Overall Score 6.6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 | Sony WF 1000XM4 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IPX4 |
weight | 50g | 41g | |
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 | 6mm | |
lowest frequency | 10Hz | 20Hz | |
highest frequency | 20000Hz | 40000Hz | |
has a neodymium magnet | ✗ | ✓ | |
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 | ✗ | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has ldac | ✗ | ✓ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✓ | ✗ | |
has aptx hd | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 6only | 4only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✓ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✓ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
multipoint count | ✗ | 1only | |
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 water. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (water).
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 the second number 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, Sony WF 1000XM4 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 better for the reason that lighter devices are easier to transport.
Sony WF 1000XM4, at 41g
weigh less than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 with a difference -9g
True wireless devices have no cables linking any part of the device together, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are true wireless for this matter since they don't have cables. This is an important difference as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the 2 earbuds together.
Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless because it has no cables connecting the two earbuds .
Sony WF 1000XM4 have sweat resistance
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers, what this means is that Bowers & Wilkins PI7's speakers deliver sound from independent channels on both left and right sides, this creates a richer sound and a better listening experience.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have stereo speakers
Active noise cancellation makes use of advanced technology to reduce ambient sounds. How it works, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and then generates a mirror signal to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 resulting in a reduced level of noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears since you don't need to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background noise.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have Active Noise Cancellation making both earbuds ideal for flights and rush hour travels. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sony WF 1000XM4 work with different noise cancellation settings, pick the mode that suits your travel or that suites your relaxation time.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 sit well in place, creating an acoustic seal that reduces background noise well as preventing the device voice audio from leaking out at the same.
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this means that both reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
The driver unit is the component that produces sound in the earbuds, its size corellates with the loudness of the device.
Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter,
which implies that they have a smaller driver unit than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 3.2mm
, 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 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 a particular audio component produces low recognizable frequencies and if it alters the signal while at it.
Sony WF 1000XM4's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, this implies that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 produce a juicier bass than the Sony WF 1000XM4
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio component generates high audible frequencies and if it adjustments to the signal while at it.
Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this implies that
Sony WF 1000XM4 can generate a clearer and crispier treble than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
The Sony WF 1000XM4 have neodymium magnets, if used in earbuds produce a higher sensitivity and substantial sound output while using less power. They can help generate music at quite a high sound pressure level, with the use of high magnetic flux.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is 4.5 hours, a device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with more battery hours, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chanrgings.
Sony WF 1000XM4's battery life is
more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 3.5 hours
. Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less listening time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, 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 full charge of 18 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before having to recharge the case itself.
Sony WF 1000XM4's charging case has a battery life of 16 hours,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2 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 WF 1000XM4 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.
Sony WF 1000XM4 also support wireless charging, take note of the charging standard of the earbuds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights display the charging status of your device and case.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too use 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 allows data movement between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
Sony WF 1000XM4 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.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support AAC, a codec that is 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 fine with your iPhone. If you intend on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 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 Sony WF 1000XM4 support LDAC, a codec developed by Sony which allows streaming high-resolution audio over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps at 32 bit/96 kHz. It is capable of a very high bitrate of 990kbps, which provides high-resolution audio.
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.
Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2
. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the device to filter out noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are made to reduce noise from the earbuds' sound.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a noise-canceling microphone. Especially useful in noisy environments.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient noises to still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, helpful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, say you’re having a jog but would still want to be able 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.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life.
When lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a find earbuds feature.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have the find earbuds feature. You can use the device app on your phone to play a sound from your earbuds to find them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.
Also the Sony WF 1000XM4 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery is filling up much faster. For example, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in 30 minutes.
Sony WF 1000XM4 have a multipoint of 1 connections, this feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support this function. It means that you can turn off the earbuds' 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 functions are supported on the device.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a control panel on them.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you when the battery is low, and it's time to recharge the earbuds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with a special case. Carrying earbuds openly, or placing them inside your pockets without a cover may easily damage them.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a travel bag included, which offers safe transportation.