Bowers & Wilkins’ latest Pi8 wireless headphones reviewed

British speaker brand Bowers & Wilkins has branched out in recent years with headphones, earbuds and wireless speakers. These new products have had a mixed reception at times, but every company, no matter how good, has a learning curve when developing technology for new products.

The latest pair of true wireless headphones from B&W sees the company’s offerings mature. This is partly due to B&W’s decision to adopt Qualcomm’s Snapdragon sound platform which now offers the highest wireless performance available thanks to the development of the aptX Lossless codec which means wireless headphones can now deliver the same kind of audio quality like a pair of wired headphones. .

The Pi8 has been completely redesigned from the ground up. B&W has ditched the chunky design of previous headphones and this has resulted in improved comfort levels. These are the first headphones from B&W that feel incredibly comfortable and easy to wear. In addition to being certified for Hi-Res audio, the Pi8 offers high-level active noise cancellation. aptX Lossless audio codec support provides audio resolutions up to 24-bit/96kHz with devices compatible with Snapdragon Sound Technology.

These new headphones have been developed by the same design and engineering teams behind B&W’s Px7 S2e and Px8 headphones. The headphones have a new industrial design and the mechanical, electronic and acoustic engineering have been completely redesigned. B&W says these are the most comfortable, full-featured, and best-sounding headphones the company has ever produced. They are not wrong.

To test the quality of Snapdragon Sound Technology, I borrowed an ASUS Zenphone Android smartphone, one of the few phones that currently supports the latest aptX Lossless codec. The headset and phone talk to each other to negotiate the highest usable decoding level.

For those of us used to the limited AAC that Apple provides, the sound is a revelation. The amount of detail and space around the audio is amazing. Even if you don’t have a phone that supports Snapdragon Sound, there’s a good chance you will in the future, and in that case, you’ll be happy to have a pair of headphones that can produce such high-fidelity audio.

B&W’s 12mm drivers are made with carbon cone technology. This is the same material used in the brand’s award-winning Px8 over-ear headphones. With support for aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless audio codecs, the Pi8 is supported with a dedicated digital signal processor, digital-to-analog converter and ADI amplification. This audio path delivers Hi-Res certified audio via Bluetooth.

Thanks to the latest version of Bluetooth 5.4, the Pi8 supports multi-point connection so that they can be connected to two devices at the same time, so you can listen to music on one device and still be able to receive a call from your work phone by pressing the touch-sensitive controls on the headset.

The Pi8 feels well made and is IP54 rated for water and dust protection. To get the perfect shape for the Pi8, B&W undertook extensive research into human ear shapes that vary by gender and ethnicity. The industrial design team developed a completely new shape of the headset, which is extremely comfortable and a secure fit, and which promotes good levels of passive noise cancellation.

To please iPhone users, the Pi8s are Apple’s Made for iPhone certified, meaning they will work seamlessly with Apple iOS devices and can also be used with the B&W Music app. The company also says the Pi8 will soon support Google’s Fast Pair on Android devices.

Once paired with the host phone, the Pi8 headphones can access the five-band Advanced EQ feature in the B&W Music app. This can be used to adjust the sound of the headphones. And for purists who want straight sound that’s not muddled, there’s the ability to override the EQ at the touch of a button.

Like most headphones, the Pi8 has touch controls for controlling operations like play/pause, skipping tracks, accepting calls, rejecting calls, plus cycling through the available ANC modes. Touch controls have been improved on the Pi8 and are now more responsive and reliable than the previous generation. Anyone who has ever used headphones with hair trigger touch controls will know how annoying they can be.

The built-in antenna and microphones on each of the Pi8’s earcups have been repositioned to make sure there’s nothing to block the patch’s Bluetooth signal. A new infrared proximity sensor has been installed for automatically pausing and resuming music whenever an earbud is removed or replaced. This feature can be turned off if you don’t like it.

The shape of the Pi8 charging case has been redesigned to make it sleeker and slimmer. Now it’s easier to fit in your shirt or jeans pocket. The finish and overall look of the case is a bit more luxurious and less industrial. It’s a neat looking package.

