Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Pi6 wireless earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins are premium headphones offering high quality sound along with active noise canceling. There’s a lot to like about them overall, but there are a few flaws that keep them from being perfect. The headphones are stylish and made of hard plastic. They wear pretty well, and I found it easy to get a good fit (using the default tips; there are multiple other sizes included), which is key for the noise canceling to work. The case holds additional charge and uses USB Type C for charging. Sadly, there is no wireless charging option, which is actually something I miss. The headphones support high-quality streaming options like Bluetooth 5.4/aptX along with 24-bit audio. Setup is relatively easy with the Bowers & Wilkins Music app. (Oddly, in my Android app tray, it labels itself as Music Bowers & Wilkins, which makes it a little less obvious to find!) The app both serves as a place to control the settings for the device as well as a storefront for various music services that offer audiophile quality streaming options. I found the app curiously underbaked, with the EQ settings customizable but limited solely to treble and bass. The app also allows you to configure the active noise canceling as on/off or, conveniently, a passthrough option that I found worked well for balancing ANC and not being utterly cut off from one’s surroundings. If I found the app a little underdone, the touch controls were the opposite. I found them clunky and even difficult to remember, though volume control worked pretty well but frustratingly seemed slow to adjust. I generally just used my phone or the app for settings changes as it was quicker. On the other hand, ergonomics were otherwise really good, as I found it easy to get a good fit, and they were comfortable to wear for extended periods. They also support automatically pausing when you pull an earbud out, and this worked well in my experience. With that said, these do excel at their core task: sounding great. While I don’t have accounts that have lossless audio, I do have the premium tier audio on Spotify. Everything I listened to, from AC/DC to Beethoven to Glenn Miller, sounded bright and vibrant to my ears, but still very natural. These will take over as my everyday earbuds. Beyond music, audio quality on calls was acceptable—I don’t take calls very often regardless, let alone with earbuds—but I could both hear and be heard easily with them. So ultimately if you prize stylish and excellent earbuds, these are a very good choice. I’m not a big fan of the touch controls or the app, but they both will do. However, the sound quality is excellent, the battery life good, and the ANC is decent for earbuds, especially with the nice passthrough feature. These are good for anybody but especially a good choice for Android users like me.

I have several ear buds and head phones that claim they are "noise canceling". All allow quite a bit of noise to get through. When I saw these at Best Buy, I figured they would be like the rest. Boy, was I wrong! These do really keep the noise out. The app really lets you customize your sound. You can boost bass or treble. It says you can customize the tap and hold interactions, but I could not figure out how to do that in the app. You can also use the app to set the buds for noise canceling or pass through (or by tapping the left ear bud). These are also comfortable to wear for a long time without hurting your ears. I did change the rubber piece to a smaller size (included with the buds). The app tells me how much power the buds have (not the case, just the buds). So far they have lasted a while with just the case to charge them. One downside is the design of the case- It does not stand up on its end. The case lays on what I consider the back. Small downside but an odd design to me. They also link some streaming services that apparently give you "superior sound and personalized recommendations". I don't subscribe to any that they link to (I've never heard of most of them). They do offer a 2 month free trial to qobuz so I will try that and still listen to my Spotify. Overall, I think these are my new favorite ear buds. They help completely block out the world.

I have always been a music lover and I always seek to have the best experience when listening to music. Whether in speakers or in headphones there are some details that make the experience more enriching. With these Bowers Wilkins Pi6 headphones I have been surprised and at the same time some things I consider can improve the experience. In the box come the headphones in their charging case, a usb c charging cable, 3 pairs of 3 different tip sizes, a quick start guide and safety warranty documentation. To set up the headphones you need to download the Bowers & Wilkins Music app and create an account. Within the app the customization and configuration options are limited. There are no EQ presets, only a very basic User EQ, you can increase or decrease the bass and treble. In the app it is also possible to change the active noise canceling mode and manage the connected devices. The headphones have a touch control that allows you to change the ANC mode or increase or decrease the volume. Removing either earphone from the ear pauses music playback which can also be activated/deactivated in the app. The app also allows linking accounts from different types of music streaming services. Although the app has useful options, it lacks important aspects such as better EQ presets, integration with other music apps or YT, case battery indicator, better stability in the connection between the app and the headphones since sometimes when removing a headphone the app disconnects and you have to open and close it to recognize the headphones again. I find the design to be good, they are not heavy, they fit my ears well, they don't make my ear feel tired if I wear them for several hours, the touch controls work almost flawlessly and are easy to use. The device has a good finish and the construction materials are sturdy and of good quality. The Pi6 has a good overall design, they look good. The battery lasts several hours, a whole day without problem and with the case charger you can extend its use several hours more. The case has a LED that indicates when the charging case needs to be charged and this LED also indicates that the headphones are charging when they are inserted into the case. With 15 minutes of charging you can get up to two hours of battery life which is a great help when we do not have much time for this. Regarding the performance I have been surprised, they sound pretty good, the low, medium and high frequencies are clearly perceived, they have a higher volume than other devices in its class. In this device the bass sound with clarity, presence and without distortion. Whether listening to music, watching videos, movies, podcasts, everything is heard with strength and clarity, truly high resolution. The microphone sounds good, it does not stand out but performs well in calls. The active noise cancellation is very effective, it allows you to be immersed in your favorite music or content for a long time, outside sounds are perceived but are minimal. On the contrary with the transparency mode, the microphones seem to raise some frequencies and sound a little weird. I prefer to turn off the noise cancellation or have it active, but I hardly use the transparency mode. In summary, these Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 headphones have impressive audio quality, a battery that lasts many hours, a good design that does not bother the ear, they have active noise cancellation (ANC), no audio distortion and an app that although it offers the basics is useful. If you want good quality headphones with ANC and superior sound, these could be a good alternative. Despite the price, which could be more competitive, I can highly recommend them.

