Customer Ratings & Reviews

These pi8 earbuds were pretty easy to set up or connect to my iPhones Bluetooth straight away. They look great and so far feel great in my ear. I haven’t felt ear fatigue, as quickly as, I have with other earbuds but, I’m also making sure not to keep them in for as long. They can feel a bit bulky. Especially if lying down when using them. To change certain things like turning on or off ANC or pass through, skipping a song or going back, answering or ended a call you have to do a lot of tapping or tap and hold sequences on the earbud. And each earbud controls something different. Also straight out of the box it is set for one bud to control ANC and the other to control your assistant. For you to be able to control the volume you have to use the app to change the earbuds to control the volume. And that means one earbud is for increasing and the other is for decreasing, causing you to lose the ability to turn on ANC or pass through. I find myself not liking that one bit. I’ve come to the conclusion that having to remember how many taps or what Morse code taps to get what you need out of them can be too much most of the time. And it can be quickly frustrating. So the app. Hmmm, well it’s basic to say the least and no real reason to have it besides toggling between if you want it to control the volume or ANC. You can also change the EQ but that is about it. It’s does not offer much control with customizations. I find the app and its capabilities for using the earbuds to be very lackluster to other high quality earbuds that I’ve owned. It seems at times that it takes a bit to connect to my phone. Especially if I pop one bud in my ear. The tone to let you know it’s connected doesn’t come on as quickly every single time, sometimes I have to pop in the other earbud to get it to connect and then pop the extra one out again just to use one. Sometimes I have to take the second one out of the case so it can connect and then put it back. So I feel like it just doesn’t recognize 100% of the time that I am just trying to use one bud at a time. I’ll be straight out with this one. The battery life sucks. I charged it fully before using them. After they charged I then set them up on my phone. By the time I made it through the initial setup up “how to use tutorial” it showed the charging case was at 89% (WHAT!!). How would that be possible if I had just removed it minutes ago from the charger? I’m not using the earbuds all day. I can only assume that they do not turn themselves off or in a standby mode, especially if not placed back into their case. But even still the earbuds themselves loses battery quickly then other premium buds I’ve owned. Find something else if that’s what you’re looking for. So the good… the sound quality is actually very good. It’s clear and sharp where it needs to be. The adjustments sound good if you prefer a bassier sound etc. I’m keeping these at the factory setting since I’m just using them for calls and listening to podcasts at the moment. Overall they are decent but if an extended battery life is what you desire I would say there are better options.

There are Audiophiles and then there are Consumer listeners. This earphone was created for Audiophiles and it is a big point that can't be skipped. Bowers and Wilkins is a brand for those who seek the exact goal of the producer and artist created their work for. It doesn't overdo things nor not deliver on them when they are supposed to be there. The fit and venting is perfect and when you add this up with look and even the case broadcast options ...you have something unique to the world of Bluetooth earphones and the best sounding earphone in Bluetooth products today.

If sound quality is your top priority when considering new earbuds, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 need to be on your short list. After a week using these buds and alternating with others in my collection (I have buds for work and play), I have concluded these are the most accurate buds I’ve heard. The word that keeps coming to mind when trying to describe the sound from the Pi8 is “neutral.” I believe sound produced on the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 sounds just like it should. Some buds sound too bright, some seem to obscure vocals, still others beat you over the head with bass. The Pi8 present a complete, clear audio picture. Everything is present and distinguishable. They just sound great! The Pi8 support the aptX Bluetooth codecs (lossless, adaptive, and classic) as well as AAC and SBC. I’m on Android and had to dig into my system settings to enable aptX. ANC is passable. Noise cancellation is either on or off; there are no ANC level settings. It’s not the most effective implementation I’ve experienced from earbuds, but it gets the job done. From the app, there are three settings for noise cancellation: On, Pass Through, Off. From the buds, the choices are either On or Pass Through. Touch control functions are set from the app and you can choose from two settings: ANC (L) and Voice Assistant (R); or, Volume Control (L:up, R: down). If you want to change touch controls, it must be done through the app. As of this writing, those functions are not user-modifiable. I would prefer more customizability of touch controls. When used in phone calls, sound quality is excellent on both ends of the conversation. In the box: Charging case (wireless or plug-in charging); ear tips in four sizes (XS, S, M, L); a charging cable; and a 3.5 mm analog accessory cable. The 3.5 mm analog accessory cable is a cool inclusion. Say you want to connect to in-flight audio. Plug the 3.5 mm plug into the audio jack, the other end (USB-C) goes in your charging case and, presto, you now have wireless audio. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 have set a new standard for me. I have been fortunate to be able to enjoy some terrific headphones and earbuds over the years. They each have their own distinct sound and personality, and I really thought I had a good handle on what accurate sound reproduction is. I was wrong. With the right recording, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 can put you in the room with the musician. This really is sound that is true to life.

