Bowers and Wilkins PI7

Bowers and Wilkins PI7

Bowers and Wilkins PI7

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BEST RATING
Air Travel:
4.5
MUSIC: Fair6.8/10
CALLS: Poor5.1/10
GAMING: Very Good8.1/10
TV: Fair6.8/10
PODCASTS & AUDIOBOOKS: Poor4.8/10
EXERCISE: Poor5.8/10
AIR TRAVEL: Very Good8.2/10
NOISE REDUCTION: Very Good8.3/10
BUILD QUALITY: Very Good8.9/10
BATTERY: Poor5.5/10

The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 are high-end earbuds with a stemless design and closed acoustics, boasting features suitable for audiophiles who value sound quality. They support advanced Bluetooth codecs like AptX Adaptive for better audio streaming quality and have an integrated microphone for calls. However, they have a shorter battery life and may be considered heavy compared to some other earbuds. The PI7 provides good noise isolation and is equipped with touch controls, but lacks certain features like water resistance, making them less ideal for sports or heavy physical activities. These earbuds come at a premium price, reflecting their position as a high-quality audio option. Give Feedback

this description is based on the product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars.




Evaluation

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Pros
  • Very good comfort
  • Excellent build quality
  • Supports aptX Adaptive codec
  • Effective active noise cancelling
  • Wireless charging capable
Cons
  • Poor score in gaming
  • No support for low latency
  • Limited battery life
  • Average music listening quality

Ratings by Category

Air Travel:
4.5
This score evaluates the product for use on airplanes and other similar kinds of travel. It takes into account noise reduction and portability, including case shape, case size, and weight. It also incorporates the battery life of the product, long-haul comfort, noise reduction (both active and passive), and sound quality. We generally consider wireless products to be more suitable for air travel.
Gaming:
4.4
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is well-suited for gaming due to its support for aptX Low Latency codec, which ensures minimal delay between on-screen action and audio, and its good sound imaging providing an immersive spatial experience. Additionally, the earbuds offer very good built-in mic quality, which is important for clear in-game communication.
Portability:
4.4
The Portability score is based on an overall assessment that includes volume and maximum dimension of the product (and case, if relevant), and its weight. Special features like foldability for headphones are also taken into account.
Music:
3.9
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 earbuds have an overall poor sound quality but a good soundstage and imaging score. Despite being a closed enclosure type and lacking virtual surround, they still manage to create a decent sense of space in the music, which is uncommon for earbuds.
TV & Video:
3.9
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 may be considered fair for watching TV and videos because while they support low latency codecs like AptX Low Latency, which is important for syncing audio with video, they do not perform exceptionally regarding overall sound quality, which encompasses clarity, detail, and soundstage.

Full Specs

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GENERAL

Price
$399
Brand
Bowers and Wilkins
Release Date
April 1, 2021
Form Factor
Earbuds
Connectivity
Wireless

SOUND

Music Score
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6.9/10
Phone Calls Score
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5.2/10
Gaming Score
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8.2/10
TV and Video Score
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6.9/10
Exercise Score
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5.8/10

PERFORMANCE

Battery life
3 Hours
Wireless charging
Yes
Charging time
0.7 Hours
Bluetooth version
5
Case Battery Life
20

FEATURES

Active Noise Cancelling
Yes
Noise Reduction Score
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8.4/10
Virtual Surround
No
Android App
Yes
iOS App
Yes
Mic Quality
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8.5/10

BUILD AND DESIGN

Build Quality
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8.9/10
Comfort score
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8/10
Size
Large
Weight of single earbud
7 Grams
Microphone style
Integrated

Bowers and Wilkins PI7

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Sound Guys

Chase Bernath | April 2022
"The primary selling point of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 is the charging case that can transmit audio from any analog source to the earbuds. If you have a very specific and clear need for that feature, then the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 is for you."

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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.

By the numbers

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About the Earbuds or Headphones team

Joe Golden, Ph.D

CEO and Earbuds and Headphones Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.

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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.

Chandradeep Chowdhury

Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.

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Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.

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