Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Sony WF-1000XM5, Technics AZ100, AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Denon PerL Pro, Status Pro X, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen, and more!
I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.
I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.
Let’s dive right in!
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Review in Short
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 is one of the best-sounding wireless earbuds I’ve tested to date, with decent noise cancelling performance. The only drawbacks would be an average microphone quality, and the relatively steep price. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of Sony WF-1000XM5, Technics EAH-AZ100, Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Denon PerL Pro, Status Audio Pro X, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4.
Pros and Cons
- True audiophile sound quality
- Good noise cancelling
- aptX Lossless and Adaptive support
- Not the most secure fit
- There’s better noise cancelling
- Mic quality is average
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
Comfort + Features
Comfort
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 comes with 4 different sized eartips.
I was able to easily find the right size that worked for me.
That said, I find the Pi8 to be a little on the bulky side as far as the earbud itself goes.
They’re fairly comfortable enough, but I also find that they aren’t the most secure-fitting and seem to start to slip out over time.
Luckily, there are several aftermarket eartips that can improve things, such as these ones I tested from SpinFit (note that this entire review is using the stock eartips):
The earbuds that I find more comfortable and secure-fitting include:
- Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd and 1st Gen
- Apple AirPods Pro 3
- Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro
- Google Pixel Buds Pro 2
Features
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 was originally released in August 2024, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:
- IP54 water resistance rating (dust, sweat, and splashes of water)
- aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive support
- Audio Retransmission Case (allows you to plug the case into a source for higher sound quality)
- Built-in microphones for taking calls
- USB-C and Qi Wireless charging case
- Bluetooth 5.4
- Multi-point connection
- Adaptive Noise Cancelling
- Transparency Mode
- iOS and Android app support
The most notable feature for audiophiles is the aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive high-res codec support, which is rather rare for this class of wireless earbuds.
Also, it’s nice that there is a native Technics app offered for both iOS and Android users alike.
Microphone Quality
As the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 is more of an audiophile product, one area that could be improved is the microphone quality.
I’d put the mic quality at average, and there are simply better alternatives for this class such as the AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen.
To my surprise, the similarly audiophile-focused Technics AZ100 also has a superior mic quality as well thanks to AI.
Overall, it’s not bad, but there are clearly better options today.
Battery Life
- With ANC on: 6.5 hours of battery life on a single charge / 20 hours total with charging case
- With ANC off: 8 hours on a single charge / 28 hours total with charging case
- Fast Charge: 15 minutes = 2 hours of playback
This battery life is average for the class, as most competitors are 6-8 hours on a single charge, and 24-30 hours with the charging case.
Comfort + Features Score: 8.5 out of 10
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Noise Cancelling Performance
Having tested Bowers & Wilkins’ over-ear wireless headphone offerings like the Px7 S3 and Px8 S2, I thought it best to temper my expectations for the noise cancelling, which is average to slightly above average for the headphone class.
To my surprise, the Pi8’s noise cancelling performance is fairly decent, and I’d say above average against the wireless earbud class.
What I like most about the Pi8’s noise cancelling implementation is that it doesn’t negatively affect the sound quality, and is more or less a “silent” implementation that doesn’t interfere with the music.
That said, if you’re seeking pure strength at blocking outside noise, there is better options like the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd gen, AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Technics AZ100.
Noise Cancelling Score: 7.5 out of 10
Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality, I’m generally a fan of Bowers & Wilkins’ products including the Px8 S2 and Px7 S3 wireless headphones.
That said, those are over-ear headphones, so I didn’t really know what to expect from the Pi8 earbuds.
On paper, these feature “12mm Carbon Cone drivers” derived from the original Px8.
In addition, the high-res codec support of aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive tells me these are aimed at the audiophile crowd.
