Overall Score 6.6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | IP54 |
weight | 12.5g | 50g | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
wingtips included | ✓ | ✗ | |
sweat resistance | ✓ | ✗ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✓ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 9.3mm | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 10Hz | |
highest frequency | 20000Hz | 20000Hz | |
POWER | battery life | 6hours | 4.5hours |
battery life of charging case | 18hours | 18hours | |
charge time | 2hours | 3hours | |
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 | 8only | 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 offered by an enclosure, against solids and water. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
Scoring IPX4, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's rating is read as, the first value 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.
In comparison to the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, 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
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a weight of 12.5g . We take in account a lower weight best because lighter devices are easier to move with.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, at 50g
weigh more than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II with a difference of 37.5g
For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires linking any part of the device together, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a key difference as some wireless earbuds have cables connecting the pair of earbuds .
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless since it has no cables connecting the pair of earbuds together.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come with wingtips, these are reserved for workout earbuds and come as an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are resistant to sweat
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have stereo speakers, what this means is that Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II'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
Active noise cancellation makes use of more advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and after generates a mirror signal to counter it. In simple terms, it's like having +1 (noise) and adding -1 (inverted noise) giving 0 thus "diluting" the noise.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have ANC which makes either of the devices ideal for plane rides and rush hour commutes. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 operate with different noise cancellation types, pick the mode that you prefer for travel or that enhances your relaxation time.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II stay tightly in place, this creates a sound seal that reduces background sounds and also prevents the earbuds music from leaking out at the same.
Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have passive noise reduction which implies that both reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II driver unit is 9.3mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass.
The driver unit is the component that makes sound in the device, the unit size corellates with 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 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II by 0.1mm
, as many tend to believe that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so it's true that, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not mean that they produce better quality sound.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this means that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 can make sound with a juicier bass than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response tells how well an audio device produces high human frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, this means that
both devices generate equal treble
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II'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 usually given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is
less than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II by 1.5 hours
. Each 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 have shorter listening time.
This is given by the manufacturer, and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's case is said to have a charge of 18 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before recharging the case itself.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's charging case has a battery life of 18 hours,
equal to that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
It requires 2 hours to fully charge the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for extended periods.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery,
more than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II by 1 hours
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you just put down on a compatible charging pad.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights show the charging status of your device and charging case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II use 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 is part and parcel of most current laptops, phones, and tablets.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II 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 Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II will work well 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.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps).
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support APTX Adaptive as well which implies that both can adjust the bit rate for different scenarios, such as listening to HD audio from other devices.
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).
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have 8 microphones.
While the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6,
less than that of Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II by 2
. More microphones record better sound quality and help the earbuds to filter out noise.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are made 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.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises 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 while being aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but would still want to be able to hear traffic.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when they are removed from your ears .
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears improving your listening experience.
When lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a find earbuds feature.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the find earbuds feature. You can use the device app on your smartphone to play an alarm from your earbuds to locate them.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to fully 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 is charged to 50% in thirty minutes.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II support multipoint of 2 connections, this 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.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have a mute function, they have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have this function. The mute function means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party talk.
With the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a control panel on them.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you if the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge the device.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II come with a special pouch. Carrying earbuds openly, or putting them in your bag without a casing may easily damage them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.