I cannot say enough about the Bowers & Wilkins - Pi6 earbuds. What you would expect from Bowers and Wilkins, they sound amazing! The Bowers & Wilkins - Pi6 supports AptX Adaptive, SBC, AAC, and AptX Classic. The sound is crisp and clear and, most importantly for me, they fit extremely well. In the box, you get the earbuds themselves, charging cable (USB-C), and additional earbuds so you can find the ones that work for your ear. Once you find the earbuds that work, setting up was a breeze. I added them to my iPhone via the Bluetooth menu, then completed the setup via the Bower and Wilkins music app from the app store. The overall size is on the bigger side, but I would not classy them as “chunky”. The size does not bother me, though, which is good. As far as ANC goes, these are one of the best buds I have ever used. I am very picky when it comes to ANC, and these perform very well. There is a way to switch to transparency mode if needed with the touch of the earbud, which is always a nice feature, and it works well on the Pi6. Overall, I am extremely happy with the Pi6 earbuds from Bowers and Wilkins. They fit well and perform even better. Hats off to B&W.

There are 4 main qualities I look for when choosing new noise-cancelling in-ear earbuds: 1. Fit 2. Sound quality 3. Ability to block outside noise 4. Connection reliability The Pi6 Wireless Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds excel in 3 out of these 4 qualities and fall short in one key area. Fortunately, I believe this issue can be resolved with future software updates. All extra features are bonuses in my opinion. 1. Fit - The fit of these in-ear earbuds is among the best I've ever experienced. They create a great seal, and I can wear them for 4+ hours with zero discomfort. The default tips that came with the earbuds were perfect and I didn’t need to make any adjustments. Also, the way you insert them with a subtle twist is oddly satisfying—almost like locking a deadbolt—and you forget they’re there until they remind you to charge the battery. 2. Sound Quality - I can’t overstate how great the sound is across all music genres. There’s nothing I appreciate more than putting these in and not having to constantly tweak settings to achieve the ideal sound stage. In my opinion, this should be the industry standard. Earbuds should just work and sound great. The less time I spend adjusting settings, the more time I have to be productive and enjoy my day. 3. Noise Cancellation - While the Pi6 isn’t the best I've used in this category, they do a solid job filtering out white noise and subtle, consistent sounds in the environment. I work in a fairly open office space, with everything from AC noise to casual conversations happening throughout the day. The Pi6 earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins easily drown out these background noises. However, they struggle with sporadic sounds. Other earbuds I've owned have handled these better, but they didn’t sound as good as the Pi6 and I'm okay with that. 4. Connection Reliability - This is where I had to deduct one star. The Pi6 earbuds I received suffer from occasional connection issues, which can be incredibly frustrating. While infrequent, in 2024, there's no reason earbuds in this price range should experience sound cutting in and out, as if they’re dealing with interference. I've used many earbuds, and this is the first set in years where I’ve encountered what sounds like my old CD player skipping back in 1998. This happens to me at least once a day, and I haven’t been able to identify the cause. It mostly occurs within the first 60 seconds of putting them in. I hope this is something that can be fixed with future updates. While it doesn't happen all the time, it’s simply unacceptable for earbuds in this price range. I also want to mention that these earbuds have a passthrough feature that allows ambient noise, so you can hear conversations and your surroundings when you’re not using noise cancellation. I’d rate this feature as “good enough.” I sometimes struggle to hear softer conversations and often have to take the earbuds out to fully engage with someone. This can be annoying but isn’t a dealbreaker. The tap features on the earbuds are also hit or miss. I would recommend these to anyone who prioritizes sound quality and comfort above all other features.

I've owned earbuds from pretty much every brand out there but this was my first set from Bowers and Wilkins. I had not heard much about them so I was interested to see how they compared. They left me with a very positive first impression. Pros: - The earbuds were ready to go right out of the box and didn’t need a firmware update after installing the app. The set up process in the app was very quick and simple. - Sound quality is excellent! Music was especially full and rich. I also enjoyed how podcasts sounded with these. - In-ear fit was perfect for me with the default (medium) tips. Included in the box you will find 3 additional size options: large, small, and extra small. They have felt secure even with movement and I haven’t had any worries of them falling out unexpectedly. - The touch controls were pretty intuitive as I learned how to toggle ANC, play/pause/ etc with relative ease. - The app allows you to configure the touch controls to your liking. You can also toggle bass and treble as you see fit. Cons: - I dislike being forced to create a brand new account for every electronic device that I own, like I did for these earbuds. I’d love the accompanying app to have an option (like some brands do) to sign in with Google, Apple ID, etc. - Battery life was decent, but I’ve owned earbuds that last an hour or so longer. Fortunately, the case can top off the charge nice and quick. Overall these are a great option for anyone looking for great sound, noise-canceling capabilities, and a reasonable price point.

These Bowers and Wilkins earbuds perform decently, not bad but not great either. Setup, pairing: Setting them up was a breeze. Put them into pairing mode and have your phone search for it. They paired immediately without any problems. Also, once the app is installed, I was able to add them as a new device, again without any problems. Sound quality: This is where some points are lost. They sound ok, not bad, but not great either. The sound, especially the mids and highs are not as clear as I was hoping. One part of the sound quality that is great is the bass, assuming you turn it all the way up on the EQ. This is a pleasant surprise since earbuds are small and typically have weak bass. Depending on the type of music you listen to, this might make up for it. The active noise cancellation is very disappointing to the point of almost being useless. I would say it eliminates background noise maybe 50% but is still very noticeable. It does not eliminate background voices at all. Honestly, the ANC in these is sort of pointless, so these are not for you if this feature is important. Call Quality: The call quality is good. I heard the other person perfectly clear, and they said the same for my voice. Answering and hanging up calls with the button works as expected. Case: The included case is small and easily fits in your pocket. The earbuds magnetically stay in place and are very easy to place in the case without any difficulty orienting them. There is an indicator to tell you that the case is charging and when it is done charging. It does not tell you when the earbuds are charging or when they are done. I do wish it told you when the earbuds are fully charged but this does not seem to be normal behavior for any earbuds. This may sound insignificant, but the case is a fingerprint magnet. After only touching it a few times, it is completely covered in fingerprints. Not necessarily important but it does make the case look ugly after a short time. Battery: The earbuds’ battery last around 7.5 hours, around as much as advertised and almost covers an entire day at work. The case allows charging the earbuds around two and a half times. It takes a couple of hours to charge the case and earbuds together from empty. I would say this is probably slightly better than average as other earbuds I have used don’t last the entire day at work. The case charges using the modern USB-C connector. App: The app works well but is as barebones as you can get. It basically allows you to turn on and off the noise cancellation, and has a two band EQ. That’s it. The treble EQ does change the highs but doesn’t really make it sound better. The bass EQ works great and as previously mentioned, turning it up all the way is almost a necessity. Other than allowing you to update the firmware, that is about it. Comfort: These are very comfortable, and they come with several size caps to fit different size ears. I have large ears, and the biggest size fits me great. They feel secure in your ears but do feel like they could fall out under the right conditions. Strangely enough, there is no fit check in the app which is included in every other earbuds I have used. A Big Problem: These earbuds will go into standby after only a few minutes. Take them out to talk to someone or go to the bathroom. Put them back on and they are off. While this is normal, you can usually set the time it takes to go into standby but not on these. Assume if you take them off for any reason, you will have to put them in the case and take them out to wake them up again. In summary, these earbuds are ok, not bad but not great either. The sound quality is decent (with outstanding bass) but the noise cancellation is almost non-existent. The battery performs very well. The standby time is a big problem. Overall, at this price point, there are probably better options out there.

