Home Wireless Earbuds Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

A Review By Comparison of the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 Vs. Sony Wf 1000Xm4

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   8 min read
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Sony WF 1000XM4

Sony WF 1000XM4

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Reasons why you might like the Sony WF 1000XM4

Overall Score 6.6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 8 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 4 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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Reasons why you might like the Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IP54
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 4.5 hours
  • Has Usb Type-C
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode

A summary of the review by comparison

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
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sony WF 1000XM4 IPX4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 IP54

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

Weight

Sony WF 1000XM4 41g
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 50g

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

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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 .

Sweat Resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Sony WF 1000XM4 have sweat resistance

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Driver Unit Size

Sony WF 1000XM4 6mm
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 9.2mm

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.

Lowest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 20Hz
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 10Hz

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

Highest Frequency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40000Hz
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 20000Hz

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

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony WF 1000XM4
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.

Power

Battery Life

Sony WF 1000XM4 8hours
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 4.5hours

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.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sony WF 1000XM4 16hours
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 18hours

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

Charge Time

Sony WF 1000XM4 1.5hours
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 3hours

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

Has Wireless Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Bluetooth Version

Sony WF 1000XM4 v5.2
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 v5

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.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 10meters

Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.

Has Aac

Sony WF 1000XM4
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 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.

Has Ldac

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Aptx Adaptive

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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).

Has Aptx Hd

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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).

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sony WF 1000XM4 4only
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 6only

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.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Multipoint Count

Sony WF 1000XM4 1only
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has A Mute Function

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

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