The charging case has a built-in wireless transmitter which means you can connect the case to almost any audio source that uses USB C or 3.5mm analog aux. Once connected to something like an in-flight entertainment system, the Pi8 case streams audio to headphones.

The charging case streams audio using the aptX Adaptive codec with 24-bit/96kHz quality. This means the user can experience high-quality wireless audio even if they don’t have a compatible smartphone. For iPhone users, the feature provides a great way to upgrade the Bluetooth codec by connecting the case to an iPhone with a suitable cable.

The case transmitter feature was first introduced with B&W’s Pi7 and has also been used by JBL in its Tour PRO wireless headphones. The Pi8 ships with two cables – a USB-C and a 3.5mm patch cable – so the user can connect the box to almost any source and enjoy the high-quality wireless signal that means clearer music and lower latency low.

Many people like to use their wireless headsets to make and receive phone calls or join video conferences. The Pi8 has carefully placed microphones that reject unwanted sounds when making voice calls. The Pi8 uses the same noise-canceling microphone technology used in B&W’s flagship Px8 over-ear headphones.

The ANC technology used in the Pi8 uses a proprietary algorithm developed by B&W instead of the off-the-shelf version that Qualcomm provides to most of its OEM customers. The design of the Pi8 ANC filters out as much unwanted noise as possible, but without harming the music. You can probably find more aggressive ANC algorithms, but you may also notice that music is affected, so it’s a trade-off between audio quality and unwanted sound blocking.

The Pi8 has a pretty intense DSP/DAC processor which means the headset can play for up to 6.5 hours on a single charge. There are two additional full charges totaling 13.5 hours included in the Pi8’s charging case. That’s a total of 20 hours of playtime between full charges, which should be enough for a return transatlantic flight or a week’s commute. However, most of us tend to use our headphones for a few hours at a time, so battery life isn’t a huge issue.

Now we come to the matter of sound, the most important metric of any pair of headphones. I’m happy to say that these are, without a doubt, the best pair of true wireless headphones that B&W has ever produced. The openness of the soundstage is what sets them apart. The midrange is open and allows the music to breathe, regardless of genre. The music is played at a relaxed pace and has a very analog appearance.

Bass response is excellent and understated, but still plenty of punch when needed. I heard a song called “Willie Taylor” by Julie Murphy, taken from the album Every Bird That Flies. Dial it up on Tidal or Apple Music and listen. Listen to that acoustic bass played by Aidan Thorne and tell me that isn’t the best, most annoying bass you’ve ever heard.

These headphones process music with a light touch, but offer more volume than most wireless headphones I’ve tested. The response is neutral and there was no excessive audio handling. Even when used wirelessly with an iPhone that uses AAC, the music is sublime. The open soundstage and roundness of the tone are evident. Moreover, you can listen for long periods and your ears will never tire.

Verdict: The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 True Wireless Headphones are a real triumph. These are the best ANC headphones B&W has made to date. The sound quality is sublime and support for the future of apt-X Lossless and Snapdragon Sound technology proves them. The fit is extremely comfortable, the battery life is acceptable. It has plenty of volume and the streaming function of the charging case is very useful. If you’re looking for a premium pair of true wireless headphones, then the B&W Pi8 is up there with the best on the market. Give them an audition… you won’t regret it. Highly recommended.

Price and availability: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 are available in Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green and Midnight Blue. The Pi8 is available now for $399 / £349 / €399 from the Bowers & Wilkins website as well as from mainstream online retailers such as Amazon.

Technical characteristics:

• Driver: 12mm carbon core.
• Active noise cancellation: Yes.
• Bluetooth version: 5.4.
• EQ: Advanced with five bands.
• Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC, aptX Classic, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless.
• Microphones: 3 per headset.
• Battery: Lithium-ion.
• Battery life: 6.5 hours (headphones with headphones) / 13.5 hours (case).
• Wireless charging: Yes.
• Charging: USB-C.
• Water resistance: IP54
• Dimensions: 65 x 29 x 52 mm (case).
• Weight: 46g (case) / 7g (headset).
• Finishes: Anthracite Black, Dove White, Jade Green, Midnight Blue.