Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 and Pi6 True Wireless Earbuds

[zevedeos]

Bummer about the returns, but at least they’re only $20 eartips.

I wouldn’t describe the Pi8s with those as shouty. They’re definitely brighter, though. Are you able to EQ them to your liking?

i believe that the role of the eq is to make a good sound slightly better and not a bad sound good sound. I choose azla for better fit and definitely i succeeded it but i lost the sound

 

[disastermouse]

Bummer about the returns, but at least they’re only $20 eartips.

I wouldn’t describe the Pi8s with those as shouty. They’re definitely brighter, though. Are you able to EQ them to your liking?

They’re bright, but they’re not sibilant.

I’m shocked at how B&W has split the difference between a consumer tune and a slightly more audiophile tune without making total crap.

 

[ryanmatic]

I’m shocked at how B&W has split the difference between a consumer tune and a slightly more audiophile tune without making total crap.

Totally agree! I have always had a soft spot for B&W’s house sound but am really happy that these trade some of that thick bass for general warmth.

 

[AndreRitter]

Just scored a white set of Pi8 for £320, I make that a decent price for new.
I look forward to hearing how they compare to WF1000XM5 and CFA Orbit. I'm hoping to be blown away.

 

[zevedeos]

Just scored a white set of Pi8 for £320, I make that a decent price for new.
I look forward to hearing how they compare to WF1000XM5 and CFA Orbit. I'm hoping to be blown away.

less classic v-shape, more natural complete sound

 

[Methos777]

Just got mine last week and it's been transformative. I have purchased so many Bluetooth earphones in search of this sound. I have the Denon Perl Pros, bang and Olufsen, Sennheiser, Sony, Bose, Soundcore, Jarbra, Earfun, Az80s, and even the Cambridge m100. I'm not going to lie I didn't have much hope for this earphone but decided to get it anyway. It is my number 1 choice for sound when using Bluetooth. The accuracy, separation, imaging, soundstage, and mid-ranges are indisputably, the best. The timbre is so...so good and the vocal tonality is so perfect. They even managed to finally get the phone call quality right on this earphone. Everything from ASMR, full cast podcast audible books, rap, RNB, classical, house, and even metal all are the very best they have ever been. As far as I'm concerned the only thing I wish they did better is the battery life on the case should be more than 13 hours and the ANC and hear thru should be better at $400.

 

[disastermouse]

Just got mine last week and it's been transformative. I have purchased so many Bluetooth earphones in search of this sound. I have the Denon Perl Pros, bang and Olufsen, Sennheiser, Sony, Bose, Soundcore, Jarbra, Earfun, Az80s, and even the Cambridge m100. I'm not going to lie I didn't have much hope for this earphone but decided to get it anyway. It is my number 1 choice for sound when using Bluetooth. The accuracy, separation, imaging, soundstage, and mid-ranges are indisputably, the best. The timbre is so...so good and the vocal tonality is so perfect. They even managed to finally get the phone call quality right on this earphone. Everything from ASMR, full cast podcast audible books, rap, RNB, classical, house, and even metal all are the very best they have ever been. As far as I'm concerned the only thing I wish they did better is the battery life on the case should be more than 13 hours and the ANC and hear thru should be better at $400.

Yeah, I turn off the ANC and transparency because they’re just not good enough to put up with the decreased sound quality. Everything off and true sound on (though I hate that I have to activate true sound Every single time).

 

[AndreRitter]

less classic v-shape, more natural complete sound

Yup, my ears are going to take some 'burning in' to adjust to this.

 

[PaulGrinny]

Yeah, I turn off the ANC and transparency because they’re just not good enough to put up with the decreased sound quality. Everything off and true sound on (though I hate that I have to activate true sound Every single time).

True sound is always turned in the app

 

[disastermouse]

True sound is always turned in the app

It keeps resetting to “off.”

 

[AndreRitter]

Yup, my ears are going to take some 'burning in' to adjust to this.

I'm struggling with them. The problem for me is that with anc or hear through on they sound better but I want those off to conserve battery.
With XM5 and CFA Orbit they were the same with anc etc off (lacking bass) at first but loosened up in a few hours.
I've tried the apps eq and it barely improves if at all.
I've a feeling these will be for sale soon.

 

[disastermouse]

I'm struggling with them. The problem for me is that with anc or hear through on they sound better but I want those off to conserve battery.
With XM5 and CFA Orbit they were the same with anc etc off (lacking bass) at first but loosened up in a few hours.
I've tried the apps eq and it barely improves if at all.
I've a feeling these will be for sale soon.

You think they sound better with ANC? The Pi8 have barely adequate ANC.

Maybe I like the Pi8 because I like headphones generally considered somewhat neutral? My desktop

 

[MrBrogath]

Yeah, I turn off the ANC and transparency because they’re just not good enough to put up with the decreased sound quality. Everything off and true sound on (though I hate that I have to activate true sound Every single time).

As far as I understand, True Sound is just a quick override for your EQ settings back to 0 so you don't have to adjust back and forth from the stock sound to your personal EQ. If you set all the EQ markers to neutral, you should be good to go.

 

[zevedeos]

I'm struggling with them. The problem for me is that with anc or hear through on they sound better but I want those off to conserve battery.
With XM5 and CFA Orbit they were the same with anc etc off (lacking bass) at first but loosened up in a few hours.
I've tried the apps eq and it barely improves if at all.
I've a feeling these will be for sale soon.

without anc the bass is less, so you can play with eq without anc

 

[ryanmatic]

You think they sound better with ANC? The Pi8 have barely adequate ANC.

I was actually pretty impressed with their ANC this past week. I did 12 hours worth of flying across two separate trips and they definitely held their own when it came to cabin noise. They just don't knock out higher frequency noise quite as well as, say, the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen do.

I find that the touch sensors are super inconsistent, though. Quite often it takes two or three tries to get them to register a long press. Also I really wish B&W would copy Shure and just have a setting for "turn on transparency automatically upon pause" because the whole press-and-hold thing is just too slow.