Bowers & Wilkins Launches Two New Pairs Of Wireless Earbuds For Audiophiles

World-renowned British loudspeaker brand Bowers & Wilkins has announced the launch of two new pairs of true wireless earbuds. The Pi6 and Pi8 have been completely redesigned for improved comfort and audiophile sound quality. Both models have high-end active noise cancelation and support for Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive codec, offering audio up to 24-bit/96kHz with compatible devices. The flagship Pi8 model also supports the aptX Lossless audio codec with Snapdragon Sound Technology.

Both the Pi6 and Pi8 have been developed by the same design and engineering teams responsible for B+W’s Px7 S2e and Px8 headphones. The earbuds feature a new industrial design and the mechanical, electronic and acoustic engineering have been completely redesigned. B+W claims these are the most comfortable, full-featured and best-sounding earbuds the brand has ever produced.

Like a lot of earbuds these days, B+W has used Qualcomm wireless transmission technology. Qualcomm owns this market right now and has developed an impressive suite of tools and technology that has been responsible for boosting the quality of wireless earbuds over the past few years.

The idea behind the Pi6 and Pi8 was to create the same audio quality that B+W has achieved with its well-regarded over-the-ear headphones. The Pi6 earbuds have been fitted with 12mm bio-cellulose drivers for a big sound with plenty of warm bass and midrange definition. Meanwhile, the Pi8 use Carbon Cones, the same technology used in B+W’s award-winning Px8 over-ear headphones.

The Pi8 earbuds include support for both aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless audio codecs. The wireless technology is backed up with a dedicated DSP, DAC and amplifier from ADI, to deliver Hi-Res certified audio in the best resolution possible over Bluetooth.

The Pi6 earbuds are built on the same core platform as the Pi8 and have been designed for comfort. It’s fair to say that previous generations of B+W earbuds were not always so comforable to wear, possibly due to their large size. However, these new earbuds are a lot smaller and sit in the ear more comfortably, which is such an important consideration when you are wearing earbuds for long periods.

Despite the relatively affordable price of the Pi6, B+W claims their sound quality is comparable with the outgoing Pi7 S2 earbuds, the predecessor earbuds of the new Pi8. The new Pi6 uses an advanced Qualcomm chipset for improved wireless stability and more reliable connectivity. Using the latest Bluetooth version 5.4 means both pairs of earbuds support multipoint connectivity so you can connect two devices at once so you can listen to music streamed from one device and then take a call on another.

Both the Pi6 and Pi8 have excellent build quality, but as this is B+W, I’d be shocked if they weren’t. The earbuds feel durable and have an IP54 rating for protection from water and dust. The shape of both pairs of earbuds is the result of extensive research by the B+W engineers who researched how human ears vary in shape depending on gender and ethnicity.

The industrial design team developing the earbuda used the results of the study to create a completely new shape of earbud that should be comfortable and have the kind of fit that produces better passive noise cancelation for the widest range of listeners.

Certification for Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) means both earbuds work seamlessly with Apple iOS devices and they can be used with the Bowers & Wilkins Music app. There will also soon be support for Google Fast Pair (GFP) on Android devices shortly after launch.

Once paired with the host phone, the Pi8 earbuds can access the B+W app’s five-band Advanced EQ function which can be used to fine-tune the sound of the earbuds. For purists who want sound that’s not been processed, there is the option to bypass the EQ at the touch of a button. For users of the Pi6, there are individual bass and treble controls.

Like most wireless earbuds, the Pi6 and Pi8 have touch controls for things like play/pause, skipping tracks, taking phone calls and toggling through the ANC modes. The touch controls have been upgraded to improve their responsiveness and reliability. Anyone who has ever used earbuds with touch controls will know they can sometimes be too trigger-happy or simply unresponsive.

The new design of the earbuds sees a repositioning of all antenna and microphones in each earpiece. The engineers have tried to ensure there can be no blockage of wireless and audio signals. In addition, there is a new infrared proximity sensor for automatic pause and play whenever an earpiece is removed from an ear. This feature can be turned off if you don’t want it.

