Home Wireless Earbuds Sennheiser Cx 500Bt Vs. Bowers & Wilkins Pi7

A Review By Comparison of the Sennheiser Cx 500Bt Vs. Bowers & Wilkins Pi7

Last updated on Mar 14, 2023   8 min read
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Sennheiser CX 500BT

Sennheiser CX 500BT

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Reasons why you might like the Sennheiser CX 500BT

Overall Score 6.6 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 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
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Sennheiser CX 500BT IPX4
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 IP54

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

Weight

Sennheiser CX 500BT 12g
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 50g

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

Has No Wires Or Cables

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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 .

Sweat Resistance

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Sennheiser CX 500BT are resistant to sweat

Has Stereo Speakers

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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

Sennheiser CX 500BT
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Driver Unit Size

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 9.2mm

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.

Lowest Frequency

Sennheiser CX 500BT 5Hz
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 10Hz

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

Highest Frequency

Sennheiser CX 500BT 21000Hz
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 20000Hz

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

Sound Pressure Level

Sennheiser CX 500BT 94dB/mW
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.

Power

Battery Life

Sennheiser CX 500BT 8hours
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 4.5hours

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.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Sennheiser CX 500BT 16hours
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 18hours

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

Charge Time

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 3hours

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.

Has Wireless Charging

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Bowers & Wilkins PI7, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you just put down on a supported charging pad.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sennheiser CX 500BT
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Connectivity

Has Usb Type-C

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Bluetooth Version

Sennheiser CX 500BT v5.2
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 v5

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.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Sennheiser CX 500BT 10meters
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 10meters

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

Has Aac

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Aptx Adaptive

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Aptx Hd

Sennheiser CX 500BT
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).

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Sennheiser CX 500BT 4only
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 6only

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.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Highest Mic Frequency

Sennheiser CX 500BT 10000Hz
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Lowest Mic Frequency

Sennheiser CX 500BT 100Hz
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Sennheiser CX 500BT
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Supports Fast Charging

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has A Mute Function

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Warranty Period

Sennheiser CX 500BT 2Years
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Has Voice Prompts

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

Travel Bag Is Included

Sennheiser CX 500BT
Bowers & Wilkins PI7

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.

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