Bowers & Wilkins Pi7chat_bubble_outlineFrom real comments

A frequently cited dealbreaker: the earbuds lack physical or touch volume controls, which many find unacceptable at this price point compared to far cheaper competitors that include this feature.

@Patrickmathieu0482

I have the B&W pi7 s2 and i hate them !! The sound quality is ookk but the volume is too low !!! I don't want to explode my ears but i want a decent amount of volume to feel the music. I tested with samsung galaxy s23 ultra. \nFor the same price you can get the B&O EX or the Denon pearl pro or the hifiman svanar...those one are far away (by a mile...no, a galaxy) for sound quality compared to B&W pi7 s2.launch

smart_display

September 10, 2023

@bozardo101

Thank you for reviewing these buds! It helps me pick which earbuds are right for me.\n\nAnd for me, to be honest, no volume control means a no buy for me. These earbuds are expensive and yes, they may sound good, but the Air Pods Pro 2 also sound good. Plus they offer volume control with top tier noise cancelling (just as good if not better than Sony XM4's). For the price, it is worth it for me to invest in other earbuds.launch

smart_display

September 10, 2023

@williamsbg1

Great review, as always! I have the midnight blue pair, and the sound is everything you say it is!!!---I hope Bowers and Wilkins gives us an app update with volume control directly from the earbuds. I know two people who have bought the Bang and Olufsen EX earbuds over the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 just based on volume control alone. I agree with you on your ranking the B&O a step above the B&W. I do find the Pi2 S2 to be more comfortable than the Bang and Olufsen EX though. If the Pi7 S2s gets longer battery life and volume control, they will be serious contenders with the B&O.launch

smart_display

March 25, 2023

@nickevans3190

Hello from the UK 🇬🇧 flossy N○1 earbudoloigist of the highest order I didn't buy the original Pi7' But will be buying these are official tissue but no volume controls and not automatically switching between 2 devices and NO EQ's $400 buds should have these features as standard and god teir nose cancellation however i'am a audiophile which is my number 1 importance so will still be buying these budslaunch

smart_display

March 20, 2023

Multiple reviewers call the lack of an equalizer in the companion app a major flaw, especially since the default tuning doesn't suit every listener's taste, prompting some returns.

@juancarlocruz9501

New to your channel. I've had the PI7s since release and I haven't looked at other bluetooth in-ears after owning these because of how the sounds come out rich and alive. If there's anything they can improve on is comfort, an EQ, and a better ambient mode but until then these are #1 in my book. I'm actually surprised I haven't lost them or got them wet yet.launch

smart_display

June 29, 2022

@veerpalsingh4390

Thanks for this review. Everyone else is hyping these but I tried these in store and had the same issues. ANC/hear through didn't work. But it did work shortly when paired on another device. If I had discover this on a flight I would have opened the emergency door and through them out in rage...airpods pro are great for the flight and I have had those for a while so that's what I can compare with. But it seems software related as I could barely tell if ANC was working or not on my device but was working better connected to another phone. The audio is too \"pro\" for my taste. I like the more generic sounds of the airpods pro. But you could tell these buds could play better with different EQ. So EQ is needed. The best thing about these were the call quality however. I made one single call and the difference was a much better call quality for me and the receiver.launch

smart_display

March 17, 2022

@12gjazz

Excellent review sir. I am waiting on a new pair of these PI7’s that I had a few months until straight craziness happened. Won’t go into boring details. I was under warranty so Bowers and Wilkins offered me the charcoal color of which I refused because I wanted the white ones of which were my initial purchase. There sound is unbelievably excellent for true wireless earbuds. I agreed with everything that you said. App was a bit disappointing because I am a tweaker. However, I decided to put my patient hat on. I soon turned down my dismay level about having no equalizer and just listen to the music. I amazed myself. As difficult a task this was for me, I felt that I had a graduation in Patience of which I am noted for not being the most proficient in concerning how I like to listen to my music. I was able to close my eyes and let the music go. These are my go to earbuds. In process of waiting for the white ones. Back to pain 😢 That’s ok. Just part of life on a small scale. I look forward to your future reviews and God bless you and your viewers as welllaunch

smart_display

November 27, 2021

@richardcowan4720

For me I find that my Sony WF1000XM4 didn’t quite sound as good out of the box as my pi7s but wow once you get the sweet spot on the EQ they sound better than the pi7s absolutely so! `It’s a big mistake from bowers not to include an EQ. Not everyone will like their sound out of the box. I’ll be returning them and keeping the Sony’s. Best sounding earbuds iv ever tried. But sound is so subjective.launch

smart_display

June 26, 2021

The $300-400 price tag is the most frequently cited concern, with many commenters comparing it unfavorably to cheaper alternatives offering similar or better overall feature sets.