The shape of the charging case for both pairs of earbuds has also been redesigned to look slimmer and therefore easier to slip into a pocket. The overall finish and look have been upgraded to be less industrial than earlier versions. As briefly mentioned, the Pi8 has a SmartCase with support for both wireless charging and an innovative Wireless Audio Retransmission technology.

This retransmission feature was first introduced with the Pi7. The function enables you to retransmit audio from both digital and analog sources. The Pi8 come with two cables, one for USB-C and one for 3.5mm stereo. The user just plugs the case into any source and then the SmartCase sends a high-quality wireless signal to the earbuds.

The SmartCase can retransmit in aptX Adaptive codec at 24-bit/96kHz quality. This means you can experience high-quality wireless audio even if you don’t have a compatible phone that supports aptX Adaptive. Uses for this function can include plugging the SmartCase into a computer or the inflight entertainment system on an airliner.

Lots of people use their wireless earbuds for making and taking calls using their smartphone. Both the Pi6 and Pi8 now have three carefully positioned microphones that B+W says reject unwanted external noises during voice calls. Pi6 is built around the same noise-rejection platform used on the outgoing Pi7 S2, while the Pi8 adopts the same technology used in B+W’s flagship Px8 over-ear headphones.

The ANC used in the earbuds has been developed using a proprietary ANC algorithm developed by Bowers & Wilkins instead of the off-the-shelf version that Qualcomm offers its OEM customers. The ANC of the Pi8 is designed to filter out as much unwanted noise as possible without impacting the music. You can probably find more aggressive ANC elsewhere but you will also notice that the music is impaired and so it’s a tradeoff between audio quality and unwanted sound.

The Pi6 and Pi8 have more stamina than their predecessors. The Pi6 play for up to eight hours on a single charge and the charging case has 16 hours of backup. That’s a total of 24 hours of playtime before the Pi6 charging case needs to be recharged.

Because the Pi8 has more a processor-intensive DSP/DAC and can play for up to 6.5 hours on one charge and there is an extra 13.5 hours backup contained in the SmartCase. That’s a total of 20 hours playtime, enough for a return transatlantic flight. However, most of us tend to use our earbuds for a couple of hours at a time so overall battery life isn’t too big an issue.

The Pi6 and Pi8 are available in an expanded range of finishes. Bowers & Wilkins has recently extended its available colorways for both its headphones and earbuds. The Pi6 will be available in Storm Grey, Cloud Grey, Forest Green and Glacier Blue, while the Pi8 is available in Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue.

Pricing & Availability: The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will be available from August 21 and are priced at $399 / £349 / €399. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 will be available from September 15 priced at $249 / £219 / €249. Both pairs of earbuds can be bought from the Bowers & Wilkins website as well as the usual online retailers like Amazon.

Tech Specs:

Bowers & Wilkins Pi6

• Drivers: 12mm bio-cellulose dynamic.
• Active Noise Cancelation: Yes.
• Bluetooth version: 5.4.
• EQ: Two band.
• Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Classic, aptX Adaptive.
• Microphones: 3 per earbud.
• Battery: Lithium-ion.
• Battery life: 8 hours (earbuds) / 16 hours (case).
• Wireless charging: No.
• Charging: USB-C.
• Water resistance: IP54
• Dimensions: 65 x 29 x 52mm (case).
• Weight: 46g (case) / 7g (earbuds).
• Finishes: Cloud Grey, Forest Green, Glacier Blue, Storm Grey.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8

• Drivers: 12mm Carbon Core.
• Active Noise Cancelation: Yes.
• Bluetooth version: 5.4.
• EQ: Five band Advanced.
• Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Classic, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless.
• Microphones: 3 per earbud.
• Battery: Lithium-ion.
• Battery life: 6.5 hours (earbuds) / 13.5 hours (case).
• Wireless charging: Yes.
• Charging: USB-C.
• Water resistance: IP54
• Dimensions: 65 x 29 x 52mm (case).
• Weight: 46g (case) / 7g (earbuds).
• Finishes: Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green, Midnight Blue.