Overall Score 7.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 7.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 | Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IPX4 |
weight | 50g | 10.6g | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
sweat resistance | ✗ | ✓ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✓ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 9.2mm | 11mm | |
lowest frequency | 10Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
POWER | battery life | 4.5hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 18hours | 24hours | |
charge time | 3hours | 1hours | |
has wireless charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✗ |
bluetooth version | v5 | v5.3 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✓ | ✗ | |
has aptx hd | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 6only | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✓ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✓ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
multipoint count | ✗ | 2only | |
has a mute function | ✓ | ✓ | |
control panel placed on a device | ✓ | ✓ | |
has voice prompts | ✓ | ✓ | |
travel bag is included | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection given by a casing, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (water).
Scoring IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s rating is read as, the first value of X denotes that no data available to specify a protection rating, and of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes. In comparison to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a rating of IP54 meaning that
ingress of dust is not totally prevented but dust does not enter in harmful quantities to interfere with the correct operation or impair safety
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a weight of 10.6g . We prefer a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, at 50g weigh more than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with a difference of 39.4g For a device to be true wireless it should have no cables linking any part of the device together, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are true wireless for this case since they have no wires. This is a key distinction as some wireless earbuds have wires linking the two earbuds together. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless because it has no wires linking the 2 earbuds together.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are resistant to sweat Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience. Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers ANC uses more advanced kind of tech to actively cancel noise. ANC works when, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and after inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out.
Simply put, it's like having +1 (noise) then adding -1 (inverted noise) to make zero therefore "diluting" the noise.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears since you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background sounds. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have Active Noise Cancellation which makes either of the devices ideal for plane rides and morning commutes.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 operate with different noise cancellation settings, pick the mode that you prefer for travel or that enhances your relaxation time. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) stay well in place, creating an acoustic covering that tones down your environment noise well as preventing the earbuds music from leaking out at the same. Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have passive noise reduction which implies that they reduce ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, the unit size dictates the sound made by the earbuds. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 1.8mm , a common assumption that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yes, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not indicate that they deliver better quality sound. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this implies that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 produce a juicier bass than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device produces high recognizable frequencies and if it adjustments to the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that both devices produce equal treble The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. A device's battery life is commonly given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 1.5 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time.
The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to. The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case is said to have a full charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before having to recharge the case itself.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's charging case has a battery life of 18 hours, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 6 hours It takes 1 hours to fully charge the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery, more than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 2 hours Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging.
To charge the device, you just place down on a supported charging pad. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also support wireless charging, take note of the charging standard of the earbuds. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery.
The battery indicator lights display the charging state of your device and case. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you determine the charging state of your earbuds, if charged fully, or the battery is running low. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 has a Bluetooth version of 5, older than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Newer versions provide faster data transfers. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support AAC, a codec used for Bluetooth audio.
It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will work fine with your MacBook.
If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out noise. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to reduce background sounds from the desired sound.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a noise-canceling microphone. Especially useful in noisy environments. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound so that they can still be heard even while wearing the earbuds The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, for example when you’re having a run but would still want to be able to hear traffic.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears . Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life. If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support the find earbuds feature. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the find earbuds feature.
Simply use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play a sound from your earbuds to locate them. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.
Also the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the mute function. The mute function means that you can turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party talk. With the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a control panel on them. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, like if there is an issue with the connection.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you if the battery is running low, and you need to recharge the earbuds. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with their own special pouch. Carrying earbuds without a case, or putting them inside your bag without a casing can easily damage them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a case included, which offers safe transportation.