I want to love the Pi6 earbuds and for the most part I do. They sound great, they have long battery life, they’re pretty comfortable, and the noise canceling/transparency modes are good. But there’s some minor bugs with audio and the controls that keep me from recommending them wholeheartedly. The box includes the earbuds, charging case, a USB-C charging cable, and a set of 3 silicone earbuds in addition to the medium size that is already on the buds. The medium tips were just a little too small for my ears, so I opted for the large and those have been working well. The buds themselves are a touch larger and heavier than others I’ve used, but I wouldn’t class them as bulky. They’ve got a shiny plastic finish and a subtle wingtip built into them to help them stay in your ears more securely. In general they have been pretty comfortable. Pairing the Pi6’s to my phone, I didn’t get the fast pairing notification on my Pixel 8 Pro and ended up having to go to my Bluetooth settings to find them. It’s not a huge deal, but it's disappointing not to see it here because I know I’ve seen it on other Bower and Wilkins headphones. Once paired they can be further set up and managed through the Bowers and Wilkins music app. The app is good and I already used it for my Px7 S2e headphones. For the Pi6 there aren’t a ton of features - you can swap between noise cancellation and transparency modes, there’s a very basic EQ with only treble and bass sliders, the touch controls can be customized, and the wear detection sensor can be turned off and on. It doesn't necessarily leave me wanting for more, but I did expect a little bit more functionality. The Pi6’s are controlled via touch on either earbud. The controls are responsive, but sensitive. I found myself often triggering a play/pause or a change in the ANC/transparency just trying to bring them in and out of my ears. Audio can even be played out of them while they are placed in the charging case, which I’ve never seen happen before. This only happens when the lid is open though and playback is stopped and they’re disconnected when it is closed. I also found that the audio cut out occasionally, especially while adjusting the buds in my ear. The sound quality itself is excellent. Music is detailed and balanced; there aren’t any parts of the tracks that I listened to that overpowered the rest. Bass response is also really good for earbuds. They also get quite loud and I didn’t even come close to pushing them to their max. Sound quality is where Bowers and Wilkins has always shined historically and it’s no different here. I listened to these using my Pixel 8 Pro. The Pi6 supports AptX Adaptive, AptX Classic, AAC, and SBC. There’s no LDAC or LE Audio, which is okay with me. The bigger disappointment for me is that they don’t support AptX HD since the Pixel 8 supports that but not AptX Adaptive. AptX Classic does sound good; I just know that I’m missing out on a higher quality experience. My wife did point out that these earbuds leak quite a bit of sound at high volume. At about 60-70% volume she could pretty clearly hear the song I was listening to. It’s something to keep in mind if you plan on listening to these in quiet environments near other people. The noise canceling and transparency modes built-in both sound good, but neither are especially strong compared to other earbuds I’ve used. The noise canceling does a good job of blocking out lower frequency sounds like fans and humming appliances, but other sounds do filter through pretty easily without any music playing and there isn’t a lot of passive noise isolation. The transparency mode works well and it’s easy to wear them and still hold a conversation or have a general awareness of your environment, but it doesn’t sound as natural as other transparency modes I’ve heard. The battery life is rated at 8 hours for the buds themselves, with noise canceling on no less. That’s pretty fantastic, so if you are looking for wireless earbuds that last these are one of them. The case charges via USB-C, but does not have wireless charging, which for $250 feels like a glaring omission. I understand they’re probably trying to build a little differentiation between this and the higher-end Pi8, but I think almost any other earbud you’d buy at that price point would have wireless charging. Microphone quality overall was good. I took a few calls and everyone I talked to said I sounded very clear with no background noise. Overall I’m pretty happy with the Pi6’s, but the issues with the controls and the occasional audio cutouts spoil the experience just a little bit. I’m hoping that maybe this can be fixed with a firmware update, but to my knowledge none of the Bowers and Wilkins headphones I’ve owned in the past have ever received firmware updates, so I’m not holding out a lot of hope. I think Bowers and Wilkins are always a great choice where sound quality is a concern and the Pi6’s don’t disappoint there.

