Customer Ratings & Reviews

[Employee of bestbuy] I couldn’t be happier with my decision to purchase these. The clarity, the soundstage, and the total immersion of the audio of these little earbuds is CRAZY. I can’t say how they compare to their competitors, but what I can say is that they dont leave me questioning what the competitor’s earbuds sound like. They don’t have me questioning if there’s better out there, these are IT. They have just completely hit the nail on the head and the sound is insanely clean. You’re not gonna have BOOMING bass, but your gonna have enough of it that it doesn’t over-power the mids, highs, and overall tone. It’s a punchy and clean bass. If you’re wanting eardrum-shaking bass these aren’t it, but if you want true clarity and to hear the full beauty of music, these are indeed it. Overall, they’re incredibly balanced and a true audiophile’s earbud, to get this sound out of these little earbuds baffles me honestly. They connected to my iPhone seamlessly and are very comfortable to wear, on top of looking great in your ears. If you’re craving true clarity and complete immersion, go push the buy button. After weeks of resesrch and opinion-browsing, I’m so happy I chose these and you will be too!

I am a little surprised to have this in my possession after my previous order for the midnight blue earbuds ended in disaster. BB lied to me all the while (and documented). I guess they tried to make amends because this pair arrived early. Was it worth it? Setup was relatively easy, but even I succumbed to some of the connectivity issues some people are reporting. It was later in the day, and out of the blue, but resetting the buds fixed that (on a pixel 8a). During the day, I listened first to XTC's Wake Up from their remastered Big Express album, followed by a couple tracks from Steely Dan's Royal Scam, Ozzy and Type O-Negative's take of Matchstick Men, Alan Parsons Fall of The House of Usher, and Iceland, The Eternal Music by the Choir of Clare College Cambridge. Blown away. Reference audio from two little pieces of metal and plastic - I'm amazed by the technology that is capable of this level of musical quality. My home theater system is a mix of KEF's (Q75's and a Q95c) DCM, and Mirage. These buds are better in many respects. They create your own little studio bubble inside your head. It's the 2am drive through the Mojave desert with just you and your music. Now all one has to do is put these earbuds on. I just hope that the connectivity issues are at a minimum, and that they redesign that case. It is a little wonky, but with this audio quality, I can't really complain (yet).

These are by far the best selling earbuds I have ever bought in my life. They blew away the AirPods Pro Gen 2 in sound. I gave this 4 starts instead of 5 due to not being able to control volume and ANC from the buds at the same time (AirPods Pro Get 1 had this issue but not Gen 2). While this is a little annoying I find myself taking out the buds and even the AirPods over passthrough mode anyways. The fit is different then the stemmed AirPods Pro which took a little getting use to but this is by far the best REFERENCE audio you will find in an earbud and worth the cost if you want to hear the music the way it was intended by the studio with top tier build quality. The pair well with my Px8's also from B&W. You will not regret this purchase!

I bought these after my Sennheiser Momentum TW2 finally died after a few years and I wanted something new. Initial thoughts are that these are primarily targeted for people who prioritize sound quality over everything else. Pros: Sound quality is phenomenal and I rank it higher than my old Momentum TW2s. The aux passthrough the case is a nice feature and the build quality is extremely nice. I have absolutely started noticing sounds I've never heard before in songs I've listened to for years. The range is also super solid. Sound quality: 9/10 Range: 8.5/10 Comfort: 8.75/10 Neutral: The ANC is passable and the battery life is medicore. Both of these were a decent amount better on the MTW2. ANC: 7.5/10 Battery: 6/10 Cons: Absolutely the worst part about these is the mic quality. I've had several phone calls where people could not hear me at all with these. Call Voice quality: 2/10

Overall it’s okay. Sound is great but not that much better than other earbuds. The fit is okay on me. Too loose, keeps falling out. One ear just doesn’t sit right. Lots of connection issues where I’ll put it on and it just won’t connect. Or it’ll randomly loose connection. Not sure what the issue is but I’ll just get random beeping noises. Sometimes the beeps go on for a long period of time and I’m unsure what it is. The noise cancelling is good but not even close to the top tier.

