Looking for premium in-ears? Bowers & Wilkins' all-new Pi8 is most certainly at the top-end of the spectrum
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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
T3 Verdict
Reasons to buy+Great across-the-board specification (including nifty retransmission case)+Detailed, full-bodied and entirely convincing sound+Nice design and exemplary build qualityReasons to avoid-Can get uneasy at high volume levels-More expensive than their most obvious rivals-Good rather than great active noise-cancellation
Reasons to buy+Great across-the-board specification (including nifty retransmission case)+Detailed, full-bodied and entirely convincing sound+Nice design and exemplary build quality
Great across-the-board specification (including nifty retransmission case)
Detailed, full-bodied and entirely convincing sound
Nice design and exemplary build quality
Reasons to avoid-Can get uneasy at high volume levels-More expensive than their most obvious rivals-Good rather than great active noise-cancellation
Can get uneasy at high volume levels
More expensive than their most obvious rivals
Good rather than great active noise-cancellation
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Yes, it’s still one of the planet’s most prestigious and high-achieving manufacturers of passive loudspeakers, but relatively recently Bowers & Wilkins has been making significant inroads into the ever-expanding world of headphones too.
It’s fair to say, though, that the bulk of its successes have come in the shape of itsbest over-ear headphones– its true wireless in-ear models have all been pretty good, but haven’t disrupted the established market leaders as the company undoubtedly hoped they would.
Undeterred, Bowers & Wilkins is back with a new two-model series of TWS: the Pi8, which I’m reviewing here, are the range-toppers, sat above the also-new Pi6 model. So has Bowers & Wilkins now succeeded in addingthe best earbudsto its list of top-tier products?
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: Price & Availability
Today’s best Bowers Wilkins Pi8 deals$319View$319View$399$319.99ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bowers Wilkins Pi8 deals$319View$319View$399$319.99ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 true wireless in-ear headphones are on sale from August 28th 2024. In the United Kingdom they cost £349; in the United States they’ll set you back $399; while in Australia the going rate is AU$599.
You don’t need me to tell you that this is serious money for a pair of true wireless in-ear headphones – and comfortably more than the market leaders from the likes of Apple, Bose and Sony sell for. Mind you, it wouldn’t be the first time a pair of Bowers & Wilkins headphones has turned out to be worth every penny of the considerable asking price…
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Features & What’s New?
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Yes, Bowers & Wilkins has priced the Pi8 at the very outer edge of what the mainstream market might deem acceptable – but to be fair, the company has specified them in a manner that goes a fair way towards justifying the money it’s asking.
For instance, the Pi8 use Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless connectivity. As well as the usual SBC and AAC codecs, there’s compatibility with Qualcomm’s aptX, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless codecs too – which means that lossy 24bit/96kHz content and lossless 16bit/44.1kHz content can be received. Admittedly the source players that are currently capable of delivering aptX Lossless are scarce in the manner of hen’s teeth, but nevertheless the Pi8 are ready to serve you lossless CD-standard audio quality wirelessly, just as soon as you acquire the device that can send it.
Multipoint connectivity means the Pi8 can connect to two devices at once. And the charging case the earbuds travel in (and charge in, obviously) can retransmit – so you can attach a source to the case’s USB-C slot using either of the USB-C or 3.5mm-to-USB-C cables provided and the case will send the content on to the earbuds. Which means you can, for instance, use your Pi8 to listen, wirelessly, to the in-flight entertainment system using the aptX Adaptive codec at a lossy 24bit/96kHz standard. Which, I think we can all agree, is a very worthwhile feature indeed.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The charging case supports wireless charging as well via its USB-C slot. Battery life is a reasonably competitive 6.5 hours from the earbuds (with ANC switched on) with an additional 13.5 hours in the case – an all-in total of 20 hours isn’t too bad, but it’s not about to give the current market leaders any sleepless nights.
Elsewhere, though, the Pi8 again set the pace. The DAC, amplification and DSD are all derived from renowned specialist ADI. Sound itself is delivered via a couple of 12mm versions of the full-range Carbon Cone dynamic drivers originally developed for the high-endPx8 wireless over-ear headphones. Noise-cancellation is a hybrid system with a pass-through option, and there are three mics per earcup taking care of ANC, cVc telephony and voice-assistant interaction. And the earbuds areIP54-rated, which means they should be perfectly fine in any realistic environment.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Performance
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
So it doesn’t really matter if it’s poverty-spec MP3 or some big FLAC files from Qobuz or Tidal, the Bowers & Wilkins will always make the best of it. And be in no doubt: their best is very good indeed.
At every turn, the Pi8 are a deft, informative and thoroughly entertaining listen. They’re able to organise even the most complicated recordings confidently, and lay them out on a big, coherent soundstage with plenty of breathing space for every individual element. Detail levels are sky-high in every respect, from the most obvious front-and-centre stuff to the fleeting, minor, barely-there occurrences at the edge or the back of a mix. If there’s information to be revealed in a recording, the Pi8 will reveal it – and not in a drily analytical way, either. Every scrap of information is given the appropriate weight and context, and consequently the idea that you’re not getting the complete picture seems unlikely in the extreme.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
At the top of the frequency range they attack with real determination – but there’s plenty of substance and solidity to balance out the crunch and shine of treble sounds. At the opposite end they dig deep and hit hard, but have the control and insight to keep rhythmic expression convincing and offer plenty of variation to bass sounds. And in between, the midrange is absolutely alive with detail both broad and fine – so singers communicate with positivity and eloquence, and the secrets of their character and technique are made plain.
