Overall Score 6.6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Sennheiser CX 500BT | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | IPX4 | IP54 |
weight | 12g | 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 | ✗ | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 5Hz | 10Hz | |
highest frequency | 21000Hz | 20000Hz | |
sound pressure level | 94dB/mW | ✗ | |
POWER | battery life | 8hours | 4.5hours |
battery life of charging case | 16hours | 18hours | |
charge time | ✗ | 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 | 4only | 6only |
has a noise-canceling microphone | ✓ | ✓ | |
highest mic frequency | 10000Hz | ✗ | |
lowest mic frequency | 100Hz | ✗ | |
EXTRAS | has ambient sound mode | ✓ | ✓ |
has in/on-ear detection | ✓ | ✓ | |
has find earbuds feature | ✓ | ✓ | |
supports fast charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
has a mute function | ✓ | ✓ | |
control panel placed on a device | ✓ | ✓ | |
warranty period | 2Years | ✗ | |
has voice prompts | ✓ | ✓ | |
travel bag is included | ✓ | ✓ | |
See price on Amazon | See price on Amazon |
Ingress protection ratings refer to the rating of protection offered by an enclosure, against solids and water. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value represents protection against solids such as dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
Scoring IPX4, the Sennheiser CX 500BT's rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, 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 Sennheiser CX 500BT, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a rating of IP54 meaning 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 that of liquids is that,
they both have the same rating against liquids
The Sennheiser CX 500BT have a weight of 12g . We prefer a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to move with.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7, at 50g
weigh more than the Sennheiser CX 500BT with a difference of 38g
True wireless devices have no cables linking any part of the device together, Sennheiser CX 500BT are true wireless for this case since they don't have cables. This is a key distinction since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the two earbuds together.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless because it has no wires connecting the 2 earbuds .
Sennheiser CX 500BT are resistant to sweat
Sennheiser CX 500BT have stereo speakers, what this means is that Sennheiser CX 500BT'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 makes use of advanced technology to actively counter noise. How it works, it listens to the sound pattern of incoming noise and after inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. In simple terms, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) and adding -1 (inverted noise) to make 0 hence "diluting" the noise.
Sennheiser CX 500BT have Active Noise Cancellation enabling you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears since you don't have to crank up the earbuds volume to outcompete background sounds.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have ANC which makes both earbuds ideal for flights and morning travels. The Sennheiser CX 500BT and Bowers & Wilkins PI7 operate with different noise cancellation settings, pick the mode that you prefer for commute or that enhances your relaxation time.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT sit tightly in place, creating a sound covering that reduces your environment sounds and also prevents the device sound from leaking out .
Both of these devices have passive noise reduction which means that both limit ambient noise without using technology to cancel it out.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a unit size of 9.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that makes sound in the device, its size corellates with the loudness of the earbuds.
Sennheiser CX 500BT's lowest frequency is at 5Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well an audio device generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it alters the signal on its way through.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this means that
Sennheiser CX 500BT can make sound with a juicier bass than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
The Sennheiser CX 500BT's highest frequency is at 21000Hz, high-frequency response measures if and how well an audio component generates high human frequencies and if it changes to the signal on its way through.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20000Hz, this means that
Sennheiser CX 500BT can generate a clearer and crispier treble than the Bowers & Wilkins PI7
SPL, is the level of pressure of sound, measured in decibels, dB, Sennheiser CX 500BT's measurement is 94dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT's battery life is 8 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and requires fewer chargings.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery life is
less than that of Sennheiser CX 500BT by 3.5 hours
. Each 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 Sennheiser CX 500BT's case is said to have a full charge of 16 hours. A charging case with a longer battery life 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,
more than that of Sennheiser CX 500BT by 2 hours
It requires 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 unused for extended periods.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you just put down on a supported charging pad.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT have a battery level indicator, an indicator notifies you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights show the charging status of your device and charging case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, these allow you determine the charging state of your earbuds, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT 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 Sennheiser CX 500BT have Bluetooth version of 5.2, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that allows data transfers 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 Sennheiser CX 500BT
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Sennheiser CX 500BT
Sennheiser CX 500BT support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Because it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it provides better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.
Being the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Sennheiser CX 500BT will work fine with your iPhone. If you are planning on using these with Android , 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.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT 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 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).
Sennheiser CX 500BT have 4 microphones.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6,
more than that of Sennheiser CX 500BT by 2
. More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out noise.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT have a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce noise from the desired sound.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too use a noise-canceling type of microphone. Especially useful in noisy environments.
Sennheiser CX 500BT's highest mic frequency is 10000Hz, high frequencies are better for recording treble. The highest mic frequency of a microphone is known as its upper limiting frequency.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT's lowest mic frequency is 100Hz, low frequencies are best for picking up bass. The lowest mic frequency of a microphone is defined as its lower limiting frequency.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises to still be heard even while wearing them
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode as well, helpful 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 be able to hear traffic.
Sennheiser CX 500BT support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears .
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support in/on-ear detection, automatically pauses your music, or audiobook when you remove earbuds from your ears saving battery life.
When misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, the Sennheiser CX 500BT have a find earbuds feature.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have the find earbuds feature. You can use the earbuds app on your phone to play an alarm from your device to find them.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT support fast charging. Most often, technologies like Qualcomm’s Quick Charge, are used to lower the amount of time it takes to fully charge a device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, just that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT have a mute function, they have 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 device's microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.
With the Sennheiser CX 500BT, 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.
Sennheiser CX 500BT have a warranty period of 2 Years, the period of time that warrant free repair and adjustment services in case of a malfunction occurring under normal use following instruction manuals.
The Sennheiser CX 500BT have voice prompts. Automatically receive information through audio messages, say if there is a problem with the connection.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have voice prompts meaning the device will notify you if the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge the device.
Sennheiser CX 500BT come with their own special pouch. Carrying earphones openly, or putting them in your pockets without a cover may easily put them at risk of getting damaged.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a case included, which offers safe transportation.