Let's start with the most pertinent concern any audio file must have when purchasing a HI-Fi premium product: sound. None better, Sony, Bose, Denon, Jabra Elite, JBL, Beats ( which I have invested in the last 5 years) can reproduce the premium sound stage these Bowers & Wilkins PI8 do. They do this without spatial sound or Dolby Atmos, just a basic 5-band EQ, which you can bypass completely by selecting true sound, which gives you a balanced neutral reproduction of your music. When you listen to the PI8, you perceive a genuine Bowers and Wilkins two-speaker. If that doesn't grab your interest, nothing else will. Are they perfect, NO! Bose has better noise cancelation, Jabra Elite 10 gen 2 has a more comfortable fit, and the Denon Pro has better natural Bass. The app needs upgrades. It has too many glitches. I can live with that for the same reason I overspent on these: the grand sound stage. Imagine sitting in your living room, or patio and enjoying earbuds at audiophile standards. You can put a price on that. Some of us can't afford 6 figures on high-end HIFI equipment and have had to enjoy them from afar at audio showrooms, friends' homes, conventions, and audio exhibitions. With this PI8, you have carved out, if just for a while, a place where you need nothing else.

Just got my hands on these and lament having to return them. Lets first go with the good. Sonically they are AMAZING it didn't matter what genre I played always leaving me in awe. For a medium to small room you won't need a sub for music playback (which really surprised me). Music streaming was perfect. No lost connections, consistent all the time. Now the bad (and the deal breaker for me) I understand what B&W was trying to accomplish with the Formation line. Great audio tailored exclusively to the streaming era. First of all I see nothing wrong with that if anything I truly hope speakers like these are the future. The issue I have with the duo is its lack of input/outputs which end up making them less versatile. In my case I wanted to use them also with my TV as the main speakers but the connection isn't seamless, connection drops, the volume isn't consistent with the music streaming volume. I also wish it had a sub woofer input for added flexibility. Because honestly I would prefer to spend sub money on a SVS vs the only option that this system gives you. For the money something as simple as inputs should have been a given and I would have been super happy and kept them. I would highly recommend these if you buy them for the sole purpose that they were built for. Streaming audio. If you don't own equipment (which I do) or you do and are willing to sell all your gear then these are a great buy. I will be spending this money on a pair of Klipsch Heresy IV for my endgame. And for those who take the plunge you're in for a sonic treat!! Enjoy!!

I have owned these for quite a while and wanted to do a review on these a while back but hadn’t gotten around to it. I have recently seen some of the reviews on the product lately as I have been interested in ordering another pair of these in white! I felt it important to set the record straight. I can agree with some of the points people make on here about the app not being up to or but it is only needs to setup the formation products, after that you use Roon or Airplay. If you are an audiophile or a person who appreciates sitting down and listening to music you probably already use Roon. These are by far the best sounding stereo speakers on the market for the price and simplicity. All I have are the speakers with one power cord connected for each speaker. The Formation audio allows for me to connect my McIntosh CD player and Denon Turntable. Most of the music I listen to comes from Roon via Tidal or Qobuz but if I want to listen to analog sources the Fromation Audio is needed. If you someone who appreciates style as much as you appreciate HiFi you will appreciate these speakers. I love had friends who are musicians over to my home and we have played these speakers and every one of them has been amazed by their sound and detail. These speakers are like hybrid of the 805 and 705 passive speakers that B&W makes but also include the correct bi-amplification. If I were to build a similar system with regular HiFi components and passive speakers I would probably only save a little bit of money but have to deal with having a lot of wires! If you want to have these connected to tv audio just grab yourself an Apple TV and airplay the sound. It sounds a works without delay. This is a great system and I highly recommend them.

I have a seriously love-hate relationship with these speakers after owning them + Formation Bass + Formation Audio for 2 years. On the one hand they are fantastic, sound amazing (especially with Roon), and are hands-down the best speakers I've ever owned. On the other hand they were super finicky and my partner can't use them because there's no volume button/remote and she doesn't want to use the app. We actually use it for both music and movies and it works wonderfully when it does work. It's not designed for movie watching so it's hard to knock it on that but generally when the file sizes/song quality increases, the speakers start to struggle and get less reliable. I believe this is partly due to being 2.4 GHz only and also due to the fact that they're likely just bad at staying connected to one another. They often get out of sync or have a brief pausing when catching up etc. It also strangely has gotten worse over time - that one I can't figure out. I beefed up my WiFi with a ton of extenders etc and it never got better. No other device on my network has issues. Then I plugged them into Ethernet and life was so much better, until literally 2 years and 1 month into ownership one of them just started crackling and appears to be busted. Of course the warranty is only 2 years for such an expensive and "high end" product. I feel that Bowers is not selling a product here that they stand behind or want to keep up to date but I'm also very torn because I'm not sure what speakers would have been better for my application (not wanting a receiver, not wanting a ton of wires, but wanting high end sound). Sigh - cannot recommend.

Really matches what I need! Awesome sound maker for fun run, for relax before sleeping!

The best earbuds hands down the sound is no words no regrets in getting these earbuds. Even though I have AirPods 2 I reach for my bowers the sound is so immense and it’s worth me sacrificing the convenience with the AirPods.

Amazing sound. That was my priority buying ear buds. Tried Sony and Apple Pro. Have over the ear Sony XM5 and the sound is almost identical. XM5 better on airplane for cancelling sound.

I'll tell you up front these earbuds are for those who want some of the best sounding earbuds you can buy with great active noise cancellation but without some of the bells and whistles (like spatial audio or similar) of some competitors. Bowers & Wilkins has long been known as one of the top audio companies in the world. It's obvious with these earbuds that the primary focus was on producing the best possible sound and they do not disappoint! ANC is also great and adds to the overall sound experience. And I love the design and fit, though that's something personal and may be different for different shaped ears - but for me, they fit perfectly. PROS - Possibly the best sound you can get in wireless earbuds right now - Great Active Noise Cancellation - Brilliant Design that both looks and fits great - Simple touch controls - Excellent Mics for Phone Calls - Case Dubs as Wireless Transmitter CONS - App UI not as Premium as the sound - Can't Control Volume AND ANC/Voice Assistant with touch - No Spatial Audio / 3D Audio if that's your thing - Not Cheap I love these earbuds. I've owned many brands in the last several years including Sony, LG, and Samsung. These are my new favorites. The sound is impeccable. As clear as it can get from the lowest lows to the highest highs. It's like being in a sound studio. This carries over from music and movies into phone calls where I've been able to have a conversation while walking by a busy road and the wind blowing and the person I'm talking to hearing me just fine and me hearing them like I'm standing in the room with them. Very impressive! Sound quality is the #1 most important thing with earbuds and these premium Pi8 earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins do not disappoint. Design and fit is the second most important thing to me. I've had earbuds that I've been super happy with in terms of sound and features, but that didn't fit in my ears just right or I couldn't have in my ears for long before they'd start bothering me. I am super impressed with the Bowers and Wilkins design team on these. The earbud tip fits perfectly in my ear canal (there are many size tips to change for the perfect fit) but perhaps most impressively, they've implemented a rear wingtip that is almost hidden. I have always found earbuds with wingtips to fit better and stay in my ear better - I honestly didn't realize these had that until I was putting them in my ear for the first time. The wind tip is so well integrated into the design it's easy to not notice it's there. Fit is personal, of course, and no earbuds are gonna provide the perfect fit for every ear shape and size, but these are the perfect design for me. They are comfortable and stay in place. And they also look great! My last "most important" feature is Active Noise Cancellation. The ANC on these seems to be on par with most of the other high end earbuds from LG, Apple, and others. With no music or anything playing, loud sounds can be heard as a faint distant sound. With music or a movie, I can't hear any outside sound at all. I also love the pass through feature which allows me to easily switch to hear what's going on around me. And the auto-pause feature which will pause whatever you're listening to if you remove an earbud is a nice bonus. For those who care about spatial sound, these do not support that. I have earbuds that do, but I've always been on the fence about it - does it enhance the sound or is it just a gimmicky "fun" thing that doesn't really make for a better sound experience? Anyway, I'll take superior sound quality over that myself any day. Although Bowers & Wilkins definitely put their greatest focus on the sound quality, they also do have some great additional features. The touch control via the outside of each earbud is fairly easy to use and intuitive. Pause and Play with a tap makes sense. Other options with multiple taps work fine. And a long press can EITHER control volume OR control ANC and call up your Voice Assistant. I am disappointed that you can't have both of those. I wish there were a swipe or something for volume control. I like being able to switch the ANC from active to pass-through and to call up Siri, so for volume control I'm left with only using my device for that. The case is another design and feature success. It's small enough, but carries a lot of charging power. It can be charged wired or wirelessly. And, it has one of my favorite features that I first experienced on another brand of earbuds - the case can serve as a wireless transmitter. So if you're on a plane, you can plug the case into the Aux port and transmit the sound from the plane's entertainment system to your earbuds wirelessly. That is an excellent bonus feature! The app that you use to set these up and change settings is good enough. It's not the best or most feature rich app for earbuds/headphones I've seen, but it's fine. You can change basic settings and can create a custom equalizer or use True Sound which I prefer since it means you're hearing things the way the professional sound team who produced the music or movie wanted you to. These are obviously high end earbuds from one of the top sound companies on the planet and the price reflects that. But if you have the money and if superior sound is important to you, I'd say these are a worthwhile investment.

