Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 vs Pi7 S2 – Which is right for you?

Bowers & Wilkins’s Pi7 S2 still feels like a relatively new product. But in reality, they are almost two years old, and Bowers & Wilkins has found it time to improve on the previous generation, with the Pi8. There are some similarities and a lot of differences between the new model and the old one. We’ll cover all the ways the Pi8 has advanced B&W’s TWS offering and help you decide which one is right for you. And if you’re a Pi7 owner curious about upgrading, we’ll definitely cover that too. So let’s jump in!

What You Get

Look and Feel

The PI8 looks to completely overhaul the look and feel on their TWS line. Unlike the Pi7 S2, which had a larger design with a circular piece hanging off the back of the earbud, the Pi8 goes for a more integrated design. One housing holds all of the components, making for what I think is a more elegant package. Don’t get me wrong, the Pi7 S2 looks and feels great like a premium product should, but the Pi8 just feels a tad better designed in my eyes. 

Fit is about the same on both as the earpieces are relatively similar. They take a little twisting around to get a good fit, but once you’ve got it, you’re golden. Overall they’re fairly comfortable but both can get heavy in the ear after extended listening periods. Perhaps the Pi8 has better weight distribution because of that more integrated design, but it didn’t come across noticeably in my time with the earbuds. 

The Pi8 comes in anthracite black, midnight blue, dove white, and jade green. The Pi8 comes in just black, white, and blue. We’ve got the black versions of both the Pi7 S2 and Pi8 in for review. The additional jade green makes for a beautiful colorway, so if you exclusively want that choice, then the Pi8 is the way to go. Otherwise I think the look and feel will come down to personal preference. While fit is virtually the same, folks may have differing opinions on which looks more stylish. 

Design and Functionality

In terms of actual device functionality, the Pi8 brings in a ton of improvements over the previous model. For starters is the Pi8’s new carbon cone driver units. These upgrade the 9.2mm dynamic driver and balanced armature found in the Pi7 S2. B&W say this helps provide a more precise tuning, but we’ll get to the validity of that in the sound impressions section. I’ll also note that seemingly because of these drivers, the Pi8 can get a bit louder too. 

Both models use the B&W companion app, but the Pi8’s touch sensors on the surfaces of the earbuds allows for quick control with relative ease. Of course the app allows you to do more advanced things like control noise-cancellation/passthrough modes, among other things. Another thing I like about the Pi8’s touch sensors is that I can put them into pairing mode without using the case, which I have to do on the Pi7 S2.

And one last cool feature you can find on the Pi8 is wireless audio retransmission via the charging case. You can plug a USB-C to 3.5mm cable into the case and transmit audio to another device, like a speaker for example. It’s an innovative way to use the wireless tech found in these devices and I’m a fan of that. 

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a major upgrade in the Pi8. The Pi7 S2 was on Bluetooth 5.0, meaning the highest level codec is could transcode was aptX Adaptive. The Pi8, however, is on Bluetooth 5.4. This means it supports aptX Lossless, which transmits CD quality audio over Bluetooth. If you are paying attention to the quality of your streaming files, then this is a sure benefit. 

Battery Life

Neither the Pi7 S2 or Pi8 have the longest battery lives. But while the Pi7 S2 came in at about 5 hours of battery life, bumped to 16 with the charging case, the Pi8 now does 6.5 hours bumped up to 20 hours with the charging case. On top of that, a 15 minute charge on the Pi8 can get you two additional hours and a two hour charge will get you back to full. 

Soundstage

I found the soundstage on each of these earbuds to be comparable. They’re fairly wide – wider than I typically find TWS earbuds to be. There’s a nice space to them and sound has a nice three-dimensionality to it that makes music feel more fun and engaging. That said, as you’ll see in my next couple sections, I found the sound profiles of each of these earbuds to vary how soundstage comes across. The Pi7 S2 has a more immediate attack, and thus can be a bit more forward at times. Meanwhile, the Pi8 is more linear and has a laid back and more spacious sound. So keep that in mind when choosing between the two. 

Low End

The Pi7 S2 is more V-shaped when compared to the Pi8’s more neutral response. Bass is more assertive and punchy on the Pi7 S2 while I found there to be more attention to timbre and tonality than dynamics on the Pi8. Overall I found the Pi7 S2 better for bass heavy tracks that need that extra oomph. The Pi8 is better for the more laid back listener. 

Mids

The Pi8 has much cleaner mids than the Pi7 S2. Like I said, the Pi7 S2 is more V-shaped, so this makes sense. The mids dip out a bit to make for a more exciting and dynamic listen. The Pi8 is more clear and forward with a warmer timbre. There’s better separation and detail presentation, but it does lose the viscerality that the Pi7 S2 can ensure. 

Highs

The top end is the reverse of the mids – the Pi7 S2 has the splashier and more crisp high end whereas the Pi8 is a little softer. But there’s a catch: with that softer presentation, the top end feels a tad bit more refined on the Pi8 than the Pi7 S2. The Pi7 S2, at times, can feel a bit metallic and aggressive on songs with busier passages. That said, the Pi8 can’t live up to the excitement that the Pi7 S2 can produce. 

Summary

As always, each item here has its pros and cons. The Pi8 is technically an improvement over the Pi7 S2 in terms of feature set. But for $140 less, it serves as a nice mid-level option in B&W’s lineup. With that in mind, I think the Pi7 S2 is a great option for someone looking to get into B&W’s product ecosystem without spending the topline price. It’s a fun earbud that should serve you well. But if you want the better features and updated design, plus a more relaxed and textured sound, the Pi8 is worth the step up. And if you already own the Pi7 S2 and want to know if you should upgrade, I think it really comes down to the sound profile you want and your need for the updated Bluetooth codecs. 

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 and Pi8 are available at Audio46.