I really wanted these earbuds to work for me. Some design issues make them unusable for me. Design issues can't be fixed, so I have to return these. The positive. 1. They sound great. 2. The look great. The negative. 1. They are difficult to get out of the case. There is nothing to grab hold of while pulling them out of the case. 2. They don't stay in my ear very long. 3. The left earbud is probably defective. It cuts out almost half the time. It's only the left earbud doing this. I have tried keeping my phone close to the buds to no avail. I tried contacting both B&W and Best Buy about this. B&W put me on 'forever' hold. I couldn't get past the robot with Best Buy. 4. They are frustrating to reinsert into my when they start to fall out. This is because the button is too large and too sensitive. It is nearly impossible to avoid deploying the button during reinsertion. In my case, deploying the button brings up the B&W phone app even if I was listening to a different app. Now I have to stop walking, open my phone and find the app I was really listening to. Since they don't stay on my ear for long, this is a big problem. 5. The phone app doesn't seem to add any value to apps I already have. 6. I have problems getting them paired to my Android. It is still not clear to me how I get them paired, but I eventually do.

I'm pretty picky when it comes to earbuds, and I wanted so badly not to like these, considering the substantial price. I bought these and a pair of Galaxy Pro Buds 3. The GPB3 were an extreme disappointment. No substantial improvement in sound quality, and in fact, they were worse than my old $20 buds. With a horrible sharp hiss on "s" sounds, and the noise canceling almost non-existent. Sigh. These, however, have GREAT noise cancelling. Even at 30% volume, I can't hear a thing with these things in. The sound quality is awesome. The fit is great. And one of the most surprising things, something I never thought I'd find in earbuds or earphones again, is volume! Omg, these things can get loud! At 50% volume, they are almost as loud as any other buds will ever get. I get that hearing loss is a real issue with volume from earphones, but that's MY choice to make, thank you very much! I LOVE that these earbuds can get L O U D!!! I miss the days when a song would make me feel the need to hear it louder in my chest, my guts, and I could turn it up louder and really feel the music. Now I can experience that again! And despite the eyeroll I had upon seeing the "made for iPhone" blurb on the packaging, I've had no issues connecting to both my laptop and my Android phone. I left off one star for three things. First, I can already tell that the battery life isn't all that great. At 50% volume, it seems like these buds might make it 6 hours. Maybe. Second is price. Yes, they're obviously high-quality, top-notch earbuds. But the price is just crazy. I'm still hesitant, even with how great these are, to keep them. The price is just insane. And last, the APP SUCKS! That's one thing Sony has that I love is a great app for their earbuds/headphones. Their app is so bare bones for how expensive their earbuds are. And a tentative 4th reason. I don't know how long these buds are going to hold out for. If I do keep them, I'll be using them constantly. So only time will tell me if they last.

These earbuds are the first pair I have ever purchased for myself. My wife owns an Apple Pro and when I put them on not only did it not fit my ears properly, the sound was not to my liking. I kept thinking why are they so popular? Since I own a B&W PX8, I figured the Pi8 might sound great, too. It has great reviews so I caved and gave it a shot. I am not disappointed at all. The fit and sound are amazing!! My wife agrees, too. I will be traveling soon so I am excited to use the earbuds on the plane and watching an inflight movie while using the case as a transmitter. They are expensive, however.

One of the best sounding earbuds. the sounds are better than airpods. Good battery life and feels premium. The a loss of connection some times but its not frequent. The pros outweighs the cons.

