Two years after launching its first pair of truly wireless headphones, Bowers and Wilkins is here with two updated models. The $399 (£349/€399) PI7 S2 is the higher end of the two, with dual drivers, more microphones, and the ability to use its charging case to stream audio from a wired source (such as an entertainment system). in flight) when Bluetooth is not an option. There’s also the lowered $299 (£249/€299) PI5 S2.
Both headphones now offer five hours of listening on a single charge. That’s more than the original PI7 headphones’ four hours and the original PI5’s 4.5 hours, though it falls short of our current top wireless headphone picks, the Sony WF-1000XM4, which offers eight hours of playback as well like six hours. hour AirPods Pro 2. The case of the PI7 S2 offers 16 more hours, while that of the PI5 S2 offers 19.
B&W also boasts “enhanced wireless connectivity” on both pairs of headphones, increasing their Bluetooth range to 25 meters (about 82 feet). But the actual wireless codecs listed as supported are the same as last time: aptX Adaptive for the PI7 S2 and the low-end aptX for the PI5 S2, and there’s no sign of support for the new aptX Lossless.
Other differences between the PI7 S2 and PI5 S2 include an additional built-in microphone on the former, which has three microphones per ear cup instead of two. The PI7 S2 also has a two-driver setup, which typically offers more detailed sound, compared to a single driver with the PI5 S2. Finally, the higher-end model comes with adaptive noise cancellation, which adjusts to your surroundings, compared to the active noise cancellation on the PI5 S2 (which can be set manually via the companion app).
Both headphones are available starting today. The PI7 S2 comes in black, white or blue, while the PI5 S2 comes in two shades of grey, lilac and, later this spring, green.
