Bowers & Wilkins PI4 in Ear Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones - Black

2nd UPDATE: Apparently, I had a defective set. Bowers & Wilkins sent me a replacement for free, and I have not had any disconnect issues so far. That propels these back to being the best pair of in-ear headphones I've ever owned.UPDATE: I still love the sound quality of these headphones, but have updated my review to 3 stars. The reason being is that these headphones disconnect from my iPhone A LOT. For example, in the last 30 minutes they've disconnected 3 times while listening to music.I have never had this issue with any other bluetooth headphone. Multiple times throughout the day I suddenly lose sound and then the voice prompt says" disconnected'. Most times they reconnect a few moments later, sometimes however I have to manually reconnect. Sometimes I can go for an hour without an issue, and sometimes they disconnect and reconnect so often that I get annoyed and switch to a different pair of headphones. It's a shame because the sound is great. For the $$$ these are it's unacceptable.Original Review:These headphones are amazing. The sound quality is crisp, and detailed. The bass is present, but not overwhelming. I was a little worried, because some of the reviews claim the noise cancellation is ineffective. In my experience, the noise cancellation works great. I tested it while in my bedroom with a fan on. Set to high, it completely cut out the noise of the fan while listening. The only downside I can think of is that the neckband design is rather bulky. This isn't enough to take away from how truly awesome these headphones sound, however.

Turn off and back on randomly, sometimes you hear strange very high pitch noise right before it goes down and back on. it happens about a couple of times in an hour. (I read the same issue from another amazon review but I didn't believe it I was like yeah it might just that pi4)the connection between app and PI4 is so random even you have a solid Bluetooth connection and you are listening from P4i but the app on the phone still can not find PI4, you have to power cycle Pi4 couple times to get the connection then the app will update your personal setting to the Pi4. however, you need good luck with thisat this point, it is meaningless to talk about ANC and other functions, it just doesn't work continuouslyOh yes! it sounds really really good! so good that I want to keep it even after all these issues,but once PI4 power re-cycles 3time in one song I am like 'B&W shame on you, you should not release this product' I am returning it.

I own B&W 803 speakers that still amaze me. Obviously can't get that sound out of earbuds but the sound quality and imaging is excellent! The only problem is they don't play loud enough for my taste. Trying to decide on these or Grado GT220

I purchased this to replace my 5.5 years old QC20 when it stopped working, when I just got this device, I found the noise cancellation function is worse than QC20, the sound quality is fine but the app won't let you to modify the EQ like other brands', so basically the app is useless. Then I noticed that the battery is the worst part of the device, it claims that the battery could last about 10 hours, but mine only could do about 6 hours. Then after 2 month very light use, the device stopped working. So, overall, the PI4 is much worse than the QC20 from my experience. Very disappointed.