I have owned lots of expensive audio equipment and got tired of all the wires and different components. I replaced a Mark Levinson/Linn system with small QBs from Naim. The Qbs are great for what they are, but they lack really low bass and will not play in stereo pairs. In spite of many compliments on their sound from visitors, I wanted better. So, I have been following all the new active, streaming speakers coming out. I was looking for best bang for the buck and that could double for music and movies. I tried a KEF system that kept losing WiFi and Bluetooth signal. The sound was Ok, but not great. The Naims are better, even in mono. When I returned the KEFs, I listened to these Duos in the BB store, where they were NOT set up in an appropriate location (dumb). I decided to give them a home-try. Man, what difference the environment made. The speakers sound as good as $100,000 systems I have heard. I expected crystal clear mids and treble, and they definitely deliver, but what surprised me was how much bass they put out. I don’t need a sub as I had thought I might. These are worth far more than what seems initially an expensive price. Keep in mind you don’t need separates — you already get a streamer, DAC, amps (4), preamp as well as extraordinarily good speakers. Note that a mid-fi amp and a set of passive 700 series B&W bookshelves would exceed the price of these. I am sure you could find a less expensive, less usable system, but it will be nowhere as good as these. And if you were to build a comparable system, with all the same features, you’d spend far more than $4,000 (assuming you buy total crap equipment) and it would like still not be nowhere as good. As for the older reviews regarding drop-out and the app — B&W has replaced the app, and the new one is quite good. If others suffered connectivity issues, that definitely is not indicative of all Duos, and I suspect is a rare problem, where you could get a replacement pair under warranty in any event. Give these a try— you WILL want to keep them once you figure out what value they offer.

Excellent, I was blown away by these high-quality wireless earbuds. They exceeded my expectations. Highly recommended and will definitely keep it them

These feel impossible - like they’re turning your cranium into a resonance chamber - in a detailed, precise way. Highs have non-fatiguing sparkling detail. Midrange, vocals, strings - robust. Bass is tight and voluminous in a way i didnt know IEMs could accomplish. My only gripe is i have experienced brief disconnections, but worth it regardless. Transmitting, wirelessly charging case is nice.

Owned the Duo's for over 2 years now. The sound stage is superb. They deliver powerful sound gracefully. The bass is suprisingly adequate for bookshelf size speaker's. Very dynamic. Can connect directly to Roon, Tidal, qobuz, deezer etc.... thru B&W app. In life you may not always get what you pay for but with the Duo's you get ALL your monies worth. Excellent and I'd buy them again tomorrow.

I returned the Sony XM5 after buying and using the B&W Pi8. Full dislosure: I don't use the phone feature. I do use the noise cancellation - I found Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds much better. With Sony XM5 I could hear my treadmill. With B&W, I cannot hear my treadmill. The Sony XM5 has mediocre sound. I'm not sure why all the rave reviews about the XM5 sound great-They absolutely do not! They sound flat on both high and lows. Not impressed at all. The B&W Pi8 are amazing sounding - as if you are in the room with the band. If you are really picky about sound (and your ears) the B&W Pi8 are simply amazing for a pair of earbuds (totally worth the extra $100.00). When sweating Sony XM5 fall out of my ears way too many times during a 50-minute treadmill routine - they have a rounded body and slip off the ear easily. The XM5 foam pads don't help. The B&W Pi8 are well engineered with a bit of a ledge (flat) edge and rest comfortably on the ear cartlidge, this keeps them more in place & secure than the rounded XM5 - and the Pi8 silicone pads fit securely even when I'm sweating. Get the B&W Pi8 if you can swing it financially. There really is no comparison.

Great sound, 8 hours, lightweight, comfortable. Very happy with this purchased, I thought there's nothing better than Bose, but they are as good.

Intelligent Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Advanced noise reduction technology, with a maximum reduction of about 25dB, effectively shielding low-frequency noise (such as subway and bus noise). Supports ambient sound mode, which can flexibly switch between noise reduction and external sound perception. Stable wireless connection: Bluetooth 5.4 technology, supports multi-point connection (connecting two devices at the same time), and is easy to switch. AptX Lossless transmission ensures high audio quality and low latency. Ergonomic design: Oval ear canal design, combined with multi-size earplug glue, suitable for long-term wear. IP54 dust and water resistance, suitable for sports, commuting and other scenarios. Long battery life and fast charging: single battery life of 6.5 hours, total battery life of the charging box up to 20 hours. Supports wireless charging, charging for 15 minutes can be used for 2 hours.

The Pi8 Earbuds sound phenomenal, especially when listening via the retransmission AptX Adaptive option between the Pi8 case & my iPhone 16 Pro Max. Listening to Hi-Res Lossless iTunes music with this option never sounded better. It really opens up the music & sounds incredible. Pairing is easy & staying connected via Bluetooth is excellent with no issues. The B&W App is easy to use & I like the ability to use the equalizer, although it would be nice to have additional features added to the App. The comfort of wearing these earbuds is very good. Phone calls & Noise Cancellation are okay, but not as good as my Apple AirPods 2 earbuds. However, I mainly purchased the Pi8’s to be able to listen to my music with much better clarity & sound, which is far superior to the AirPods 2 in sound quality. The AirPods 2 sound kind of muddy when comparing the same songs right after each other between both earbuds. Also, the build quality of the Pi8’s have a premium look & aesthetic. Although pricey, I am very pleased with the Pi8’s.