The Bowers & Wilkins pi6 offers a powerful punch in a bit size easy to carry set up. If your looking for fullness in your audio quality without the cumbersome over the ear style then look no further as Bowers & Wilkins is no stranger to the audiophile alike. Bowers & Wilkins has always been known to put an emphasis on style and quality to offer a true luxurious style piece with the price tag to back it up. At times it can be hard to decipher if the extra cost is really worth it and what you can expect to get with your money. Let's start with the basics, out of the box you expect to get your docking pod, usb-c charging cable and four different earpiece cups to help fit whatever your ear size may be. Case charge is completed in less than an hour and bud charging time is about 30 mins. The Pi6 comes with a free downloadable app however don't get too excited over this as the app as it still feels like its in it's beta phase. There is very little to do within the app given basic features such as battery life, button assignment , anc on/off and a very very basic EQ. The lack of a proper EQ is what really has me hating the app as proper sound needs to be dialed in via whatever playback method you are using. They do offer curated music via supplied listening platforms such as Pandora to help dial in your listening quality but you are limited to some very off brand apps. Don't expect to find Spotify, Google Music or Youtube in there. The charging case is another thing I hated about the Pi6 as the case is shaped oval like an egg meaning you can never stand the case up. Why does this bother me? Simply put, every time the case is set down it tends to roll over to its side, which leads to it falling of edges or counter tops and night stands. But let's be honest, your not considering these earbuds for the app or case but rather for the sound quality, which is where it truly shines. Once the drivers are broken in and EQ is dailed in that's when the quality of your beats will start to sound different. Im noticing back ground sounds that I normally don't notice such as the high hats hitting on some of my rock songs. Bass has a good punch, but don't expect it to knock you off your feet for all you hip hop fans. The quality of sound is well done, so much so that no sound over powers the other but rather everything comes in at equal quality to help compliment the song as a whole. The bass is very rich with clear midtones and very crisp highs. One thing I did notice is it seems the unit would try to adjust my EQ settings based on listening position or rather ear canal design to help give a more full and rich experience. In the ear designs have always been hit or miss with designs either becoming uncomfortable after hours of listening or bring comfort to the point of forgetting you have them in. The Pi6 offers hours upon hours of comfort with proper heat displacement. These buds are water resistance, and while I'm not exactly inclined to test out how resistant they are just know that basic sweat and splash back wont hurt them. Overall this is a true master piece when it comes to desecrate design with phenomenal sound quality. This piece is geared towards the true audiophile that is looking to get every bit of sound out of their music without sacrificing a single beat. While the price tag is set on the higher point, their quality, performance, comfort and long battery life make it a worth while investment. If your looking for that immersive sound that wont let you down, then look no further.

From what I understand, the Pi6 is not the top-of-the-line earbuds, but it did not sure sound like it. The sound quality and the call output are great for these earbuds. DESIGN First the design is quite simple but elegant. The matter black finish with the B&W name logo in front, plus the touch of matte aluminum hinge at the back looks classy. It does not attract dust or fingerprints, so it looked clean to me all the time, even as I pulled it in and out of my pockets. The case material though seemed light, but it’s not flimsy. In fact, the lid when you open and close it is quite precise. It was overall light and easy to carry. The indicator light as well as the USB-C port blended in well. The case does not have wireless charging, which is a bummer because other similarly-priced buds do have wireless charging. I’m thinking maybe quality case vs. wireless charging to keep the price competitive? Not sure. SETUP AND CONNECT It was easy to connect to my phone. I did have some issues with signal cutting in and out, from one bud or the other, that resets were able to fix. I attribute it to a bug, because once I got it to work, it was all uninterrupted music since then. Adding to my PC and my tablet was easy too. However, I did encounter issues when it is connected to a PC—the sound is just not right. After extensive troubleshooting, I gave up on my PC connectivity. I take it that this one is probably more suited for a mobile device. Connecting to multiple devices did not have automatic switching like other brands do with their native same brand devices. Although it was still easy to simply reconnect to the other device to be used. The app is lean and easy to understand however, I can’t link my service because I use YT music for my audio and it does not have it as an option. Also maybe in the future? I just used the app to learn about the earbuds, because once I learned them, they are available in the buds itself as shortcuts like long presses for toggling ANC or moving tracks back and forward were very easy to perform on the earbud tips. THE BUDS The earbuds itself are nicely made as well with a good combination of gloss and matte to make it look classy. The shape is not conventional, but it sort of mimics B&W bigger speaker designs which keeps the brand’s character. The way it sits on the case is not confusing to replace and the buds snap perfectly in. The box comes with different eartip sizes and I was able to find my fit easily. I thought the earbuds were a little big overall and I was afraid it will fall off on a quick run. Instead, it actually sits just right at the back inner lobe and keeps it in place. The touch response was just right, with the correct level of pressing and no extra effort to confuse me while I was using them, perhaps because the flat surface was sizable enough for my fingers. SOUND AND CALLS The sound quality is what I expect this brand to give me. I can distinctly hear the highs, mids and lows. It actually feels complete even without the actual bass feel (because real low register is a body thump, not an ear boom). But bass is pretty much on point without it becoming too overbearing as a sound, vs. a feel. The range is wide and I love the quality of the levels. The calls are okay too. The mic is pretty sensitive. I was on a call with a voice-prompted robot customer service. Even just a little crunch from an object 15 feet away from me triggers a voice signal. I know how these robo prompts can be too much as well, but it still spoke to the sensitivity of the microphone. My regular voice calls seemed nice and clear per some people I asked on the other line. BATTERY LIFE USB-C as a standard is always welcome. I have a million of these lying around now, so I can easily charge the case. But battery life is pretty good. 68% on 4 days with maybe 6 hours overall, in and out of the case, plus the extensive tinkering. I think it is a good pair, especially for the price. There are some quirks like the connectivity and the PC sound which I think can be fixed by an update. I do recommend if you have the patience for out-of-the-box tweaks, because I think the sound quality is worth it.

