Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: which ANC buds are better?

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds and Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 wireless earbuds on a grey and red background with a 'vs' symbol between them.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds

Bluetooth: 5.3 (SBC, AAC)
Waterproof rating: IPX4
Battery life: 6hrs (+18hrs from charging case)
Weight: 6.2g per bud

Bose's buds remain the best for active noise cancellation, and their sound quality is still up there with the cream of the crop. But their design looks a little tired in light of the newer, snazzier B&W Pi8, and they are not as suitable for harsher environments. They are quite a bit cheaper though. 

For

• Punchy, musical sound
• Solid, weighty bass
• Excellent ANC
• Comfortable

Against

• Immersive Audio slashes battery life
• No wireless charging

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8

Bluetooth: 5.4 (AAC, SBC, aptX, aptX Adaptive, aptX Lossless)
IP rating: IP54
Battery life: 6.5hrs (+13.5hrs from case)
Weight: 7g per bud

The Pi8 are a fantastically well built, feature-rich pair of wireless earbuds. Their battery life might not match the Bose, nor their noise cancellation, but their sound quality is on a par, and they are hardier for more versatile use. Plus their charging case has rather a cool trick...

For

• Sensational levels of detail
• Natural, refined sound
• Easy to use
• Competitive ANC

Against

• Call quality could be improved
• No ear-tip fit test
• A couple of signal dropouts