Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Ultimate Ears Drops
Overall Score 6 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.
Category | Features | Bowers & Wilkins PI7 | Ultimate Ears Drops |
---|---|---|---|
DESIGN | ingress protection (ip) rating | ip54 | ✗ |
weight | 50g | ✗ | |
has no wires or cables | ✓ | ✓ | |
wingtips included | ✗ | ✓ | |
sweat resistance | ✗ | ✓ | |
is dust proof and water-resistant | ✗ | ✓ | |
has stereo speakers | ✓ | ✓ | |
SOUND QUALITY | has active noise cancellation (noise control) | ✓ | ✗ |
has passive noise reduction | ✓ | ✓ | |
driver unit size | 9.2mm | 9.2mm | |
lowest frequency | 10hz | 20hz | |
highest frequency | 20,000hz | 20,000hz | |
sound pressure level | ✗ | 110db/mw | |
POWER | battery life | 4.5hours | 6hours |
battery life of charging case | 18hours | 9hours | |
charge time | 3hours | ✗ | |
has wireless charging | ✓ | ✓ | |
has a battery level indicator | ✓ | ✓ | |
CONNECTIVITY | has usb type-c | ✓ | ✓ |
bluetooth version | v5 | v4.2 | |
maximum bluetooth range | 10meters | 10meters | |
has aac | ✓ | ✓ | |
has aptx adaptive | ✓ | ✓ | |
has aptx hd | ✓ | ✗ | |
MICROPHONE | number of microphones | 6only | 2only |
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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IP ratings is the rating of protection given by an enclosure, against solids and water. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value of the IP rating represents protection against solids say dust, while the second refers to resistance against liquids (sweat).
Scoring IP54, the Bowers & Wilkins PI7'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 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.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a weight of 50g . We prefer a lower weight best for the reason that lighter devices are easier to move with.
For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires connecting any part of the device together, Ultimate Ears Drops are true wireless for this matter since they have no cables. This is a key distinction since wireless earbuds have wires connecting the pair of earbuds together.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also is true wireless because it has no cables connecting the two earbuds .
The Ultimate Ears Drops come with wingtips, these are commonly used for earbuds for workouts and are usually an optional add-on to the separate silicone ear tip for a better fit.
Ultimate Ears Drops are resistant to sweat
Ultimate Ears Drops are both dustproof and water-resistant.
Ultimate Ears Drops have stereo speakers, what this means is that Ultimate Ears Drops's speakers deliver sound from independent 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 more advanced kind of tech to actively counter noise. How it works, it studies the sound pattern of incoming noise and inverts the soundwaves to counter it. Simply put, it's like having +1 (sound from your surrounding) and producing -1 (counter sound by the device) to make 0 which results in a reduced level of noise.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have ANC allowing you to listen at lower volume levels, good for your ears since you don't have to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds.
Ultimate Ears Drops sit tightly in place, creating a sound covering that tones down your environment sounds and also prevents the earbuds voice audio from leaking out at the same.
Both Bowers & Wilkins PI7, and Ultimate Ears Drops have passive noise reduction which implies that both limit ambient noise instead of actively using ANC to cancel it out.
Ultimate Ears Drops driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, therefor producing better bass.
A driver unit is the component that makes sound in the device, the unit size dictates the loudness of the device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 driver unit is 9.2mm in diameter,
making both devices similar in how loud their sound can get
, a common assumption 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 mean that they produce better quality sound.
Ultimate Ears Drops's lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response measures if and how well a particular audio device generates low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this implies that
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 produce a juicier bass than the Ultimate Ears Drops
Ultimate Ears Drops's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well a particular audio component generates high recognizable frequencies and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7's highest frequency is at 20,000Hz, this implies that
both devices can produce equal treble
The sound pressure level, is the pressure level of sound, measured in decibels, dB, Ultimate Ears Drops's measurement is 110dB/mW. Devices with a higher sound pressure level are generally louder when supplied with any given audio source.
Ultimate Ears Drops's battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average for a single charge. A device's battery life is usually 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 Ultimate Ears Drops by 1.5 hours
. Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over time, your wireless earbuds will no longer play for long like they used to.
This is given by the manufacturer, and the Ultimate Ears Drops's case has a charge of 9 hours. A charging case with more battery hours enables 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 Ultimate Ears Drops by 9 hours
It takes 3 hours to fully charge the Bowers & Wilkins PI7's battery. It is recommended to charge fully the battery before using the earbuds when they have been in storage for extended periods.
The Ultimate Ears Drops, the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you just place down on a compatible charging pad.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also support wireless charging, always look out for the charging standard of the earbuds.
Ultimate Ears Drops have a battery level indicator, an indicator alerts you when the device has a low battery. Its lights show the charging status of your earbuds and charging case.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a battery level indicator, charging indicators enable you determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.
Ultimate Ears Drops use USB TYPE-C, a standard connector for transmitting both data and power through a single cable.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too use USB TYPE-C. This USB-C plug is part and parcel of most current electronics.
Ultimate Ears Drops have Bluetooth version of 4.2, 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,
newer than that of Ultimate Ears Drops
. Newer versions provide faster data transfers.
The Ultimate Ears Drops have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have a maximum range of 10meters,
equal to that of the Ultimate Ears Drops
Ultimate Ears Drops support AAC, a codec 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 Ultimate Ears Drops will work fine with your MacBook. 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 Ultimate Ears Drops 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 reducing interference 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).
The Ultimate Ears Drops have 2 microphones.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 microphones are 6,
more than that of Ultimate Ears Drops by 4
. More microphones result in better sound quality and help the device to filter out noise.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 use a noise-canceling type of microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce background sounds from the desired sound.
Ultimate Ears Drops support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient sound to still be heard even when wearing the earbuds
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 support ambient sound mode as well, it’s useful when you want to listen to music but also be aware of your surrounding, for example when you’re having a run but would still want to hear traffic.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 have in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when they are removed from your ears .
When lost in a room, or can't be found in your bag, Ultimate Ears Drops support the find earbuds feature.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have the find earbuds feature. Simply use the earbuds app on your smartphone to play a sound from your device to locate them.
The Ultimate Ears Drops support fast charging. Usually, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to reduce the time it takes to charge a device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery can be charged to 50% in just thirty minutes.
The Ultimate Ears Drops support multipoint of 2 connections, this feature allows you to link to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can switch calls from one device to another without manually disconnect and reconnect.
Ultimate Ears Drops have a mute function, they have the option to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.
The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support this function. It means that you unilaterally turn off the earbuds' microphone, but still hear the other party's voice.
With the Ultimate Ears Drops, so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever features are supported on the device.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 also have a control panel on them.
Ultimate Ears Drops support voice prompts. With voice prompts, you receive information via audio messages, say if there is an issue with the connection.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too support voice prompts .i.e the earbuds will notify you when the battery is running low, and it's time to recharge the device.
The Ultimate Ears Drops come with their own special pouch. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them in your bag without a casing may easily damage them.
Bowers & Wilkins PI7 too have a case included, which is useful for safe transportation.