Bowers & Wilkins PI7
Apr 22, 2021 at 7:21 PM Post #4 of 1,155
Really interested in these. I tried the PI4s and they sounded better than my MW07+ but the neckband was atrocious.

I expect these may sound very good indeed for tws
 
Apr 23, 2021 at 10:39 AM Post #6 of 1,155
These look really nice but im afraid for me the 4 hours in this day age is unacceptable. Yes. I understand YMMV.
agreed its pretty short and will degrade even further, that said it seems the compromise is for sound quality. My airpods last about 5hrs and its good enough
 
Apr 27, 2021 at 12:04 AM Post #7 of 1,155
I will post foam tip compatibility once the Pi7s arrive (as I seem to have gathered quite a collection).
Did you receive yours? My initial impressions are they're just okay compared to my Sennheiser IE 300's but maybe that's to be expected. But I didn't love the Senns until I swapped out the silicone for foam so I'm wondering if the same may be the case with the Pi7's. I don't get the best fit with the stock silicone tips and they are uncomfortable after a few minutes
 
Apr 28, 2021 at 2:11 AM Post #9 of 1,155
Getting my white ones tomorrow! Will compare to my Sony Sony WF-1000XM3 (I hate that name, it's so hard to remember)
 
Apr 28, 2021 at 8:46 PM Post #10 of 1,155
Curious to know if the case’s analog to digital converter will benefit from an upgraded cable, as it is analog-in.

Will the case be able to handle the Burson Cable+ (with 6db gain)? Would an ifi IE-Match or Ear Buddy assist?

Also wondering if a USB C / 3.5mm splitter will work, and if a quality (non-dac version) adds additional performance. What about the ifi 5v Power X?

Need my PI7 delivery before the testing can begin…
 
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Apr 29, 2021 at 1:59 AM Post #11 of 1,155
Here it is! The Pi7 in white! It's quite diminutive compared to my huge Sony WF-1000XM3

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May 1, 2021 at 2:30 PM Post #13 of 1,155
Alright, so after a few days of listening, here's what I found. First of all, at first listen, I was shocked how much lower the volume is vs the Sonys. it's almost like 50% lower. But it turns out there's a strange flaw, hopefully fixable by firmware, where if you take one earpiece out and the case closes before you take the other one out, the overall volume is cut in half, which makes it so that even at max volume, it's too low.

The other thing is that the Pass-through function also has a flaw. If it's enabled when you take the PI7s out of the case, bass levels is boosted way up and treble way down. You'd have to turn off Pass-through and noise cancellation from the app to make it sound normal. I think if you just turn off the pass-through before you put it back in the case, it doesn't do this.

Thankfully, I found a workaround to these two things because I was so ready to return it. Hopefully I won't run into anymore problems.

Now, compared to the Sonys, wow! The PI7 makes the Sonys sound congested, especially in the midbass. The bass on the PI7 is pretty strong, a bit too strong with certain modern music at times, but it sounds tight and pretty good textured. More like a really good IEM than your typical TWS. It is surprisingly agile, too. There's no boominess, no flabby sound, just good strong bass on the stock earbud. I tried the Final Audio which I had on the Sonys, and that made the bass way too overpowering, so the stocks are fine for me.

The mids are pretty nice, although I sometimes can use a bit more mid-treble, but by no means is it recessed. It has really good body and timbre as well as imaging. It's not too forward or too intimate.

The treble and mid-treble I think is where the PI7 really shines. The addition of a BA means even with a strong solid bass, the treble and higher part of the melody remains clear and distinct. I wouldn't say it's airy, but it's crisp and pronounced with really good separation and timbre. Most importantly, it never gets harsh or fatiguing.

Soundstage and imaging is really good as well, and I'd say the PI7 is closer to my LCD-3 than any other TWS I've owned. I've own the Noble Audio Falcon which kinda has a weird frequency response to me and always sound lacking a bit, and while the Sony XM3 does keep up w/ the timbre and tonality, the PI7 beats it every other aspect, ESPECIALLY fit!

I've always had problems with the XM3 and even the Noble Audio Falco. Both fall out my ear, with the XM3 being the worst at this. If I'm eating and even talking, the XM3 has a tendency of falling out, and if I listen to music in bed and I lay my head to one side the XM3 would fall out. This is not so with the PI7. The way you rotate it backwards secures the PI7 very tightly. I've eaten with it, I've shaken my head, and I've even listened to music with one side on my pillow. In all cases, the PI7 does not budge.

So yes, there are some quirks with volume and pass-through, which I hope Bowers and Wilkin will fix in future firmware, but this TWS is as audiophile-grade as I've listened.

Oh, it makes pretty good Zoom and phone calls, too. Once in a while, the other person on Zoom may asked me to repeated a few words again, but for the most part, they can hear me clearly.
 
May 1, 2021 at 4:06 PM Post #14 of 1,155
Thankfully, I found a workaround to these two things because I was so ready to return it. Hopefully I won't run into anymore problems.
Could you explain the workaround please. I just got mine. I agree with you that these are a solid step up from the Sonys. I also noticed that with my DAP, a Lotoo PAW 6000, I have to have its volume at %80-100 to get normal volume from the PI7.
Thanks a lot.
 

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