The Pi6 wireless earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins are premium headphones offering high quality sound along with active noise canceling. There’s a lot to like about them overall, but there are a few flaws that keep them from being perfect. The headphones are stylish and made of hard plastic. They wear pretty well, and I found it easy to get a good fit (using the default tips; there are multiple other sizes included), which is key for the noise canceling to work. The case holds additional charge and uses USB Type C for charging. Sadly, there is no wireless charging option, which is actually something I miss. The headphones support high-quality streaming options like Bluetooth 5.4/aptX along with 24-bit audio. Setup is relatively easy with the Bowers & Wilkins Music app. (Oddly, in my Android app tray, it labels itself as Music Bowers & Wilkins, which makes it a little less obvious to find!) The app both serves as a place to control the settings for the device as well as a storefront for various music services that offer audiophile quality streaming options. I found the app curiously underbaked, with the EQ settings customizable but limited solely to treble and bass. The app also allows you to configure the active noise canceling as on/off or, conveniently, a passthrough option that I found worked well for balancing ANC and not being utterly cut off from one’s surroundings. If I found the app a little underdone, the touch controls were the opposite. I found them clunky and even difficult to remember, though volume control worked pretty well but frustratingly seemed slow to adjust. I generally just used my phone or the app for settings changes as it was quicker. On the other hand, ergonomics were otherwise really good, as I found it easy to get a good fit, and they were comfortable to wear for extended periods. They also support automatically pausing when you pull an earbud out, and this worked well in my experience. With that said, these do excel at their core task: sounding great. While I don’t have accounts that have lossless audio, I do have the premium tier audio on Spotify. Everything I listened to, from AC/DC to Beethoven to Glenn Miller, sounded bright and vibrant to my ears, but still very natural. These will take over as my everyday earbuds. Beyond music, audio quality on calls was acceptable—I don’t take calls very often regardless, let alone with earbuds—but I could both hear and be heard easily with them. So ultimately if you prize stylish and excellent earbuds, these are a very good choice. I’m not a big fan of the touch controls or the app, but they both will do. However, the sound quality is excellent, the battery life good, and the ANC is decent for earbuds, especially with the nice passthrough feature. These are good for anybody but especially a good choice for Android users like me.

There is a reason why Bowers & Wilkins are usually at the top of audiophiles list of speakers or headphones and the Pi8 is no exception. I own the Px7 and the Px8 over the ear headphones and love them to no end. I was excited for the Pi8's and they did not disappoint. For years I would use either Samsung's Buds Pro or the Sony WF-1000's and it was hard to pull me away from those 2. The Pi8's crushed them and I will daily drive them to the end of their life cycle. Sound, comfort, features etc beat all my expectations when listening to music or streaming videos. In the box are the buds in a solid feeling case, quick start guide, USB C to C cable, USB C to 3.5mm jack adapter (for streaming from a 3.5mm source) and a selection of different size tips. Since I already use the B&W app (which I highly recommend you use), setting up and pairing the buds was simple and easy. There is even a walkthrough if you want to know what the buds can do. App is what you need to unlock all the things the Pi8 can do. ANC, passthrough, presets and even manual EQ. The case is wireless charging compatible and the magnets the hold the buds in are super strong. Charging time is fast and during my lunch hour it can completely charge the buds back to 100% to finish off my work day. Comfort is great. I wear them for a full work shift and never had 1 complaint. I am using the already installed tips as they fit me perfectly. My co-workers cannot hear anything I am blasting at a loud volume. Phone calls were standard. No complaints from the caller when talking or when listening to me. ANC worked flawlessly. You can hear loud noises (like clapping right by your face) but everything else was tuned out. Pass through when trying it out worked but it was a little hard for me to make out what people were saying since I liked my volume up loud. Off really had no effect on what was playing but me being me I just kept ANC on the entire time. Sound quality is amazing. 11/10. Highs were highs and bass was thumping without anything at all sounding distorted. You can fine tune anything with the Equalizer to your liking. One thing I loved is that they are using the the aptX Bluetooth codecs that are compatible with my phone. Sound quality is beyond excellent. Audiophiles will love this as it is compatible with aptX Lossless, Adaptive and Classic Bluetooth codecs and AAC and SBC. As stated before the B&W are my new daily drivers and I won't be changing anytime soon, unless they make a better upgrade. Sound quality is excellent, comfort is excellent and even price to performance ratio to me is 100% worth it. You will be getting a lot of value and life out of these earbuds.

