Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | ipX4 | ip54 |
weight | 10.6g | 50g | |
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 | 11mm | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 20hz | 10hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000hz | 20,000hz | |
POWER | battery life | 6hours | 4.5hours |
battery life of charging case | 24hours | 18hours | |
charge time | 1hours | 3hours | |
battery power | 49.7mah | ✗ | |
has wireless charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✗ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.3 | v5 | |
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 |
IP ratings refer to the level of protection given by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value represents protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (water).
Scoring IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s rating is read as, the first number of X denotes that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second number of 4 means that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.
Compared 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
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a weight of 10.6g . We take in account 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) by of 39.4g
For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires linking any part of the device together, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a key difference as some wireless earbuds have cables connecting the two earbuds together.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless since it doesn't have wires linking the 2 earbuds together.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have sweat resistance
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers, what this means is that Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have stereo speakers
ANC uses more advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and then inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) giving zero resulting in a reduced level of noise.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have ANC allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have Active Noise Cancellation which makes both earbuds ideal for flights and rush hour travels. Each operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the setting that you prefer for commute or that suites your relaxation time.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) sit well in place, creating a sound seal that tones down background sounds while preventing the device music from leaking out at the same.
Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have passive noise reduction this implies that they tone down ambient noise without using technology to cancel it out.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, the unit size determines the sound made by the device.
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 find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not mean that they deliver better quality sound.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal on its way through.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this implies that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 make sound with a juicier bass than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response tells how well a particular audio device makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this means 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 for a single charge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, 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
. Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case is said to have a full charge of 24 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before recharging 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 requires 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)'s battery capacity is 49.7mAh, battery capacity, shows the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you just place down on a compatible charging pad.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also support wireless charging, always look out for the charging standard of a device.
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 indicate the charging status of your earbuds and charging case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, these enable you determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables 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 connecting 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 provides 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 iPad. If you are planning 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.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support APTX HD, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It supports high-quality 24-bit audio (at a bit rate of 576kbps).
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6,
equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
. More microphones result in better sound quality and help the earbuds to filter out background sounds.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are made to reduce background sounds from the desired sound.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a noise-canceling microphone. Especially useful in noisy areas.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient noises 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 while being aware of what’s happening around you, say you’re having a run but still want 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 so that the music is paused.
The 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.
When lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support the find earbuds feature.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have the find earbuds feature. Use the earbuds app on your phone to play an alarm from your earbuds to help you locate them.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Usually, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the time it takes to charge a device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. It's very 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 30 minutes.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support 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 seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have the mute function. The mute function means that you can turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a control panel on them.
Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you if the battery is low, and it's time to recharge the earbuds.
The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with their own special case. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them in your bag without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.