Every time a new pair of wireless earbuds passes through our test rooms I can’t resist taking a closer look. You see after testing more pairs of buds than I can remember over the years, I’m always intrigued to see and hear what the latest models bring to the market.
It could be a new budget pair that’s surprised our test team or an expensive flagship pair that’s bringing new features to market - I’ll take anything for a spin.
Once our test team has delivered its star rating, I can take a bit more time getting under the skin of a product. I regularly find myself switching between wireless earbuds, not just to refresh my memory about how pairs we’ve previously reviewed sound, but also to get long-term experience of living with newer products too, understanding their pros, cons and quirks. No product we’ve ever tested has been completely perfect, after all.
For a large chunk of 2024 I’ve been a regular user of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. They deliver a potent mix of performance, features and comfort for the money, not to mention class-leading noise cancelling. I’ve become slightly obsessed by them since they launched at the end of 2023.
But a new pair of buds on the block has piqued my interest. Like our review team, I was disappointed by Bowers & Wilkins’ last attempt at a pair of premium wireless in-ears. The Pi7 S2 seriously underdelivered for the money. But our collective frowns have well and truly been turned upside down by the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, the company’s new flagship model. Such has been their impact on our test team, they’ve been given not only a five-star review but a 2024 What Hi-Fi? Award too!
So you won’t be surprised to know that after our review was published I decided to free the Pi8 from our stock room and see how they stacked up against the Bose. Will I be handing them straight back or could they be sticking with me for the foreseeable (or until Bowers & Wilkins asks for them back). Here are my findings so far…
The Pi8 look the part
Let’s be honest, it’s hard to make a pair of wireless earbuds look sexy. But there’s something about the finish and the appearance of the Pi8 which I think just gives them an extra touch of class and sophistication compared to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. The Bowers & Wilkins aren’t cheap and I think they do a great job of promoting themselves as a premium model.
The styling is more subtle, although the Bowers logo does look a little cramped, squeezed onto the the surface of each bud. One of the pitfalls of having such a long name on a tiny product, I suppose.
I’m a big fan of the perforated slot which runs around the edge of each Pi8 earpiece. It’s a nice little detail but it also has function – it gives the built-in mics and sensors room to operate without obstruction.
By contrast, the Bose look less stylish but they are extremely functional. The plastic used is glossy and feels solid and premium enough. The stems make them look a little dated, but they also contribute massively to the user experience. You can control every aspect of performance, from playback to ANC modes to volume levels through them which gives them impressive versatility – among the best I’ve experienced from a pair of wireless earbuds.
That Bose fit is great, though
The Bose might not look quite as svelte or sophisticated as the Bowers & Wilkins, but when it comes to fit, I’m struggling to think of a pair that gives you such a consistent seal and feeling of stability. I can get a very good fit with the Bowers, but I have found over the years when testing wireless earbuds, there’s something about my right ear opening which means it can take a bit more manipulating to get a complete seal. Some manufacturers seem to have started adding an XS tip size in the box, but I’d like to see the other end of the scale addressed and an XL tip with a slightly larger surface area to help with the seal.
With the Bose, the fit is never really in doubt. Not only does the shallower tip profile ensure that my ear opening is fully covered, but the stability bands that wrap around the edges of each bud also give you a slightly greater sense of, er, stability. They just feel more secure when they are sitting in my ears even if they don’t feel or look as streamlined as the Pi8. The Bowers do have a slight ridge around the back edge which helps wedge them in place, but it doesn't quite have the same effect as the Bose set-up.
The Pi8 sound quality really pushes the envelope
Switching from the Bose to the Bowers & Wilkins, sound quality is the area where I am most surprised. As we mentioned in our Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review, the buds have been worked on by the same team responsible for its flagship PX8 over-ears, and in my opinion, you can tell. There’s a crispness and precision to the sound and a level of insight that I haven’t heard from a pair of wireless earbuds before. They also sound more refined and polished than anything I’ve heard at their pricepoint, with an unrivalled sense of control and precision.
