Bowers & Wilkins and Sony are two brands that often get compared because of their two models of over-ear Bluetooth headphones. The Sony WH-1000XM5 and the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 are both fantastic Bluetooth headphones with active noise canceling technology, delivering colorful and creative sound. If you are someone who doesn’t like over-ear headphones, you might feel a bit left out. Lucky for you, both brands have made pairs of true wireless earbuds for people to enjoy! The new Pi8 from Bowers & Wilkins and the Sony WF-1000XM5 are two earbuds that are priced only $100 apart. How do they compare against each other? Today we analyze their similarities and differences. 

What Comes In The Box

Aesthetics and Functionality

The overall aesthetics of these earbuds are very similar. They both are on the smaller side with a glossy finish, which makes them perfect for nestling into your ear for optimal comfort. They also come with a variety of ear tip sizes. The Pi8 has silicone ear tips, and the XM5 has foam. The body of the XM5 is a bit rounder and is more spherical in shape. The Pi8 is more oval, fitting exactly to align with the curve of your ear. The fit may look a little different on each device, but the overall comfort is pleasant in both. The touch commands are sensitive and effective, and there is an app you can use to personalize the tuning of what you hear. 

Connecting to my device was simple and easy. There are no buttons on either charging case, so Bluetooth pairing was activated by the sensors. Both popped up right away when I put them in my ears, and I was ready to start listening almost immediately. The connection never wavered in either earbud, and remained strong throughout the hours I tested both.

For me, it came down to the shape of the earbud to determine a winner in this category. It was hard to choose based on the functionality aspect of it, since they both operated so seamlessly. Even the aesthetics were hard to choose from, as they both had a clean finish that showed quality and luxury. I liked that the Pi8 came in a few other colors, like white, green, and dark blue. The XM5 only came in white as an alternative option. At the end of the day, I preferred the round shape of the Sony XM5, but the silicon tips of the Pi8.

Tech Specs

Some of the technical features on these earbuds have similarities and differences. At the time, the XM5 had the latest version of Bluetooth available. Now, the Pi8 beats them out with Bluetooth 5.4, upgrading that little bit and giving it an edge. The battery life is much better in the XM5 than the Pi8, beating them out by over 2 hours of additional play time. The other water resistance, fast charging, and EQ adjustment features are found in both devices and allow for a personalized listening experience.

Listening Review

Soundstage & ANC

Both sound stages are very wide and immersive. The Pi8 keeps your sound more frontal, as if you were watching it be performed on a stage. The XM5 makes the listening a little more immersive and wraps around you. I liked the listening profile and experience each device created. Each one gave you a lot of depth and height, so the sound was never flat or dull. Any track that passed through either of these devices got a lot of character and was very entertaining. 

The active noise cancelation is an attractive feature on both sets of earbuds, but I have to give it to the Pi8 for standing out a bit more. I noticed a stark difference between the pass-through and ANC modes on the Pi8. The XM5 used to be the blueprint when it came to ANC, but the Pi8 has come to sweep listeners off their feet. While the Pi8 does show superior ANC capabilities, I do like the speak-to-chat feature in the XM5 where I can indefinitely activate pass-through mode. This makes it easier to quickly hear something in your surrounding area, but then immediately go back to your listening.

Low Frequencies

The low end on both of these earbuds is a very present and enjoyable sound. For the Pi8, it is a driving force that immediately takes over any track. The XM5 keeps it more reserved, but it is still present and a great foundation for other frequencies. I personally enjoyed the bass on the XM5 over the Pi8, as it didn’t need any EQ adjustment for the rest of the frequencies to be at the same level. Either way, both deliver a powerful response that drives tracks forward. Rock songs with the kick drum and bass lines are great to listen to. 

Mid-Range Frequencies

I adore the detail shown in each of these earbuds. The mid range gets a lot of clarity and detail that I clocked in both the Pi8 and the XM5. I appreciated the detail on the Pi8 a bit more, as I could definitely hear more layers in the sound profile. The XM5 did give a lot of detail, but it seemed a bit more neutral to accommodate for more types of music. The Pi8 gave a lot more body and timbre to the instruments no matter the genre. 

High Frequencies

The high end on the XM5 is certainly more noticeable and takes a step above the Pi8 just in recognition alone. The Pi8’s bass response is just a touch too powerful, and the high end just didn’t get the same power surge you’d expect. With a quick adjustment, the levels amongst the frequencies are more level and you can get a taste of the colorful and bright high end. The XM5 excels here with an equally powerful high end when put against the bass. Airy and bright, it gives you a welcome reprieve from the ANC qualities and the punchy bass. 

Summary

Like their headphone counterparts, XM5 and the Pi8 have a lot to offer. Stellar soundstages, crisp highs, powerful lows, and detailed mid ranges are all things to love in both models. When it comes to choosing one over the other, I’m at a crossroads. I love the ready-to-use stock settings in the Sony XM5, though I am much more impressed with the dynamics and ANC capabilities of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8. Some patience and fine tuning will make both of these even better than their stock settings, but it comes down to personal taste. 

I highly recommend testing them both out before purchasing. Everyone hears a little differently, so it’s best to listen to them both and determine which is best for you. At only a $100 margin, its best to consider all your options. 

The Pi8 and the WF-1000XM5 are available for purchase and demo at Audio46.