Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 Review

Ingress protection ratings is the level of protection given by an enclosure, against solids and water. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value means protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).

Having a value of IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s rating for solids indicates 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. 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 take in account a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to move with.

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 matter since they have no wires. This is a key difference since wireless earbuds have wires connecting the 2 earbuds together. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless because it has no cables connecting 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 Active noise cancellation utilises advanced technology to actively cancel noise. How it works, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and inverts the soundwaves to counter it.

Simply put, it's like taking +1 (noise) and adding -1 (counter sound by the device) giving 0 which results in a reduced level of noise.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have ANC making either of the earbuds ideal for flights and rush hour commutes.

Each work with different noise cancellation settings, pick the setting that suits your commute or that enhances your relaxation time. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) stay well in place, creating a sound seal that reduces your environment sounds well as preventing the earbuds music from leaking out . Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have passive noise reduction which means that they reduce ambient noise without using technology to cancel it out. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a unit size of 11mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass.

A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size corellates with the loudness of 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 , many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yes, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not indicate 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 a particular audio device generates 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 shows how well a particular audio component makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this means that both devices can generate equal treble 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 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 . Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less listening time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.

The battery life of the charging case is given by the manufacturer, and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case has a charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple 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 recommended to charge fully 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 simply put down on a compatible charging pad.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also support wireless charging, take note of 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 display the charging status of your earbuds and case.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, these allow you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. 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 close proximity, 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.

The 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 that is 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 a similar bit rate.

Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will work well with your iPhone. 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. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones.

While 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 help the earbuds to filter out noise. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background sounds from the earbuds' sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a noise-canceling type of microphone.

This is useful in noisy areas. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel 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 while being aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but would 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.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life. If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support the find earbuds feature. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the find earbuds feature.

You can use the earbuds app on your phone to play a sound from your device to find them. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the time it takes to charge the earbuds.

Also the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery fills up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in thirty minutes.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.

The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have this function. It means that you are in position turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice. The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features 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 through audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also support voice prompts meaning the device notifies you if the battery is running low, and you need to recharge them. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with their own special pouch. Carrying earphones openly, or putting them in your bag without a casing may easily put them at risk of getting damaged.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.