I listened to the new Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 and am still impressed. The new kings of in-ear headphones

The Bowers & Wilkins brand is known to every lover of high quality acoustics. Few people can combine noble design and technological stuffing in their speakers and headphones with the same elegance as this small British company. Also, it would not be superfluous to recall that it is Bowers & Wilkins that equips the top cars of Maserati, BMW and McLaren with sound systems.

In 2021, the first in-ear headphones from Bowers & Wilkins appeared on the market and immediately won respect and flattering reviews from eminent Western reviewers and audiophiles. Indeed, the in-ear Pi5 and Pi7 were arguably some of the best-sounding TWS earbuds out there.

To the point:

▪️ An overview of two models of Bowers & Wilkins PI5 and PI7 headphones. Premium in awesome colors

▪️ I love the sound. Review of the new PI5 earplugs from the legendary Bowers & Wilkins with a relaxation function

And now it’s 2023, and I have in my hands updated versions of the now iconic models that are now called the Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2.

New items can be bought at a price 35 990 and 49 990 rubles, but what can the manufacturer offer me, as a music lover, for this money?

At first glance and to the touch, the headphones have not changed at all, but as soon as you start using them …

However, about everything in order. And first, I’ll tell you what’s new in these headphones.

What is the difference between Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 from the first generation

In new models increased battery life and connection range via Bluetooth. If the original Pi7 could work in total for about 20 hours, then the updated version works for 21 hours, given several recharging in the case. And the autonomy of the Pi5 S2 is now 5 hours versus 4.5 for the original model.

The company claims that the increase in autonomy is associated with updating the filling, but not with the software. In a new generation of headphones, engineers installed new batteries, as well as improved antenna designs.

Case covers have also been upgraded. Now they have built-in antennas to increase the range. So now the Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 have a Bluetooth pairing range of up to 25 meters.

Another change is new companion appwhich has a nice design but lacks a collection of background noise and a built-in digital equalizer.

The new companion app has become more concise and visually pleasing.

In general, I did not feel any sadness about this, because the headphones play excellently right out of the box, and nothing needs to be adjusted in them.

Now let’s take a closer look at the new items.

Design and ergonomics

Headphones are delivered in small cardboard boxes.

Getting to know the headphones begins with the charging case and this element of Bowers & Wilkins has not changed much.

The material is a matte plastic that does not collect fingerprints, a USB-C connector for charging at the bottom, a charging / pairing status indicator, and a flip cover that allows you to get the headphones themselves.

The kit includes two pairs of silicone tips and a cable in the color of the headphone case.

The body of the older model Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 also has a large button, the purpose of which I will discuss below. There is no such button on the Pi5 S2 case.

In order not to confuse which particular model you have in your hands, the case covers are different: if the Pi5 S2 has this element in the color of the case, then the Pi7 S2 has a metal-styled cover, visually emphasizing the status of the accessory with the combination “black case – silver cover».

Truly British, laconic design.

Both models are IP54 waterproof and dustproof, so you can use the headphones in the rain or at the gym. Swimming in the pool or other bodies of water is not allowed.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 also comes with an audio cable that allows you to connect the case to a variety of audio sources and relay music to your headphones. And with the help of a button on the case, you can connect a second pair of headphones via Bluetooth to one case and listen to music together.

The Pi5 S2 has this capability”sharing” No.

The lid opens with moderate effort, does not play or dangle.

Opening the lid, you can find another small button between the headphone seats. This button is responsible for activating the pairing mode of the accessory with a smartphone. The button is present on both models.

The design of the headphones themselves is respectable. The matte body and metal elements look in English laconic and noble.

There are aluminum inserts in the finish of the headphone case.

Both models have touch controls: by touching the right or left earphone with your finger, you can rewind tracks, call the voice assistant, activate noise reduction and pause the track.

The weight of each earbud Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 is 8g. There is no fundamental difference in shape between the two models, they sit perfectly in the ears with the right selection of silicone tips.

Specifications and Features

The shape of the headphones allows you to comfortably fit them in your ears. Listening to music for several hours is quite comfortable.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 has two drivers, each with its own amplifier, controlled by a DSP. Low frequencies are transmitted by a 9.2 mm speaker, and the upper frequencies are transmitted by a reinforcing tweeter. The stuffing is impressive and produces an appropriate sound, which I just can’t wait to talk about.

To make it comfortable to talk during a call, each earbud has three microphones with cVc2 technology, which is also responsible for the active noise cancellation function.

