Ingress protection ratings is the level of protection given by an enclosure, against dust and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value refers to protection against solids say dust, followed by the one that refers to protection against liquids (water).
Having a value of 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
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a weight of 50g . We consider a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
The Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g
are lighter than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by -40.4g
For a device to be true wireless it should have no cables 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 distinction as some wireless earbuds have cables connecting the two earbuds .
Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless because it doesn't have cables linking the 2 earbuds together. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.
The Sony LinkBuds S also have stereo speakers
ANC makes use of advanced kind of tech to actively counter noise. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after inverts the soundwaves to counter it. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (noise) then producing -1 (counter sound by the device) giving 0 therefore "diluting" the noise.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background noise. Sony LinkBuds S too have ANC which makes both earbuds ideal for flights and morning commutes. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sony LinkBuds S operate with different noise cancellation types, pick the setting that you prefer for commute or that suites your chill time.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 stay well in place, creating a sound seal that tones down background noise and also prevents the device music from leaking out .
Both Sony LinkBuds S, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction this implies that they limit ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, the unit size dictates the sound made by the earbuds.
Sony LinkBuds S driver unit is 5mm in diameter,
which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 4.2mm
, 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 yeah, larger drivers are capable of generating 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 an audio component produces low recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
Sony LinkBuds S's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 make sound with a juicier bass than the Sony LinkBuds S
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component makes high human frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through. Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this implies that
Sony LinkBuds S produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
The 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.
Sony LinkBuds S's battery life is
more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1.5 hours
. Each time you recharge your device, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time. This 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 allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging 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 highly adivsable 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
Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you just put down on a compatible charging pad. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery.
Its lights indicate the charging state of your earbuds and case. Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.
Sony LinkBuds S too support USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current laptops, phones, and tablets. 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.
Sony LinkBuds S 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. 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 the same bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 will work fine with your iPad.
If you are planning 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 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 record better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out background sounds. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are intended to filter out background sounds from the earbuds' sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient noises so that they can still be heard even when wearing them
The Sony LinkBuds S support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music while being aware of your surrounding, for example when you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears so that the music is paused. The Sony LinkBuds S 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 be found in your bag, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support the find earbuds feature.
Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature. You can use the device app on your phone to play an alarm from your device to help you find them. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging.
Commonly, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the time it takes to charge the earbuds. Also the Sony LinkBuds S support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster.
Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in 30 minutes. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device. The Sony LinkBuds S also support the mute function.
It means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party talk. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device. The Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information through audio messages, like if there is an issue with the connection. Sony LinkBuds S too support voice prompts .i.e the device notifies you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with a special pouch. Carrying earphones without a case, or putting them in your bag without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged. Sony LinkBuds S also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.
