After the success of the Pi7 S2, Bowers & Wilkins has released a new pair of bluetooth earbuds to elevate any listening experience. The Pi8 comes in as the latest pair of earbuds that is sure to impress even the pickiest of listeners. I was lucky enough to give them a listen and review them, so today we will be going over all the details from physical design and sound quality. 

What Comes In The Box

• Pi8 True Wireless Earbuds
• Extra Small / Small / Medium / Large ear tips
• 60 cm USB-C to USB-C charging cable
• 80 cm 3.5 mm jack to USB-C audio cable

Aesthetics and Functionality

The Pi8 is a great product starting with looks alone. It’s definitely smaller than the previous model, which makes the charging case and earbuds themselves great for travel. They come in a variety of colors: anthracite black, dove white, midnight blue, and jade green. The metallic detailing along the edges and on the logo of the earbuds make these stand out and give it a clean finish. The fit was comfortable in my ear, and with the different options for ear tip sizes, I was able to adjust it perfectly to my ear. 

Pairing the device to my phone was quick and easy. The charging case doesn’t have a button like it does on the Pi7, so pairing is reliant on the sensors on the earbuds. After putting them in my ears and pressing each side simultaneously, they appeared on my device and I was ready to start listening. The touch controls on the side were very sensitive and picked up my tap commands easily. This made playing, pausing, and adjusting the ANC mode quick and simple. The Bluetooth connection was constant and strong throughout testing, which is great for people looking for consistent and reliable sound.

Tech Specs

• 12 mm Carbon Cone Driver
• Up to 6.5 hours for earbuds (with ANC on)
• Additional 13.5 hours from charging case
• High-performance DSP with dedicated DSP and amplifier/DAC
• 5-band customisable EQ + TrueSound™ mode
• Bluetooth 5.4 with aptX™ Lossless technology
• Audio retransmission from charging case (aptX™ Adaptive)

Listening Review

Soundstage

The soundstage on the Pi8 is wide, but it is narrower than most that fall into this range. It is immersive and puts you in the middle of your music, with stellar imaging that is very accurate. Orchestras and rock bands are very realistic while listening. Noise cancelation is effective, very little noise bleed coming from ambient noise around. You can definitely tell the difference between when the feature is on or off, but frequency response remains consistent across the board. It has a lot of height and depth to make up for the “narrower” profile. Still, these offer a soundstage and signature that is sure to please any number of listeners who are looking for an upgrade.

Low Frequencies

The low end is really powerful and the first thing you notice. The carbon cone dynamic driver is very effective in delivering a driving low end. It has a lot of body and is a great foundation for a lot of tracks. Sub frequencies are felt and heard, and on top of the ANC, I admit it can be a bit overwhelming. With the app, I took down the low and low mids just a tad bit, and it helped balance things out a lot better. The small adjustment didn’t compromise the low end’s quality; instead, it brought a better listening profile to the other ranges. I was listening to a lot of pop music, specifically Sabrina Carpenter’s new album “Short n’ Sweet”, and I noticed how all her low synths and bass instruments took center stage, but with the adjustment I was able to hear more of the detail in the production. 

Mid-Range Frequencies

Mid range has a lot of detail in the textures of different instruments. I liked the clarity and placement of these instruments. Vocals were clear and easily recognizable, making pop, rock, folk, and indie genres all easy to listen to. Movie scores and the like really shined in this section; I could see myself watching a movie comfortably without having to constantly raise or lower the volume. I was listening to “Peer Gynt” performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, and I liked how the strings, woodwinds, and percussion blended together but still had their unique timbres. The Pi8 offers a great response for the dynamics of this song to be most effective. 

High Frequencies

The high end is unfortunately the section that I think got forgotten about. Yes, it does get a lot of detail and clarity, but compared to the driving low end, it feels weak and under appreciated. After turning the low end down and allowing the other frequency ranges to come through, the high end brought a great balance and color to every track. The sound is not piercing or too shrill, and doesn't cut off very suddenly when instruments ring out. Listening to “Mequetrefe” by Arca allowed me to hear all the production ear candy that lives in the high end. I enjoyed listening to this as well as some acoustic guitar tracks, where the high harmonics ring out with detail and brightness.

Summary

In conclusion, the Pi8 is a fantastic true wireless product that shows a clear upgrade from the previous model. With a powerful frequency response and a new design for maximum comfort, I am sure Bowers & Wilkins users are sure to love listening on these. It currently retails for $399, which may seem like a steep asking price, but I think it is well worth it given the quality of the product.

The Pi8 is available for demo and purchase at Audio46.