Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.0 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 | JBL Reflect Aero TWS |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IP68 |
weight | 50g | 13g | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
wingtips included | ✗ | ✓ | |
sweat resistance | ✗ | ✓ | |
is dust proof and water-resistant | ✗ | ✓ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✓ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 9.2mm | 6.8mm | |
lowest frequency | 10Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20000Hz | 20000Hz | |
sound pressure level | ✗ | 99dB/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 | ✓ | ✓ | |
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 is the rating of protection given by a casing, against solids and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating means protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (sweat).
Having a value of IP54, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's rating is read as, the first number of 5 denotes 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 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 Bowers & Wilkins PI7, JBL Reflect Aero TWS have a rating of IP68 meaning that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 has a lower dust resistance than JBL Reflect Aero TWS
and that of liquids is that,
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 has a lower liquid rating than JBL Reflect Aero TWS
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a weight of 50g . We prefer a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are easier to carry.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS, at 13g
are lighter than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 with a difference -37g
True wireless devices have no wires linking any part of the device together, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are true wireless for this matter since they don't have wires. This is an important difference as some wireless earbuds have wires linking the pair of earbuds .
JBL Reflect Aero TWS also is true wireless since it has no wires connecting the 2 earbuds together.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS have wingtips, these are commonly used for earbuds for workouts and come as an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS have sweat resistance
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS are both dustproof and water-resistant.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers, what this means is that Bowers & Wilkins PI7's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both JBL Reflect Aero TWS and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers
ANC utilises more advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. ANC works when, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (noise) then adding -1 (counter sound by the device) giving 0 thus "diluting" the noise.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have ANC enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the device volume to overcome background sounds.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have ANC making either of the devices ideal for flights and rush hour commutes. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and JBL Reflect Aero TWS operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the noise cancellation type that you prefer for commute or that enhances your relaxation time.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 sit tightly in place, this creates an acoustic covering that tones down your environment sounds and also prevents the device sound from leaking out .
Both JBL Reflect Aero TWS, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction this implies that they limit ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a unit size of 9.2mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass.
The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the earbuds, the unit size dictates the loudness of the device.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS driver unit is 6.8mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2.4mm
, 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 yes, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not mean that they produce better quality sound.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal while at it.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 produce a juicier bass than the JBL Reflect Aero TWS
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component makes high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, this implies that
both devices generate equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL Reflect Aero TWS's measurement is 99dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is 4.5 hours, these last less than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. 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.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's battery life is
more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 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.
This is given by the manufacturer, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7's case is said to have a charge of 18 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging the case itself.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2 hours
It takes 3 hours to fully charge the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery. It is highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for long periods.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1.5 hours
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply put down on a compatible charging pad.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. Its lights display the charging state of your device and charging case.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you tell the charging state of your earbuds, if charged fully, or the battery is running low.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current laptops, phones, and tablets.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data transfers between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS has a Bluetooth version of 5.2,
newer than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 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 Bowers & Wilkins PI7 will work well with your MacBook. If you intend on using these with Android you need to pay even closer attention to codec support for if they only have AAC they won't provide the best audio quality possible, ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
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).
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have 6 microphones.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS microphones are 6,
equal to that of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
. More microphones result in better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out noise from the desired sound.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too use a noise-canceling type of microphone. This is useful in noisy environments.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient noises so that they can still be heard even while wearing them
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music while being aware of what’s happening around you, say 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 .
When lost in a room, or can't be found in your bag, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support the find earbuds feature.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge the earbuds.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have this function. The mute function means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice.
With the Bowers & Wilkins PI7, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS also have a control panel on them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.
The JBL Reflect Aero TWS too have voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with their own special pouch. Carrying earphones openly, or putting them inside your pockets without a casing may easily damage them.
JBL Reflect Aero TWS also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.