Name: Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2
Brand: Bowers & Wilkins
SKU: B0BQTJ68XV
Price: 399.00 USD

MOMENTUM True Wireless 4

Aurvana Ace Mimi

WF-1000XM6

Air Pro 4

WF-1000XM5

Liberty 4

Liberty 4 Pro

About

Contact

How We Test

Careers

Terms of Use

External Links Disclosure

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

Reviews

Opinions

News

Versus

Best Products

Deals

Ethics Policy

More

Facebook

Instagram

Youtube

Twitter

Reddit

Bowers & Wilkins

- Limited battery life of five hours falls significantly short of competitors
- All-too-basic controls with no on-ear volume adjustment or transparency mode access
- Average active noise cancellation that doesn't justify premium pricing
- No EQ customization despite high price point
- Design prioritizes form over function in some areas

- Only supports Bluetooth 5.0 (older standard)
- Average ANC that hasn't improved from original model
- No EQ capability despite premium pricing
- Battery life of only five hours doesn't match competitors
- Premium price of $399 without sufficient feature upgrades

- Mids a bit colorless with limited dynamic presentation
- Could play with more directness and closeness rather than spatial distance
- ANC-related bass boost compromises tonal balance when noise cancellation is activated
- Large earpiece design requires careful fit adjustment with trial and error
- Not ideal for home listening with ANC due to high background noise detection

- Battery life is only marginally improved and still not competitive with rivals
- Adaptive Noise Cancellation is hit-and-miss for effectiveness
- Users with smaller ears may struggle with fit due to large earpiece design
- No on-ear volume controls despite premium price
- No EQ customization available
- Passthrough mode can be unreliable and doesn't feed back user's own voice

- Very expensive at £349/$399, significantly more than rivals like AirPods Pro 2 and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
- Missing features offered by cheaper competitors, including no on-ear volume control
- Sound quality is bettered by more affordable rivals like Bose and Apple in terms of dynamic range and emotional engagement
- Battery life of 5 hours with ANC off still lags behind Sony WF-1000XM4 (8 hours) and AirPods Pro (6 hours)
- No EQ settings to customize tonality despite premium pricing

AirPods Pro 3rd Gen

Powerbeats Pro 2

Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

Liberty 5 Pro

Christian Thomas

Earbuds don't last long, but how much is enough?

How long should your earbuds last? Our battery tests have the answer

- Outstanding sound quality with excellent clarity and detail reproduction
- Unique wireless transmission case feature for in-flight entertainment and non-Bluetooth sources
- Improved Bluetooth connectivity from original model
- Excellent at revealing subtle musical details across genres
- Strong, punchy bass performance

- Wide soundstage almost shoulder width
- Layered imaging with considerable spatial depth
- Impactful bass with deep impact and hard-hitting force
- Clean, well-defined mids with crisp vocals
- Natural treble resolution without harshness
- Good overall design that hasn't needed revision
- New color variation (blue option) for aesthetic choice

- Fine-beaded, smooth treble resolution with noble, audiophile sound
- Deep, rich, but crisp bass with perfect integration and timing
- Perfectly wide, believable spatiality—the widest in the in-ear range
- Streaming case as special feature for airline entertainment and non-Bluetooth sources
- Outstanding transparency and resolution across all music genres

- Delightful sonic insight and clarity with exceptional detail revelation
- B&W Music app is well-designed and intuitive with useful features
- Hi-res audio support (24-bit/48kHz) with aptX Adaptive adds value for compatible sources
- Re-engineered Bluetooth connection with improved range and stability
- Adaptive noise cancellation automatically adjusts to surroundings

- Clear, detailed, spacious sound with excellent transparency
- Classy design and premium finish in multiple color options
- Audio retransmitter case feature for airline entertainment systems and non-Bluetooth sources
- No more audio drop-outs thanks to improved antenna design
- Bluetooth connectivity is completely smooth and uninterrupted

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 deliver excellent sound quality with outstanding clarity and detail that audio enthusiasts will appreciate. However, the limited five-hour battery life, basic control options, average noise cancellation, and lack of EQ customization make it difficult to justify the $400 price tag when similarly priced competitors offer significantly better overall packages.

Bowers & Wilkins has established itself as one of the best audio companies in terms of pure audio performance, and that trend continues with the Pi7 S2. However, for a set of $400 earbuds, the Pi7 S2 fall short in terms of battery life, customization, and ANC performance. Bowers & Wilkins' ability to consistently deliver pristine sound isn't enough to make up for what the Pi7 S2 lacks.

The PI7 S2 is an upgrade to sound quality only. Everything about the sound signature is better than the original but doesn't add much in the way of features and technical improvements. When you consider the price, these issues become a lot more prevalent. However, if you're just in it for the sound, then the PI7 S2 will definitely be a satisfying upgrade.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 are among the most expensive products in their segment. The test showed that it takes a special approach in terms of sound and offers an audiophile sound image that fascinates but never annoys, especially for friends of relaxed, spatial sounds. The streaming case and possibility to feed analog signals are unique selling points.

If you want the last word in sonic brilliance from your earbuds, Bowers & Wilkins is the name on the champion's trophy. For battery life and ANC, you can do better for less, but audiophiles won't care – although the aesthetic is beautiful, some users may find fit an issue.

B&W may have fixed some of the issues with the original Pi7 buds, but the sequel still falls behind fiercely talented rivals and is still incredibly expensive. For a set of £349/$399 earbuds, the Pi7 S2 really needed to blow away the competition in every aspect from sound quality to features to ANC performance, but they don't.

Pi7 S2

has only dropped this low once in the past year

Wait — at $399, this is 10% below the 365-day average, within $74 of the all-time low, and has only dropped this low once in the past year.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – Active Noise Cancellation, Qualcomm aptX, Bluetooth, Crystal-Clear Calls, Wireless and 15-Minute Charging, Midnight Blue

Engadget

MajorHiFi

Stereoguide

TechRadar

What Hi-Fi?

Wait — at $368.99, this is 15% below the 365-day average, and within $44 of the all-time low.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – Active Noise Cancellation, Qualcomm aptX, Bluetooth, Crystal-Clear Calls, Wireless and 15-Minute Charging, Satin Black

Wait — at $199.77, current pricing is in the typical range.

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 True Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones – Active Noise Cancellation, Qualcomm aptX, Bluetooth, Crystal-Clear Calls, Wireless and 15-Minute Charging, Canvas White

Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2

Key specs

Battery

Build

Sound

Connectivity

Design

Features

Microphone

Features & Opinions

More Wireless Earbuds

Sennheiser MOMENTUM True Wireless 4

Creative Aurvana Ace Mimi

Sony WF-1000XM6

EarFun Air Pro 4

Sony WF-1000XM5

Soundcore Liberty 4

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8

Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro