Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.2 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 | Beats Studio Buds |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IPX4 |
weight | 50g | 5.1g | |
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 | 8.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 10Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20000Hz | 20000Hz | |
sound pressure level | ✗ | 100.5dB/mW | |
POWER | battery life | 4.5hours | 8hours |
battery life of charging case | 18hours | 16hours | |
charge time | 3hours | 1.5hours | |
has wireless charging | ✓ | ✗ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5 | v5.2 | |
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 is the rank of protection offered by a casing, against solids and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value refers to protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (sweat).
Having a value of IPX4, the Beats Studio Buds'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 Beats Studio Buds, 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 Beats Studio Buds have a weight of 5.1g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, at 50g
weigh more than the Beats Studio Buds with a difference of 44.9g
For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Beats Studio Buds are true wireless for this matter since they don't have cables. This is a key distinction since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the two earbuds together.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless since it doesn't have wires connecting the two earbuds .
Beats Studio Buds are resistant to sweat
Beats Studio Buds have stereo speakers, what this means is that Beats Studio Buds'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 utilises advanced kind of tech to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (noise) then producing -1 (counter sound by the device) to make zero hence "diluting" the noise.
The Beats Studio Buds have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears since you don't have to crank up the device volume to outcompete background noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have ANC making either of the devices ideal for flights and morning commutes. The Beats Studio Buds and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the mode that suits your travel or that enhances your relaxation time.
Beats Studio Buds sit tightly in place, this creates a sound covering that reduces your environment noise and also prevents the device music from leaking out at the same.
Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and Beats Studio Buds have passive noise reduction this means that both limit ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out.
The Beats Studio Buds driver unit is 8.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass.
The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, its size dictates the sound made by the earbuds.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter,
making them have a larger driver unit than that of Beats Studio Buds by 1mm
, as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not mean that they deliver better quality sound.
Beats Studio Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio device produces low audible frequencies and if it alters the signal on its way through.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this means that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 make sound with a juicier bass than the Beats Studio Buds
Beats Studio Buds's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component makes high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, this implies that
both devices can generate equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, in decibels, dB, Beats Studio Buds's measurement is 100.5dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
The Beats Studio Buds's battery life is 8 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 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 Beats Studio Buds by 3.5 hours
. Every 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 no longer play for long like they used to.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and Beats Studio Buds's case is said to have a charge of 16 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables 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,
more than that of Beats Studio Buds by 2 hours
It takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the Beats Studio Buds's battery. It is highly adivsable 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 Beats Studio Buds by 1.5 hours
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply place down on a supported charging pad.
The Beats Studio Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery. Its lights show the charging state of your earbuds and charging case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, these enable you to tell the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.
The Beats Studio Buds have USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current laptops, phones, and tablets.
Beats Studio Buds have Bluetooth version of 5.2, 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 Beats Studio Buds
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
Beats Studio Buds have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Beats Studio Buds
Beats Studio Buds support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since 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 Beats Studio Buds will work well with your iPad. 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.
The 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).
Beats Studio Buds have 6 microphones.
While the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6,
equal to that of the Beats Studio Buds
. More microphones record better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise.
The Beats Studio Buds have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are designed to reduce background sounds from the desired sound.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a noise-canceling type of microphone. This is useful in noisy areas.
Beats Studio Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound so that they can still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but still want to be able to hear traffic.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears .
If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Beats Studio Buds have a find earbuds feature.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the find earbuds feature. Use the earbuds app on your phone to play an alarm from your device to find them.
Beats Studio Buds support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the time it takes to charge a device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in 30 minutes.
The Beats Studio Buds have a multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
The Beats Studio Buds have a mute function, they have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support the mute function. The mute function means that you are in position turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party talk.
With the Beats Studio Buds, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a control panel on them.
The Beats Studio Buds have voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, like if there is an issue with the connection.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support voice prompts .i.e the device will notify you when the battery is running low, and you need to recharge them.
The Beats Studio Buds come with a special pouch. Carrying earbuds openly, or putting them inside your pockets without a cover can easily damage them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.