From what I understand, the Pi6 is not the top-of-the-line earbuds, but it did not sure sound like it. The sound quality and the call output are great for these earbuds. DESIGN First the design is quite simple but elegant. The matter black finish with the B&W name logo in front, plus the touch of matte aluminum hinge at the back looks classy. It does not attract dust or fingerprints, so it looked clean to me all the time, even as I pulled it in and out of my pockets. The case material though seemed light, but it’s not flimsy. In fact, the lid when you open and close it is quite precise. It was overall light and easy to carry. The indicator light as well as the USB-C port blended in well. The case does not have wireless charging, which is a bummer because other similarly-priced buds do have wireless charging. I’m thinking maybe quality case vs. wireless charging to keep the price competitive? Not sure. SETUP AND CONNECT It was easy to connect to my phone. I did have some issues with signal cutting in and out, from one bud or the other, that resets were able to fix. I attribute it to a bug, because once I got it to work, it was all uninterrupted music since then. Adding to my PC and my tablet was easy too. However, I did encounter issues when it is connected to a PC—the sound is just not right. After extensive troubleshooting, I gave up on my PC connectivity. I take it that this one is probably more suited for a mobile device. Connecting to multiple devices did not have automatic switching like other brands do with their native same brand devices. Although it was still easy to simply reconnect to the other device to be used. The app is lean and easy to understand however, I can’t link my service because I use YT music for my audio and it does not have it as an option. Also maybe in the future? I just used the app to learn about the earbuds, because once I learned them, they are available in the buds itself as shortcuts like long presses for toggling ANC or moving tracks back and forward were very easy to perform on the earbud tips. THE BUDS The earbuds itself are nicely made as well with a good combination of gloss and matte to make it look classy. The shape is not conventional, but it sort of mimics B&W bigger speaker designs which keeps the brand’s character. The way it sits on the case is not confusing to replace and the buds snap perfectly in. The box comes with different eartip sizes and I was able to find my fit easily. I thought the earbuds were a little big overall and I was afraid it will fall off on a quick run. Instead, it actually sits just right at the back inner lobe and keeps it in place. The touch response was just right, with the correct level of pressing and no extra effort to confuse me while I was using them, perhaps because the flat surface was sizable enough for my fingers. SOUND AND CALLS The sound quality is what I expect this brand to give me. I can distinctly hear the highs, mids and lows. It actually feels complete even without the actual bass feel (because real low register is a body thump, not an ear boom). But bass is pretty much on point without it becoming too overbearing as a sound, vs. a feel. The range is wide and I love the quality of the levels. The calls are okay too. The mic is pretty sensitive. I was on a call with a voice-prompted robot customer service. Even just a little crunch from an object 15 feet away from me triggers a voice signal. I know how these robo prompts can be too much as well, but it still spoke to the sensitivity of the microphone. My regular voice calls seemed nice and clear per some people I asked on the other line. BATTERY LIFE USB-C as a standard is always welcome. I have a million of these lying around now, so I can easily charge the case. But battery life is pretty good. 68% on 4 days with maybe 6 hours overall, in and out of the case, plus the extensive tinkering. I think it is a good pair, especially for the price. There are some quirks like the connectivity and the PC sound which I think can be fixed by an update. I do recommend if you have the patience for out-of-the-box tweaks, because I think the sound quality is worth it.