Anyone who is familiar with audiophile name brands will recognize Bowers and Wilkins. Several of their floorstanding and bookshelf speakers have graced the listening rooms of various homes I’ve owned, and their combination of detail mixed with balanced (if occasionally bright) sound has made them one of my favorite speakers. B&W’s foray into wireless in-ear headphones was welcome for me, and I have owned several previous incarnations of the Pi models, most recently the Pi4, which I have used for the last couple of years. They are still going strong, and have been handed down to one of my daughters after receiving a pair of Pi6 headphones this week. My wife has a pair of Pi5s that she loves and I have used on occasion. The Pi6 come in a charcoal-gray-color, compact, lightweight case that doubles as a charger. Codecs include SBC, AAC, AptX, and AptX Adaptive, which is pretty much par for the course for headphones in this price range. Although, admittedly, the Pi6 headphones will set you back quite a bit. Missing is the AptX Lossless codec that you can get in the more expensive Pi8 in-ears, which is too bad. Battery life is excellent, even with auto noise canceling on. In use, I generally got 8 hours out of the Pi6 without having to charge. Bowers and Wilkins states that with the charged case, a user can get up to 24 hours of audio playback. A quick, 15-minute charge in the case will result in 2-hours of playback time. Not bad at all. Setup: Setup was extremely easy. I removed the Pi6 from the packaging, plugged them in using the supplied USB-C cord, and let them charge overnight. I opened the case, searched for new devices on my iOS phone, and found them immediately. After syncing via Bluetooth, I was encouraged to download the Bowers and Wilkins app, which I did. After creating an account, I tested the ear buds in my ears. Bowers and Wilkins supplies a variety of rubber ear pieces to be able to find the perfect one to fit the ears, but the ones that came installed on the Pi6 felt great so I left those on. The Bowers and Wilkins app allows you to access settings such as firmware updates, a graphic EQ, and auto noise canceling. Auto Noise Canceling ANC was okay. Not bad, not good, just average. I wore the ear buds in several different locations, at the gym, riding a transit bus, inside a relatively busy mall, while running, etc. External noises were muted to an extent, but not as well as I am accustomed to. My previous Pi4s did a better job of limiting the intrusion of external noise, so this is one aspect I was kind of bummed about. There is also a pass through setting, where the Pi6 ear buds allow you to hear external noise, which is effective when running or riding a bike on a busy street (can hear traffic). This function performed perfectly. Sound Quality Let’s face it, when it comes to headphones, we all want to know how they sound. In this instance, I can attest that the Pi6 sound absolutely fantastic. They are a huge improvement over the Pi4s I had, and both my wife and I feel they sound better than my her Pi5s. They are about as balanced as a set of headphones can get, with just the right amount of bass, including mid-bass impact that really makes kicks and toms shine. Treble is crystal clear, perhaps slightly rolled off, but not in a negative way. No harshness at all to the sound. First up in my review listening session was Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk, off of their album Tusk. I love using Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors and Tusk for listening auditions, the mastering is impressive and there are many intricacies to their music that good headphones will bring out and that is often missed by floorstanding speakers. The song has a lot of tom work, as well as little voices speaking in different spots throughout the song. The Pi6 picked up each of these voices, made the toms sound like they were live in the room with you, and really provided an excellent soundstage. Around the 1:14 mark with the Pi6, the bass comes into the mix with a little slide and growl, and sounds amazing. The Pi6 handle the addition of the bass in stride with the toms and addition of the bass drum without any issues, allowing the listener to just enjoy layers of music. Even when the instruments all come in, the Pi6 never break a sweat, allowing the listener to hear everything in its place, not just noise. Never harsh. They sounded amazing with this song. Next up was Loreena McKennitt’s Marco Polo, off of her Book of Secrets album. I believe I read somewhere that there were over 40 instruments in this song, and on weaker headphones it can sound like a mishmash of sound. Not with the Pi6. Bass impact was amazing, and as more and more layers of instruments were introduced into the mix, the soundstage became wider and wider. At no point did I feel like the music lost definition. All the pieces and components were there. I’ve listened to this song on a lot of in-ears, and the Pi6 sounded just as good as some much more expensive in-ears that have resided in my ear canals. And Loreena McKennitt’s voice was delightful, floating above the mix in an ethereal air. It’s one thing to play well-mastered music through in-ears, but the question is often how will they handle not-so-well-mastered music? I dug into Neil Diamond, listening to a song called Soolaimon which is mixed a little ‘hot’ and can be fatiguing depending on the headphones/speakers it is being listened on. The stereo mix puts a set of toms/congos in the left ear, and the right ear has percussion and guitar. Meanwhile, Neil sings with a choir in the background, and the choir’s voices can lead to some serious ear-bleeding when the volume is turned up. Not so with the Pi6. Not only did the make the toms/congos and percussion section sound impactful and vibrant, they also calmed the harshness of the choir and made it an extremely enjoyable listen. Volume For most of my listening, I had the volume to max. Granted, I have older ears, and can’t hear things as well as I used to, but I didn’t feel at any point that I didn’t have enough volume. Sometimes max was what it took, sometimes I was just a couple clicks down from full. So I feel like the Pi6 have good power and volume. Comfort I wore the Pi6 for at least 8 hours a day for 3 straight days to see if I got some sore ears like I do with other in-ears. Impressively enough, I only started to feel some discomfort towards the end of the day, as my ears got tired of having ear buds in them. This is better than the other in-ears I have, as often I am lucky to get a few hours with something stuck in my ears before having to take a break. Exercising, running, walking, chewing, and talking; there were no issues with the Pi6 staying put in my ears. In conclusion, I feel like the Pi6 are an incredible value. They sound great. I don’t really use my in-ears to make phone calls, but the couple of test calls I did were crystal clear. Music, which is what Bowers and Wilkins focuses on, as well as battery life and comfort was absolutely excellent. A great update to prior versions of the Pis, and a great all around in-ear. Highly recommended.