@bubbabfp1

I've had these for over a year and yes it took about a week to mold them into my ear,(semi painful), I only use them for the gym to experience the best quality frequency. I paired them with the Qobuz app to take full advantage. Yes they are hefty on the price tag, but if all you care about is sound quality these sound amazing. Everything else though, Mic, ANC, features etc... they are lacking, but I love the sound. Best i've had sound quality wise next to the Beoplay EX. Is the price tag justified just for sound quality? probably not, but they do truly immerse you in the sound quality category.launch

smart_display

July 29, 2024

@MathiasR1384

After seeing so many good reviews I finally decided to give them a try, expecting my mind to be blown and boy were my expectations too high. For the amount they cost they’re not worth it at all. I feel there’s so many cheaper options out there that can rival the sound with their accompanying apps. Definitely gonna be returning these as I can’t justify to price for what I was thinking to be out of this world but I feel it offers nothing new. Good bass? Yup but that’s about it. I’ll be sticking with my AirPod Pros 2. \n\nEdit: the volume could also use another notch or two. Disappointed with this pairlaunch

smart_display

April 13, 2023

@starboy5888

These are absolutely trash. Dark sound signature that lacks acid sharp details. Bass is too muddy and drowns everything out. The vocals sounds terrible. The only thing about these that are insane is the ridiculous price tag of £350!! After using them and sending them back for a refund, I can say that these are worth no more than £100. I’m not surprised why so many people bashed these and sold/returned their PI7’s for the EQ’s, considering they are the same price. Terrible sound quality and cheap looking case.launch

smart_display

December 31, 2021

@starboy5888

I bought these back in April and sent them back for a refund. The vocals were horrible and has a dark sound signature. Bass was overwhelming which wasn’t accurate. If you’re used to Airpods or cheap generic earbuds then you will think these are the best things since sliced bread. But as someone who has a respectable background with sound signatures, these are s*it. I know a number of people who sold their PI7’s for the Beoplay EQ and they have no regrets. But if you think Beats or Airpods are great, then get these 👍launch

smart_display

December 24, 2021

Several owners report dropped connections, stuttering, or app pairing failures, sometimes tied to specific phones like Google Pixel or Samsung devices.

@grimmer2005

I just got the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2........ First of all, you cant update them (firmware) if you dont have Android under Android 15.... I MEAN WTH?! And THEN, everytime you put them in and they connect. They play the music for 2 sec, then go silent for 20-25 sec before the music comes back. Extremely annoying. And this no matter if you have AAC or Aptx or Aptx adaptive. Sometimes they dont just go silent when just puting in, they play the music but extremely distorted. And you have to pause and change song to get it back to normal. This is quite literally UNACCEPTABLE. I have 8 pairs of in-ear headphones ranging from cheap to not so cheap, and they ALL are stable and work just fine. Why cant these expensive headphones just Work?launch

smart_display

April 28, 2026

@hilaireedmond1125

mine keep coming off from my ears , I can't walk on the street with mine. I use use them only when in bed adopting certain position , otherwise they might come off. I phoned customer service to report this issue, the guy was so rude, he told me it's not for everybody , he can't help.other issue the connectivity is so bad. Every time I move my ear it stops.launch

smart_display

October 18, 2023

@hereistand2008

I have Pi7 S1, connectivity was so bad I stopped using them, even with the latest updates etc. Now Im using Bose QC earbuds 2 and absolutely love it.launch

smart_display

March 19, 2023

@chillywill95831

The biggest downfall for the Pi7s is not the battery life. It's the inability to be able to control volume or engage passive listening with the actual earbuds. Also, they have connectivity issues with my Google pixel 7 pro. I love their sound quality, but they're not as fat sounding through the mid-range as the Sennheiser MTW3s. But, I've had 3 pairs of the MTW3s fail due to the right ear bud becoming inactive or losing sound volume and there's nothing that can be done to restore it. If I could control the passive sound and volume on the Pi7s they would be well worth their $400 price tag.launch

smart_display

January 26, 2023

Some users experience discomfort after 1-2 hours, poor tip seal, or buds falling out entirely, though this contrasts with other reviewers who report no such issues, suggesting ear-shape dependency.

