Bowers & Wilkins has refreshed its wireless earbuds range with two radically redesigned models.
The flagship B&W Pi8 pair will set you back £349 / $399 / €399 and add aptX Lossless support, too. They'll be available from 28 August. The Pi6 buds will be priced £219 / $249 / €249 when they follow in September.
Bowers & Wilkins has gone back to the drawing board for its latest wireless earbuds, the Pi8 and Pi6. They have been completely redesigned, with a new shape to their predecessors, while the higher-end pair also support aptX Lossless for the first time.
The brand scored big time with the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 in-ears released last year, which are considered amongst the best earbuds around. However, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 take things to the next level.
As seen worn by brand ambassador David Beckham, the new design has been created to improve comfort, while also preventing the blockage of microphones and therefore providing better noise cancellation and voice clarity.
There is also better wear detection with upgraded sensing built-in, and you now get an extra ear tip included in the box – to fit extra small ears. That means there are four swappable ear tips now supplied.
Changes to the internal tech include an upgrade to TrueWireless Bluetooth mirroring which ensures that the left and right buds are linked more robustly. Improved battery life is on board too, with the Pi8 buds now capable of lasting up to 6.5 hours. Including the case, that gives you up to 20 hours of playback time.
Speaking of the case, it comes with USB-C and wireless charging again, with a 15 minute charge giving you 2 hours of playback.
Perhaps most importantly, the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 now support aptX Lossless (16-bit / 44.1k) as well as aptX Adaptive and Classic. There's a 12mm carbon cone driver in each ear too, so you should really hear the difference.
They come with active noise cancellation, of course.
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 buds look similar but drop a few of the specs. They don't support aptX Lossless, for example. However, you still get a 12mm driver, albeit bio-cellulose, and aptX Adaptive compatibility.
Their battery life is actually even better than their stablemates, with 8 hours of playback time in the buds – that makes for 24 hours when combined with the case.
There's no wireless charging in the Pi6 case though, just USB-C with similar fast charging support.
That's reflected in the price. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 true wireless in-ears will be available from 15 September in Storm Grey, Cloud Grey, Glacier Blue, and Forest Green. They'll be priced at £219 / $249 / €249.
The higher-end Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 will be available sooner, with pre-orders opening today and shipping planned from 28 August 2024. You can get them in Anthracite Black, Dove White, Midnight Blue, and Jade Green, priced at £349 / $399 / €399.