I’ve had my fair share of earbuds over the years, and I love my over the ear headphones by Bowers & Wilkins, so I had pretty high expectations for the Pi6. While I was skeptical of the design (the immediately invoked 'Frankenstein Bolt' vibes) I got over that pretty quick once I used them for a week. They're already my favorite new earbuds. The sound quality is of course amazing. As soon as I popped these in and hit play on my favorite Jayhawks album, I was instantly transported back to 2017, listening to Gary Louris’s smooth vocals like I was hearing them live again. The clarity and depth are what does it for me. Other earbuds tend to muddle the sound by introducing a bunch of bass, and I guess if that's your preference that's cool, but I need to be able to pick out individual voices as they harmonize or the random instruments as they make their entrance. Now, I don’t usually need noise cancelation since I work from home, but I did have a guy recently cleaning out my dryer vent as I had to listen to a important work call, so I connected these to my MacBook, flipped the noise cancelation on, and boom—the compressed air hose noise disappeared. I haven't had a chance yet to use them in a crowded environment yet, but initial impressions were great. The touch controls are super reliable too. With some earbuds, tapping the controls can be hit or miss, but the Pi6 nails it. I guess that's a benefit of the large, flat 'Frankenstein Bolt' surface - it makes it easy to tap, and everything responds smoothly. Another plus of the flat surface is that they're really comfortable when wearing them in bed, which is a rarity for me because most earbuds poke at your ears when you’re lying down, but not these. My wife has to fall asleep to the same movie every night, so I put on an audiobook or a Calm sleep story, and these so far are the only earbuds that I haven't woken up in the morning with a sore ear canal. If I had to nitpick, the “Made for iPhone” label still feels a bit like a marketing ploy. Don’t get me wrong, they work great with my iPhone, but the seamless connection you’d expect isn’t quite there with no handoff and no iCloud pairing. You still have to go through the regular Bluetooth settings to pair each device you own. There’s also no SharePlay, which is a feature that I always enjoy when flying on a plane with my wife so we can watch and listen together. Also, for the price, I was a little bummed that wireless charging isn’t included. I can’t count how many times I’ve dropped them on my wireless charger next to my phone only to realize I had to plug in the USB-C cable. At the end of the day I can live with the trade-offs. I do have other earbuds if I need SharePlay or want something that doesn't seal my ears, but 8 times out of 10 I'm reaching for these Pi6 over everything right now.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 ear buds are what you would expect from B&W. A small package with great sound. Comfortable and long lasting. They come in a case with a built-in battery that is small and easy to fit into a pocket or carrying bag. The are a small size and fit in your ears fine. The earbuds have up to 8 hours of life with ANC on, and you can get two additional charges from the case. A full charge takes 2 hours, or 15 minutes will give you 2 hours. IP54 water resistance so you can sweat in them with no issue. It comes with extra small to Large ear tips, and a USB-C charging cable. The tips are comfortable and fit snugly and can be worn for hours with no issues or fatigue. The earbuds are Bluetooth 5.4 and use 24 bit audio connection. In operations tapping the earbuds lets you pause, advance, or go back for tracks. You can pick up and hang up on calls by tapping too. The B&W app lets you customize some controls. The case has an LED that gives you an estimate on the remaining charge of the battery case. Sound! These earbuds have great sound. Earbuds have limitations due to their physical size, but these reproduce good bass, and mids and highs don’t sound tinny. The default setting is decent, but using the newer B&W music app (these will not work with the old B&O app), let’s you adjust the Bass and Treble. Not as much EQ options as other apps, but it’s impact can be felt. The sound is clear and not muffled or distorted at higher volumes. ANC works well, no air pressure when activated. Background noise fades away. The pass-through modes let you hear what it going on around your if wanted. The earbuds responded to touch reliably and the taps were responded to immediately. Whether rock, classical, hip-hop, or voice, the sound was superb. For calls and items like discord, my voice was heard clearly with no issues. The are easy to pair with a phone and use the B&W to customize. Connecting to a PC was not an issue either. The app does allow you to change some preset tap commands. You can also get any firmware updates there. The headphones sound great which is the main point. The amount of customization and not seeing the case charge state are things other earbuds offer. But, these are minor issues overall and can be improved. The earbuds sound fantastic and the ANC in a space package is impressive. Overall these are as good and better than my other earbuds that are a little older. The price is comparable to other earbuds with these features. If you want great sound in a small package give these a try.

Bowers & Wilkins made a name for themselves by building high end loudspeakers, so the Pi6 earbuds come to me with some high expectations. It sits about mid-level in their earbud line up and features the aptX bluetooth codec and 24-bit processing for a high fidelity connection. The earbuds are marketed to last 8 hours on a charge, which seems accurate so far. I can’t confirm the 24 hours of total battery life with the case, but that sounds reasonable. The case is compact and should fit in most pockets well. It charges quickly with USB-C, but I was surprised it doesn’t wirelessly charge, which almost seems standard at this product level in 2024. And this kind of foreshadows my general experience with the Pi6 earbuds. A mix of ups and downs. SOUND If you’re looking into Bowers & Wilkins earbuds you likely put an emphasis on sound quality. I wanted to like the Pi6 more, because the tone and response are well balanced, but I couldn’t get over how cramped the soundstage felt. It’s like I’m standing next to a speaker vs facing a stage, there’s no sense of air in-between. The vocals are smooth but they’re not crisp. I almost want to say they’re a little warm, but I’m not sure if that’s it. Out of the box, they sounded flat and I had to turn the bass up a good amount just to get it near where I like. The bass response is good from a sound quality standpoint, but it doesn’t kick. It’s musical enough for you to hear the details though. It’s the first time I’ve felt that earbuds needed to be broken in, because they sound better now after playing them for many hours than when I first put them on. What could probably help make them sound better is having more than only a bass and treble adjustment for the EQ, but I’ll get to the app shortcomings later. Overall, the Pi6 earbuds are well balanced and sound good, but not great. My biggest issue is how compact the soundstage feels, but some people might like that. And as with all earbuds, the ear tip fit will make or break the sound. I tried the larger ones to see if it would seal tighter and improve the bass, but it somehow reduced it. NOISE REDUCTION / CALL QUALITY Excellent on both fronts. The Pi6 features adaptive noise reduction that won’t completely drown out the background noise, but will turn them down to a whisper. The Pass-Through mode allows you to hear background noise without removing the earbuds and works well while wearing both or even just one earbud. It would be nice to be able to adjust the ANC or Pass-Through audio levels, but as of now you can only turn them on or off. Call quality sounds excellent with a natural tone. No complaints there. APP / CONTROLS The app is a big letdown. It’s the most disappointing part of the Pi6 experience and I sincerely hope Bowers & Wilkins gets it updated quickly. There are only 2 audio adjustments available in the EQ (bass and treble), there is no adjustment for the ANC or Pass-Through sound levels, the customizable touch controls only allow you to choose between 2 presets (ANC/Voice Assistant control or volume control), and the battery charge level doesn’t show the case charge level or individual earbuds either. Just one percentage for the whole thing, which became really confusing when my right earbud died but the app said it still had 13% charge. I also kept placing the earbuds in the case thinking it was charging them and it took me a while to realize the case was dead and the app didn’t even show the charge level for it. The app has a lot of room to grow and a software/firmware update could probably do a lot to make the Pi6 really shine. OVERALL The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 earbuds sound good, but not great. It’s tonally balanced, but the bass lacks kick and the soundstage feels cramped. The app has very few customization options and the touch control buttons are not always responsive. I’ve tried many times to skip a song only for it to stop. But after all of the trouble, the more I listen to them, the more I like them. There’s potential here and I would love to see how a firmware and app update could improve them. PROS - Sounds good with correct size ear tips and eq tuning - Good adaptive noise canceling - Excellent call quality - aptX codec - 24-bit audio - Stays in ears well - Sounds better the more I listen (breaking in?) - Comfortable for long use - Good battery life - Compact charging case - Good pass-through mode - Stylish - Excellent range - Comes with 4 sizes of ear tips - Charges quickly - IP54 water and dust protection - 8 hours of earbud battery life - Supposed 24 hour battery life with case CONS - Vocals not crisp - Soundstage feels compact - Sounds flat out of the box - Bass lacks kick - Ear tip fit greatly affects sound quality - User EQ only has Bass and Treble adjustments - Only 2 options for touch control customization (ANC or volume) - Cannot adjust noise canceling or pass-through sound levels - Taps on touch controls do not always register - Random static sound - Limited app functionality - Does not show charging case charge level or individual earbud charge level - Case does not wirelessly charge - Apple Music not listed as Direct Streaming app - Expect a more polished product from Bowers & Wilkins