@davidlee1119

Brother, if your ear canals are small or oddly shaped, just say so lmao. The actual sound quality, the impedance, etc. blows every other earbud except for the XM5 out of the water. Don't lump in sound quality with comfort. \n\nThese S2's clearrrrrr the majority of those high tier earbuds outside of noise-cancellation and comfort.launch

smart_display

April 30, 2024

@hilaireedmond1125

mine keep coming off from my ears , I can't walk on the street with mine. I use use them only when in bed adopting certain position , otherwise they might come off. I phoned customer service to report this issue, the guy was so rude, he told me it's not for everybody , he can't help.other issue the connectivity is so bad. Every time I move my ear it stops.launch

smart_display

October 18, 2023

@IMLEGEND1876

I listen to hip hop/pop/R and B mostly and vocals. So after your reaction after putting them on..... I had to buy em loll. Thanks for helping me make my decision Sony 1000xm4 vs Pi7 S2 \nThese are MAGICAL. Every single song I listen to sounds absolutely incredible and immersive it picks up every detail like you have never heard your songs before. You get lost in your music. No bluetooth in ear can compare. I actually didnt care about anything else but SOUND. Now here's the problem. Comfort. After 1-2 hours of wear they start getting pretty uncomfortable ( my ears are smaller) compared to Beats pro, apple etc. other than that. they are a secure fit. you can run workout in these. Noise cancelling is Great. phone calls are clear. It doesn't have an equalizer. but spotify does. so that did the trick for me. I put it on loud setting, and ( hip hop, bass booster, Rock etc) it handled extremely well. I almost teared up when I heard my music for the first time on these without equalizer. I hope the next version is more comfortable. That's my only reservation. If you are looking to get immersed in your music. You will want to go back to hear all your favorite songs on these. you'll hear every detail like you haven't heard them before. It's truly an experience to just put them on. \nThese are the Holy Grail of in-Ear as of date.launch

smart_display

June 18, 2023

@abinosa

I love my PI7's. I agreed with almost all of your observations, except mine randomly won't connect to the app. They connect in seconds to the phone, but not always the app. They do sound slightly better than the Sennheiser and slightly better than the Beoplays. However I needed to swap the tips for Comply's as the silicone ones didn't seal well in my ears. Love your reviews man.launch

smart_display

May 26, 2021

Multiple users report hardware failures including popping sounds, charging port failures, and crackling audio, with one commenter returning three separate pairs due to internal component issues.

@grimmer2005

I just got the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2........ First of all, you cant update them (firmware) if you dont have Android under Android 15.... I MEAN WTH?! And THEN, everytime you put them in and they connect. They play the music for 2 sec, then go silent for 20-25 sec before the music comes back. Extremely annoying. And this no matter if you have AAC or Aptx or Aptx adaptive. Sometimes they dont just go silent when just puting in, they play the music but extremely distorted. And you have to pause and change song to get it back to normal. This is quite literally UNACCEPTABLE. I have 8 pairs of in-ear headphones ranging from cheap to not so cheap, and they ALL are stable and work just fine. Why cant these expensive headphones just Work?launch

smart_display

April 28, 2026

@ckdav1

I totally agree with every word. I have returned 3 pairs of these. 1 white and two charcoal. I pair lasted a few months. The internal build quality on these is pretty rubbish. It’s the abysmal quality of internal components that destroys these. The sound transmission from the case works great. The sound is amazing- the best I’ve ever heard in a earbud. The white ones popped, one charcoal set the usb c socket stopped charging, the final charcoal set just crackled in the left ear! I have given up on these.launch

