The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are without a doubt the finest wireless earbuds I’ve experienced this year—and for $400, they ought to be. These top-tier earbuds are compact and reliable, with all the aesthetics and ease one anticipates from a flagship item. The accompanying application is user-friendly, and the earbuds have robust ANC.

Nonetheless, the Pi8’s true acclaim lies in its excellent sound quality. No matter what you’re listening to, it’ll seem outstanding—even podcasts. The treble, midrange, and bass are balanced perfectly with a wide soundstage. These earbuds are a must-own for any audiophile you know.

This isn’t to imply that the Pi8 is faultless. The call clarity could be enhanced, and battery life isn’t as extensive as that of its rivals. But if you’re seeking earbuds engineered to let you experience music the same way producers and audio engineers do, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds achieve that.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Appearance and Comfort

Even though the charging case (1.6 ounces, 2.6 x 1.1 x 2 inches) is somewhat more substantial than other top-tier earbuds, the Pi8 earbuds are relatively compact. Weighing in at 0.24 ounces, they’re nearly as light as some of my preferred models, the Sony WF-1000XM5 (0.21 ounces), and almost as petite.

The Pi8 attracts with its mixture of shiny and matte finishes and a slender vent dividing the two styles. The shiny tops with Bowers & Wilkins at the center contrast with the matte black body that features four gold connectors, a sensor, and a mic vent, ending with a notably small silicone tip. Bowers & Wilkins includes three extra tips to ensure an optimal fit. The pair I reviewed was Anthracite Black—a striking choice—but I wish I’d tried the Jade Green or Midnight Blue, which are stunning alternatives. For those who prefer white gadgets, there’s Dove White too.

View Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 on Amazon

More than just aesthetically pleasing, these earbuds boast some ruggedness with an IP54 rating, signifying they’re protected from dust and slight water exposure, such as light sprays or a bit of sweat. However, they shouldn’t be submerged in water, as that could lead to disappointment and a lost $400. The Pi8 surpasses the XM5, which has an IP4 rating, indicating it withstands only minimal water sprinkles.

Focusing on the charging case, like the earbuds, it’s crafted from matte Anthracite Black material, featuring a prominent band embossed with Bowers & Wilkins and a status indicator light below it. A USB-C port is found at the base. The case holds a size and weight advantage over the XM5, which is 1.4 ounces and measures 2.5 x 1.8 x 1.04 inches.

Given my oddly small ears, I hadn’t expected to ever switch ear tips to a bigger size, but here we are. Pi8 starts with the ultra-small tips by default. They didn’t suit me, leading me to opt for the small tips instead. This adjustment provided a secure seal, enabling me to enjoy my elliptical workout without issues. In total, I comfortably wore the Pi8 for an impressive six-hour stretch.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: User Interface

Contrary to other leading earbuds, Pi8 requires memorization of only a handful of basic tap controls. A single tap handles play/pause and call answering, while a double tap skips forward tracks or ends calls. The right bud requires pressing and holding to engage the voice assistant, while to toggle between Passthrough and ANC, hold down the left bud.

Mi única queja es que es necesario el uso de la app para el emparejamiento inicial. Una vez que la aplicación gratuita Music|Bowers & Wilkins esté instalada, es necesario mantener presionado cualquiera de los audífonos durante tres segundos. Es un pequeño inconveniente, pero algunos desean escuchar inmediatamente sin el trámite de una app. Sin embargo, para ser una aplicación complementaria, esta no está nada mal.

La interfaz es sencilla, cuenta con un ecualizador regulable y modos de cancelación de ruido activa y paso al exterior. La aplicación también permite integrar varias plataformas de streaming, como Tidal, Deezer, Pandora, TuneIn, NTS y Soundcloud, ofreciendo acceso y control sobre estos servicios por la app. También se incluye una prueba gratuita de Qobuz por dos meses. Aunque sería ideal tener una función para localizar los audífonos, Bowers & Wilkins reemplazará los perdidos si se extravía alguno.

Foto: Bowers & Wilkins

Refiriéndonos a la conectividad, los auriculares compatibles con Bluetooth 5.4 también permiten la conexión simultánea con dos dispositivos diferentes.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: ANC

Tres micrófonos fueron integrados por Bowers & Wilkins en cada audífono. Dos de los mics están destinados a anular los ruidos del entorno, mientras que el otro amplifica la voz para las conversaciones. Combinado con un buen sellado, los micrófonos consiguen realizar una efectiva cancelación de ruido activa. ¿Es tan efectivo como los Bose QuietComfort Buds o los Sony WF-1000XM5? No exactamente, pero el ANC del Pi8 aún realiza una excelente labor al mantener a raya el ruido de la ciudad de Nueva York.

