As a frequent traveller, one unique feature of the new Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 earbuds jumped out at me whilst I was editing the review. Although I prefer using a pair of the best noise-cancelling headphones rather than the best earbuds for my travel preferences, if you’re all for in-ears then you’ll love what the Pi8 can offer.
The new earbuds’ case is able to transmit wirelessly (and in Hi-Res Audio, no less) – which means you can plug the case into, say, an in-flight entertainment system (IFE) using the USB-C-to-3.5mm cable (you may want an additional adapter if you’re flying on older metal) and have audio pumped into your ears at the highest of quality.
When I travel I’m able to do similar with the AirFly (review here) to get IFE audio over to my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, for example. It’s a really easy-to-use system, but I’d be even more impressed if the Bose came with a gadget in the box that would enable that feature from the off. That’s exactly the middleman that the Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 cuts out of the equation.
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You’re not only restricted to using in-flight, of course. It might be that you’ve got a high-end source elsewhere in a room at home – after all, Hi-Res Audio smartphones are hard to come by (here’s looking at you Sony Xperia 1 VI) – and want to benefit from that aptX Adaptive codec at up to a lossy 24bit/96kHz standard. This is where Bowrs & Wilkins sings, after all.
It’s well worth looking at T3’s review of these new high-end earbuds, as while they’re expensive we go into detail as to why they’re worth the cover price. There are also the just-released Pi6 earbuds, too, but these don’t feature that advanced wireless transmission case feature. That step up, while niche for some people, will be loved by frequent fliers who value their audio quality (here’s me hoping you can match it with a relevant plane and seat).
“At every turn, the Pi8 are a deft, informative and thoroughly entertaining listen,” reads our review. “They’re able to organise even the most complicated recordings confidently, and lay them out on a big, coherent soundstage with plenty of breathing space for every individual element.” That’s high praise for in-ears that I rarely get to read, but then Bowers & Wilkins is best-in-class at this.
