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 | 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 | 20,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
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 |
Ingress protection ratings refer to the level of protection offered by a casing, against solids and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating means protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (water).
Having a value of IPX4, the Beats Studio Buds's rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and the second value 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 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
Beats Studio Buds have a weight of 5.1g . We prefer a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to move with.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, at 50g weigh more than the Beats Studio Buds with a difference of 44.9g True wireless devices have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Beats Studio Buds are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the 2 earbuds together. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless because it has no wires connecting the 2 earbuds together.
Beats Studio Buds have sweat resistance Beats Studio Buds have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience. Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Beats Studio Buds have stereo speakers ANC makes use of more advanced kind of tech to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after generates a mirror signal to counter it.
In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (noise) and adding -1 (inverted noise) giving zero therefore "diluting" the noise.
Beats Studio Buds have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue since you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background noise. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have ANC which makes either of the devices ideal for flights and rush hour travels.
Each work with different noise cancellation settings, pick the noise cancellation type that you prefer for commute or that suites your relaxation time. The Beats Studio Buds sit tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal that tones down background noise and also prevents the device voice audio from leaking out at the same. Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that both tone down ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
Beats Studio Buds have a unit size of 8.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, its size determines the sound produced 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 , 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 produce better quality sound. The Beats Studio Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio device produces low recognizable frequencies and if it alters the signal while at it. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this implies that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 can produce a juicier bass than the Beats Studio Buds
Beats Studio Buds's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio device produces high human frequencies and if it changes to the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that both devices can generate equal treble SPL, is the level of pressure 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 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 Beats Studio Buds by 3.5 hours . Each time you recharge your device, they get a little less playing time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and the 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 recommended 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 Beats Studio Buds by 1.5 hours Beats Studio Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery. Its lights display the charging state of your device and case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to tell the charging state of your device, if charged fully, or having a low battery. Beats Studio Buds have USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support USB TYPE-C.
This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current laptops, phones, and tablets. The Beats Studio Buds have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data transfers 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 Beats Studio Buds . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The 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.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Beats Studio Buds will work fine with your MacBook. 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. The Beats Studio Buds have 6 microphones.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6, equal to that of the Beats Studio Buds . More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise. Beats Studio Buds use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce background sounds from the earbuds' sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too use a noise-canceling type of microphone.
Especially useful in noisy areas. The Beats Studio Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound to 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 while being aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic. If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Beats Studio Buds support the find earbuds feature.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the find earbuds feature. Use the device app on your phone to play an alarm from your device to help you locate them. The Beats Studio Buds support fast charging.
Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the time it takes to charge the earbuds. Also the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster.
For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes. Beats Studio Buds 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 switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
Beats Studio Buds have a mute function, they have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the mute function. The mute function means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party talk.
The Beats Studio Buds, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a control panel on them. The Beats Studio Buds support voice prompts.
With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also support voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you if the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them. Beats Studio Buds come with a special pouch.
Carrying earphones without a case, or placing them inside your pockets without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.