For the purposes of this review, I’m comparing them to the models-AirPod prosSony WF-1000XM3 IAll of the above are Wireless earbuds with noise cancellation.The air pods pro are hands down the best at noise canceling. The audio quality is pretty darn good. I found them to be extremely uncomfortable and returned them to Apple.The Sony WF-1000XM3 are great sounding. Not perfectly comfortable, but worthy of wearing because of the sound quality. Noise canceling on the Sony’s are fair to good, and they can at times let the Outside sound get in the way of the music.The Bowers and Wilkins P-14’s are in my humble opinion the best sounding earbuds of the bunch. It’s going to be a matter of time before these Bowers grab the attention of established online reviewers. These can’t be ignored for the quality of sound that they produce.As for comfort, they are just Ok. Definitely much more manageable than the Air pods pro, but tight on the ears.My problem with these Bower and Wilkins is the noise cancellation. After testing them in all different types of environments, It’s almost as though the noise cancellation is not fully engaged? They have settings for auto-low-medium and high. When in the real world (like at the gym) there is no discernible difference between the noise canceling settings. I’m definitely not getting good noise cancellation.One thing worth mentioning is that although these are not truly wire free buds, I consider that much more of an asset. Volume controls, play and pause are nicely laid out and very accessible. Blue tooth pairing is not all that great. But one they pair up, they work just fine. Just a bit slow in comparison to the Apple and the Sony products mentioned above.If you’re NOT planning on using these to go on a plane, or at the gym, then these Bower and Wilkins P14’s are a hidden gem when it comes to sound. And maybe that outweighs the mediocre performance of the noise cancellation?———————————————————Review update November 17, 2019I returned these and dropped my rating from 4 stars to 3. I picked up a pair of the Bowers and Wilkins P13. They are $100 less in price and without noise canceling.They use a system called Dual Drivers (9.2mm, Balanced Armature). Just when I thought the sound of the P14’s could not get much better along came the Little sister Bowers P13’s. Amazing to my ears! And what was most surprising was their ability to block noise, without a cancellation system.I hope my review helps people in Amazon land, but I have to wrap it up by saying everybody’s ears are different. Kind of like fingerprints, no two alike. And a lot of what makes earbuds good are how they fit inside the ear. Comfort varies from person to person. But I think there’s one thing we almost all judge equally and that’s noise cancellation. And for earbuds The Apple AirPods pros have won that game hands down.

I read a review saying these headphones have no bass and sounded tinny! I'm listening to Primus ( serious bass) as I write this. These headphones sound amazing and I would recommend them to anyone! I only wish I could go louder! Not sure that has anything to do with the headphones. Sound is crystal clear, the noise cancelling is the best I have come across. I have it set to auto and there is no outside noise. I did not rate battery life because this is my 1st time using these headphones. I have not put that to the test. Love these headphones! Cant wait to get my PX7's!!!

