Overall Score 8 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 7.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | JBL Wave Buds | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IP54 | IP54 |
weight | 9g | 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 | 8mm | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 20Hz | 10Hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000Hz | 20,000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 100dB/mW | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 4.5hours |
battery life of charging case | 24hours | 18hours | |
charge time | 2hours | 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 aptx adaptive | ✓ | ✓ | |
has aptx hd | ✗ | ✓ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 2only | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
mic sensitivity | -38dBV/Pa | ✗ | |
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 refer to the level of protection offered by a casing, against dust and liquids. The letters 'IP' are followed by two values The first value refers to protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
Having a value of IP54, the JBL Wave Buds'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 of liquids 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 JBL Wave Buds, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a rating of IP54 meaning that
they both have the same rating against dust
and that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
JBL Wave Buds have a weight of 9g . We consider a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to carry.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7, at 50g are heavier than the JBL Wave Buds by of 41g For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires connecting any part of the device together, JBL Wave Buds are true wireless for this case since they don't have cables. This is a major difference as some wireless earbuds have cables linking the pair of earbuds . Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless because it has no wires connecting the pair of earbuds . JBL Wave Buds have sweat resistance JBL Wave Buds have stereo speakers, what this means is that JBL Wave Buds's speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have stereo speakers Active noise cancellation utilises advanced technology to actively counter noise.
ANC works when, it detects and analyzes the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like having +1 (noise) then producing -1 (inverted noise) giving zero hence "diluting" the noise.
The JBL Wave Buds have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, causing less ear fatigue as you don't have to crank up the device volume to overcome background sounds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have Active Noise Cancellation making both earbuds ideal for flights and rush hour travels. The JBL Wave Buds and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 operate with different noise cancellation modes, pick the setting that you prefer for travel or that suites your relaxation time. The JBL Wave Buds sit tightly in place, this creates an acoustic seal that reduces background noise well as preventing the device sound from leaking out at the same.
Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and JBL Wave Buds have passive noise reduction which means that both reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out. JBL Wave Buds have a unit size of 8mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, the unit size corellates with the loudness of the earbuds.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter,
making them have a larger driver unit than that of JBL Wave Buds by 1.2mm
, a common assumption 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 indicate that they deliver better quality sound. JBL Wave Buds's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal on its way through.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this means that Bowers & Wilkins PI7 produce a juicier bass than the JBL Wave Buds JBL Wave Buds's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component makes high audible frequencies and if it makes any adjustments to the signal while at it. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that both devices produce equal treble SPL, is the pressure level of sound, measured in decibels, dB, JBL Wave Buds's measurement is 100dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
JBL Wave Buds's battery life is 8 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often. Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 3.5 hours . Every time you recharge your earbuds, they get a little less listening time.
The effect is not 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 JBL Wave Buds's case has a full charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go several times before having to recharge the case itself.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's charging case has a battery life of 18 hours, less than that of JBL Wave Buds by 6 hours It requires 2 hours to fully charge the JBL Wave Buds's battery. It is recommended to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds when they have been unused for long periods. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 takes 3 hours to fully charge the battery, more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 1 hours The JBL Wave Buds have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the earbuds has a low battery.
Its lights display the charging state of your device and charging case. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, these enable you to tell the charging state of your device, if charged fully, or having a low battery. The JBL Wave Buds use USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power in a single cable.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug comes along with most current electronics. The JBL Wave Buds have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data movement between devices placed in range, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 has a Bluetooth version of 5, older than that of JBL Wave Buds . Newer versions provide faster data transfers. The JBL Wave Buds have a 10meters distance connecting via Bluetooth. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the JBL Wave Buds JBL Wave Buds 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 the same bit rate.
Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the JBL Wave Buds will work fine 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 Bowers & Wilkins PI7 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.
JBL Wave Buds support APTX Adaptive, an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that are developed by Qualcomm. It has a variable bit rate (between 279kbps and 420kbps). Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support APTX Adaptive as well which means both can adjust the bit rate for different scenarios, such as listening to HD audio from other devices. The JBL Wave Buds have 2 microphones.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6, more than that of JBL Wave Buds by 4 . More microphones record better sound quality and help the device to filter out background sounds. The JBL Wave Buds use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are designed to reduce background sounds from the earbuds' sound. The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a noise-canceling microphone.
This is useful in noisy environments. JBL Wave Buds microphone sensitivity is measured at -38dBV/Pa. The extent of the analog or digital output signal from the microphone with its input stimulus is a measure of its sensitivity.
It's the 'loudness' of the voice that the microphone can recognize. The JBL Wave Buds support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to channel ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing them The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 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, say you’re having a run but still want to hear traffic. JBL Wave Buds have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears so that the music is paused.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears improving your listening experience. When lost in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the JBL Wave Buds have a find earbuds feature. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have the find earbuds feature.
Use the device app on your phone to play a sound from your device to help you find them. The JBL Wave Buds support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the amount of time it takes to charge a device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support fast charging. It's very 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 just thirty minutes.
The JBL Wave Buds have a multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can easily switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect. JBL Wave Buds have a mute function, they support the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the earbuds.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have this function. The mute function means that you are in position turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party's voice. With the JBL Wave Buds, so you can access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a control panel on them. The JBL Wave Buds support voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you if the battery is running low, and you need to recharge the device. JBL Wave Buds come with their own special pouch. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them inside your pockets without a cover can easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.