Bowers and Wilkins recently launched two new pairs of true wireless earbuds: the Pi8 and Pi6.
While both earbuds are more premium offerings that promise excellent audio quality and top-end features, there are a few differences between the two.
Although we haven’t reviewed either pair yet, we’ve compared the features of both and noted the key differences between them.
Read on to find out more about the Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 and Pi6 earbuds.
Price
The Pi8 are the more expensive set of earbuds, with an RRP of £349 / $399, and are available in a choice of four colours including Anthracite Black, Midnight Blue, Dove White and Jade Green.
The Pi6 are cheaper, with an RRP of £219 / $249 and come in four different colours including Cloud Grey, Storm Grey, Forest Green and Glacier Blue.
Both have ANC
Both the Pi8 and Pi6 sport bespoke active noise cancelling (ANC). ANC works by using microphones to listen out for external noises and then generates the opposite sound waves to cancel those noises out.
The Pi8 and Pi6s each have six microphones (three per earbud) which is used for calls and for ANC.
Carbon Cone vs Bio-cellulose drivers
Although the two earbuds look quite similar, they utilise different drivers to deliver music. The Pi6 have bio-cellulose drivers which, according to Bowers and Wilkins reduces distortion and improves high-frequency detail for music with “lifelike clarity and detail”.
On the other hand, the Pi8 earbuds have Carbon Cone drivers which, like the bio-cellulose, reduce distortion and improve high-frequency detail that Bowers and Wilkins says capture “nuances in your music that other headphone drive units miss.”
The Pi8 have 5-band customisable EQ
Both earbuds have a high-performance DSP (digital sound processor) which provides processing power for high-quality audio effects, however the Pi8s also have a dedicated DSP and amplifier which should further improve audio quality and provide better clarity.
In addition, while the Pi6 earbuds have 2-band customisable EQ the Pi8 boasts 5-band customisable EQ and TrueSound mode. TrueSound is a Bowers and Wilkins technology which promises to replicate audio that conveys the artist’s original intentions.
The Pi6 offer longer battery life
Although the difference is arguably negligible, the Pi6 have a slightly higher battery life than their Pi8 alternatives. With ANC switched on, the Pi6 offer up to eight hours of battery life with an additional 16 hours from the charging case, whereas the Pi8 offer up to 6.5 hours and an additional 13.5 hours from the charging case.
Both earbuds also provide fast charging support where a 15-minute charge results in two hours of playback, however the Pi8 supports wireless charging support too.
The Pi8 supports aptX Lossless
The Pi8 support aptX Lossless, Adaptive and Classic while the Pi6 support only aptX Adaptive and Classic instead. While all the aptX offerings are Bluetooth audio technologies from Qualcomm that offer high-quality audio, Lossless is designed to transmit CD-quality audio without losing any detail.
Instead, Adaptive automatically adjusts to provide the best audio quality or latency for the content being played.
Early Verdict
While the Pi6 are significantly cheaper than the Pi8 whilst still boasting ANC, high-performance DSP and an even longer battery life, the Pi8 boast Lossless technology, dedicated DSP and amplifier and five-band customisable EQ.
At this early stage, if you want a more affordable pair of earbuds that still boast premium features then the Pi6 may be better suited for you. If, however, you want the most premium pair from Bowers and Wilkins then the Pi8 are likely to be the more tempting buy.
