Bowers & Wilkins unveiled its first TWS headsets, the closely related PI7 and PI5. Both feature Active Noise Cancellation, high-quality aptX audio and bespoke drivers. The PI7 is easily the more premium of the two. Each bud features a dual driver arrangement – a custom 9.2 mm driver for the mid/bass and a balanced armature tweeter, each with its own amplifier.
These support 24-bit high-res audio with
aptX Adaptive and have three microphones each for noise cancellation while listening
to music and in a call (a total of 6 mics). The PI7 charging case has an
interesting feature – a 3.5 mm jack, so you can plug in an external source (one
that doesn’t natively support Bluetooth) and get the full wireless experience.
The audio is streamed to the buds with aptX Low Latency, which reduces the
typical Bluetooth delay.
Speaking of the case, it can be charged
over USB-C or wirelessly. The buds last 4 hours on a charge, the case adds
another 16 hours. The Bowers & Wilkins PI5 miss some of the unique features
of the PI7. The buds have a single driver (the custom 9.2 mm one) and the case
lacks the 3.5 mm input jack. Also, they only have two mics each, but they still
support Active Noise Cancellation.
Also, these feature the base aptX, so they
can’t match the audio quality of their sibling buds. The battery life is
longer, though, 4.5 hours for the buds plus 18 hours from the case (which also
supports USB-C and wireless charging).
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 will cost you US$ 400/€ 400/£ 350 while the PI5 are about half that, US$ 250/€ 250/£ 200. Both are
available today in two colors, White and Charcoal (you can recognize the PI7 by
the gold highlights on the buds and case).
