BETTER than AirPods Pro 2? Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 review

In my Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 review, I ask the big question: are they worth £349? And do these noise cancelling earbuds compute with the cheaper AirPods Pro 2?

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CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Pricing and features
02:54 - Design and comfort
05:34 - Sound
07:16 - Noise cancelling
08:38 - Better than AirPods Pro 2?

[MarkEllisReviews]

Who fancies these Pi7 S2 earbuds, then? If so - why? And, equally, if not - why?

[falcodarkzz]

Same impressions here. I have the Airpods Pro 2, and I bought these recently...I couldn't believe the jump in sound quality. Totally different experience, a lot more engaging and fun

[bubbabfp]

Purchased these about a month ago and they are the best sounding in ear buds I've tried. Noise cancelation isn't nearly as good as my bose QC but over 75% volume you can't hear your surroundings. Like you said if all you care about is sound quality these are the best. Especially with the Qobuz app. Needs major improvements on the app though, we need all the features competitors have at a lower price point.

[LowTempDabr]

that BT case retransmitter is actually so cool. You can also turn any old speaker that has an aux port into a BT capable speaker. would come in handy often

[the_judge_]

I have paired my PI7 S2's with sonicfoam tips. Its an epic combo 😍

[rolandjohannes]

Right, so I got the Pi7 S2 because of your review, and yes, you are absolutely right about everything!! What incredible earbuds! Thanks for the recommendation and thanks for your fantastic content.

[MrWinger]

If the comparison is analogous to that of the B&W PX8 vs AirPods Max then I'll opt for the B&W Pi7 S2 without hesitation.

[gfermont]

That’s the whole point of having the case being able to transmit Bluetooth. The pi5 already supported High Resolution BT aptx codec. That’s the main reason I bought the b&w in the first place. I usually listen only wire via DAC (chord mojo or dragonfly). The b&w are the closest to wired audio. (Nothing is even close to wired though)

[DanMills]

For me, in-ear earbuds are solely for convenience, not sound quality. When I am wanting high quality sound, I use over-ear headphones. This means I want the smallest form factor that is easy to use, and based on your video I'll continue with my Airpods.

[jellofis.h]

I lost my Pi7 case chager. I am thinking about to buy PI7 S2. Does the charger S2 work with PI 7 earbuds?

[rodolfofranco]

The PI7 S2 they sound great if you pair them with the right phone. I paired them with the Oneplus 8t phone equipped with the snapdragon chip and with aptX adaptive, and I am getting 24 bits 48 kHz and the sound is fantastic.

[IMLEGEND]

OK. These are MAGICAL. Every single song I listen to sounds absolutely incredible and immersive it picks up every detail like you have never heard your songs before. You get lost in your music. No bluetooth in ear can compare. I actually didnt care about anything else but sound. Now here's the problem. Comfort. After 1-2 hours of wear they start getting pretty uncomfortable ( my ears are smaller) compared to Beats pro, apple etc. other than that. they are a secure fit. you can run workout in these. Noise cancelling is incredible. phone calls are clear. It doesn't have an equalizer. but spotify does. so that did the trick for me. I put it on loud setting, and ( hip hop, bass booster, Rock etc) it handled extremely well. I almost teared up when I heard my music for the first time on these without equalizer. I hope the next version is more comfortable. That's my only reservation. If you are looking to get immersed in your music. You will want to go back to hear all your favorite songs on these. you'll hear every detail like you haven't heard them before. It's truly an experience to just put them on.

[THS]

Bowers & Wilkins differs from other headphone/speaker companies in that they don’t seek to enhance or amplify any aspects of a track. Their goal in all their products is to offer as realistic a sound as possible - to make it seem as though you’re sitting live in front of the artist recording the track. They want you to be able to hear the humanity in the music. By their own admission, if a recording isn’t particularly good then it might not sound brilliant on their devices. But they will always offer the most genuine, authentic sound

[ronsmith]

How do the Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 compare to the Bang & Olufsen Beoplay EX? I haven’t been able to find a review from you on the B&O model.

[jonnymarkbeadle]

I’ve basically stopped buying any premium in-ears since the AirPods Pro 2 came out. Yes, there are some with better sound (see also the Beoplay EX and EQ) but they can’t compete with the full package of very good sound PLUS all the features and ecosystem integration of the AirPods Pro.

[SnowyAspenHills]

Never thought I would even use earbuds but took a chance with AAP2 to help with Tinnitus at night as trying to sleep with over ears isn’t great (built in ocean sound is helpful but mainly play Pink noise).
I enjoyed the AAP2 that much that I use them for commuting as well now, particularly enjoy the spatial sound setting once set up properly.
The AAP2 are certainly good enough for my uses and if I want superior sound I will use some good quality over ear.
I would like to give the B&W P8 a try at some point.

[michaelalfons]

Why didn’t you mention the microphone sound performance?

[alejandroelcid]

It's incredible how many of the features listed for the AirPods Pro 2 and for the Pi7 S2 are features you can now find in cheaper wireless buds. The recently releases Earfun Air Pro 3 give you touch controls for volume, track change, ANC, ambient, and voice assistance. The ANC is also quite good. Basically, almost all the features listed are available in the sub $100 category. The "retransmission technology" is not a new feature as LG released it a couple of years ago in the Tone Free FP9, sub $200. I don't know if either earbuds are actually worth it with the current market.

[audioa]

As to ambient pass through. I feel like with earphones it’s easier to just take it out for a bit. Also a big one over apple for me is the black color… and the design.

[TubedTalk]

I love B&W and have been used them for my home audio for a long time. I own Pi7 and plan to upgrade to S2 version. My only complaint is that after just 1 year of usage, logo is almost all washed out and case looks a bit cheap for the price. Case materials could have (for Pi7) been better. But their sound is simply beyond all competition.