Bowers & Wilkins has unleashed two new premium wireless earbuds: the Pi8 and Pi6, both of which feature ground-up designs to deliver better fit and comfort, improved sound quality and active noise-cancellation (ANC) and come packed with the latest features.
- Read our full Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review
The new earbuds boast impressive pedigree. Bowers & Wilkins has used the same design team responsible for the superb, five-star Px8 and Px7 S2e over-ear wireless headphones to hone the new earbuds to a higher premium standard. B&W's over-ear models have wowed us with their luxurious design and incredible sound quality far more than their in-ear wireless earbuds, so let's hope this is good news all around for the fresh models.
The Pi8 houses 12mm drive units made with Carbon Cone technology, as used in the flagship high-end Px8 headphones and derived from B&W's speaker cone technology in its 700 Series hi-fi speakers. The flagship earbuds feature dedicated DAC, amplification and DSP technology to deliver the "maximum possible resolution and accuracy" from your music. The buds support higher-quality aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs, allowing for 24-bit/96kHz music files to be transmitted from compatible sources. The step-down Pi6 uses 12mm bio-cellulose drivers similar to the ones used in the Px7 S2e and features the aptX Adaptive codec for 24-bit streaming.
Both models feature the latest Qualcomm chips and promise updated noise-cancelling and call quality, along with the usual transparency mode to let surrounding environmental noise through. Once again, B&W states the same advanced ANC technology used in the over-ear premium models has been adopted in these new wireless earbuds, aiming to "cancel as much unwanted noise as possible without impacting the musicality of the performance".
Both earbuds run on Bluetooth 5.4, support multipoint Bluetooth for seamless switching between two connected devices, and have a new 10m antennae range. We've experienced dropouts and connection issues with previous B&W earbuds (such as the Pi7 and Pi7 S2), but these issues have been addressed with the new designs. B&W says the Pi8 and Pi6 have more reliable and stable connections, that the transmission between the two buds has been improved, while the microphones and antennae have even been repositioned so wireless and audio signals don't get blocked.
The new earbuds have a sleeker and more ergonomic shape, with high-quality materials used and four choices of ear tips aiming to offer a better fit and long-lasting comfort. From our hands-on time with the buds, they certainly look and feel premium.
Battery life has been improved but is still modest compared with the competition. The Pi8 offers 6.5 hours on a single charge with ANC on and 20 hours in total with the charging case, while the Pi6 offers eight hours on a single charge and 24 hours in total. B&W states that the flagship model demands more power to function, hence the lower battery life figures.
The clever re-transmitter Bluetooth feature of the charging case returns, meaning you can connect the case with a wired USB-C or 3.5mm cable to, say, an in-flight entertaining system, a TV or an iPhone 15, and have the sound beamed in high quality to your wireless earbuds. This feature has been refined and is able to transmit in 24-bit/96kHz quality too.
The accompanying B&W Music app has also been updated, with bass and treble tone controls available for the Pi6. A further five-band EQ is available for Pi8 users, so they can fine-tune the buds' performance to personal tastes.
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will be available to buy from 28th August, for the princely sum of £349 / $399 / €399 per pair. Meanwhile, the B&W Pi6 model will be available a little later from 15th September, costing £219 / $249 / €249.
There are four bespoke finishes for each model: the Pi8 comes in Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue, while the Pi6 comes in Storm Grey, Cloud Grey, Forest Green and Glacier Blue colours.
We've had the flagship model in for testing, and you can read our B&W Pi8 review here.
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