Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 in-Ear True Wireless Headphones, 6 Built-in Mics, Bluetooth 5.0 Qualcomm aptX & Dual Hybrid Drivers, Adaptive Noise Cancellation, Smart Wireless Charging, Charcoal

Let me start by saying that *sound quality* is paramount for me. I tried my wife’s Airpod Pro’s, not expecting stunning sound quality, but hoping that it would be at least “good enough” and that I would purchase a pair due to their flawless integration with all things in the Apple-verse (yeah, that’s my universe). I found the Airpod Pro’s … clear and clean, and effortless to use. But … I really was not thrilled with the sound quality. So began the search for something significantly better - that led me to these Bowers & Wilkins PI7’s.Like you, reading here, I found contradictory reports. At least one thing in common in almost all reviews was that these sound wonderful (they do!). Unfortunately, some folks reported trouble - difficulty connecting, Bluetooth dropouts, poor signal from the case/transmitter when using them with non-Bluetooth native devices (like an old-era iPod), etc. I almost did not order them, but I’m glad I did.My observations here are based on using the PI7’s with: an iPhone X, Apple TV HD, MacBook Pro ca. 2016, and, yes, an old click-wheel iPod. First things first, I love the sound quality! As with any in-ear monitor, the *fit* is critical. Without a good seal, you will have poor sound - terribly weak bass and other distortions. I have large ears and I use the largest of the three included ear-tips. I recommend using the largest tip that you find comfortable. The PI7 earpieces themselves are a bit large. I have no problem with them, but if you have particularly small ears … you might find they don’t fit comfortably. The only way to know is to try.As long as they fit, and you use the proper size ear-tip (to get a good seal), the sound is glorious! Ok, remember, they are wireless bluetooth earbuds. They are not going to dust the best wired headphones you have ever used. But, really, for what they are, they sound awesome!Any trouble?? A number of folks reported trouble with the sound dropping out. I have not had any such trouble. This may be dependent on the particular devices &/or environment. As long as I stayed close to the broadcasting source, I had *no* dropouts. Now, if I walked across the room, around a corner, etc., then the sound would drop out. Maybe some other earbuds perform better in this respect. But for my use this was a non-issue. Another user reported that when using the case as a transmitter (say with an old iPod), the sound/connection was bad. Again, I have had no trouble here. While typing this I’m listening to a great playlist from my old iPod, being transmitted by the PI7’s case. The sound is wonderful!I use the PI7’s paired to my Apple TV while I’m on the treadmill (an old & noisy one). Between the good fit/seal and the noise cancellation, the sound is excellent. Does the noise cancellation equal the over-ear Bose headphones I’ve used in the past? Probably not. But it is plenty good enough.My use with phone calls has not been extensive; so far, callers have sounded very clear and they have said the same about me.One area where I’ve had a little trouble with the PI7’s is with the Ambient Pass-Through. This is an important feature, allowing external sounds/voices to be “piped-in” with whatever you are otherwise listening to. As other people have commented, you need to use the B&W Headphone App in order to engage this feature. It would be nice if you could trigger it from the earbuds themselves. Additionally, sometimes I found the earbuds “reluctant” to engage the ambient pass-through. I’d have to toggle it a couple times.All in all, though, I love these earbuds! Their operation may be a tad less good than the refined perfection of Apple’s own devices (in the Apple-verse), and there is room for improvement (quick, reliable, on-device engagement of ambient pass-through), but … if you *really* care about sound quality, these are by far the best wireless earbuds I’ve heard at this time.Update 11/16/2021: I had complained about the Ambient Pass-Through toggle (in the app) not always working. Lately, I've had no trouble with it. There *is* a slight delay, switching in either direction. Not sure if this had made me feel it was not switching. In any event, no complaints with that now. Also, though I was happy with the fit of the included ear tips, I ordered a set of Comply tips to try. For me, the Comply tips were no more comfortable than the included tips. However, for me, the sound is much better using the INCLUDED TIPS. This may be ear-shape dependent. But I found that the included tips yielded better bass, overall clarity and richness. So, if you find you are happy with the comfort of the included tips - I'd stop there.

I typically only read negative reviews. These headphones do require an extra step to ensure that BT connectivity is established and maintained. Once I did that, I've had no issues whatsoever.Pros:- Sound quality is phenomenal - I have Jabra Elites at about the same price point and the sound here just blows them away.- Fit, even in my baby ears, is spot on once I swapped to the small ear pieces- Battery life is fine- Wearing during a typical, weights-oriented workout is fine - if you're doing HIIT or plyometrics, you'll want something that'll anchor the buds to your earsCons:- The BT setup took an extra step - you definitely should download the B&W app if you get these. If you wan't overpriced plug-n-play and have an iPhone, get Air Pods.- I debated whether to put this here or not...they do NOT get very loud, even when my phone is at max volume. They get plenty loud but I like the fact that I can't destroy my ears (with super loud volume) when wearing these things the same way I can w/ the Jabras. The only reason I list this as a con is because the buyer should be able to hear their music at whatever volume they want. So if you like having your music completely cranked up, these aren't for you. However, you'll likely no where near get the same sound quality unless you go up the ladder in price.Nothing touches the sound quality of the PI7s at <$300. Nothing.

Sooo I’m up to my second pair. These are the absolute best in-earbuds I’ve ever heard, hands down, just perfect. I didn’t even have to adjust while at the gym, they were comfortable and secure too. The first pair had the famous connectivity issues and the second the same, only as I had my music app open on my iPhone I noticed it was randomly stopping and starting. Basically the left earbud was malfunctioning and operating by itself. This could have what had been happening with the first but didn’t realize, just thought it was loosing connectivity. This happened after 2 weeks, the other issue happened after 3.For such a wonderful company, their case has a major design flaw too, it’s slippery. Never understood why Sennheiser had cloth and others rubber…now I know. These things will fly out of your hands in seconds and their buds are not durable at all. Also the case randomly snaps close when you’re trying to pair etc…so the case is not the greatest as far as functionality and design either.These sound sooo good that I almost want to buy a third pair but I won’t let myself. It’s back to the functional, reliable 2-year old Sennheiser Momentum’s and my Soundcore Liberty Airs. I’ll definitely be buying the next iteration of these where the fix all these problems but until then I’m holding onto my 400+ dollars.———————-Ok so this sucker tried again and purchased pair no. 3 (because after you hear them you can’t unhear them and nothing else will do) BUT I experienced the Bluetooth dropping again. They sound soooo good I almost considered keeping them with the drops then drum roll please Bang & Olufsens Beoplay EQ arrived and simply blew these out of the water.1. They work2. There’s eq in the app3. Sound is amazing and a bass heads dream (eq means they also work for non-bass heads)4. They are significantly louder than the PI7s, I knew they were low but these really showed my by how much5. Volume control via buds6. You are talking about excellent customer experience, just download the app to see for yourself. It has EVERYTHING you need including the operating manual (this company really knows how to do software)7. The case is non slippery and even has a kind of grippable soft bottom8. Several ear tips including Complys9. Bluetooth 5.2I could go on but you get the picture, just like the Pi7s blew my Sennheisers out the water (when I thought they would actually work) these blew the Pi7s out the water. If you want to be satisfied for every penny you spend then I highly suggest you get these instead you’ll thank me later.