To conduct this test, I used my Questyle QCC Dongle Pro to unlock aptX Lossless and aptX Adaptive support:
![Questyle QCC Dongle Pro [MFi Certified] USB-C Bluetooth Audio Adapter with LDAC,aptX Lossless&aptX-Adaptive,Low Latency Bluetooth 5.4 Dongle for PS5,Wireless Lossless Transmitter for PC/Headphones](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/21jT-Cm5ZVL._SL500_.jpg)
If you’re an iPhone user, or if your phone doesn’t support aptX codecs, then I highly recommend you pick up the dongle above which will cover both LDAC and aptX Adaptive high-res codecs. It’s the only one of its kind that supports both, to my knowledge.
My initial listening impression of the Pi8 was quite strong, it was reminiscent of the original Px8 headphones, but better.
The original Px8 has a darker, somewhat muddy sound profile, but sounds much better in wired mode.
To my ear, the Pi8 earbuds sound like the Px8 in wired mode, with much more detail and clarity from the treble cutting through the mix.
Still, the overall sound profile of the Pi8 is still warm and musical that is easily identifiable with the Bowers & Wilkins “house sound”. The bass is present, and the mids are full which creates a nice timbre and musicality. The treble is clear and detailed, while still being smooth.
From an audiophile perspective, the Pi8’s sound quality jumps out to me as a cut above the “mainstream” brands like AirPods Pro 3, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4, Sony WF-1000XM5, Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, and Google Pixel Buds Pro 2.
The Pi8 is one of the best-sounding wireless earbuds I’ve tested, and competes with more audiophile-focused products such as Technics AZ100, Noble FoKus Rex 5, Denon PerL Pro, and Status Audio Pro X.
I think “musicality” and “emotional” are the best words I can use to describe the Pi8, which is not much different from their headphones, especially the Px8 series.
To contrast this, I’d say the Technics AZ100’s clean, analytical, reference-like detail and openness are somewhat opposite of the Pi8’s warmer sound profile and more intimate soundstage.
Because of this, I think the Pi8 excels for the more organic music of Rock, Metal, Classical, and Jazz, whilst the AZ100 is geared towards very modern music.
Don’t get me wrong, the Pi8 still sounds great with any genre you throw at it, including some female vocal pop.
Overall, the Pi8 is easily one of my favorite wireless earbuds to listen to, depending on the mood.
Sound Quality Score: 8.6 out of 10
Value
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 retails at a whopping $499 USD, but thankfully is down to under $400 market price brand new today.
Still, this is one of the most expensive wireless earbuds in the entire category.
The only prices that come close are from fellow audiophile brands like the Noble FoKus Rex 5 at $449, and Devialet Gemini II at $499.
The very competitive Technics EAH-AZ100 is actually just $249 on sale, which is more in line with the mainstream brands like AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sony WF-1000XM5.
That said, the Pi8 is still one of my favorite earbuds to listen to, with very usable noise cancelling performance.
I would personally still buy the Pi8 myself if I can find them on sale. Under $400 is still cheaper than many premium over-ear headphones as well.
Value Score: 7.0 out of 10
Overall Scoring Breakdown
Comfort + Features (15% of score): 8.5 / 10
Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 8.0 / 10
Sound Quality (50% of score): 8.6 / 10
Value (10% of score): 7.0 / 10
Total: 8.3 out of 10
Is the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 Worth it?
Of course the question of “worth it” is subjective on price and budget, but the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 is one of my favorite earbuds to listen to, of the 20+ pairs I’ve tested to date.
So for that reason alone, as an audiophile, I think they are justified.
Now, are there better all-arounders in the class when we factor in noise cancelling performance, mic quality, and value?
Yes, there’s definitely a handful of better values like the Technics AZ100, AirPods Pro 3, and SoundPEATS H3 to name a few.
But if we’re talking about pure sound quality and listening enjoyment, the Pi8 would be at the top of the list for many people, especially those who favor Bowers & Wilkins’ “house sound” that is warm, musical, and emotional.
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
Read Next
Best Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds
AirPods Pro 3rd Generation Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen Review
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds Review
Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro Review
Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 Review
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 1st Gen Review
Anker Soundcore Space Q45 Review
Anker Soundcore Space One Review
Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2 Review
Bose QuietComfort Review (2023 Model)