Ich war auf der Suche nach neuen Bluetooth in ear Kopfhörern für meine Apple Watch, da ich bisher nur kabelgebundene Kopfhörer besitze. Die Kopfhörer sollten mobil sein um mich auf dem Weg zur Arbeit und beim Sport zu begleiten.Aus diesem Grund habe ich mir 4 Modelle bestellt:Bowers & Wilkins PI4Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2Sony WF-1000XM3Bose QC EarbudsPerfekt war keiner davon, ich schreibe mal meine Pros und Cons im Vergleich zu den jeweils anderen Drei auf:Bowers & Wilkins PI4+ Sehr gute Tonqualität mit dem besten Bass+ Höchste mögliche Lautstärke und dabei komplett verzerrungsfrei+ Sehr bequem (wenn man die StayHear+ oder die StayHear Ultra Silikonaufsetze verwendet, die super passen, dann genauso bequem wie die Bose. Die StayHear+ sind bequemer, die StayHear Ultra haben eine etwas bessere passive Geräuschdämmung)+ Können nicht verloren gehen, da mit Nackenband. Man muss auch nichts in den Hosentaschen mit herumtragen, da die Kopfhörer um den Nacken hängen.+ Multipair mit bis zu 2 Geräten gleichzeitig+ Kabelnutzung über USB. Schließt man die Kopfhörer zum Laden an den USB Port eines PCs an, kann man das PC Audio über Kabel an den Kopfhörern wiedergeben.+ Nutzung während des Ladens+ Sehr hochwertige Materialien und Verarbeitung. Alles aus Metall und hochwertigem Gummi.+ Besitzt die größten Treiber (14,2mm)+ Sehr gute passive Dämmung+ Haptische Bedienungsknöpfe+ Sehr angenehme integrierte Stimme beim Wechseln der ANC Modi+ Halten sehr gut im Ohr- Berührung der Kabel erzeugen ein Geräusch in den Kopfhörern- Kabel etwas lang, so dass sie nach vorne abstehen- ANC nicht das Beste, aber durchaus nützlich- Mikrofon sehr leise beim Telefonieren oder bei Sprachaufnahmen- Ohren fühlen sich geschlossen an- Kein Equalizer+- Bluetooth Verbindung braucht anscheinend viel CPU Leistung vom Handy. Wenn mein Handy überfordert ist, weil es gerade eine Website lädt und ich schon nach unten wische wie ein verrückter, dann hängt die Verbindung. Zuerst dachte ich, es läge allgemein an der Verbindung, aber ich konnte den Fall immer wieder rekonstruieren. Hier ist also eher die Leistung des Handys/der Smartwatch das Problem+- Die Musik spielt eher im Kopf als außerhalb+- Die Differenzierung der einzelnen Töne/Instrumente ist nicht perfekt, aber immer noch sehr gutBose QC Earbuds+ ANC ist der Hammer!+ Die Bequemsten die es gibt (noch minimal bequemer als die B&W PI4 mit den StayHear+ Aufsetzen)+ Bass regelt sich automatisch nach Lautstärke (so hört man bei sehr leiser Wiedergabe auch noch Bass)++ Halten sehr gut im Ohr- Differenzierung einzelner Töne/Instrumente Fließt eher alles zusammen, vor allem wenn viel auf einmal spielt- ANC lässt sich nicht deaktivieren!!! Stellt man das ANC runter, dann wird automatisch das Pass Through hochgestellt. Ein no go bei Wind/Joggen/Fahrradfahren, da ich hier immer, egal bei welcher Einstellung ein starkes Rauschen habe.- Schreckliche Computerstimme bei Connect/Disconnect- Sehr großes Ladecase (nicht für die Hosentasche)- Kein Equalizer- Verbindung nur mit einem Gerät gleichzeitig+- Insgesamt sehr gute Soundqualität, allerdings schlechter als die Mitbewerber+- Die Musik spielt eher im Kopf als außerhalb+- Mikrofonqualität ist okSennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2+ Bühne -> Die Musik kommt hier definitiv von außen, Die Kopfhörer erzeugen eine sehr gute Räumlichkeit+ Soundqualität ist super+ Die Differenzierung von Tönen/Instrumenten gelingt hier am Besten+ Sehr schönes Case+ Halten sehr gut im Ohr- Das ANC ist leider nicht sonderlich stark allerdings nützlich. Es ist stärker als bei den B&W PI4- Tragekomfort ist nicht perfekt, nach 1-2 Stunden konnte ich sie nicht mehr tragen, auch wenn sie anfangs garnicht zu spüren waren. Anders bei den Bose und B&W hier spürt man die Ohrhörer immer, aber sie werden nie unangenehm+- Die passive Geräuschdämmung ist nicht hoch, dadurch spürt man aber auch keine Dämpfung während des Tragens.+- Vorhandener Equalizer, allerdings nur grob, es gibt keinen Band-EqualizerSony WF-1000XM3- Hält nicht im Ohr, egal mit welchen Aufsätzen. Hier passen auch die Aufsätze von den Sennheisern drauf, welche dafür gesorgt haben, dass die Sennheiser sehr gut in meinen Ohren sitzen. Die Sony fallen allerdings auch mit den Sennheiser Aufsätzen nach dreimal Kopfschütteln raus.Aus diesem Grund konnte ich die Sony leider nicht weiter testenFazit:Aus Tragekomfort Gründen war letztlich nur noch die Entscheidung zwischen den Bose und den B&W zu fällen.Am liebsten hätte ich die Funktionen und den Bass der B&W in Kombination mit dem ANC (aber deaktivierbar) sowie dem Tragekomfort der Bose und der Differenziertheit sowie Bühne der Sennheiser gehabt.Auch der Preis ist in meine Entscheidung mit eingeflossen:B&W 120€ Amazon Warehouse sehr gutBose 220€ neuSennheiser 255€ neuWenn bei den Bose das ANC deaktivierbar gewesen wäre, hätte ich evtl. diese genommen, da das einfach der Hammer ist! So ist allerdings was das Gesamtpaket und vor allem auch den Preis angeht, der B&W PI4 für mich der Beste Kopfhörer aus dieser Auswahl. Für 300€ hätte ich ihn vermutlich nicht gekauft, dann hätte ich keinen der Kopfhörer genommen und entweder einen Over Ear oder erstmal weitere In Ears getestet. Für 120€ kann man hier aber definitiv nichts falsch machen und hat wunderbare Allround sport Kopfhörer, die man sogar stationär mit Kabel betreiben kann.Nachtrag 1:Der besonders starke Bass wird nur mit den Bose Stayhear Plus/Ultimate Silikonaufsätzen erreicht.Mit den original B&W ist der Bass schwächer, dafür die Bühne minimal weiter.Zum Bluetooth:Es gibt manchmal Aussetzer, wenn das Gerät (Smartphone/Smartwatch) während der Musikwiedergabe noch mit einem anderen Bluetooth Gerät verbunden ist und hier Daten ausgetauscht werden.

