Bowers & Wilkins is one of those manufacturers of headphones, boxes and loudspeakers that, like Marshall, have been slow to join the completely wireless earbud headphones. And is that the company, which has a long history in the world of audio, has just presented its first TWS headphones, the Bowers & Wilkins PI5 y PI7.
They are two high-end headphones and its price reflects it. The most “basic” model costs 249.99 euros, while the PI7, which is the most powerful, costs 399.99 euros. This is undoubtedly the most striking, since it has a small workaround in order to use the headphones with the aircraft entertainment system. Let’s get to know them better.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7: the key is in its housing
We start with the most powerful and interesting model, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7. This pair of headphones has a very elegant design and, although it is true that the company has not revealed its dimensions, from the images we can see that they are really large. It doesn’t seem like they’re going to go unnoticed, of course.
Distributed throughout the chassis, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 assemble a system of six microphones to bring active noise cancellation to life adaptive. Inside, meanwhile, we find dual hybrid drivers (a tweeter and a 9.2-millimeter woofer) with a dedicated amplification stage.
As explained from the company, their headphones are capable of reproducing audio from 24-bit high resolution and they feature Qualcomm aptX technology for a dynamic fit and a more stable connection. In addition, they are compatible with voice assistants such as Google Assistant or Siri, depending on the mobile we use.
And so we come to the case, which has a very interesting system that allows you to use the headphones with the infotainment system of trains and airplanes. The case has a USB connector and 3.5mm jack, so we can connect it to the system and broadcast the sound from it directly to the headphones.
It is interesting for airplanes, no doubt, but in principle should work with any device without jack port, like a TV without Bluetooth or an old MP3 player, for example. This can be done on other headphones using a Bluetooth dongle, but Bowers & Wilkins has chosen to add this feature as standard.
We ended up talking about the drums. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 offer a maximum range of about four hours. If we take into account the charge of the case itself, the theoretical maximum autonomy to which we aspire amounts to 20 hours.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 24-bit Hi-Res Connection Noise Canceling True Wireless In-Ear Headphones – Charcoal Finish
Bowers & Wilkins PI5: more basic, but no less interesting
The model that accompanies the PI7 is the Bowers & Wilkins PI5. These headphones retain the premium, sleek design lines of their older siblings, but cut back on some features.
Like the PI7, it has a dual transducer system, but with individual single-stage amplification. They are compatible with Qualcomm aptX, support voice assistants and have noise cancellation, only that instead of being powered by six microphones it is powered by four.
The case is also simpler, and lacks the PI7’s external docking features. However, this lack of functions is compensated by a somewhat greater autonomy. And it is that the Bowers & Wilkins PI5 promise up to 4.5 hours of autonomy on a single charge and 22.5 hours of autonomy taking into account the charge of the case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI5 Noise Canceling True Wireless In-Ear Headphones – Charcoal Finish
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and PI5 versions and price
The new fully wireless headphones from Bowers & Wilkins they can be purchased from now on the company’s website and on Amazon, where for now they appear as “Not available”. The PI7s are available in black and white and the PI5s in black, with a white version coming soon. Their prices are as follows:
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 24-bit Hi-Res Connection Noise Canceling True Wireless In-Ear Headphones – Charcoal Finish
Bowers & Wilkins PI5 Noise Canceling True Wireless In-Ear Headphones – Charcoal Finish