[michsu]

I reported in Amazon, the questions below and also the App too just a few days ago telling them to look at the forum and lots of people were unhappy with Bluetooth drops and bad ANC.

 

[Havre]

I send a message as well, but that one was automatically forwarded it seems to the distributor in Norway. I don't know how they are coordinating these things, but seems odd if it is the local distributors that are supposed to answer these kind of questions. Especially for a new product. Time will tell. The B&W distributor here is usually fairly reasonable, but I'm not sure how much they would know about these issues. As mentioned before I was the first one that got these delivered from the shop I went to (which is probably one of the biggest hifi shops in Norway when it comes to turn-over).

 

[michsu]

Amazon won’t let UPS pick up so I had to send it to a UPS facility. It came from Fedex, so anyone who ordered from Amazon will have that same issue.

 

[clerkpalmer]

I have tested the case connection when connected digitally to a source:
- Mac Tidal = aptX (when streaming master, hifi and even giving exclusive access to the case in Tidal).
- iPhone via CCK to case, Tidal (master and hifi) = aptX
- Fiio M11via USB-C to case (Tidal master and hifi via UAPP) = aptX
- Fiio M11 via supplied 3.5mm to USB-C = aptX LL

So it's starting to seem to me that the case just doesn't (or can't) stream aptX-HD?

Correct. B&W support confirmed the case uses aptx LL.

 

[clerkpalmer]

Regarding ANC, it’s weak sauce. I had a similar situation with the mtw2. The ANC was utterly useless. Like zero change. Yet all the reviews claimed it was superb. I call BS.

The web was full of reports of ANC doing nothing at all. Sennheiser never owned up to it.

The pI7 still sound great (particularly with spinfits) and I don’t really need strong ANC anyway but the list of gripes is adding up on these. The battery life, cutouts and nonexistent ANC are making it hard to justify keeping them. At 250 sure but not 400.

 

[MarkParity]

The battery life, cutouts and nonexistent ANC are making it hard to justify keeping them. At 250 sure but not 400.

Thank you for your opinion, Amazon let me down with my pre-order I was annoyed but I think I'm glad.

I recently got the Shure true wireless adaptor to go with my se846 and I think I will stick with that for wireless now.

 

[Aeneas]

Just got mine. A massive disappointment!

ANC for me is negligible in terms of noise cancelling. Maybe it works for airplane engines and hum, but for traffic and ambient street noise it does nothing at.
But it is there — it activates with a little pop and you hear a very slight hum.
The sound signature changes massively with ANC— it gets darker and it’s like lows are greatly reduced when ANC is off.

It doesn’t really sound better than my Powerbeats Pro with iOS Headphone Accommodations set to balanced. Also less comfortable, less secure, less convenient, and inferior battery. Better isolation, but with ANC it’s not a big difference.

 

[mainguy]

Just got mine. A massive disappointment!

ANC for me is negligible in terms of noise cancelling. Maybe it works for airplane engines and hum, but for traffic and ambient street noise it does nothing at.
But it is there — it activates with a little pop and you hear a very slight hum.
The sound signature changes massively with ANC— it gets darker and it’s like lows are greatly reduced when ANC is off.

It doesn’t really sound better than my Powerbeats Pro with iOS Headphone Accommodations set to balanced. Also less comfortable, less secure, less convenient, and inferior battery. Better isolation, but with ANC it’s not a big difference.

‘it doesn’t sound better than my Powerbeats’

Press x to doubt

 

[Aeneas]

‘it doesn’t sound better than my Powerbeats’

Press x to doubt

If you’re going to quote, don’t blatantly misquote. It’s pathetic.

I stand by this. With ANC off the sound is very dull. Overall not a significant improvement for me.

 

[mainguy]

lmao

 

[Aeneas]

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.

This is so wrong on so many levels. Bluetooth technology exists and is developing; the convenience of TWS is obvious. It started long before Apple introduced a product in this segment and would have happened regardless. To say Apple is dominating the market because it’s a tech company ignores the other advantages it has, e.g. that it also makes the most popular phone and therefore portable audio player in the world.

