Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 in testing

Almost 400 euros is a proud price for in-ear headphones, but is the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 really worth the money? We find out in our testing.

Wireless in-ear headphones often have one disadvantage compared to wired Hi-Fi models: sound quality suffers due to the compressed Bluetooth transmission method and smaller speakers often can’t keep up when it comes to sound volume. Are. But that’s where the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 comes in, looking to outdo the competition with top-notch sound along with ANC, carbon fiber membrane, quick charging function, and optimized wearing comfort.

The target group of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 should therefore be clearly defined: these earbuds are for audiophile music lovers who do not want to give up high-quality sound on the go, but also do not want to lug around a large . Headphones. We took a closer look at the Pi8 in testing and answered the question of whether these are really that small 389 euros (Amazon) are worth.

As is fitting for in-ear headphones in this price range, the manufacturer placed a heavy emphasis on restrained chic when designing the Pi8. The earbuds themselves differ from competing models primarily because they are oval in shape. The brand name is noted on the touch control panel on the outside of the earbuds, otherwise the earbuds make a simple yet elegant impression.

The charging case is made almost entirely of plastic, but looks quite high quality with a matte surface and metal hinge. The connection for the USB-C charging cable is located at the bottom, and there’s also a single LED that shows the charging status or process.

Although the Pi8 appears to be well built overall, we noticed one detail negatively in testing: the charging case itself reacts very sensitively to shocks. When the small box fell from a height of about one meter onto the tiled floor, small sections of paint were scraped off. Drops can cause unsightly scratches on the case, see photo gallery.

When it comes to wearing comfort, the Pi8 impresses everywhere: in addition to the usual rubber plugs, which are already attached to the earbuds at delivery, the scope of delivery includes two additional pairs of earpieces. This allows you to adjust the in-ear headphones to your ear shape. In addition, thanks to their oval design, we can rotate the earbuds in the ear canal so that they sit firmly in the ear. This works for both small and large ears. Even during jogging or vigorous exercise, the Pi8 remains in position the entire time, so the headphones leave no stone unturned in terms of wearing comfort.

The Pi8 offers a good figure when it comes to waterproofing: the in-ears are certified according to IPX54, which means they are splash-proof and don’t let sweat or rain through. There are no problems with games and outdoor activities with the Pi8.

Bowers & Wilkins states the Pi8’s battery life is 6.5 hours. If the charging case is fully charged, the playing time should increase by an additional 13.5 hours. It takes two hours to fully charge, after 15 minutes the earbuds should work for two hours. In testing, the running time values ​​were slightly below the manufacturer’s specifications. In our case, the Pi8 ran out of steam after less than six hours at medium volume. Accordingly, the running time with the charging case has reduced by over an hour to 12.5 hours. Overall, the battery life of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 is quite disappointing.

The Pi8’s simple design already gives this away: the in-ear headphones work entirely without touch control buttons. Instead, we control the earbuds exclusively through external touch input and the Bowers & Wilkins smartphone app. Pairing the earbuds works with and without the app via Bluetooth 5.4. If you want to use the full functionality of the headphones, you will need the corresponding software.

However, the range of functions of the Bowers & Wilkins app is limited. We can activate noise cancellation and use the integrated equalizer – but that’s about it. We look in vain for ready-made EQ profiles as well as other features like a search function in case we ever lose the headphones.

Controlling the Pi8 using touch gestures otherwise worked relatively well in testing. Our inputs are recognized reliably, but sometimes the headphones execute our commands with a slight delay. This delay is minimal, but shouldn’t happen on models in this price range. Additionally, the touch panel is quite sensitive, which led to playback being inadvertently interrupted in testing as we pulled woolen hats over our ears.

As you’d expect from Bowers & Wilkins headphones, the Pi8s produce really excellent sound. This is made possible, among other things, by the aptX lossless codec. Anyone who transfers music from uncompressed sources like Amazon HD Music via Bluetooth will enjoy playback through the Pi8 in high CD quality at 44.1 kHz, regardless of the wireless connection – and you can actually hear it on headphones. .

In direct comparison to cheaper earbuds like the Anker Soundcore A20i, spoken content sounds noticeably clearer and more natural. Speech is reproduced pleasantly without sounding muffled, and background noise remains noticeable but not overly impressive. The Pi8 is therefore ideal for podcasts, YouTube videos or audio books and provides an immersive listening experience thanks to the integrated ANC mode.

But the Pi8 also records an excellent figure when it comes to audiophile music: at “your latest trick” From dire Straits The sound is so balanced that it feels as if the band is standing right next to you in the room. The vocals are perfectly balanced with all the instruments, and even the bass on the drums is clearly heard, but not overly pronounced. in the matter of Adele’s “Hello” Background noise in music videos comes without disturbing the actual part of the music. Plus, this piece shows how well the Pi8 can reproduce both treble and bass. The latter can still be adjusted using the equalizer, but it’s not really necessary. Because in the test the bass pressure fits perfectly with the rest of the sound. If you want a little more oomph, you can also get it upon request.

What we notice positively is the sound output coming from outside. You have to be very close to the headphones in full sound to be able to hear the content.

So that we can enjoy our favorite content in the best quality, anytime and anywhere, without any interruption, the Pi8 has Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). It works very well in tests. The noise of our mechanical keyboard as well as the quiet sound of cars driving past or a television playing are reliably blocked. The optional transparency mode, which allows external noise to reach the ear unfiltered, can also be activated through the app and sounds relatively natural.

According to the manufacturer’s website, the recommended retail price (RRP) for the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 is 399 euros. The headphones are available in black, blue, white and cream-green. The price of the road is at the time of testing 389 euros (Amazon). This means that the Pi8 belongs to the high-end segment of in-ear headphones and is at its own price level.

Yes, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 is very expensive at just under 400 euros. But anyone who consciously decides to buy these headphones usually knows what he wants – and gets it. The in-ears provide excellent sound with ANC, which doesn’t detract from any shortcomings.

Only average battery life, some app functions, and the charging case’s sensitive paintwork resulted in points being deducted in our testing. Otherwise, the Pi8 is a recommended purchase for those who have the change they need and want to combine the benefits of compact in-ears with the audiophile sonic pleasure of wired Hi-Fi headphones.