Let me begin by saying if you need volume/a lot of headroom then these are the ones for you. They have exceptional audio quality with a wide soundstage and very detailed sound. They have well balanced bass and are very comfortable. The Pi 8s have effective active noise cancellation and a good aware mode. I also use the audio retransmission case for wired connections when I need true lossless audio.

I got this speakers as open box for 1K and I can say this are the best speakers I've had better than the 805 d3 not d4 tho but for that price you get the sound quality of a 800 series not bad at all. Finish is good but not 800 series good I believe the design is good but I still prefer the 800 diamond finishes and design Now if you get this I strongly recommend you get the formation audio it will make your life easier and you will be able to use this speaker with anything that is the downside of this system is only wireless but the formation audio fixes that in my opinion Just keep in mind this is a great deal on clearance (2k at the moment of this review) not only you get a great pair of speaker but also the amps 2x125w each speakers bi wire if you get the 805 d3 (what this compares to) and a decent amp you may be looking at 6k+ i paid for my whole system and a formation wedge 2k for all not disappointed at all.

They sound amazing. huge step up from my Sony WF-100-XM400 earbuds. I like listening to music and the difference is astounding. The box says lossless audio and lossless music on Spotify sounds amazing, but I was under the impression you need a wired connection to truly get lossless quality. You tap the buds to pause/play next/rewind, but they are not so sensitive that they pause when you brush them. Also got them price matched <3

My Formation Duo speakers arrived four days ago. For the first two days, my experience matched those of the reviewers that rated the speakers as one star—multiple dropouts and episodes of unresponsiveness. I was completely unable to use Roon with them, although the B&W Music app worked most of the time. I tried an ethernet cable right away. I restarted and factory reset the speakers several times. That seemed to improve things a little, but the dropouts continued to an intolerable degree for such an expensive piece of equipment. Roon gave me a hint. Roon provides info on its music files—I soon figured out that hi-res audio files were always dropped but lower-res compressed files would play. The Roon Help documentation emphasizes the importance of a well-tuned and correctly configured wireless system to allow maximum data transfer. Otherwise, dropouts would occur. I decided to put some time into investigating my network performance since I had already tried everything I knew to do with the speakers. My entire system had been set up by the guys from Magnolia. I had rarely experienced problems, but my AV equipment and computers are hard-wired, so the wireless may not have been challenged by web surfing over an iPhone or iPad. Magnolia had installed a fancy Luxul router and two wireless access points; the Luxul connected to the Internet through an Arris cable modem/router supplied by Spectrum. While investigating my network, I found the following (in a system that I previously thought was functioning well): • The Arris cable modem/router had a 2.4 GHz wireless network itself that was transmitting on the same channel as the Luxul access points, possibly producing interference or using bandwidth that could otherwise be used by the Duos. I turned the cable modem wireless off. • The access points needed firmware updates. I took care of that. • I found a faulty ethernet connection elsewhere in my network and replaced it. I also worried about another potential problem. Tidal limits the number of active connections to one. I used to get a warning on my iPhone when I used Tidal while I also accessed Tidal on Roon. (This was before the B&W Duos.) It’s easy to forget to close the iPhone app… so I wondered if the B&W would just not play Tidal streams if I had Tidal open on other devices. I don’t know the answer, but during the investigating period, I just signed out of Tidal and Qobuz on everything. Finally, I reset Roon and then powered off every device, switch, router, cable modem and speaker for a couple of minutes and then restarted. Something did the trick! I have had no dropouts or unresponsiveness for almost 24 hours. Roon plays like a champ. Songs that previously wouldn’t play now play beautifully. FLAC 24/192 and DSD256 are converted to 96 or 88.2kHz for transmission to the Duos, where they sound spectacular! I believe they are even better than the B&W 803s floorstanders that have produced great sound in our living room for many years… So sound quality is unsurpassed. Ease of use would also be fine if your network is configured for maximum data transfer. I hope this helps others to avoid the two days of heartburn that I experienced.

Best sounding earbuds but with flaws. So far these are the best earbuds I have had sound wise. The ANC is ok, these do not cancel external sound like the AirPods Pro. They do stay in your ear. I had to let these go because after 3 months the left earphone began to make a static noise. To conclude I would purchase these earphones again for the amazing sound they provide.