The entire frequency range is integrated smoothly, with no area understated or given undue prominence. Dynamic headroom is considerable, so when the going gets intense or volume levels really ramp up, the Bowers & Wilkins have no trouble making these changes obvious. And unlike some nominal rivals, none of these positives desert the Pi8 if you decide to listen at moderate or even low volumes – their character doesn’t alter in the slightest.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Other earbuds feature more mics, but I’m not aware of any alternative design that features better call quality than the Pi8. Artefacts are minimal, intelligibility is crisp, and the Bowers & Wilkins do a pretty good job where wind-noise is concerned too.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Design & Usability
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The previous generations of Bowers & Wilkins true wireless in-ears had plenty to recommend them, but to be absolutely honest ‘design’ was not on that list. Happily, the Pi8 are altogether more discreet, more coherent, and more sophisticated where design is concerned – and as a result are much less likely to make you feel self-conscious while wearing them.
The earbuds are 7g each, but the carefully ergonomic shape makes them easy to wear for extended periods – and the inclusion of four differently sized pairs of silicone eartips doesn’t do any harm in this regard either. The charging case is much slimmer and more pocketable than before too – it’s a smooth little pebble of just 52 x 65 x 29mm (HxWxD) and 46g.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
And no matter which of the four available finishes you choose – Anthracite (black), Dove (white), Jade (green), or Midnight (blue) are your options – the combination of smooth design, premium materials and impeccable build quality make for a satisfying ownership experience.
The Pi8 support ‘Made for iPhone’ from the get-go, and support for Google FastPair is coming any moment now. And once paired, control options are numerous and well-implemented.
There’s a capacitive touch surface on the top of each earbud (where the ‘Bowers & Wilkins’ logo is rendered in absolutely minuscule type), and from here it’s easy to control the broad playback and telephony functions. Voice-assistant interaction is swift and reliable too.
(Image credit: Future / Bowers & Wilkins)
(Image credit: Future / Bowers & Wilkins)
The Bowers & Wilkins Music control app not only has playback functionality, allows you to switch between ANC modes and investigate a five-band EQ (along with an approved ‘True Sound’ setting’), but it can let you integrate your favourite music streaming services too (as long as they are Deezer, NTS, Qobuz, Soundcloud, Tidal and/or TuneIn). It’s a stable, logical and reasonably good-looking interface that’s able to make quite insightful recommendations based on your listening – and as such it’s one of the better control apps around.
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 review: Verdict
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Predictably great sound, predictably thorough specification, and unexpectedly swish design make the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 the most competitive true wireless in-ear headphones from the brand so far.
That the Pi8 are properly specified and sound excellent is every bit the expectation. That they’re designed to look discreet and upmarket is more surprising, though – and it makes these Bowers & Wilkins a more complete package as a result.
Yes, they’re expensive, but the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 make an extremely strong case for themselves. If you like the idea of premium, you need to give these a very thorough once-over – as for high-end audio lovers these are peerless in-ears worth every penny.
Also consider
Today’s best Bowers Wilkins Pi8, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Sony WF-1000XM5, Denon PerL Pro and Master & Dynamic MW09 dealsBowers & Wilkins Pi8$319ViewSee all pricesBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299ViewSee all pricesLow StockSony WF-1000XM5$269.95$219.99ViewSee all pricesDenon PerL Pro$199ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bowers Wilkins Pi8, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Sony WF-1000XM5, Denon PerL Pro and Master & Dynamic MW09 dealsBowers & Wilkins Pi8$319ViewSee all pricesBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299ViewSee all pricesLow StockSony WF-1000XM5$269.95$219.99ViewSee all pricesDenon PerL Pro$199ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bowers Wilkins Pi8, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Sony WF-1000XM5, Denon PerL Pro and Master & Dynamic MW09 dealsBowers & Wilkins Pi8$319ViewSee all pricesBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299ViewSee all pricesLow StockSony WF-1000XM5$269.95$219.99ViewSee all pricesDenon PerL Pro$199ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Bowers Wilkins Pi8, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, Sony WF-1000XM5, Denon PerL Pro and Master & Dynamic MW09 deals
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8$319ViewSee all pricesBose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299ViewSee all pricesLow StockSony WF-1000XM5$269.95$219.99ViewSee all pricesDenon PerL Pro$199ViewSee all prices
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8$319ViewSee all prices
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8$319ViewSee all prices
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8
$319View
$319
$319
See all prices
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299ViewSee all prices
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299ViewSee all prices
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
$299View
$299
$299
See all prices
Low StockSony WF-1000XM5$269.95$219.99ViewSee all prices
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Sony WF-1000XM5$269.95$219.99ViewSee all prices
Sony WF-1000XM5
Sony WF-1000XM5
$269.95$219.99View
$269.95$219.99
$219.99
See all prices
Denon PerL Pro$199ViewSee all prices
Denon PerL Pro$199ViewSee all prices
Denon PerL Pro
Denon PerL Pro
$199View
$199
$199
See all prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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