smart_display

March 24, 2022

@compromisedssh

Your description of the build quality stands in dramatic opposition to every other review I’ve seen as well as my own impression of it. The remainder of your review aligns with my personal, internal evaluation pretty well. It’s worth noting that I found some of your stray remarks jarring. You think Apple has the best ANC? The XM4 ANC is so much better than the AirPods Pro ANC that I think a comparison between the PI7 sound quality and any other set of true wireless earbuds is fully justified. I find the Bose and Sony XM3 ANC implementation superior too. I don’t mean to give you the impression that I disliked your review. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got my PI7s yesterday, and after being repeatedly astonished by how good the sound quality was, I decided to see if anyone was talking about these earbuds on YouTube and discovered your channel. I’m genuinely stunned by your cheap-feeling description of the PI7s though. The build quality combined with the sound quality rates as a marvel of modern engineering in my book. I know I already said that, but whatever emphasis is gained through repetition is well deserved. To me, it would be like someone reviewing a bucket of water, and after dumping it over his head, hearing the reviewer say something like “I’m not sure what this experience is supposed to be like, but I’ve never felt so dry in my life.” Do you work your ears out? I don’t. Being light weight isn’t a flaw. It’s a selling point. My take on the earbuds is that they sound amazing, but aren’t worth the money. Using the case as a Bluetooth transmitter was a cool idea, but for four hundred bucks, the anemic battery life and connectivity limitations are indefensible flaws. I’m going to return them. I also think the microphone is frankly below average. Give the XM4s a listen if you’re able to. All things considered, they’re the superior set of earbuds. (Full disclosure: the earbuds I daily drive with are AirPods Pro.) \n\nApologies for the length of this comment. I started typing and I’m only just now noticing its absurd length. Great review. Great channel. I’m subscribing. I’ll give you a quick tldr, lol. \n\nto;dr: Overall, despite the fact that these earbuds delivered a genuinely impressive innovation with the transmitting case, and sounding so much better than any of their competitors that it made me realize that Bluetooth is capable of better sonic delivery than I’d ever previously thought possible, the list of drawbacks is far too long to justify the financial weight of the two upsides.launch

smart_display

July 5, 2021

@kZvm

Hi mates. I bought one of these and found a quite strange issue. If you disable \"wear sensor\" and then pull out right earbud your left earbud stop playing music. It actially depands on which of earbuds you pull our from the case first. Anyway I've checked 2 pairs and both of them had this problem. Also I noted that earbuds losing thier juicy not equally after 3 hours listening I found ~20% diference. Sound is perfect. Quality is bad.launch

smart_display

June 12, 2021

Around 4 hours of playback is repeatedly described as disappointing for a $400 product, though some users note it doesn't affect their typical shorter listening sessions.

@GadZookz

Thanks guys! I don’t usually talk about buds unless I’ve tried them but these look like they are only 1/2 step up from last year’s model which I didn’t buy either. They are still using BT 5.0 and the battery life should be better by now. The BT transmit thing is a nice trick but the LG Tone series does that from quite a smaller sized case. MHO, I If you want to shell out that kind of money for outstanding SQ only, the. The B&O EX is the way to go. Maybe next year it will be B&W’s turn.launch

smart_display

September 10, 2023

@compromisedssh

Your description of the build quality stands in dramatic opposition to every other review I’ve seen as well as my own impression of it. The remainder of your review aligns with my personal, internal evaluation pretty well. It’s worth noting that I found some of your stray remarks jarring. You think Apple has the best ANC? The XM4 ANC is so much better than the AirPods Pro ANC that I think a comparison between the PI7 sound quality and any other set of true wireless earbuds is fully justified. I find the Bose and Sony XM3 ANC implementation superior too. I don’t mean to give you the impression that I disliked your review. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got my PI7s yesterday, and after being repeatedly astonished by how good the sound quality was, I decided to see if anyone was talking about these earbuds on YouTube and discovered your channel. I’m genuinely stunned by your cheap-feeling description of the PI7s though. The build quality combined with the sound quality rates as a marvel of modern engineering in my book. I know I already said that, but whatever emphasis is gained through repetition is well deserved. To me, it would be like someone reviewing a bucket of water, and after dumping it over his head, hearing the reviewer say something like “I’m not sure what this experience is supposed to be like, but I’ve never felt so dry in my life.” Do you work your ears out? I don’t. Being light weight isn’t a flaw. It’s a selling point. My take on the earbuds is that they sound amazing, but aren’t worth the money. Using the case as a Bluetooth transmitter was a cool idea, but for four hundred bucks, the anemic battery life and connectivity limitations are indefensible flaws. I’m going to return them. I also think the microphone is frankly below average. Give the XM4s a listen if you’re able to. All things considered, they’re the superior set of earbuds. (Full disclosure: the earbuds I daily drive with are AirPods Pro.) \n\nApologies for the length of this comment. I started typing and I’m only just now noticing its absurd length. Great review. Great channel. I’m subscribing. I’ll give you a quick tldr, lol. \n\nto;dr: Overall, despite the fact that these earbuds delivered a genuinely impressive innovation with the transmitting case, and sounding so much better than any of their competitors that it made me realize that Bluetooth is capable of better sonic delivery than I’d ever previously thought possible, the list of drawbacks is far too long to justify the financial weight of the two upsides.launch

