When it comes to personal audio, Bowers & Wilkins know what they’re doing. The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 true wireless earbuds are designed to bring studio-level audio quality to a pocket-sized form.
With the Pi8, Bowers & Wilkins has produced an almost perfect pair of earbuds with exceptional audio quality and immersive sound. But at a premium price of RM2,399, do these earbuds deliver enough innovation to justify the expense?
Editor
Jennifer chevron_right
Table of Contents
Design & Comfort
The B&W Pi8 earbuds are stemless, with a clean, minimalist design and a subtle metallic ring around the edges that catches the light just right, adding a bit of flair without being over-the-top. The engraved Bowers & Wilkins logo on the outer panel doubles as a touch-sensitive control, which is customisable—more on that later.
The earbuds have this sleek, matte finish that feels smooth and doesn’t pick up fingerprints easily—a small but appreciated touch when you’re handling them often. They’re lightweight, but not so much that they feel flimsy.
What I really appreciated was how ergonomic these earbuds are. The rounded shape fits snugly in my ears without feeling bulky or heavy, even during longer listening sessions.
The charging case sports a rounded design as well, compact enough to slip into the smallest pockets without feeling bulky. The matte finish matches the earbuds, and the magnetic closure has a satisfying snap to it.
Features
For a pair of earbuds that cost as much as a mid-range smartphone, you’d definitely expect top-of-the-line features. Of course, it has ANC and Passthrough mode, both of which are pretty standard for luxury earbuds.
The active noise cancellation (ANC) creates this blissfully quiet bubble, shutting out the world around you and letting you focus entirely on your music or podcasts. When you need to stay aware of your surroundings, the Passthrough mode comes in clutch, letting in just enough external sound without compromising the overall listening experience.
Besides that, the B&W Pi8 also has multipoint connectivity. Switching seamlessly between my phone and laptop was effortless, especially when bouncing between calls and music throughout the day.
But the real showstopper? The case retransmission feature. I’ll be honest, I’ve never seen another pair of earbuds do this. This feature allows the case to act as a transmitter for non-Bluetooth sources, like an in-flight entertainment system—so you can use your own earbuds on the plane! Bye-bye, lousy airplane earphones!
Paired with support for aptX Adaptive, it also ensures you’re getting top-tier audio quality even from devices that usually wouldn’t support it.
Audio Performance
The Pi8 earbuds are nothing short of spectacular when it comes to sound quality, and I wouldn’t expect anything less. The audio feels perfectly balanced—bass is deep and rich without ever overpowering, mids are detailed enough to make vocals and instruments shine, and the treble is crisp, delivering incredible clarity and separation.
The Pi8 was able to handle a wide range of genres with no problem at all. Plus, it also gives a pretty immersive experience with the surround sound effect. The clarity and spaciousness of the sound were really impressive, especially when listening to high-resolution tracks.
Calls were another pleasant surprise. Thanks to the three-microphone system, I was consistently told my voice came through clearly, even when I was outside in a noisy environment. The noise reduction worked well to filter out background distractions, which was a great touch.
And of course, the Bowers & Wilkins Music app adds an extra layer of personalisation to the experience, allowing you to tweak the sound to suit your preferences perfectly with the five-band EQ.
Battery Life
With up to 6.5 hours of playback on a single charge and an extra 20 hours from the case, the Pi8 easily got me through a day of regular use. Then again, this battery life is not exactly record-breaking—my Nothing Ear (2) clocks the same runtime too, which, considering the price difference between the two… leaves much to be desired.
I did also notice that listening at higher volumes or indulging in longer sessions caused the battery to drain a bit faster—something to keep in mind if you're a power listener.
What I appreciated most, though, was the flexibility in charging. The case supports both USB-C and wireless charging, making it easy to top up wherever I am, which includes stealing my coworker’s wireless charging pad at the office.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Superb sound quality with a balanced and immersive experience
- Effective noise cancellation and comfortable fit for extended wear
- Convenient on-ear volume controls
- Case retransmission feature for aptX Adaptive audio from non-Bluetooth sources
Cons:
- Expensive
- Lacks advanced features like adaptive ANC
- Battery life could be longer compared to some competitors
- So very, very expensive
Verdict
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds deliver a truly impressive audio experience that is rare to find in wireless earbuds. With its core offering of high-fidelity audio, it’s a clear choice for audiophiles who are not afraid to break the bank.
However, I cannot overlook the price of these earbuds; at RM2,399, one would need a lot of convincing to go for the splurge. They’re well and truly luxury earbuds, more of a good-to-have than an essential purchase. Either way, it’s up to you: how much would you really pay for top-quality audio?