Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value represents protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
Scoring IP54, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's rating for solids indicates 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 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 Bowers & Wilkins PI7, Sennheiser Momentum 3 have a rating of IPX4 meaning that
no data available to specify a protection rating
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a weight of 50g . We prefer a lower weight better because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
The Sennheiser Momentum 3, at 10.6g
are lighter than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 with a difference -39.4g
True wireless devices have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is an important distinction as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the pair of earbuds together. Sennheiser Momentum 3 also is true wireless because it doesn't have wires connecting the pair of earbuds together.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 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. The Sennheiser Momentum 3 also have stereo speakers
ANC makes use of more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and then generates a mirror signal to counter it.
Simply put, it's like taking +1 (noise) and adding -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 therefore "diluting" the noise.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue since you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background sounds. Sennheiser Momentum 3 too have ANC making both devices ideal for plane rides and morning commutes.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sennheiser Momentum 3 operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the mode that suits your travel or that suites your relaxation time. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 sit well in place, creating an acoustic seal that tones down background noise while preventing the device voice audio from leaking out .
Both Sennheiser Momentum 3, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction this implies that they tone down ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass.
The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, its size corellates with the sound produced by the earbuds. Sennheiser Momentum 3 driver unit is 7mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2.2mm
, many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yes, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not imply that they deliver better quality sound.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio component generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal while at it. Sennheiser Momentum 3's lowest frequency is at 5Hz, this means that
Sennheiser Momentum 3 can make sound with a juicier bass than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response tells how well an audio component generates high human frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through. Sennheiser Momentum 3's highest frequency is at 21,000Hz, this means that
Sennheiser Momentum 3 can generate a clearer and crispier treble than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
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 usually given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often. Sennheiser Momentum 3's battery life is
more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2.5 hours
. Each time you recharge your device, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the manufacturer, and the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's case has a charge of 18 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before recharging the case itself. Sennheiser Momentum 3's charging case has a battery life of 21 hours,
more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 3 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 for the first time. Sennheiser Momentum 3 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1.5 hours
Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you just place down on a supported charging pad.
Sennheiser Momentum 3 also support wireless charging, take note of the charging standard of a device. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery. Its lights display the charging state of your earbuds and case.
Sennheiser Momentum 3 too have a battery level indicator, these enable you determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable. Sennheiser Momentum 3 too have USB TYPE-C.
This USB-C plug comes along with most current electronics. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves. Sennheiser Momentum 3 has a Bluetooth version of 5.2,
newer than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth. Sennheiser Momentum 3 have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support AAC, a codec 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 Bowers & Wilkins PI7 will work well with your iPad. If you are planning on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
The Sennheiser Momentum 3 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. 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).
Sennheiser Momentum 3 support APTX Adaptive as well which means 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).
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have 6 microphones.
Sennheiser Momentum 3 microphones are 6,
equal to that of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
. More microphones record better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out noise. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are designed to filter out background sounds from the desired sound. The Sennheiser Momentum 3 too use a noise-canceling microphone.
Especially useful in noisy environments. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises to still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
The Sennheiser Momentum 3 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, say you’re having a jog but would still want to be able to hear traffic. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when they are removed from your ears .
Sennheiser Momentum 3 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life.
If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a find earbuds feature. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to charge the earbuds.
Sennheiser Momentum 3 support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, just that the battery fills up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be 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 Sennheiser Momentum 3 also have this function. The mute function means that you are in position turn off the earbuds' microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk.
With the Bowers & Wilkins PI7, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds. Sennheiser Momentum 3 too have a control panel on them. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts.
With voice prompts, you receive information through audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection. The Sennheiser Momentum 3 also have voice prompts .i.e the earbuds notifies you when the battery is running low, and you need to recharge the device. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with a special pouch.
Carrying earbuds openly, or putting them in your pockets without a casing can easily damage them. Sennheiser Momentum 3 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.
