Overall Score 7.9 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.4 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 an earbud foam | ✓ | ✗ | |
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 | 40000Hz | 20000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 105dB/mW | ✗ | |
has a neodymium magnet | ✓ | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 4.5hours |
battery life of charging case | 16hours | 18hours | |
charge time | 1.5hours | 3hours | |
battery power | 40mAh | ✗ | |
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 | ✓ | ✓ | |
audio latency | 40ms | ✗ | |
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 |
IP ratings refer to the rank of protection given by a casing, against solids and water. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to protection against liquids (water).
Scoring IP54, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's rating is read as, the first value 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 best because lighter devices are more comfortable to transport.
The 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 wires connecting any part of the device together, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are true wireless for this case since they don't have wires. This is a key difference since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the 2 earbuds .
Sony WF 1000XM4 also is true wireless since it has no cables connecting the 2 earbuds together.
Sony WF 1000XM4 have sweat resistance
The earbud foam is made to be ultracompact and lightweight, with almost no interference with earrings, spectacles, hats, or hairstyles. The Sony WF 1000XM4 have an earbud foam for some people it is more comfortable than the in-ear foam.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.
Both Sony WF 1000XM4 and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have stereo speakers
Active noise cancellation uses advanced kind of tech to actively counter noise. How it works, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and generates a mirror signal to counter it. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (inverted noise) to make zero thus "diluting" the noise.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears as you don't need to crank up the device volume to overcome background noise.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have ANC which makes either of the devices ideal for plane rides and morning travels. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 and Sony WF 1000XM4 operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the mode that you prefer for commute or that suites your relaxation time.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 sit well in place, this creates an acoustic seal that tones down your environment sounds well as preventing the device sound from leaking out .
Both Sony WF 1000XM4, and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have passive noise reduction this means that both tone down ambient noise instead of actively using ANC 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.
The driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, its size corellates with the sound made by the earbuds.
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
, many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.
However, large drivers usually have difficulty producing high frequencies so yes, larger drivers are capable of generating louder sound, but this does not imply that they produce better quality sound.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component 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 means 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 an audio component makes high audible frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through.
Sony WF 1000XM4's highest frequency is at 40000Hz, this implies that
Sony WF 1000XM4 produce a clearer and crispier treble than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
SPL, is the pressure level of sound, in decibels, dB, Sony WF 1000XM4's measurement is 105dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 have neodymium magnets, if used in audio devices 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.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is 4.5 hours, these last less than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. 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 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 barely noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.
The battery life of the charging case is given by the manufacturer, and the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's case has a charge of 18 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables 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 highly adivsable to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds when they have been in storage for long periods.
Sony WF 1000XM4 takes 1.5 hours to fully charge the battery,
less than that of Bowers & Wilkins PI7 by 1.5 hours
Sony WF 1000XM4's battery capacity is 40mAh, battery capacity, shows the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.
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, take note of 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 display the charging status of your device and charging case.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators allow you to determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or the battery is running low.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have USB TYPE-C, an industry-standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with 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 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 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 MacBook. 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, providing 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).
Sony WF 1000XM4 support APTX HD too.
Latency refers to the time it takes for the audio signal to be transmitted to your earbuds. Sony WF 1000XM4 have a latency of 40ms, a lower latency reduces audio lag and is particularly important when playing games or watching videos.
The 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 earbuds to filter out background sounds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are made to reduce noise from the desired sound.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 too use a noise-canceling microphone. This is useful in noisy environments.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound to still be heard even while 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 what’s happening around you, for example when you’re having a jog but still want to hear traffic.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the earbuds can detect when removed from your ears .
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.
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 also have the find earbuds feature. Use the earbuds app on your phone to play a sound from your device to help you locate them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support fast charging. Most often, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge the earbuds.
Sony WF 1000XM4 support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery is filling up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 support multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. For example, you can switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The Sony WF 1000XM4 also have this function. The mute function means that you unilaterally turn off the device's microphone, but you can still hear the other party's voice.
With the Bowers & Wilkins PI7, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a control panel on them.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information through audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you if the battery is low, and you need to recharge the earbuds.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 come with their own special case. Carrying earphones openly, or placing them inside your bag without a cover may easily damage them.
Sony WF 1000XM4 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.