Overall Score 8.3 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 7.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Sony WF 1000XM4 | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | IP54 |
weight | 7.1g | 50g | |
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 | 6mm | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 10Hz | |
highest frequency | 40,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 105dB/mW | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 4.5hours |
battery life of charging case | 16hours | 18hours | |
charge time | 1.5hours | 3hours | |
has wireless charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5.2 | v5 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has ldac | ✓ | ✗ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✗ | ✓ | |
has aptx hd | ✓ | ✓ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 4only | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✓ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✓ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
multipoint count | 2only | ✗ | |
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 offered by a casing, against solids and water. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating refers to protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
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 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
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a weight of 50g . We prefer a lower weight best because lighter devices are easier to transport.
Sony WF 1000XM4, at 7.1g weigh less than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by -42.9g 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 wires. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have cables connecting the pair of earbuds together. Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless since it has no wires linking 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, 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 actively cancel noise. How it works, it studies the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after generates a mirror signal to counter it.
Simply put, it's like taking +1 (noise) and producing -1 (inverted noise) giving zero resulting in a reduced level of noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Active Noise Cancellation allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to overcome background sounds. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have ANC making either of the earbuds ideal for plane rides and rush hour travels.
Each operate with different noise cancellation settings, pick the noise cancellation type that you prefer for commute or that suites your relaxation time. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 stay tightly in place, creating an acoustic seal that tones down background noise well as preventing the earbuds sound from leaking out at the same. Both Sony WF 1000XM4, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction which means that they limit ambient noise instead of actively using ANC to cancel it out.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a unit size of 9.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the device, its size dictates the sound made by 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 , many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yes, 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 measures if and how well an audio device produces low audible frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through. 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 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio device makes high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this implies that Sony WF 1000XM4 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 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 WF 1000XM4's battery life is more than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 3.5 hours . Each time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time.
The effect is barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to. This is given by the manufacturer, and the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's case is said to have a full charge of 18 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life enables you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple 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 charge fully the battery before using the earbuds for the first time. Sony WF 1000XM4 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1.5 hours The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging.
To charge the earbuds, you just put down on a supported charging pad. Sony WF 1000XM4 also support wireless charging, always look out for the charging standard of the earbuds. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the earbuds has a low battery.
Its lights show the charging status of your device and case. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to tell the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of 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 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. Sony WF 1000XM4 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. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at the same bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 will work well with your iPhone.
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 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 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). Sony WF 1000XM4 support APTX HD too.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have 6 microphones. While the Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4, less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out noise. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce noise from the earbuds' sound.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too use a noise-canceling type of microphone. Especially useful in noisy environments. 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 WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a run but would still want to hear traffic.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears so that the music is paused. Sony WF 1000XM4 support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears improving your listening experience. When misplaced in a room, or can't be found in your bag, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a find earbuds feature.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have the find earbuds feature. You can use the earbuds app on your phone to play a sound from your earbuds to find them. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging.
Commonly, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the time it takes to fully charge the earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only 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 feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too support the mute function.
The mute function 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 functions are supported on the earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a control panel on them.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection. The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have voice prompts .i.e the device will notify you if the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with a special pouch. Carrying earbuds openly, or putting them inside your bag without a casing may easily damage them. Sony WF 1000XM4 also have a case included, which offers safe transportation.