Anyone who is familiar with audiophile name brands will recognize Bowers and Wilkins. Several of their floorstanding and bookshelf speakers have graced the listening rooms of various homes I’ve owned, and their combination of detail mixed with balanced (if occasionally bright) sound has made them one of my favorite speakers. B&W’s foray into wireless in-ear headphones was welcome for me, and I have owned several previous incarnations of the Pi models, most recently the Pi4, which I have used for the last couple of years. They are still going strong, and have been handed down to one of my daughters after receiving a pair of Pi6 headphones this week. My wife has a pair of Pi5s that she loves and I have used on occasion. The Pi6 come in a charcoal-gray-color, compact, lightweight case that doubles as a charger. Codecs include SBC, AAC, AptX, and AptX Adaptive, which is pretty much par for the course for headphones in this price range. Although, admittedly, the Pi6 headphones will set you back quite a bit. Missing is the AptX Lossless codec that you can get in the more expensive Pi8 in-ears, which is too bad. Battery life is excellent, even with auto noise canceling on. In use, I generally got 8 hours out of the Pi6 without having to charge. Bowers and Wilkins states that with the charged case, a user can get up to 24 hours of audio playback. A quick, 15-minute charge in the case will result in 2-hours of playback time. Not bad at all. Setup: Setup was extremely easy. I removed the Pi6 from the packaging, plugged them in using the supplied USB-C cord, and let them charge overnight. I opened the case, searched for new devices on my iOS phone, and found them immediately. After syncing via Bluetooth, I was encouraged to download the Bowers and Wilkins app, which I did. After creating an account, I tested the ear buds in my ears. Bowers and Wilkins supplies a variety of rubber ear pieces to be able to find the perfect one to fit the ears, but the ones that came installed on the Pi6 felt great so I left those on. The Bowers and Wilkins app allows you to access settings such as firmware updates, a graphic EQ, and auto noise canceling. Auto Noise Canceling ANC was okay. Not bad, not good, just average. I wore the ear buds in several different locations, at the gym, riding a transit bus, inside a relatively busy mall, while running, etc. External noises were muted to an extent, but not as well as I am accustomed to. My previous Pi4s did a better job of limiting the intrusion of external noise, so this is one aspect I was kind of bummed about. There is also a pass through setting, where the Pi6 ear buds allow you to hear external noise, which is effective when running or riding a bike on a busy street (can hear traffic). This function performed perfectly. Sound Quality Let’s face it, when it comes to headphones, we all want to know how they sound. In this instance, I can attest that the Pi6 sound absolutely fantastic. They are a huge improvement over the Pi4s I had, and both my wife and I feel they sound better than my her Pi5s. They are about as balanced as a set of headphones can get, with just the right amount of bass, including mid-bass impact that really makes kicks and toms shine. Treble is crystal clear, perhaps slightly rolled off, but not in a negative way. No harshness at all to the sound. First up in my review listening session was Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, off of their album Tusk. I love using Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and Tusk for listening auditions, the mastering is impressive and there are many intricacies to their music that good headphones will bring out and that is often missed by floorstanding speakers. The song has a lot of tom work, as well as little voices speaking in different spots throughout the song. The Pi6 picked up each of these voices, made the toms sound like they were live in the room with you, and really provided an excellent soundstage. Around the 1:14 mark with the Pi6, the bass comes into the mix with a little slide and growl, and sounds amazing. The Pi6 handle the addition of the bass in stride with the toms and addition of the bass drum without any issues, allowing the listener to just enjoy layers of music. Even when the instruments all come in, the Pi6 never break a sweat, allowing the listener to hear everything in its place, not just noise. Never harsh. They sounded amazing with this song. Next up was Loreena McKennitt’s Marco Polo, off of her Book of Secrets album. I believe I read somewhere that there were over 40 instruments in this song, and on weaker headphones it can sound like a mishmash of sound. Not with the Pi6. Bass impact was amazing, and as more and more layers of instruments were introduced into the mix, the soundstage became wider and wider. At no point did I feel like the music lost definition. All the pieces and components were there. I’ve listened to this song on a lot of in-ears, and the Pi6 sounded just as good as some much more expensive in-ears that have resided in my ear canals. And Loreena McKennitt’s voice was delightful, floating above the mix in an ethereal air. It’s one thing to play well-mastered music through in-ears, but the question is often how will they handle not-so-well-mastered music? I dug into Neil Diamond, listening to a song called Soolaimon which is mixed a little ‘hot’ and can be fatiguing depending on the headphones/speakers it is being listened on. The stereo mix puts a set of toms/congos in the left ear, and the right ear has percussion and guitar. Meanwhile, Neil sings with a choir in the background, and the choir’s voices can lead to some serious ear-bleeding when the volume is turned up. Not so with the Pi6. Not only did the make the toms/congos and percussion section sound impactful and vibrant, they also calmed the harshness of the choir and made it an extremely enjoyable listen. Volume For most of my listening, I had the volume to max. Granted, I have older ears, and can’t hear things as well as I used to, but I didn’t feel at any point that I didn’t have enough volume. Sometimes max was what it took, sometimes I was just a couple clicks down from full. So I feel like the Pi6 have good power and volume. Comfort I wore the Pi6 for at least 8 hours a day for 3 straight days to see if I got some sore ears like I do with other in-ears. Impressively enough, I only started to feel some discomfort towards the end of the day, as my ears got tired of having ear buds in them. This is better than the other in-ears I have, as often I am lucky to get a few hours with something stuck in my ears before having to take a break. Exercising, running, walking, chewing, and talking; there were no issues with the Pi6 staying put in my ears. In conclusion, I feel like the Pi6 are an incredible value. They sound great. I don’t really use my in-ears to make phone calls, but the couple of test calls I did were crystal clear. Music, which is what Bowers and Wilkins focuses on, as well as battery life and comfort was absolutely excellent. A great update to prior versions of the Pis, and a great all around in-ear. Highly recommended.