Great earbuds with the best sound quality I’ve ever experienced but the app just doesn’t have as much features or customization compared to Sony.

I was excited to get these Bowers and Wilkins earbuds as I have had a couple of over-the-ear headsets in the past that I really enjoyed due to the superior build and sound. With these Pi6 True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear, I was expecting the same. Sadly, this was not the case. I received these about a week ago and spent the past week listening to them both as my daily work earbuds for zoom meetings as well as phone calls, music and audiobooks. Again my expectations were really high but was frustrated with them. The Good: These are really nice looking earbuds. The shape contours with my ears well. I feel that they are solidly built. The top surface is really responsive to my finger touch for the various controls. When listening to the various calls on zoom/phone, the people's voices comes out nice and clear and crisp. The microphones on these also pick up my voice well and the clarity is amazing. When listening to music and audiobooks, the sound is just very impressive. Sounds and music is very precise, and the noise cancelling is just amazing. It is able to lower the surrounding noise well that also adjusts to the environment around me. With other competitors anc, these don't give me that suctioning feeling and I can still hear what is around me but very muted. The case is also nicely built and charges quickly. In just a 15 minute charge, I am able to get about an hour's worth of battery life. On a full charge, these buds last about 8 hours of use (the most I've gone listening was on a long 1.5 hour drive with lot of batter life left). The Bad: They are not the most easy to connect earbuds. As I mentioned earlier, I already had a pair of over the ear headsets so I have the app already. When you initially set this up, there is no button on the case. It is very bare of anything except the one indicator light. I was struggling trying to connect this with my bluetooth. It took a few times of closing my app and opening again before it was able to pick it up and connect. This was a frustrating process which I felt it could've been lessened had there already been a power button. Also, these are ergonomically designed which I value tremendously. They contour my ear shape well. The problem is the material they use on these, they are very slippery in my ear. There are different silicone ear piece sizes but the standard medium-sized ones that are already installed are the best fit. There are no wingtips on these so with some sudden movement, they feel like they are being dislodged. I did several motions that required my head to have some movement: running, pushups, sit-ups, looking left and right. With these movements, they feel like they are about to fall out. So this was very disappointing as I would have liked maybe a stem design or probably wingtips. Overall, these are very good in-ear earbuds with noise cancelling. They are of solid build with amazing sound quality. I was just a little disappointed with the fit and connectivity of them. Once they were connected I feel that these are good for my office calls or when driving, but for me, not when I am exercising or doing strenuous activities.

Bowers & Wilkins is known for exceptional sounding speakers and headphones, and the Pi6 earbuds are no exception. The Pi6 come in a relatively small form factor, with no protruding teardrop microphones or large speaker housing. This allows for a streamlined esthetic, a look which continues with a choice of four colors and a subtle “Bowers & Wilkins” in small letters. Well balanced and lightweight, the Pi6 fit securely and comfortably in the ear. At no time have I felt as if they would come loose in every day use (moving about inside, hiking outside). They’re easy to wear for hours at a time with no fatigue. They’re the most comfortable earbuds I own. Active noise cancellation is quite good, although there are just three settings rather than a sliding dial. Still, three settings is plenty for most of us. I found that on the ANC setting the Pi6 effectively blocked out street noises while outside and the sound of a vacuum cleaner while working. With support for the aptX Adaptive codec, the Bluetooth connection is crystal clear with no transmission delays. aptX Classic, AAC, and SBC codecs are also supported. Multipoint connectivity is available for two concurrent devices. The issue with the Pi6 Bluetooth is range. It cuts out at distances that my other Bluetooth headsets easily support, and does not automatically reconnect when back in range. Other than Bluetooth range, the app is the other area where things do fall down a bit. While I’m not one for complicated controls, there simply aren’t a lot of options. As noted above, there are only three ANC settings, on, pass-through, and off. And the graphic equalizer supports just two tone adjustments, bass and treble. At this price point I would expect a parametric equalizer with a minimum of five settings. You cannot store multiple profiles for different say, music, audio books, and movies, or multiple environments, such as airplane, train, home, or walking. Now, to the most important part of the review. The reason anyone buys Bowers & Wilkins is the audio quality. The Pi6 do not disappoint. The default setting is bass-heavy. This can be adjusted to a more neutral tone in the app, something you will probably want to do right away. The sound is crisp and individual notes are extremely well defined. With a remarkably wide sound stage, instrument separation is excellent. You can hear the pick hitting the string on guitar pieces, and every note in a bass run is clear and distinct. You’ll pick out parts of a song that were hidden with less accurate headphones. Overall, these are beautiful sounding earbuds with long-lasting comfort. If the Bluetooth range and app restrictions get fixed with a software update they will easily warrant five stars.

