Bowers & Wilkins - Pi8 True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds - Jade Green

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.

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).

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!

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!

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.

Bowers & Wilkins has released their next-gen earbuds - the Pi8's - that provide a great sound, regardless of content. The box includes the earbuds, charging case, USB-C charging cable, 3.55mm-to-USBC audio cable, different sized earbuds, and quick start guide/paperwork. The earbuds comes with a manufacturer's 2-year warranty. DISCLAIMER: I connected these earbuds to a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for primary use. PROS: ----------- * The main reason someone will fork over high dollars is for exceptional sound quality - and these earbuds deliver just that. They are the best-sounding "in-ear" earbuds I have ever listened to. The bass/treble and everything in between are insanely great. * The rubber ear inserts are quite comfortable providing a longer listening time before possible irritation sets in. * The case has all rounded edges/corners so they can go in pants pockets or bags without having to worry with hard corners tearing material or poking your leg if in your pocket. This design does limit the case to only lying on its back (or front). * Battery life was good for this size unit... B&W claims 8 hours on a full charge, and I didn't have an issue using them all day (8-5 while charging during lunch). * The app was adequate in features, showing both case battery life and earbuds battery life separately. You can also change the single long-press settings along with the integration of some online audio services into the app. There is also a 5-band EQ that can be utilized for getting a better overall sound rather than just having treble/bass settings. The primary feature on the home page is the Noise-Canceling function which can be turned on/off or in a mid-range called "Pass-through" which allows some sounds to come thru so the user can be aware of their surroundings. There are a few other features in the app like a wear sensor (music pauses when a bud is removed) and also the ability to factory reset and update earbud firmware. * Earbuds can be connected to 2 devices at a time but audio can only be played from one or the other. This can come in handy if playing audio from one device, but answering calls on another device. * The single light on the front of the case has visual confirmation of what's going on with the buds whether charging or connecting via BT. * A crazy feature I have never seen any other buds have is the ability to connect the buds case via the 3.5mm-to-USBC cable provided - then wirelessly connect the earbuds to the case itself. This will be useful for non-BT devices, and a feature unique to the Pi8's. This is great thinking outside of the box. * Good magnetic connection inside the case. They fit one way only, pop in easily, and stay put. * When taking phone calls, microphone quality was very good according to my people on conference calls. They stated I was as clear as a regular wired office headset with boom mic. CONS: ----------- * Though the case is meant to lie on its back to charge (wired or wirelessly), I would much rather have my case stand up (flat bottom) to charge. This would mean a rear USB-C charging connection. This would take up less front-to-back space on a desk though already minimal, but it also looks better standing up rather than lying down. This would force the bottom to be flat, but the edges can still be rounded so it doesn't have sharp corners in the event they are transported in a pants pocket. * This is a minor issue, but if the buds disconnect after non-use, they will reconnect when they are tapped; however, I found the 2nd bud wouldn't connect until 10-15 seconds. B&W stated they should both be connected much quicker. Perhaps a firmware update may correct this issue for those buds affected. This is not something that would prevent me from purchasing though. OTHER OBSERVATIONS: ----------- * If the buds are disconnected from your device but still out of the charging case, they will still discharge at a decent rate... perhaps up to 20% loss overnight due to signaling still occurring while in sleep mode. Buds should go in the case when not in use so they will have a better/full charge when you use them. * Earbuds connect automatically once the case top is opened. They do not have to be out of the case before they connect. * There is no wall charger, so you'll have to use an existing wireless charging pad, wall charger, or USB charging port on a PC. * My buds are black, so they can attract dust easily as shown by some of my pictures. * 4 sets of rubber inserts are provided. Medium size is the most common and already installed in the box. XS/S/L are available to swap out. CONCLUSION: ===================== Overall, these are the best "in-ear" earbuds I have ever used. They don't surpass the quality of over-the-ear headphones of course. When running or riding a bike, they stay put securely. Features in the app are good enough for what I need it for. They don't have to be super-advanced since they aren't really used for sound booth listening. The sound provided is so good though, that they have become my go-to earbuds, and I don't even have the desire to use my previous pair of earbuds from another manufacturer. I'm sold, even at a high retail price. They are worth the money if you want great sound and good comfort in the ear. Well done, B&W.

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.