I have always been a music lover and I always seek to have the best experience when listening to music. Whether in speakers or in headphones there are some details that make the experience more enriching. With these Bowers Wilkins Pi6 headphones I have been surprised and at the same time some things I consider can improve the experience. In the box come the headphones in their charging case, a usb c charging cable, 3 pairs of 3 different tip sizes, a quick start guide and safety warranty documentation. To set up the headphones you need to download the Bowers & Wilkins Music app and create an account. Within the app the customization and configuration options are limited. There are no EQ presets, only a very basic User EQ, you can increase or decrease the bass and treble. In the app it is also possible to change the active noise canceling mode and manage the connected devices. The headphones have a touch control that allows you to change the ANC mode or increase or decrease the volume. Removing either earphone from the ear pauses music playback which can also be activated/deactivated in the app. The app also allows linking accounts from different types of music streaming services. Although the app has useful options, it lacks important aspects such as better EQ presets, integration with other music apps or YT, case battery indicator, better stability in the connection between the app and the headphones since sometimes when removing a headphone the app disconnects and you have to open and close it to recognize the headphones again. I find the design to be good, they are not heavy, they fit my ears well, they don't make my ear feel tired if I wear them for several hours, the touch controls work almost flawlessly and are easy to use. The device has a good finish and the construction materials are sturdy and of good quality. The Pi6 has a good overall design, they look good. The battery lasts several hours, a whole day without problem and with the case charger you can extend its use several hours more. The case has a LED that indicates when the charging case needs to be charged and this LED also indicates that the headphones are charging when they are inserted into the case. With 15 minutes of charging you can get up to two hours of battery life which is a great help when we do not have much time for this. Regarding the performance I have been surprised, they sound pretty good, the low, medium and high frequencies are clearly perceived, they have a higher volume than other devices in its class. In this device the bass sound with clarity, presence and without distortion. Whether listening to music, watching videos, movies, podcasts, everything is heard with strength and clarity, truly high resolution. The microphone sounds good, it does not stand out but performs well in calls. The active noise cancellation is very effective, it allows you to be immersed in your favorite music or content for a long time, outside sounds are perceived but are minimal. On the contrary with the transparency mode, the microphones seem to raise some frequencies and sound a little weird. I prefer to turn off the noise cancellation or have it active, but I hardly use the transparency mode. In summary, these Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 headphones have impressive audio quality, a battery that lasts many hours, a good design that does not bother the ear, they have active noise cancellation (ANC), no audio distortion and an app that although it offers the basics is useful. If you want good quality headphones with ANC and superior sound, these could be a good alternative. Despite the price, which could be more competitive, I can highly recommend them.

