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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 earbuds offer the convenience of wireless connectivity with additional features like active noise cancelling, a built-in microphone for calls, and a sweatproof design suitable for exercise, at a premium price point. However, if you're seeking exceptional sound quality, particularly for music and an expansive soundstage, the Sennheiser HD600 headphones, typically less expensive, excel in these areas. They are not wireless and lack a built-in mic, making them less versatile for calls or exercise, but their high comfort score and open-back design are ideal for home listening sessions. Both are premium products, so choose based on your primary use case, be it portable convenience and calls (PI7) or superior home audio quality (HD600). Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Bowers and Wilkins PI7
Very good for gaming
Very good for air travel
Advantages of the Sennheiser HD600
Excellent for music
Very good for TV and video
Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.8/10
9.3/10
The Sennheiser HD600 is excellent for music, while the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is only fair.
Gaming
8.1/10
7.0/10
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is very good for gaming, while the Sennheiser HD600 is good.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
4.8/10
7.9/10
The Sennheiser HD600 is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is poor.
TV and Video
6.8/10
8.9/10
The Sennheiser HD600 is very good for TV and video, while the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is only fair.
Noise Reduction
8.3/10
2.5/10
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 is very good for noise reduction, while the Sennheiser HD600 is poor.
Battery
3.0 Hours
N/A
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 has 3 hours of battery life. The Sennheiser HD600 does not have a battery.
Cost
$399
$350
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 has a price of $399 and the Sennheiser HD600 costs $350.
The Bowers and Wilkins PI7 and Sennheiser HD600 are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.9/10
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Sennheiser HD600 to have excellent build quality, while the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 has very good build quality.
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How the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 and the Sennheiser HD600 compare to other earbuds and headphones
"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."
"The HD600 are state-of-the-art headphones with high sound quality and remarkable value, among most of the offerings in today’s time."
Get a great deal on the Bowers and Wilkins PI7 or the Sennheiser HD600
About Bowers and Wilkins
Bowers and Wilkins is a British audio equipment manufacturer with a focus on innovation and product development. It was founded by a couple of real-life James Bonds, the co-founders John Bowers and Roy Wilkins, who met while working for MI6 during World War II. The company keeps being favored by enthusiasts due to their sound quality, craftsmanship and signature aesthetics.
About Sennheiser
A family-owned company, Sennheiser is a German, high fidelity, audio equipment manufacturer founded in 1945. Their consumer audio division is now owned by the Swiss hearing aid and cochlear implant manufacturer Sonova. Sennheiser offers a wide variety of, very high quality, audio equipment solutions, from headphones to earbuds, full sets of monitoring speakers, amplifiers and microphones. They also make what is widely regarded as the best, and most expensive, headphones in existence, the HE-1 Orpheus, costing a whopping $59,000 dollars.
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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.
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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.
Jason Lew
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.
Luis Torres
Earbuds and Headphones Expert
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.