Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: which ANC buds are better?

There's no shortage of choice when it comes to the best wireless earbuds, but now a new competitor has entered this crowded field. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are the firm's best effort yet, combining solid noise cancellation and excellent sound quality with the brand's usual stellar build quality. But how do they fare against the more established Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds?

Both pairs earned five stars, so both are fantastic options. Wondering which is best for you? Let's find out.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: price

The B&W Pi8 are among the most expensive earbuds we have tested, with a retail price of £349 / $399 / AU$599. That's a fair bit more than the Bose, which launched at £300 / $299 / AU$450.

What compounds matters is that the B&W launched only recently, so are unlikely to see a discount any time soon. Whereas the Bose launched in September 2023, and have dropped to £219 previously – a discount of £81. Expect more deals come Black Friday.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds **

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: design

For the Pi8, B&W went back to the drawing board and redesigned everything – they bear almost no relation to its previous model, the Pi7 S2. The overall shape, internals and drivers have all been overhauled, and they certainly feel as though they justify their price tag. They come in Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green or Midnight Blue.

The mics and sensors have moved position from the Pi7 S2 so they don't get obscured as easily, and the new 12mm drivers are made from the same carbon as those in B&W's Px8 wireless headphones and 700 Series loudspeaker tweeter.

They come with four sizes of eartips, but no eartip fit test within the app. They're not quite as secure as the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, but don't feel as if they are about to drop out. They have the same IP54 rating as their predecessors, so are safe from limited dust and water spray.

Bose's pair don't feel quite as premium as the B&W – we're not quite sold on the metallic treatment on the outer stems – but they are more secure thanks to the stability bands. They are very comfortable for long listens, even more so than the Sony WF-1000XM5. But the IPX4 rating is good only for splashing water, not dust, so be careful out there on the beach. They come in two finishes: Black or White Smoke.

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 **

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: features

The B&W Pi8 support higher-quality audio codecs than the Bose – there's support for aptX Adaptive at up to 24-bit/96kHz and also aptX Lossless. The Bose play nice with only the more basic SBC and AAC codecs. But the Bose win out in terms of battery life: while the B&W manage half an hour more from the buds (6.5 hours compared with 6 hours), the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds offer an extra 18 hours from the case, to the Pi8's 13.5. That gives them a total battery life of 24 hours, to the B&W's 20.

The Pi8's charging case also doubles up as a wireless audio re-transmitter. Connect it via a cable to a non-Bluetooth source (such as an in-flight entertainment system) and it will play audio through the wireless buds. Neat. The case even supports aptX Adaptive transmission at up to 24-bit/96kHz quality – here's how we got on with it. 

The B&W app lets you configure the touch controls (to an extent) and tweak the equaliser. The range between earbuds has been expanded to 10m, but we still had the occasional connection drop out during testing. Multipoint Bluetooth is also on board if you prefer to have more than one source connected at the same time – this wasn't part of the Bose QC Ultra Earbuds at launch, but was recently added via a software update.

The QC Ultra Earbuds have Bose Immersive Audio, which is basically the company’s spatial audio tech. It's meant to sound as if you are listening to speakers rather than headphones, but it's not that convincing, and it drains battery life quicker. So a mixed bag.

Their mics can now be prioritised depending on which is experiencing the least background noise while also filtering out extra sounds to make calls clearer. Wireless charging isn’t included although you can buy an optional wireless charging cover for the case for an extra  £50 ($49 / AU$80).

** Winner: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 **

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: noise cancellation

B&W has used noise-cancellation tech from its excellent Px8 over-ear headphones in the Pi8, and it shows. The ANC is impressive, especially with low-frequency rumbles, but it's not as good as Bose's, particularly at silencing higher frequencies. And, while the Pi8 do have a Transparency mode, you can't adjust the levels of ANC to cater for different situations.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds remain the class-leaders in terms of ANC. Their ability to cut out huge swathes of noise from across the frequency range remains unmatched. It's very customisable too, letting you preset different levels of noise-cancelling for different situations. And ‘Aware’ mode impresses as it balances out your music with surrounding noise so you can hear just enough of both worlds and not be completely sealed off in your own sonic bubble.

** Winner: Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds **

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: sound

Both of these pairs earned five stars, so you would expect them to sound fantastic. Which they do; but there are some subtle differences between them.

The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds retain the same tonal characteristics as the QuietComfort Earbuds II they replaced – with a familiar richness and fullness – but have a bit more pep to them, sounding a tad punchier and clearer. The presentation is pleasingly open and spacious, with clear definition and a real sense of dynamism. It's in equal parts entertaining and musical.

The Pi8 were worked on by B&W's top audio engineers, which is evident from the sound. There's a maturity and sophistication to their performance, which is beautifully balanced and even-handed. Details are abundant, with superb definition, and a solidity and tightness that is reserved for buds at this level. Even more impressive is that they retain their composure even with ANC turned on, the extra processing proving no challenge whatsoever to the buds' musical skills.

** Winner: Draw **

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: verdict

So there you have it – two pairs of superb noise-cancelling earbuds. The B&W are pricier and don't have as good noise cancellation, but then we prefer their design slightly, and they have the more extensive feature set. They also sound more refined compared with the Bose's more get-up-and-go presentation.

The Bose do a better job of silencing noisy environments, and they have the better fit, but they are not dust-resistant, so aren't as well suited to harsh environments. In the all-important round of sound quality, they have quite different sound profiles, but sound equally impressive, so it's a matter of individual preference. 

Which is right for you depends on your priorities, and your budget. The smart money will wait and see if either pair gets a big discount come Black Friday.

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