In my years of testing wireless earbuds (or any audio product) I’ve found that the pursuit of detail can erode the fun factor when you’re listening to music. But the Pi8 get this delicate balance right. They are fun to listen to and make you look forward to powering them up and taking your favourite tracks for a spin. It's the kind of product which continually serves up subtle details and textures throughout the frequency range that you could swear you haven’t heard before. They do resolution breathtakingly well, but it doesn’t distract you from the rest of the track or stop you just enjoying the moment. I regularly find myself just taking them out at home to listen to some of my favourite tracks just because I want to experience what the Pi8 can produce.
Such is the ability of the Pi8, the Bose can’t quite match them in terms of refinement and insight. Highs and lows lack a bit of precision and fine detail. But, they counter this with a wonderful sense of musicality. I think they’re great at just capturing the essence and emotion of a track straight from the off. There’s sufficient detail there for the money, but they do an amazing job of just delivering the flow of the music in a fun, communicative way. I think it’s great that you’ve got two very different flavours of sound here – well, wouldn’t it be boring if every pair of wireless buds sounded the same?
The B&W’s ANC gives Bose a good run for its money
Bose obviously has a lot of pedigree and know-how when it comes to active noise cancelling and in my experience, it’s still ahead of the game in the wireless earbuds market. To be fair to the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8, though, they come close and do a very good job of blocking out low-frequency rumbles and subduing larger-scale noise and interference. With music playing the differences are even closer, but if you want to feel like a blanket has been thrown over your entire surroundings then I think the Bose just have the edge. It’s almost a physical feeling when the algorithm does its thing and sucks out your surroundings.
The more I use the Bose and compare them to other pairs, the more I’m particularly impressed with how they cut out higher frequencies. I think most good ANC systems I’ve heard do a good job with the low frequencies, but it’s the ability to cut out some of the higher-pitched noise where the Bose seems to set themselves apart from the competition. Using both pairs on the London Underground and having to compete with the screeches of brakes and the noise from carriages bouncing around, the Bose just subdue those harsh edges better. The flip side is that not everyone likes the sensation of Bose’s aggressive ANC, so the Pi8 do make a great alternative.
Customisation options can vary
Customisation has become an increasingly important factor in wireless earbuds, whether it allows people to play around with equalisation, ANC or control settings.
The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds give you basic bass, mid and treble controls and a number of preset sound modes to flick between. The B&W have more precise adjustments and present you with lo, lo-mid, mid and mid-low sliders to move around. I think any users who like to experiment with the balance of their audio will find there’s more to sink their teeth into here.
I don't tend to tinker with the sound settings on any earbuds too much. I'm more drawn to the fact the fact Bose allows you to play around with the actual levels of noise-cancelling.
Some users might not like the intensity when the ANC is set to maximum, so you can dial it back a bit in the Bose companion app. Or, you might prefer to vary the intensity of ANC depending on location – I tend to dilute the ANC when walking around town and switch to having it cranked up when on a train or plane. With the Bowers & Wilkins pair, the ANC is either off or on (or you can put the earbuds in their transparency mode) which feels a little restrictive.
When it comes to controlling your source device, the Bowers can operate three things: volume (press and hold on right to go up and left to go down), playback (by doing the usual single, double or triple taps on the surface of each earbud) and switch between ANC and pass-through, but you can only have one pair of these commands working at any one time. The Bose are more flexible in this regard and allow you to have all three at your disposal.
But it's not just the Pi8 that don't offer a 'can do all' approach – I still find it amazing that you’re not able to cover and control all bases. I’m even seeing more brands prioritise things like voice control, which I struggle to buy into. I don’t want to talk to my earbuds or fumble around in my pocket for my phone.
Thankfully, I do have a smartwatch which comes in very handy for things like this and means I’m going to bask in the detail and dynamics of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 for a little longer.
MORE:
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