These are in ear monitors, meaning the tip needs to be inside your ear canal. The fit is important for good sound. They are like wearing ear plugs. And are nothing like Apple's air pods and most of the other earphones for sale now that just sit in your ear. There are several sets of different sized tips for different ears. Bowers & Wilkins missed by not including a set of Comply foam tips. I happen to really love in ear monitors, they stay put a lot better, they physically reduce noise, and I can wear them for a long time. These fit nicely. Sound These are sumptuous, buttery smooth, clear, beautiful headphones. Call quality is remarkable, as if you are talking directly into the phone. Noise cancellation is acceptable, not perfect but quite good. Sound quality improves dramatically when noise cancellation is turned off (that's pretty common). Build Quality Absolutely stunning devices. The case is a pleasure to hold. The earphones latch seamlessly. The cover closes with a satisfying click. The earphones feel solid, like they will last a long time. I dislike the noise they make whenever touched or tapped to perform tasks - the generated sound is weird, and the hollow mechanical noise is annoying. Tech Support You never hope to need tech support, but Bowers & Wilkins delivered superbly. Support is not outsourced, so communication and understanding is easy. They stick with an issue until it is resolved, as in multiple call backs (all done exactly as promised) and hours spent troubleshooting. One channel would randomly cut out whenever I was moving around and bending over (I happened to be belt sanding my deck while wearing these). After many many attempts to fix the issue, and escalating to higher levels, we finally reached the impasse - ship it back and they will repair it. Oddly, shortly after that decision, a firmware update solved the problem, no need to ship them back. This is really great technical support. Issues I Don't Like The case has to be plugged into a USB C port to charge. It does not wirelessly charge. I really want the Comply foam inserts, the earphones would fit far better. The tapping noise is annoying. While wearing these, they decided to randomly try to do FaceTime calls with my contacts. I can't figure out why or how it did this, but it was super annoying. The whole tap to do things is super complicated and not even remotely intuitive. I still can't figure out how to raise or lower the volume tapping the devices. And the printed instructions are impossible to understand, they are icons with no words. The app is required to make setting changes; noise cancelling, tone, tap sequences, etc. Overall, these are solid in ear monitors. You have to love having something in your ear canal. The sound is remarkable.

Bowers & Wilkins - Pi6 True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds These ear buds come really nicely package and the case for them has a lovely soft feel plus it is magnetic so holds the cover closed very well. There are several choices for the ear bud pads but the ones that came with them fit my ears well. There is a USB C cable for charging. I am not a fan of earbuds since I can never get them to fit properly & I fear that they will fall out but with these earbuds, it was like they were custom fit for my ears. They feel secure and I really like them. I also typically struggle with connecting via Bluetooth but I got these connected immediately. And then the sound, oh my gosh it is just outstanding. There is a deep, rich sound that is just great.These earbuds came already charged so I could use them immediately. I hadn’t even read the instructions yet and I was immediately enjoying the rich sound of music that comes from these earbuds. They are simply delightful. The battery life is rated for 8 hours.

Wireless earbuds a dime a dozen nowadays, but when it comes to actual sound quality in headphones you can always look to Bowers & Wilkins. That is no different here as the sound quality is most definitely what sets these earbuds apart from competitors. First, right out of the box though these headphones have a very minimalistic yet premium look and feel which is much appreciated as they provide a very discreet look in your ears. When putting these in you do have to use a slight twist which helps provide a better seal for the noise cancelation which I will discuss later. As with most earbuds today there are multiple ear tip sizes included to ensure the appropriate fit for you. Once getting them in they are extremely comfortable as due to the plastic design they are very lightweight which allows for longer sessions of listening. This plastic design does not hinder the premium look and feel of the earbuds though as Bowers & Wilkins have done a great job combining aesthetics with function here. The other thing to mention is the setup process and the use of the app. This was a great experience as, yes everyone/everything has an app nowadays, but Bowers & Wilkins has done a great job keeping the app simple and easy to use. The app first walks you through the setup process where you can sync the earbuds to multiple devices and customize the touch gestures for each earbud. Also while mentioning the app it is good to note here that within the app it allows you to control the active noise cancellation and your various EQ settings to which I will say the EQ settings are great as it solely focuses on the bass and treble to keep things as simple as possible for users. Additionally within the app it does show the battery life and allows you to control your music. Onto the actual performance though as that is where these earbuds really standout! Again, this is definitely where Bowers & Wilkins put their focus as the sound is extremely rich in detail and very well balanced! The detail you hear with the mids to the clarity of the highs paired with a full bass really sets the stage for perfect sounding earbuds. Everything I threw at these earbuds from acoustic tracks to edm they passed with flying colors to which one of the most prominent things was the fact that there was no distortion at all. Also when it comes to performance all high end earbuds have active noise cancellation and here Bowers & Wilkins has definitely checked that box. Where they stand out is actually in the transparency mode as it feels extremely natural and not as forced as some other earbuds, which is difficult to describe without actually hearing it for yourself. In addition to these two features I will say that the call quality is right on par with what you would expect as I didn`t have any issues on my end and when I asked those on the other side they said everything sounded great and there was very little background noise if any in all the calls I took with them. So that just leaves the battery life which the 8 hour battery life seemed about on par with the 16 hours of charging available from the case to bring it to 24 hours that was fairly close to what I have experienced so again there are no issues in this respect either. Overall, when it comes to earbuds for me I`m most concerned with appearance and sound quality to which Bowers & Wilkins is at the top of the mountain here in those two respects. With the elegance in their appearance to the superb sound quality there is nothing further you could ask for in a pair of earbuds. The various features check all the boxes as compared to other earbuds, but again from an aesthetic and audio quality standpoint I would highly recommend this pair of earbuds.