This noise reduction has several modes: in normal, ambient noise is cut by frequency, and in auto mode, an intelligent system is turned on, which adjusts to the characteristics of the acoustic environment at the moment. Also Pi7 S2 has transparency modewhen microphones pick up surrounding sounds and mix them into the music so that the owner hears what is happening around him at the moment.

The headphones support Hi-Res Audio thanks to the Qualcomm aptX (Adaptive, HD, Low Latency) codec, there is support for AAC and SBC. You can listen to uncompressed audio in Apple Music.

The indicator light shows the charging status of the earbuds in the case

In the younger model Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2, there are no reinforcing tweeters inside, instead of them 9.2 mm drivers are installed. The sound resolution is less – 16 bits, versus 24 bits for the Pi7 S2.

Active noise reduction and transparency systems are the same as those of the Pi7 S2, but there are fewer microphones in each earphone: two in each versus three in the older model.

Supported codecs are aptX, AAC and SBC.

Specifications list:

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2

▪️ Emitter – 9.2 mm dynamic + reinforcing
▪️ Frequency range – 10 Hz – 20 kHz
▪️ Harmonic factor – less than 0.3%
▪️ Technology – active noise reduction ANC, Bluetooth 5.0
▪️ Кодеки – AptX HD/Adaptive/LL/Classic, AAC, SBC
▪️ Microphones – 6

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Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2

▪️ Emitter – 9.2 mm dynamic
▪️ Frequency range – 10 Hz – 20 kHz
▪️ Harmonic factor – less than 0.3%
▪️ Technology – active noise reduction ANC, Bluetooth 5.0
▪️ Codecs – aptX HD, AAC, SBC
▪️ Microphones – 4

The price difference between the models is over 10,000 rubles. Let’s listen to them soon to understand how justified the cost of Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2.

How the new Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 play

Neat design, nothing more. Well, are they beautiful?

At first, I listened to the younger Pi5 S2 model and caught myself thinking that their sound is very similar to the second-generation apple firmware, due to the lack of armature drivers. But still, thanks to the thoughtful design of the case, the sound feels very rich.

I can say with confidence that Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 are great for lovers of dance, instrumental, electronic music. All sounds, all shades, echoes and reverbs will be perfectly audible, so you will reacquaint yourself with your favorite tracks of the same Bruno Mars, Scrillex, or the same master Paul Van Dyke.

These little things make SUCH sound!

And then I put on a Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2, and literally got stuck for an hour, just listening to my library on my iPhone with my eyes closed and a blissful smile on my face.

These headphones literally pump, giving out such a fat sound without any distortion and impurities that it seems like I have full-size Hi-Fi class headphones connected to an amplifier on my head. The soundscape is voluminous and detailed as much as it is possible with small earplugs.

Separately, I want to note the work of noise reduction. Usually, active noise cancellation programmatically dampens certain frequencies at which we hear ambient noise, which also negatively affects the sound quality of music in headphones.

At Bowers & Wilkins, the engineers were able to adjust the noise canceling on the Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 so that I could not notice any deterioration in sound during its operation. And this is the most inaudible noise reduction in headphones in my memory.

I have listened to hard rock, instrumental jazz, hip-hop classics, pop punk, and in any genre, the sound that the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 produces, no matter with noise reduction on or off, simply captivates with its shades.

It really pulls on the standard for the sound of 2023.

A lot of impressions. And everyone is nice

Both models will pleasantly surprise even the most demanding music lover.

The updated Bowers & Wilkins Pi5 S2 and Pi7 S2 in-ear headphones are worthy successors to the first generation of these models. The engineers did not change the sound because it and in the first models it was close to ideal. It seems to me that the company was able to squeeze out absolutely all the possibilities from headphones of this form factor, and it’s simply impossible to do better.

It can be seen that 50 years of experience in creating premium acoustics was not in vain. Bowers & Wilkins, in a truly English manner, simply pushed all competitors apart with their shoulders and immediately stood in the front row of TWS headphones, proving with all their appearance and sound that they are the best. No kidding.

Emotions aside, I can only sincerely advise you to listen to both models with your favorite tracks in your media library, if possible, in order to make an independent choice in favor of Pi5 S2 for 35 990 rubles, or Pi7 S2 for 49 990 rubles.

However, I assure you: whatever choice you make, the headphones will make you fall in love with listening to music again. Proven from personal experience.

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