Bowers & Wilkins is ramping up its consumer headphone offerings. We have reviewed some of his latest models like Bowers & Wilkins PX5 headphones and Bowers & Wilkins PI3 headphones. Now, however, it's Bowers & Wilkins PI4's time.
The headphones build on the PI3s with active noise cancellation, but they also come with a higher price tag. Are Bowers & Wilkins PI4 headphones worth buying? We put them to the test to find out.
Design
The first thing you'll notice about the Bowers & Wilkins PI4 headphones is their design, and they look almost identical to the PI3 headphones. Of course, that's not necessarily a bad thing - they offer stylish designs with premium building materials and are pleasing.
On the left arm of the headphones, you'll get a power button and a button for toggling noise cancellation - while on the left side is where you'll get playback and volume controls. It's a fairly simple setup and you should find it easy to control the headphones in general.
The headphones are available in several different colors including black, silver and gold. We're analyzing the black model, and while we haven't seen any other models in person, black seems to be an option to call.
In the box, apart from the earbuds themselves, you get a nice carrying case, a charging cable, and a total of three pairs of ear tips and three pairs of fit wings. That's pretty much all you need.
Comfort
Headphones next to the speakers Bowers & Wikins PI4 headphones are quite large, but they are still quite comfortable, at least in-ear headphones go. The earphones are easy to create a good seal in the ear and stay nice in the ears during use, thanks in part to the fit of the wings that come with them.
Granted, in-ear headphones are almost never as comfortable as headphones, but we've been able to wear them for more than a few hours at a time without any issues.
Sound
The P3 headphones offer plenty of bass, a well-tuned midrange, and good clarity and detail at the high end. Luckily, the Bowers & Wilkins PI4 headphones do the same - while adding noise cancellation at the same time.
The bass on the headphones is thick and deep, especially for a pair of in-ear headphones. The kick drums sounded full-bodied, while the bass guitars were smooth and thick. The bass must have seemed to increase a bit, so if you're looking for a completely neutral sound, it might be worth looking elsewhere. However, other users will be able to appreciate the level of bass here - especially given the fact that it never fell into muddy territory.
The cutouts will be well tuned too with a small scoop overall but still a lot to go around. The low mids were warm, and the high mids provided enough presence over things like guitars and vocals.
The highs are crisp, detailed, and understandable, which makes music interesting and fun to listen to. It never got shrill or uncomfortable to listen to.
Noise cancellation on these headphones is good, but really nothing special. This will reduce noise from aircraft and train engines, but don't expect a Bose or Sony-like experience here.
Performance
Arbors & Wilkins PI4 headphones connect to your Bluetooth music device, and as such you get a range of about 10 meters or 33 feet. We found that the earbuds generally maintained good connectivity throughout the test, with no significant bangs or bumps.
Battery life on the Bowers & Wilkins PI4 headphones comes in at 12 hours, which is good but not surprising. We'd like to see a bit more battery life for the headphones.
Conclusions
Arbors & Wilkins PI4 in-ear headphones have a lot to offer. They're relatively well-designed, comfortable, and they sound great - plus they offer noise cancellation as an added bonus.
But is it the best option in the price range? Well, yes, they are. If you're looking for neck-style headphones, Arbors & Wilkins PI4 headphones are the way to go.
Due to their excellent sound quality and good design, we are awarding the Bowers & Wilkins PI4 Headphones Review with a silver headphone medal.
Shop | Price |
---|---|
$price | |
$248.98 | |
Bowers & Wilkins | $249.99 |
frequency range | Unknown | Active Noise Cancellation | Yes |
Driver size | 14mm | Noise suppression | Unknown |
Driver type | Dynamic | In line control | Yes |
Design |
Closed | Microphone | Yes |
Sensitivity | Unknown | Ear pads material | Gel |
Nominal resistance |
Unknown | Magnet Material | Unknown |
Total harmonic distortion |
Unknown | Water resistance | Unknown |
Rated input power |
Unknown | Battery life | 12 hours |
Maximum input power |
Unknown | Wireless distance | 10m (33ft) |
Wireless connection |
Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity | Length of cable | N / A |
Wired connection |
No | Case type | Bag |
Detachable cable |
No | In the box |
|
The weight | Unknown | Colours | Black, gold, silver |
The post Bowers & Wilkins PI4 Neckband In-Ear Headphones Review first appeared on Headphones Review.
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