[TK33]

Just got the PI7. Tried the ANC, it doesn’t even do anything. It’s an awesome seal, but I have my daughter nearby with her zoom class and I can still hear everything. The ambient pass through has more noise, but the auto ANC and the manual ANC is bad. BIG FAIL already. I’m not even going to test the sound.

If you really want good ANC, mic quality and sound and dont want multiple devices, you are probably better off with over-ear headphones at this point. As you can probably tell from the TWS thread that you also seem to follow, I dont think there is a single TWS that does everything just yet.

 

[ricthaman]

On the topic of ANC, I used to have Airpods Pro and the ANC of those was rather impressive. So it can be done, B&W just doesn’t know how (in an IEM) it seems.

 

[Havre]

I didn't expect much from the ANC, but I did expect to actually notice that there is an ANC.

 

[mainguy]

On the topic of ANC, I used to have Airpods Pro and the ANC of those was rather impressive. So it can be done, B&W just doesn’t know how (in an IEM) it seems.

I don’t really rate any TWS noise cancelling, and certainly wasn’t the reason I bought the Pi7, but they seem on par with my Sony & AKG’s. No comparison to decent over ears though.

It’s a shame really. Maybe some units are defective? People are saying they’re as good as XM3s in lots of reviews and here even, but then others say it does nothing. I’ve not seen such a clear discrepency before on a product, but it’s definately making me hold back. For £350 they absolutely should have good ANC

 

[michsu]

The seal is excellent, but I think that’s what people are saying. With ANC off, there’s an echo sound.. sort of like in space… When I had ANC on, there is a bit of reduction and not much and the echo space sound disappears. When I had ambient pass through on at the highest, I can hear more sounds.

 

[mainguy]

You know it makes me wonder about the PI5. If everyone says it’s the best wireless for sound atm, maybe that’s a better buy, if it sounds close to the PI7 but you save £150 and lose the apparently useless upgraded ANC anyway. With that extra £150 you could get some airpod pros and carry them around for ANC.

 

[Havre]

Personally I would have waited some weeks to see how this plays out. I sent a question to B&W the other day (no answer yet). My guess is that I'm not the only one.

I still think there is a fair chance this is a bug they can get sorted out. But right now it is kind of pointless paying this much for buds without any ANC (basically) and which one cannot use with aptX-HD.

I mean they are very close to being fantastic buds (I have none of the connection issues with any of my players except the mentioned X5 3rd).

 

[Mr.Toad]

Some new unsolicited excitement from my PI7s: now when ANC is on, the right earpiece emits a constant loud sizzling noise. A hard reset made no difference. This pair is going back anyway for another reason and another pair is on its way. None of this inspires confidence.

 

[Havre]

Great fun. I have had 3 runs now when the buds just go mental. Skipping tracks, turning on/off ANC 5 times every second etc. It can't be stopped before the buds are placed in the case again.

I am still optimistic that this will turn out to be a great product, but how the #$%%" they released this now I have no idea. B&W were already late to the party, so they should have at least released a product ready to be used.

 

[Mr.Toad]

Great fun. I have had 3 runs now when the buds just go mental. Skipping tracks, turning on/off ANC 5 times every second etc. It can't be stopped before the buds are placed in the case again.

I am still optimistic that this will turn out to be a great product, but how the #$%%" they released this now I have no idea. B&W were already late to the party, so they should have at least released a product ready to be used.

Yes, well I must be an optimist, too since, contrary to all my better judgement telling me otherwise, I have another pair coming to replace the current ones. I like how they sound on the odd occasions they work.

 

[mainguy]

Some new unsolicited excitement from my PI7s: now when ANC is on, the right earpiece emits a constant loud sizzling noise. A hard reset made no difference. This pair is going back anyway for another reason and another pair is on its way. None of this inspires confidence.

This worries me a lot buying them, fortunately B&W have the two year warranty.

I think the issue is theyre not a tech company but an audio company. Apple nails anc and connectivity, but compared to my b&w headphones my airpods max sound flat and a tad lifeless.

The problem is with tws theyre just such a tech based product. Which is why apple is dominating the space and why im so reluctant to trade my airpods pros for these.

Its an interesting time, in a way apple have forced competitors into foreign territory. Everyone has to go tws and quite a few companies just cant or need a few iterarions. Nightmares of sennheiser true wireless 1 come to mind.

I really hope these are fixed to be honest, we need a company to push the tws boundaries in SQ.

 

[Mr.Toad]

@mainguy Agreed, that's why I haven't entirely given up on them. I did send my latest problem to the B&W support site and gave them a link to this thread, suggesting they take a look at the problems people are having - if they are really interested in selling any more of them. Probably an exercise in futility, but it gives me a break from listening to sizzling in my right earpiece.

 

[Havre]

This worries me a lot buying them, fortunately B&W have the two year warranty.

I think the issue is theyre not a tech company but an audio company. Apple nails anc and connectivity, but compared to my b&w headphones my airpods max sound flat and a tad lifeless.

The problem is with tws theyre just such a tech based product. Which is why apple is dominating the space and why im so reluctant to trade my airpods pros for these.

Its an interesting time, in a way apple have forced competitors into foreign territory. Everyone has to go tws and quite a few companies just cant or need a few iterarions. Nightmares of sennheiser true wireless 1 come to mind.

I really hope these are fixed to be honest, we need a company to push the tws boundaries in SQ.

I'm on my third P7 (the wired one)

Previous two replaced on warranty. Brilliant product though. Can't believe how well they have held up with time, but obviously not impressive in terms of longevity.

In comparison my oldest Sennheisers are probably closing in on 20 years without any issues. Obviously sample size of one.

 

[jambaj0e]

Hmm, the ear buds are warm again after an overnight charge on a Qi pad. This time, they connect and play just fine though.

 

[Mr.Toad]

I received a reply to my latest ANC sizzling problem from B&W support. I also pointed them to this thread. The reply, in part:

"Thank you for reporting the new issue with the noise cancellation and the link. We have been made aware of the site and I do hope the customer report these issues to us so we can look into them. As both issues are unexpected I would like to see how the replacement work going forward."

So make sure you report your problems!