So the PI7 came in today, and I took them for a walk with my Airpod Pro to do some ANC/SQ comparisons for you guys. Went to a busy A road, grabbed some coffee, and put together some initial impressions.
The PI7 sound good, they have better SQ than the Airpod Pros or MW07+, more finesse, detail. However there are some subtleties and it’s not an outright slam dunk (imo).
ANC
I tested ANC heavily by the street, swapping between APP and PI7. No doubt about it, the PI7 attenuates more noise. The busy road felt more distant on the PI7, how much of that is down to better passive isolation I’m not sure, but they passively isolate well. With ANC turned on the sound recedes further into the background for sure. Overall, they beat the APP by a decent margin Here.
SQ
Daft Punk - Get Lucky
The track has more energy on the APP. However the PI7 is so much more masterful in instrument placement, while on the APP it’s haphazard, you feel like vocals come from one side, guitar the next, on the PI7 it’s coherent and much more like listening to speakers.
However, the mids on the PI7 sometimes move too far backwards. In the outro 5min onwards Nile Rodger’s funk guitar feels like a supporting instrument to the bass thump, which dominates. Not how it was intended imo, the APP meanwhile gives the guitar prominence as it should.
Vocals the PI7 handles far better, they have more character, while feeling flatter on the APP. Overall I preferred the APP more energetic presentation that brought the guitar forward though.
Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
PI7 handles vocals miiiles ahead of APP. No contest here, the track sounds fantastic on the PI7, dark, moody, everything it should be. The APP colours it with an Energetic sound (as it does with every song) Which takes away from the recording. The PI7 does no such thing, it’s colouring takes a back seat to the music. It’s a dramatic win for PI7.
Grimes - My Name is Dark
When the song reaches Crescendos the APP falter and it sounds like a mess, PI7 maintains control and delivers a more cohesive, building effect. The bass is so much more nuanced and controlled on the PI7 in this song.
The PI7 makes the same misake though, there are sections where Grimes’ vocals recede a bit too much, while on the APP they come forward. At other moments though the vocals sound completely full on the PI7, and when they do, it’s much better resolved than the APP and less coloured. I preferred this song on the PI7 by some margin.
Led Zeppelin - Achilles Last Stand
Interesting one, for whatever reason this recording felt a bit small and distant on the PI7, i’m putting it down to the inferior volume. For whatever reason my iphone makes some tracks slightly quieter on the PI7 than others. It just lacked punch, while the APP lent it the energy it deserves. It’s an exhilarating song and by far the most difficult to reproduce well here, and I think the APP did a better job Giving Page’s guitar the tone and impact it should have.
Rapheal Treza (Intrumentals)
Superior separation, tone and clarity on the PI7. Dramatically better than APP.
Overall
If I was in a store and the PI7 was £350, MW07+ £250, the APP £250, I’d buy the PI7. The better ANC, case feature, and better SQ are a winner. The SQ is more laid back and darker, while the APP is in your face, energetic and punchy. It’s a very, very different presentation, you might like one over the other.
Meanwhile the resolution and instrument placement is notably better on the PI7, vocal definition is miiiles ahead, as the APP unduly colours vocals robbing them of their original character, while the PI7 expresses them effortlessly. The bass is far more defined and controlled on the PI7.
Meanwhile the impact and energy of the APP is superior. From an iPhone, the APP are louder.
I’m having some issues with volume on my pI7 (on my iPhone they’re quieter, on my iPad they’re as loud as my APP). No idea why but it’s an issue. That said, they’re the best tws buds i’ve tried by some margin.
(MW07+, APP, Momentum 2)
I want to try the PI5 now. I have a feeling they also sound better than the others, for less money, which could make them an absolutely superb option.
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