IP ratings is the rank of protection offered by a casing, against solids and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value refers to protection against solids say dust, while the second 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 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, 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 take in account a lower weight best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
Sony LinkBuds S, at 9.6g
are lighter than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by -40.4g
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 connecting the 2 earbuds .
Sony LinkBuds S also is true wireless because it doesn't have cables connecting the 2 earbuds together. 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, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both Sony LinkBuds S and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers
Active noise cancellation uses more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and generates a mirror signal to counter it. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (noise) and adding -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 hence "diluting" the noise.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Active Noise Cancellation allowing 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. The Sony LinkBuds S too have ANC which makes either of the devices ideal for flights and morning commutes. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sony LinkBuds S operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the mode that you prefer for travel or that suites your chill time.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 sit tightly in place, creating a sound covering that reduces your environment noise well as preventing the earbuds voice audio from leaking out .
Both Sony LinkBuds S, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction this means 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, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the earbuds, its size corellates with the loudness of the earbuds.
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
, a common assumption 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 are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not imply that they produce better quality sound. 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.
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 measures if and how well a particular audio device generates high audible frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal on its way through. Sony LinkBuds S's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this means that
Sony LinkBuds S can produce 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 given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, 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 playing time. The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time. The battery life of the charging case is given by the vendor, and the 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 multiple 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 charge fully the battery before using the earbuds when they have been in storage for long 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 simply place down on a compatible charging pad. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the earbuds has a low battery.
The battery indicator lights display the charging status of your earbuds and case. Sony LinkBuds S too have a battery level indicator, these enable you to tell the charging state of your device, if charged fully, or having a low battery. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
Sony LinkBuds S too support 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 close proximity, 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 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 MacBook.
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.
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).
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have 6 microphones.
While the Sony LinkBuds S microphones are 6,
equal to that of the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
. More microphones record 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 made to reduce noise from the desired sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them
The Sony LinkBuds S 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 would still want to be able to hear traffic.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears .
The Sony LinkBuds S support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life. If lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a find earbuds feature. Sony LinkBuds S too have the find earbuds feature.
You can use the earbuds app on your phone to play an alarm from your device to find them. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge the earbuds.
Also the Sony LinkBuds S support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. Say, 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 Sony LinkBuds S also have this function. It means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device. Sony LinkBuds S too have a control panel on them. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts.
With voice prompts, you receive information through audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection. The Sony LinkBuds S too support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you if the battery is low, and it's time to recharge them. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with their own special case.
Carrying earbuds without a case, or putting them inside your bag without a casing may easily damage them. Sony LinkBuds S too have a travel bag included, which offers safe transportation.
