At a glanceExpert's Rating
Pros
- Great sound quality
- Innovative smart case
- Supports AAC, aptX Adaptive/Lossless
Cons
- Expensive
- Battery life is only average
Our Verdict
They’re expensive, but B&W’s experience with high-end hi-fi ensures that the Pi8 earbuds provide excellent sound quality. It also includes an innovative ‘smart’ charging case that can act as an aptX transmitter for Apple devices and wired audio sources.
Best Prices Today: Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
It’s been quite a few years since Apple devices stopped supporting the high-quality aptX codec (compressor/decompressor) that is now used with many Bluetooth headphones and earbuds. That’s probably due to Apple’s long-running – and seriously expensive – legal battle with Qualcomm, the company that purchased the aptX technology back in 2015.
Whatever the reason, this means that Apple’s AirPods have to rely on the older AAC codec for Bluetooth audio, even though many audiophiles feel that aptX provides better sound quality – especially for listening to the high-res audio formats that are now available on Apple Music and other streaming services. It also means that owners of Macs, iPhones and iPads, don’t always get the best quality when using headphones and earbuds from other manufacturers that do support aptX (such as our Best Wireless Earbuds).
The Pi8 earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins do support AAC, so you can simply connect your Apple devices to the earbuds using the standard Bluetooth settings on your Mac, iPad or iPhone. However, the Pi8 also supports both aptX Adaptive and the latest aptX Lossless, so Bowers & Wilkins has come up with an innovative solution that allows Apple users to enjoy aptX audio quality as well.
Rather than a conventional charging case, the Pi8 includes a ‘smart’ case – first introduced with its Pi7 earbuds a few years ago – that can charge the earbuds, but can also be used as an aptX transmitter as well. Admittedly, the $399/£349 price tag of the Pi8 is even more expensive than the AirPods Pro, but B&W’s high-quality sound and the versatile smart case ensure that the Pi8 can earn its keep.
The Pi8 also gets a complete redesign, with a more curved shape to the earpieces that is designed to fit more comfortably, and also to angle the sound directly into your ear canal in order to achieve the best sound quality. The earpieces are still a little on the large size, but B&W does include ear-tips in four sizes to help you get a good fit. The size of the earpieces also allows them to house a new set of high-quality 12mm drivers, which are larger than those used in many earbuds, along with a larger battery as well. The Pi7 could only last for five hours on a single charge, even when noise-cancellation was turned off, but the Pi8 now lasts for 6.5 hours with noise-cancellation turned on (compared to six hours for the AirPods Pro), while the smart charging case lets you top that up to a total of 20 hours.
And, as mentioned, B&W’s smart case has another big advantage – one that we’ve never seen with Bluetooth earbuds from any other manufacturer. As you’d expect, the USB-C port on the back of the smart case can be used to recharge its internal battery. However, it can also be used to accept a wired audio input from a variety of different devices, and can then act as an aptX transmitter so that the earbuds can receive high-quality wireless audio streamed via the smart case.
Bowers & Wilkins includes two cables with the Pi8 – a standard USB-C cable and a second cable with a 3.5mm connector – which provide a number of useful features. The 3.5mm cable allows you to connect the smart case to a wired audio device, such as an in-flight entertainment system on a plane, or even a record turntable if you’re a vinyl fan. You can also use the USB-C cable to connect the smart case to a USB-C port on a Mac, iPhone or iPad and then use the case to transmit wireless audio to the earbuds using aptX rather than plain old AAC.
The sound quality is great with both AAC and aptX, though, and the Pi8 works a treat with the high-res version of Come Together by the Beatles on Apple Music. The smooth bass riff in the introduction draws you in straight away, with a firm, deep sound, and the Pi8 holds the sustained notes so that they build up the tension before dipping down and gliding along with a really infectious rhythm. This version is also mixed for Dolby Atmos, and there’s a nice sense of movement as Ringo’s percussion skips lightly from side to side, but then the Pi8 rolls up its sleeves as it heads into the chorus and lands the chopping guitar riff with real power.
We do think that the noise-cancellation on the AirPods Pro works a little better at blocking high-frequency sound, such as the varied hubbub and noise of a busy airport. However, the Pi8 does a really good job of eliminating low-frequency sounds, such as the rumble of engine noise in an airplane cabin, so it will still be a good choice for long journeys by train or plane. And, if you don’t really worry about technical details such as AAC and aptX, then B&W is planning a less expensive model called the Pi6, which will omit the smart case and costs around $249/£219.
Should you buy Bowers & Wilkins Pi8?
The high price of the Pi8 earbuds means that they will mainly appeal to audiophiles who want the best possible sound quality. They do sound great, though, and the ability to use the smart charging case as an aptX transmitter for Apple devices and wired audio systems is a genuine innovation.
Author: Cliff Joseph, Contributor, Macworld
Cliff Joseph is a former editor of MacUser magazine and a freelance editor with 30(ish) years experience of Mac and PC technology. He first used a Mac working as a magazine sub-editor and found it so much better than using scissors and a pot of glue to make the words fit on the page that he become a convert to the Mac overnight. He has spent the rest of his career following the ups and downs of Apple (and is old enough to remember the time Apple came close to going bust). Cliff writes many of MacWorld’s games reviews - and is currently exploring options for getting Diablo IV to run on a Mac…