Bowers & Wilkins PI7
See price on AmazonOverall Score 7.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Sony LinkBuds S
See price on AmazonOverall Score 7 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 | Sony LinkBuds S |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IPX4 |
weight | 50g | 9.6g | |
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 | 5mm | |
lowest frequency | 10Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000Hz | 40,000Hz | |
POWER | battery life | 4.5hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 18hours | 14hours | |
charge time | 3hours | 2hours | |
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 ldac | ✗ | ✓ | |
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 refer to the rank of protection offered by an enclosure, against solids and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating means protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (water).
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 of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes. Compared to the Bowers & Wilkins PI7, Sony LinkBuds S 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
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a weight of 50g . We take in account a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are easier to move with.
The Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g are lighter than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 with a difference -40.4g For a device to be true wireless it should have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are true wireless for this matter since they don't have wires. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have cables connecting the pair of earbuds together. Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless since it doesn't have cables linking the two earbuds . 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 Sony LinkBuds S and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers Active noise cancellation uses advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it studies the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and then inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (counter sound by the device) to make zero which results in a reduced level of noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have ANC enabling you to listen at lower levels of volume, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds. The Sony LinkBuds S too have ANC which makes either of the earbuds ideal for plane rides and rush hour commutes. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sony LinkBuds S work with different noise cancellation modes, pick the mode that suits your commute or that enhances your relaxation time.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 stay well in place, creating a sound seal that tones down background sounds while preventing the device voice audio from leaking out . Both Sony LinkBuds S, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction which means that they reduce ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm 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 determines the loudness of the device.
Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter,
which means that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 4.2mm
, 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 mean that they produce better quality sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device generates low audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.
Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this means that Bowers & Wilkins PI7 can produce a juicier bass than the Sony LinkBuds S Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well an audio device generates high audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through. Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this means that Sony LinkBuds S 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 longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.
Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1.5 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening 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 vendor, and the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's case is said to have a full charge of 18 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. Sony LinkBuds S's charging case has a battery life of 14 hours, less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 4 hours It requires 3 hours to fully charge the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been in storage for extended periods.
Sony LinkBuds S takes 2 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1 hours The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you simply place down on a compatible charging pad. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the device has a low battery.
Its lights show the charging state of your earbuds and case. Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.
Sony LinkBuds S too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current electronics. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Bluetooth version of 5, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data transfers between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
Sony LinkBuds S 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 to connect via Bluetooth. Sony LinkBuds S 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 fine with your MacBook.
If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well. The Sony LinkBuds S 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). 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.
The Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6, equal to that of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 . More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are made to filter out noise from the desired sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even while wearing them The Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when they are removed from your ears so that the music is paused. The Sony LinkBuds S 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, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a find earbuds feature.
The Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature. Simply use the device app on your phone to play an alarm from your earbuds to locate them. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging.
Most often, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the time it takes to fully charge a device. Also the Sony LinkBuds S 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 Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds. The Sony LinkBuds S also have the mute function.
It means that you can 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. Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection. The Sony LinkBuds S too have voice prompts meaning the earbuds notifies you when the battery is low, and you need to recharge them.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with a special pouch. Carrying earbuds openly, or putting them inside your bag without a casing can easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Sony LinkBuds S too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.