Con la ANC activada, caminé por mi vecindario. Podía oír la mayoría de las conversaciones a mi alrededor sin música sonando, solo a un volumen reducido. Cuando el tren pasaba por arriba, escuchaba cada crujido y golpe. Encender la música anulaba completamente cualquier ruido exterior de NYC. En casa, la ANC del Pi8 solo podía silenciar el televisor si el volumen estaba en cuatro. Comparar esto con el XM5 (volumen 6) y el QC Ultra (volumen 7). En definitiva, el ANC del Pi8 sirve para atenuar el ruido en lugar de eliminarlo por completo. Sin embargo, existen muy pocos auriculares que logren tal hazaña.

El Pi8 posee un modo de paso al exterior para dejar entrar el sonido del exterior. Es útil al ejercitarse al aire libre o cuando necesitas estar consciente de tu entorno.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Performance

Reference-grade earbuds? That’s a bold assertion, Bowers & Wilkins. While the firm acknowledges that a studio engineer probably wouldn’t use wireless earbuds for mastering, they promise these offer the most precise audio Bowers & Wilkins can extract from a wireless gadget. Hence, enthusiasts of boosted treble and bass might skip these. I lean towards flat tuning since it accommodates genre switching seamlessly. With my playlists always on shuffle, these earbuds feel tailor-made for me.

So, what’s the secret behind Bowers & Wilkins’ success? It’s in the cone drivers. They’ve scaled down their carbon cone drivers, typically found in loudspeakers or headphones. The stiffness of the Carbon Cone drive unit allows for more precision at higher frequencies as it doesn’t flex like a conventional cone. Additionally, its lightness enables the cone driver to react swiftly to shifts in your music, creating a more dynamic and authentic audio experience. Thanks to the exceptional 12mm carbon cone drivers, the sound profile is warm and balanced across all genres. During my tests, Tidal was my go-to, using Hi-Fi and Master quality tracks.

Initially, I plunged into Jamiroquai’s “Time Won’t Wait” and was instantly moving to rich bass, vibrant guitar, smooth horns, and crisp percussion. The sound field is broad, with each element having its niche, including the occasional atmospheric sound effects. Best part? I maintained my volume at 50-60% to effectively block out New York City noise.

In Doechii’s “ALLIGATOR BITES NEVER HEAL,” the vocals were otherworldly, the delicate soprano complemented by a bold alto and an impassioned tenor. I must mention how captivated I was with Snoh Aalegra’s “DO 4 LOVE,” as I replayed it four times before stopping. The strings were incredibly rich, leading to a stunning crescendo, paving the way for a prominent keyboard and evocative vocal harmonized by magnificent choral backdrops. Without a doubt, these stand as one of the finest wireless earbuds I’ve encountered this year.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Call Quality

Though the Pi8 excels in musical and podcast sound clarity, their call performance lags behind. During several calls and a few video meetings, out of five interactions, only one yielded good outcomes. My callers frequently noted that my voice sounded muffled in the rest.

This was my primary grievance as I sometimes struggled to hear others distinctly. After a software update, there was improvement, but it wasn’t significant.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Battery Life

Bowers & Wilkins foresee the Pi8 achieving 6.5 hours with ANC activated. They don’t specify a duration without ANC, but I reached 8 hours sans noise canceling. The charging case extends this by 13.5 hours, totaling 19.5 hours with ANC and 21.5 hours without. As an active noise cancellation advocate, I squeezed 6 hours and 35 minutes from the Pi8 while streaming music, watching “Invincible Fight Girl,” and attending calls before receiving the low-battery alert.

It’s decent but doesn’t rival the 8-hour runtime of the WF-1000XM5 with ANC, and 12 hours without. The case adds another 24 hours, culminating in 32 hours with ANC and 36 without it.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review: Verdict

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 isn’t without its shortcomings – subpar call quality, absence of a find-my-buds feature, and good, though not exceptional, noise cancellation. However, the unparalleled drivers position the Pi8 as a contender in musical sound quality. Moreover, they’re robust, small, and elegantly designed, everything you anticipate from flagship earbuds. As a critic, these will remain my go-to earbuds during the early quarter of 2025, unless other flagships can persuade me otherwise.

See Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 at Amazon