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 Apr 20, 2023   9 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 7.9 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 feature comparison

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
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sony WF 1000XM4 IPX4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 IP54

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

Weight

Sony WF 1000XM4 7.1g
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 50g

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

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sweat Resistance

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Sony WF 1000XM4 have sweat resistance

Has An Earbud Foam

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Stereo Speakers

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Driver Unit Size

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

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.

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 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

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 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

Sound Pressure Level

Sony WF 1000XM4 105dB/mW
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.

Has A Neodymium Magnet

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Power

Battery Life

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

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.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

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

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

Charge Time

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

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

Battery Power

Sony WF 1000XM4 40mAh
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Sony WF 1000XM4's battery capacity is 40mAh, battery capacity, shows the amount of electrical energy that a battery can keep.

Has Wireless Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Bluetooth Version

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

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.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sony WF 1000XM4 10meters
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 10meters

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

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 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.

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, providing 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).

Sony WF 1000XM4 support APTX HD too.

Audio Latency

Sony WF 1000XM4 40ms
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

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

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.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sony WF 1000XM4
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Supports Fast Charging

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Multipoint Count

Sony WF 1000XM4 2only
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has A Mute Function

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Voice Prompts

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sony WF 1000XM4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

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