The Bowers & Wilkins pi6 offers a powerful punch in a bit size easy to carry set up. If your looking for fullness in your audio quality without the cumbersome over the ear style then look no further as Bowers & Wilkins is no stranger to the audiophile alike. Bowers & Wilkins has always been known to put an emphasis on style and quality to offer a true luxurious style piece with the price tag to back it up. At times it can be hard to decipher if the extra cost is really worth it and what you can expect to get with your money. Let's start with the basics, out of the box you expect to get your docking pod, usb-c charging cable and four different earpiece cups to help fit whatever your ear size may be. Case charge is completed in less than an hour and bud charging time is about 30 mins. The Pi6 comes with a free downloadable app however don't get too excited over this as the app as it still feels like its in it's beta phase. There is very little to do within the app given basic features such as battery life, button assignment , anc on/off and a very very basic EQ. The lack of a proper EQ is what really has me hating the app as proper sound needs to be dialed in via whatever playback method you are using. They do offer curated music via supplied listening platforms such as Pandora to help dial in your listening quality but you are limited to some very off brand apps. Don't expect to find Spotify, Google Music or Youtube in there. The charging case is another thing I hated about the Pi6 as the case is shaped oval like an egg meaning you can never stand the case up. Why does this bother me? Simply put, every time the case is set down it tends to roll over to its side, which leads to it falling of edges or counter tops and night stands. But let's be honest, your not considering these earbuds for the app or case but rather for the sound quality, which is where it truly shines. Once the drivers are broken in and EQ is dailed in that's when the quality of your beats will start to sound different. Im noticing back ground sounds that I normally don't notice such as the high hats hitting on some of my rock songs. Bass has a good punch, but don't expect it to knock you off your feet for all you hip hop fans. The quality of sound is well done, so much so that no sound over powers the other but rather everything comes in at equal quality to help compliment the song as a whole. The bass is very rich with clear midtones and very crisp highs. One thing I did notice is it seems the unit would try to adjust my EQ settings based on listening position or rather ear canal design to help give a more full and rich experience. In the ear designs have always been hit or miss with designs either becoming uncomfortable after hours of listening or bring comfort to the point of forgetting you have them in. The Pi6 offers hours upon hours of comfort with proper heat displacement. These buds are water resistance, and while I'm not exactly inclined to test out how resistant they are just know that basic sweat and splash back wont hurt them. Overall this is a true master piece when it comes to desecrate design with phenomenal sound quality. This piece is geared towards the true audiophile that is looking to get every bit of sound out of their music without sacrificing a single beat. While the price tag is set on the higher point, their quality, performance, comfort and long battery life make it a worth while investment. If your looking for that immersive sound that wont let you down, then look no further.

[PROS] Awesome Audio: I'm not an audiophile, but there's a clear difference in sound quality when I listen to these earbuds compared to several premium yet cheaper options that I own. I'm a bass guy, and I can confirm that these earbuds definitely have punch to them. The treble is distinct, and vocals are more pronounced in my opinion. Out of the box, these sounds great, but I was able to tweak them a bit to suit my preferences. Long Term Comfort: I found the Pi8 quite pleasant to wear. My typical routine is to listen to music for hours on end while I work with very few interruptions that require me to remove them. Simplistic App: The Bower & Wilkins App pairs well with these earbuds. I can adjust EQ settings, toggle modes, and configure functionality with relative ease. Superb Connectivity: The Pi8 maintained a stable connection as I roamed freely through my home. Furthermore, latency was extremely low when I decided to connect the case directly to my phone. [CONS/MIXED BAG] Subpar Mic: I had high expectations of the microphone performance. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed when it didn't separate itself enough from other devices I own. It didn't do worse than them, but the I was hoping for more clarity with my voice when I spoke through it on calls. Mostly Great Battery Life: As earbuds without active noise cancellation or passthrough enabled, battery life is pretty great. I'm talking 8+ hours easily. With ANC on, that number drops to be within the 6-6.5 hr range before needing to recharge. It's not full workday worth of ANC action, but it's satisfactory for most of the day especially with quick charge abilities. [CONCLUSION] The Pi8 Earbuds are an excellent choice for a more definitive audio experience. For sound, it works well and for a decent amount of time I may add. The ANC and Pass-through mode function fine, but the microphone falls a bit short. Overall, I'm still planning to use this product as my daily driver.