You’ve seen the price tag. Honestly, it’s enough to make anyone flinch. $499 for a pair of earbuds is steep, especially when you can grab decent ones for a third of that. But here’s the thing about the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8: most people are looking at them all wrong. They see them as just another pair of Bluetooth buds to throw in a gym bag.
They aren't.
If you’re expecting these to be "Bose but more expensive," you’re going to be disappointed. Bose wins on silence. Sony wins on features. But the Pi8? It lives in a different world. It’s basically a high-end hifi system shrunk down to the size of a grape.
The Carbon Cone Secret
Bowers & Wilkins did something kinda weird here. They ditched the dual-driver setup from the old Pi7 S2. You’d think more drivers equals better sound, right? Not always. Instead, they stuffed a single 12mm Carbon Cone driver into each bud.
This is the same tech they use in their $900 Px8 over-ear headphones. It’s stiff. It’s light. Basically, it moves like a piston without warping. When you listen to something like Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, the bass doesn't just "thump"—it has texture. You can hear the vibration of the string, not just a muddy low-end boom.
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Most earbuds use bio-cellulose or plastic. Those are fine. But carbon is different. It’s fast. This means when a snare drum hits, it starts and stops exactly when it should. No lingering "fuzz."
The Case is a Genius Workaround
Let’s talk about iPhones. Apple is stubborn. They won't support aptX Lossless, which is the high-quality Bluetooth codec the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 uses to get CD-quality sound. If you pair them normally to an iPhone, you’re stuck with AAC. It’s fine, but it’s not $500 fine.
B&W basically built a "cheat code" into the charging case.
You take the included USB-C to 3.5mm (or USB-C to USB-C) cable and plug the case into your device. The case then acts as a high-fidelity transmitter. It takes the high-res audio from your phone or even an airplane seatback screen and beams it to the buds using aptX Adaptive.
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It sounds significantly better.
It’s a bit of a clunky solution if you’re walking around, sure. But for a long flight or sitting at a desk? It’s a game-changer. You’re getting top-tier sound out of devices that usually wouldn't allow it.
Where They Fall Short (The Brutal Truth)
Look, I’m not going to tell you these are perfect. They aren't.
- The App: It’s better than it used to be, but it’s still kinda basic. You get a 5-band EQ now, which is great because the default tuning is a bit bass-heavy. But compared to the Sony app, it feels empty.
- The Fit: They moved to a more rounded, "normal" shape compared to the bulky Pi7. Most people find them way more comfortable. But they’re still 7g per bud. They have some heft.
- Battery Life: They claim 6.5 hours. In the real world? It’s more like 5.5 if you’ve got the volume up and ANC running. That’s "okay," but it’s not industry-leading.
- The Bugs: Check any forum and you'll see people complaining about one bud not connecting or the battery percentage showing 97% when it’s clearly full. B&W pushes firmware updates, but the software still feels a step behind the hardware.
Is the ANC Actually Good?
Yes. But with a caveat.
If you want to sit in a vacuum where the world doesn't exist, buy the Bose QuietComfort Ultra. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 noise cancellation is designed to be "musical." It targets low-frequency drone (engines, AC units) very well. It struggles more with high-pitched voices or a clattering coffee shop.
B&W’s philosophy is that heavy ANC can sometimes ruin the soundstage. They’d rather let a tiny bit of noise in if it means the music sounds more natural. Some people love that. Others hate it.
What You Should Actually Do
If you’re someone who listens to Spotify on the bus and doesn't really care about the difference between a FLAC file and an MP3, save your money. These are overkill for you.
However, if you have a Tidal subscription and you actually sit down to listen to music—not just have it as background noise—these are the best sounding wireless buds on the market right now. Period.
The Strategy for Buyers:
- Check your phone: If you have a modern Android phone with Snapdragon Sound, you’ll get aptX Lossless natively. If you’re on iPhone, prepare to use the case-transmitter trick for the best experience.
- Update immediately: Don't even listen to them out of the box. Connect to the Music app and run the firmware update. It fixes several early connection glitches.
- Tip roll: The stock silicone tips are actually decent, but many enthusiasts swear by Azla Foamex tips to get a better seal. A bad seal on these makes them sound thin, which is the exact opposite of what you’re paying for.
- Tweak the EQ: Out of the box, they are warm. Very warm. Open the 5-band EQ and maybe pull the bass down 1dB and bump the mids slightly to let the vocals breathe.
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 isn't a gadget for tech nerds; it's a tool for people who miss their home stereo when they're outside. It’s expensive, it’s slightly temperamental, but it sounds like nothing else in your pocket.