With any of Bowers & Wilkins’s most recent wireless headphones and wireless earbuds, you pretty much know what you’re going to get — high-quality sound, a premium design and a pretty steep price tag. That was the case with its latest noise-canceling headphones, the Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 and Bowers & Wilkins PX8, and that’s the case with its newest flagship pair of wireless earbuds: the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2.
If the B&W Pi7 S2 look familiar, you’re not mistaken — these new models are basically identical to the 2021-released B&W Pi7. They boast pretty much all the same features including active noise-cancellation, wireless charging and, maybe coolest of all, the ability to connect to non-Bluetooth devices (like an in-flight entertainment system) thanks to a charging case that doubles as a Bluetooth receiver that supports higher-resolution audio. They cost $400 — same as their predecessor — too.
The differences are all pretty much under-the-hood. Bowers & Wilkins improved the battery life (each earbud gets an extra hour of juice), doubled the Bluetooth range and gave them a fresh coat of paint — now available in satin black (pictured), midnight blue and canvas white — so that you can tell the difference.
That said, they didn’t need to change that much. Like before, for those who value sound quality over everything else, the B&W Pi7 S2 are one of the best wireless earbuds of 2023.
What’s Good About the B&W Pi7 S2?
That sweet, sweet sound.
The number one reason to get the B&W Pi7 S2 is their sound quality. Just like their predecessors, each earbud is decked out with dual 9.2mm dynamic drivers and an integrated amp — these drivers were engineered by the same team behind the company’s 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers — and they deliver a big, vibrant sound with impressive bass for their size. And yes, they sound great even if you’re just streaming tracks from Apple Music or Spotify.
If you’re really a stickler for sound quality, you should know that the B&W Pi7 S2 technically sound better when listening from an Android smartphone (and a lossless music service) rather than from an iPhone. This is because the B&W Pi7 S2 support aptX Adaptive, which allows them to play higher-resolution audio (up to 24-bit/48KHz) on supported Android smartphones. Unfortunately, iPhones don’t support aptX Adaptive. So when streaming from an iPhone, the B&W Pi7 S2 can only play Apple’s lower-resolution AAC codec.
The other thing to point out is that the B&W Pi7 S2 do not support LDAC like some other wireless earbuds, such as the Sony WF-1000XM5, which can stream some of the most high-res tracks (up to 32-bit/96kHz) over Bluetooth over any wireless earbuds. Most people probably won’t be able to tell the difference in audio quality — the B&W Pi7 S2 sound terrific whether you’re listening from any device.
A cool feature for frequent travelers.
One of the coolest features of the B&W Pi7 S2 is that its charging case doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter. This means that if you have a source that doesn’t support Bluetooth, you can use the included USB-C to 3.5mm (or USB-C to USB-C) adapter to plug the case into the device, pop your wireless earbuds in and — boom — you’re rocking.
The main use-case for this is when traveling. Shockingly, most in-flight entertainment systems still don’t support Bluetooth, meaning you need to bring wired headphones or earbuds (or the wired adapters that come with a lot of today’s noise-canceling headphones) and it’s just not convenient. With the B&W Pi7 S2, you can just plug the case into your seat’s headphone jack and use the B&W Pi7 S2 as you normally would.
A few years ago, I found that this was a really cool feature when used with the B&W Pi7 (which also had a case that doubled as a Bluetooth transmitter) and my Nintendo Switch. Since then, however, Nintendo has rolled out Bluetooth support to its handheld console so you don’t need the case to link the case and console anymore. That said, when using the charging case as a Bluetooth transmitter, it does support aptX Adaptive, which does deliver audio with less latency than other Bluetooth codecs and that might be appealing for more serious Switch (or mobile) gamers.
Since the case does support aptX Adaptive, it technically allows you to stream higher-resolution audio to the B&W Pi7 S2 from devices that don’t natively support aptX Adaptive — such as a Mac. So if you’re really serious about streaming the best audio quality to the B&W Pi7 S2, you can use the charging case as a type of wireless DAC. I’m not sure I could tell that much of a difference as the B&W Pi7 S2 sound pretty solid nonetheless, but then again I don’t have an audiophile’s ear.
Improved battery life.
Bowers and Wilkins has improved the Bluetooth range of the B&W Pi7 S2 — it’s now up 82 feet, which is approximately double the range of the previous B&W Pi7. If you’re somebody who likes to leave their smartphone or computer in one room and wander around your house while listening to music or on a call, this is a nice upgrade. But it’s no game-changer.
The more significant upgrade is with battery life. Each of B&W Pi7 S2’s gets an extra hour of battery life, from four to five hours, and the charging case gives the earbuds an additional 16 hours of use. It’s a welcome improvement, however it’s still not great. When compared against the battery life of competitors, like the AirPods Pro 2 (up to six hours per earbud) and Sony WF-1000X4 (up to eight hours), the B&W Pi7 S2 still fall a bit short.
What’s Not Ideal About the B&W Pi7 S2?
The noise cancellation is good, not great.
When you’re paying $400 for wireless earbuds, you kind of expect the best of the best — these are one of the most expensive wireless earbuds you can buy, after all. And while the B&W Pi7 are exceptional in a lot of ways, active noise cancellation isn’t quite one of them. They’re good, but when compared to other high-end models (which are mostly more affordable), such as the AirPods Pro 2, Sony WF-1000XM4 and especially the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, the B&W Pi7 S2 are definitely a tier below.
With active noise cancellation turned on, the B&W Pi7 S2 do a pretty good job at cancelling out the lows and mids (so, rumbling from cars outside, or the noise from the TV), but a lot the higher-end frequencies (such as sirens) can seep in. The difference is very apparent when compared to the near-absolute silence that a lot of other wireless earbuds are now able to deliver.
The fit might not be for you.
There are basically two types of wireless earbuds you can buy these days: those with stems (like AirPods) and those without stems (like the M&D MW08 or Amazon Echo Buds) . The B&W Pi7 S2 have a more traditional earbud design without stems, meaning they’re a little more bulbous and require sitting deeper and tighter in your ear. You might like this fit or you might not.
For me, I prefer my earbuds to have a stem (or even earwing), because they just generally fit more securely in my ears. I found that the B&W Pi7 S2 stayed in my ears just fine when not actively moving around, but that I would not be comfortable running or working out in them. That said, different ears have different fits; you might love those.
The other issue with the non-stem design is that, at least for me, it can be difficult to use the various playback controls. Each of the B&W Pi7 S2 earbuds has capacitive touch controls — no buttons – for playback, answering calls and switching ANC modes, so you’re forced to use the earbuds quite frequently. So if the earbuds aren’t super snug, each touch could potentially cause them to come loose.
The Verdict: Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 Wireless Earbuds
Tucker Bowe
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 are one of the best sounding wireless earbuds that we’ve ever tested — just like their predecessors, the original Pi7 S2. It’s true that they aren’t that much different from B&W’s original wireless earbuds and, to be fair, if you already have those previous earbuds there’s little reason to think about upgrading. Of course, if you don’t have those original wireless earbuds and are looking for some that sound elite, look pretty snazzy and you’re willing to spend $400, then the B&W Pi7 S2 are easy to recommend.
That said, the B&W Pi7 S2 have a few red flags. The obvious one is price — they’re one of the most expensive wireless earbuds you can buy — but just as significantly, their active noise-cancellation isn’t on par with the latest offerings from Sony, Bose and Apple. Basically, you have to really want wireless earbuds to sound great and are a little different than what everybody else has. And, of course, you’re going to have to be willing to spend a little more, too.
Bowers & Wilkins