I had been looking to replace my Bowers & Wilkins C5 series 1 after they began to fail after 7 years of use (a trip through the washing machine probably didn’t help). I was really looking for a truly wireless solution so as much as I wanted to replace them with another set from B&W, I chose to purchase the AirPods Pro instead - what a mistake! They sounded terrible, thin and mid-forward. I also found that the truly wireless buds to give a sense of freedom from wires but became a nuisance if you quickly wanted to remove one as you have do something with it, put it somewhere safe or back in the case. I had to return them.I toyed with purchasing the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 but decided to go to the PI4’s instead. For fans of the B&W sound, these don’t disappoint! Bass is thick and substantial but without overwhelming the mids like my old C5’s did. To my ears they sound lovely and clear and the highs are just right. Compared to the AirPods, these completely annihilated them for quality. They are also much louder.Comfort and convenience - I actually really like the neckband, it’s so much more convenient than truly wireless in everyday use. Yes the form is bigger, but if you ever need to take one out, it just hangs round your neck. I also prefer the position of the control buttons. Comfort-wise, these feel way more secure than AirPods and certainly improve on the comfort of the C5’s. They strike a good balance but I’ll need to wear them for longer to really test their comfort.The connection has been absolutely rock solid so far, no drop-outs at all. I’m not one to leave my phone in one room and wander round the house though.If you’re looking for noise cancelling then I would say that this is the area where the PI4’s fall short as they don’t really cancel much noise at all. I don’t have a lot of experience with ANC headphones but the AirPods Pro were certainly better. But we also need to put this into context as although the AirPods were better they didn’t create complete silence and only removed more of the low frequencies. If you really want to block out lots of noise you should be looking at a pair of over-ears.As far as battery life goes, I charged them a week ago and use them for 30-40 mins everyday and they still have 40% left so I don’t have any complaints here.In conclusion, I am really happy with these. If sound quality is your priority then in my opinion they are very good. What I would say though is that if you don’t need as much battery life, then as the PI3’s are supposed to sound very similar, they might be the better buy given that they are £100 cheaper.Update December 2021 - these headphones have been brilliant and I have managed to use them on a train and on a flight. Using noise cancelling, they were able to quiet-down a decent amount of background noise which meant I could keep the volume down to about 60%. I have had no issues with drop-outs and can wear them for hours without any comfort issues. Still very happy with them.

