.
Because the sound quality and innovation distinguish the PI7 from all those other in-ear headphones. Are there few earphones that can be designated as good alternatives? The Bose Quietcomfort Earbuds alone, for those who find noise reduction more important than sound quality. Although this sound quality at Bose is of course also perfectly fine.
Conclusion: Buy Bowers & Wilkins PI7?
Are you in the market for bluetooth in-ears with the very best sound quality and does the price not matter? Then the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 is the only option. The possibility to connect the charging case to any audio source to transfer the sound to the wireless earphones is also a smart, unique innovation. Everything you can expect from headphones is present: noise suppression, sound transmission, tap control and a well-arranged app. The only thing that lags a bit is the battery life.
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