Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 In-Ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Bowers & Wilkins' Best-Sounding Earbuds Yet

The Pi8 is Bowers & Wilkins' flagship true wireless earbud, built for anyone who wants speaker-grade sound in a pocket. Two 12mm carbon cone drivers sit in each one, in the same cone material B&W uses in its flagship speakers.

Adaptive noise cancelling uses three microphones a side. It blocks out the world when you want it gone. A transparency mode lets the world back in when you need it. You switch between the two in the Bowers & Wilkins Music app.

The case does more than charge the buds. Plug it into a non-Bluetooth source, like an airplane's entertainment system, with the included USB-C cable. It relays that audio wirelessly to your ears over aptX Adaptive at up to 24-bit/96kHz. It's a clever fix for sources that don't do Bluetooth at all.

Built for the Best Codec Your Phone Supports

Bluetooth 5.4 handles the wireless connection. It supports aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, aptX Classic, AAC, and SBC, so the Pi8 reaches for the best quality your phone can send. Multipoint keeps the earbuds paired to two devices at once, handy for switching between a laptop and a phone without digging through settings.

Battery life runs up to 6.5 hours per charge with noise cancelling on. The case holds another 13.5 hours on top of that. A 15-minute charge buys two hours of playback, and the case charges wirelessly or over USB-C.

Touch controls on each earbud handle volume, switch between noise cancelling and transparency, or call up your phone's voice assistant. You set what each tap does in the app, so the gesture you use most is the one under your finger.

What Reviewers Are Saying

What Hi-Fi? gave the Pi8 five stars across sound, features, and build, and named it a What Hi-Fi? Award winner for 2024. "There's a maturity and refinement to the sound which you just don't get from entry-level and mid-price wireless earbuds," the review noted, adding that the Pi8 "shine a light on any music streamed their way with a beautifully balanced approach."

Kob Monney reviewed the Pi8 for Trusted Reviews on September 27, 2024, awarding five stars and calling out "rich, detailed, spacious sound." His verdict: an "expensive but terrific true wireless pair" that delivers "a scintillating true wireless sound."

Who Are These Earbuds Best For?

• Listeners who want their earbuds to sound like a real system. The carbon cone drivers and lossless codec support aim at sound quality first.
• Frequent flyers. The case's wired-to-wireless relay works with seatback entertainment systems that don't support Bluetooth at all.
• Anyone juggling a phone and a laptop. Multipoint keeps both connected, so switching sources doesn't mean re-pairing.
• Commuters who want quiet on demand. Adaptive ANC and a one-tap transparency mode cover both a loud train and a quick conversation.
• You want a pair for the gym or the pool — IP54 handles sweat and light rain but is not rated for submersion, so a workout pair is a different purchase. See our headphones.

How Do They Connect to Your Devices?

Pairing works over Bluetooth 5.4 with any phone, tablet, or computer that supports it. Multipoint keeps two of those devices connected at once. A source running aptX Lossless or aptX Adaptive gets the most out of the drivers; everything else falls back to AAC or SBC automatically.

For sources without Bluetooth, the charging case accepts a USB-C cable and relays the signal wirelessly to the buds over aptX Adaptive. The case charges over that same USB-C port or wirelessly on any Qi charging pad.

Pairs Well With

Building your system? Here are some great companions for the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8:

• Headphone amplifiers if you want to use the case's wired input from a desktop source
• Headphone accessories for spare tips and cases
• Digital-to-analog converters for your main listening room setup
• Integrated amplifiers for when you want to listen on real speakers instead

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the Pi8 with a device that doesn't have Bluetooth?

Yes. Plug the case into that source with the included USB-C cable, and it relays the audio wirelessly to the earbuds over aptX Adaptive.

How long does the battery last?

Up to 6.5 hours per charge with noise cancelling on, plus another 13.5 hours stored in the case, for about 20 hours total before you need an outlet.

Are they sweat or water resistant?

The earbuds carry an IP54 rating, which covers sweat and light rain, but they aren't built for swimming or heavy workouts.

Can I connect to two devices at once?

Yes, multipoint lets the Pi8 stay paired to two sources at the same time, so you can move between a laptop and a phone without re-pairing.

What do the touch controls do?

You assign them in the Bowers & Wilkins Music app to volume, switching between noise cancelling and transparency, or voice assistant access. Volume and mode switching can't be assigned at the same time.

See It in Action

Reviewsinside puts the ANC and sound to the test:

InsideTech compares it against the previous-generation Pi7 S2:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about wireless earbuds, Bluetooth codecs, or choosing the right noise cancellation? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.