smart_display

July 5, 2021

@spare97

I was expecting these to sound as great as my over the year Sony headphones...they don't. A few things I would do to improve them would be. First, have a bass boost option. Having an equalizer in the app would be great, and I am not sure why this isn't a thing for $400 earphones. Next, why do I have to have the volume so high on my phone to hear these? That seems like an issue too. On my over the year, the sound is at like 20% on my phone for perfect volume for me. On these, I have to put them at 80%. ANC: I haven't really tested them yet in the city. I'll give them a go. I'll be a bit sad though if they aren't better than Jabra or Apple for in the ear noise cancelling. The 4hr battery isn't an issue for me as I will max use them for 90mins at a time. I did find they aren't great for phone calls, but that's been the case for 9/10 in the ear or over the ear that I have used.launch

smart_display

June 26, 2021

@karonaxtra

J, I'm a new viewer to the channel here. Honestly I didnt know about these until I came across them on Floss's channel. This is my first bowers and wilkins product. I picked up a 'like new' pair for $350. Initially I was hesitant with the app not having an eq, no on-board volume control, the charging case feels cheap, and the 4 hr battery life is disappointing low in 2021. I understand sound quality is somewhat subjective, but to me the sound quality is so good, Ive overlooked the shortcomings completely. I've never heard a better pair of earbuds and I say this owning the Momentums Wireless 2's, and just got a pair of the 1000xm4's, (along with a pair of airpod pro's, and the jabra 75t's). I guess each individual has to make their own decision as to what they could be at peace with, because there's no peace at me with these with the value argument (the sonys and sennheisers are defintely the better overall earbuds) lol. However as mentioned earlier, I'll be keeping mines as they just sound phenomenal at anything I listen to. Will be checking for more of your content bro!launch

smart_display

June 16, 2021

Several reviewers describe ANC as merely adequate or weak compared to Sony XM4/XM5 and Bose, with one report of ANC not functioning properly on their specific device.

@veerpalsingh4390

Thanks for this review. Everyone else is hyping these but I tried these in store and had the same issues. ANC/hear through didn't work. But it did work shortly when paired on another device. If I had discover this on a flight I would have opened the emergency door and through them out in rage...airpods pro are great for the flight and I have had those for a while so that's what I can compare with. But it seems software related as I could barely tell if ANC was working or not on my device but was working better connected to another phone. The audio is too \"pro\" for my taste. I like the more generic sounds of the airpods pro. But you could tell these buds could play better with different EQ. So EQ is needed. The best thing about these were the call quality however. I made one single call and the difference was a much better call quality for me and the receiver.launch

smart_display

March 17, 2022

@iurisimo

i had them as well for about 1 week but ended returning because i didn't like the sound signature. The highs were too harsh for me. They sounded well with music that had some lower temper tones, but once i was getting into some pop (mainly female voices) or just high pitch instruments, then these notes would get too pronounced up to a point when they would sound like distorting.. So i replaced them with Bose QC and i really like these ones. Beside the better fit + a sound signature which is much more enjoyable these have the best ANC and really good ambient sound mod. Bottom line, it seems everyone has different hearing preferences and in the end, its better if you can test yourself before you buy.launch

smart_display

August 13, 2021

@bleekerbaby

I have these, I think they’re the best sounding/most well tuned buds you can get today. Personally, I think the ANC is weak compared to the competition, and phone call quality is good, but not great compared the AirPods Pro’s or Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro.\n\nYes, these are $400 but using the case for audio transmission is worth it…you can use this to connect to an airplane entertainment system, but for every day use I’ve connected it to my old school Discman to listen to Napster mixes I burned back in the day! You literally can not do that with any other pair of buds.launch

smart_display

June 12, 2021

@pablojaquez7949

I've owned a pair now for a bit over a week. Been using them pretty exclusively. I was very impressed with the sound quality. The overall sound quality is absolutely top 3 to what I have listened and I've owned quite a number of earbuds. The ANC is solid...I would say it's adequate but not elite on the ANC. Comfortable to wear no issues but I wish the battery life was better. I use them while I work to answer calls and catch myself switching out from one bud to the other based on battery life. I was able to find them a tad discounted in price based that it was an open box from a large retailer on a customer return I assume. That pushed me to buy it vs paying full retail. I plan to keep them as I will live with the shortcomings listed above just because the sound quality is absolutely top notch and the case has that nice feature to be able to transmit sound back to the buds. That will be useful when necessary.launch

smart_display

June 10, 2021