Like many who will be looking at these headphones, I'm a long standing fan of the Bowers & Wilkins brand. I have had a pair of 603S2 speakers in my lounge for many years, and the inclusion of their upgraded sound system even had a bearing on the car specification I chose earlier this year. So when I was in the market for a new pair of headphones which would be used for travel, day to day music and a fair spread of conference calls... this seemed a no brainier.NegativesI'll start hear I'm afraid because these are deal breakers. To be honest, I think the product should still be in R&D... I can see with the traction Apple and Sony have gained in this space B&W wanted these release, but they're not ready!1) They don't work in the cold. Someone else reported this as well and I assumed it was a one off. Nope. They obviously have a battery issue. I was given a pretty poor excuse that lithium batteries decrease in performance when the temperature drops... yeah they do... but my phone, watch, laptop etc. don't all suddenly cut out and go into an odd reboot cycle when it gets to c.1-2 deg C. Come on guys! This is BS... your batteries clearly suck.2) Regardless of the above, I found the Bluetooth connection to be highly unstable. Over a few days of testing and perseverance, I regular had drop outs during a call or playback. There were also other strange glitches... for example... listening to music, phone rings, take call, end call... Bluetooth connection lost, not possible to start music again - normally it would be automatic.On the so so side... the neck band is quite long. I didn't think I would mind this as I had been using a pair of Bose FreeSound Sport (left them on a plane - doh), but actually it is much longer. The mic position was a key reason I chose this but the cord is quite long so it really does sit on your shoulders. It's probably not quite as refined as it could be. Finally there is an app to connect and tweak a few settings... but it is rather lacking behind Sony for instance who offer far more control over the sound. I would say if B&W want to compete here... they need a lot more development.Ear tip options are good in that you get a separate choice of tips and wings. I don't know if aftermarket foam tips would have been an option but I assume they would because of this... so that's good I guess.On the positive. Material choice, packaging, and general feel are all very good. It looks quite premium... though the end sections of the band nearer the headphones looks like it could easily kink. The sound quality is definitely super clear, very refined. I felt it lacked bass but I would have need to experiment more with the ear tips to get the seal right I think.Overall all though, vastly disappointing. I honestly think the battery and connection issues are so fundamental that they should pull this product until it is sorted. For such a prestigious brand name... its a bit of a shocker IMO that this made it on sale prior to that being sorted.

I've been using this headphone since December and I felt that it was fair to use if for several months before reviewing it.First, the sound quality is pretty good. It's also more comfortable and easy to wear than you might think (though of course that's subjective).What's NOT so good is the noise cancelling, which could have been better - certainly if B & W wish to offer a credible alternative to manufacturers like Bose and others. The NC isn't especially effective, and I can detect no differences between the levels of NC offered.And what is truly awful is the poor level of connectivity. Experiment with the various blutooth settings and I'm afraid you'll become aware that the stability of connection is VERY poor indeed. Last night for instance (on a setting that prioritises connection over sound) my set disconnected 4 times in one hour, with no electrical interference around and me sitting at home in one place. A similar level of disconnection with other Digital players too. My main player is a Sony NW ZX300 and I've experimented with various settings, all to no avail.I've had this headphone since Dec 2019 and its now mid June 2020 and there has been NO software upgrades at all, which seems to suggest either B & W aren't interested in the niggles (although I find this hard to believe) OR that they don't think the problems are fixable.Either way, you're spending a lot of money for average NC and generally very poor connectivity over blutooth.Really surprised that coming from B & W this earphone is as average as it is, and I'm really sorry to be saying that.

These sound very good; almost as good, I'd say, as the full-size B&W headphones which are excellent (I also have the PX7s). These PI4s are, of course, much more convenient than the full-size headphones for travel as they take up very little space. The neckband is quite long and, as you can see from the photos, the ear-phone chords are visible from the sides and the front. The advantage though is they are very secure and you can take them in and out without them getting lost or having to hold them. The controls are easy to locate as well. And these headphones also stay put in your ear with the ear-hook design - better than previous offerings in my experience. I've walked for miles with these and they didn't need adjusting and they are very comfortable. I haven't tried the phone-call aspect of these so won't comment on that (which isn't of much importance to me) and while these do block a lot of outside noise, I was aware of my surroundings to some extent. The full-size noise cancelling headphones do a better job of blocking sound, although these aren't bad at it. So back to the main thing - the music - which sounds great throughout the range with nice bass and clear trebles as well as very detailed vocal/midrange reproduction. I can see me using these while out and about a lot!