 

[clerkpalmer]

If you’re going to quote, don’t blatantly misquote. It’s pathetic.

I stand by this. With ANC off the sound is very dull. Overall not a significant improvement for me.

Sorry but I’m not in agreement here. I own PB pro and if there is one thing the pI7 do well it’s sound quality. It’s not even close. It’s fine if you don’t like them but comparisons to pb pro are off the mark and misleading. They do sound warmish but they are far more rich, musical and detailed than the pb. I suggest trying some different tips as well. The stock tips are robbing the treble from these. Put some spinfits on and they really open up and sound amazing. These are far from perfect but the sq is top 3 and maybe even the best in a tws headphone and I’ve tried them all. All of that said, sq is subjective and if you prefer the pb pro then these are an easy return and you can save 400 as well.

 

[Mr.Toad]

Sorry but I’m not in agreement here. I own PB pro and if there is one thing the pI7 do well it’s sound quality. It’s not even close. It’s fine if you don’t like them but comparisons to pb pro are off the mark and misleading. They do sound warmish but they are far more rich, musical and detailed than the pb. I suggest trying some different tips as well. The stock tips are robbing the treble from these. Put some spinfits on and they really open up and sound amazing. These are far from perfect but the sq is top 3 and maybe even the best in a tws headphone and I’ve tried them all. All of that said, sq is subjective and if you prefer the pb pro then these are an easy return and you can save 400 as well.

"These are far from perfect but the sq is top 3 and maybe even the best in a tws headphone".
Agreed, the PI7's sound is the best of the tws phones I have tried. I ditched the stock tips for xelastec - the sound is the much the same as spinfits but they stick in my ears better.

That being said, my current PI7s are going back (wireless charging not working, sizzling in right phone, although bluetooth has stabilised, oddly enough) and a replacement is on its way.

 

[Aeneas]

Sorry but I’m not in agreement here. I own PB pro and if there is one thing the pI7 do well it’s sound quality. It’s not even close. It’s fine if you don’t like them but comparisons to pb pro are off the mark and misleading. They do sound warmish but they are far more rich, musical and detailed than the pb. I suggest trying some different tips as well. The stock tips are robbing the treble from these. Put some spinfits on and they really open up and sound amazing. These are far from perfect but the sq is top 3 and maybe even the best in a tws headphone and I’ve tried them all. All of that said, sq is subjective and if you prefer the pb pro then these are an easy return and you can save 400 as well.

Why is it off the mark and misleading? I'm not even saying Powerbeats Pro sounds good that good (that's why I've bought the PI7 and others), but that PI7 sounds awful with ANC turned off, and is hardly impressive when it is turned on.
Is your source significantly better than mine (Apple Music with iPhone 12 Pro)?

I'd wager the PI7 and everything else I own that a good number of the reviews are total hack jobs that have gone off other reviews, press releases, and specs. Two drivers and amps, B&W branding, and the highest TW price yet – it must be the best. But it really isn't.

 

[clerkpalmer]

Why is it off the mark and misleading? I'm not even saying Powerbeats Pro sounds good that good (that's why I've bought the PI7 and others), but that PI7 sounds awful with ANC turned off, and is hardly impressive when it is turned on.
Is your source significantly better than mine (Apple Music with iPhone 12 Pro)?

I'd wager the PI7 and everything else I own that a good number of the reviews are total hack jobs that have gone off other reviews, press releases, and specs. Two drivers and amps, B&W branding, and the highest TW price yet – it must be the best. But it really isn't.

Look sound quality is subjective. I believe I explained my position. When you say things like “sounds awful” you are losing credibility with me. There’s no way they sound “awful” unless your pair is defective. While reaonable minds can disagree, not a single person here or in the tws thread has described the pI7 as sounding awful. Have you considered whether they just don’t sound good to you? Have you tried changing tips? Maybe they are defective? Most of us can appreciate good sound quality even if it does not match up with our personal preferences.

My only point in arguing with you here is to make sure others don’t read your post and dismiss the pI7 based on your impressions which are contrary to the vast majority of people who own them. The sq is being nearly universally praised and not just by reviewers but by those of us here in headfi (which I value more than reviewers)