Ingress protection ratings refer to the level of protection given by an enclosure, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value means protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to resistance 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 the second value 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 take in account a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are easier to transport.
Sony WF 1000XM4, at 7.1g
weigh less than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7 with a difference -42.9g
For a device to be true wireless it must have no cables connecting any part of the device together, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are true wireless for this matter since they don't have cables. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have wires connecting the pair of earbuds .
Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless because it doesn't have wires linking 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 WF 1000XM4 and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers
ANC utilises advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and after inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like having +1 (noise) then adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make zero thus "diluting" the noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have ANC allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue since you don't need to crank up the device volume to overcome background noise. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have Active Noise Cancellation making both devices ideal for plane rides and morning commutes. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sony WF 1000XM4 operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the noise cancellation type that suits your travel or that suites your chill time.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 sit well in place, creating a sound seal that tones down background noise and also prevents the device voice audio from leaking out .
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which implies that both tone down ambient noise without using ANC to cancel it out. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, the bigger the unit the more powerful, and can produce better bass. A driver unit is the component that produces sound in the device, its size dictates the sound produced by the device.
Sony WF 1000XM4 driver unit is 6mm in diameter,
which means 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 indicate that they deliver better quality sound. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well a particular audio device produces low audible 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 20,000Hz, high-frequency response indicates how well a particular audio device generates high human frequencies and if it adjustments to the signal on its way through. Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40,000Hz, this implies that
Sony WF 1000XM4 generate 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 more battery hours, 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
. Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time. This is given by the vendor, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7's case has a full charge of 18 hours.
A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go many times before recharging 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 takes 3 hours to fully charge the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery. It is recommended to fully charge 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
Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the earbuds, you just place down on a compatible charging pad. Sony WF 1000XM4 also support wireless charging, always look out for the charging standard of the earbuds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the device has a low battery. The battery indicator lights display the charging status of your device and charging case. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you determine the charging state of your earbuds, if charged fully, or the battery is running low.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable. Sony WF 1000XM4 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 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. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a 10meters distance connecting 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 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 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 iPad. 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 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. The Sony WF 1000XM4 microphones are 4,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 2
. More microphones record better sound quality and enable the device to filter out background sounds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are made to reduce background sounds from the earbuds' sound. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too use a noise-canceling type of microphone. This is useful in noisy areas.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
The Sony WF 1000XM4 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music while being 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 .
The Sony WF 1000XM4 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, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a find earbuds feature.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have the find earbuds feature. Simply use the device app on your phone to play a sound from your device 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 charge a device. The Sony WF 1000XM4 support fast charging. It's very similar to regular charging, just 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 have the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds. The Sony WF 1000XM4 also support the mute function.
It means that you can turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the earbuds. The Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a control panel on them.
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 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 may easily damage them. Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.
