For its new earbuds, Bowers & Wilkins used the same design and engineering teams behind its Px7 S2e and Px8 headphones, and the British audio company said the result was a new industrial design with completely revised mechanical, electronic and acoustic engineering.
Bowers & Wilkins said both new models, the Pi6 (A$449) and Pi8 (A$599) utilise Qualcomm wireless transmission technology and are equipped with active noise cancellation.
Both models support aptXTM Adaptive at 24-bit/96kHz, with aptX Lossless also included for the flagship Pi8.
“The Pi6 uses new 12mm bio-cellulose drive units based on the technology used in the Px7 S2e headphones,” said Bowers & Wilkins.
Built on the same core platform as the older Pi8 model, the company compares the Pi6’s sound quality to the outgoing Pi7 S2, a previous flagship.
The Pi8 adds upgraded DAC, DSP and amplifier components, plus Carbon Cone drive unit technology, first developed for the Px8 over-ear headphones. A Smartcase retransmission function for Pi8 supports audio for USB and 3.5mm connected music sources.
Both Pi6 and Pi8 have IP54-rated protection for the earbuds, aimed at keeping out dust and other particles.
Bowers & Wilkins said there had been significant revisions to the user interface: “The top of each earbud represents a large capacitive touch surface with more advanced sensors that improve the responsiveness and reliability of touch-based interactions.
“The new industrial design also repositions all antenna and microphones within the earbud to avoid the possibility of accidental blockage of wireless or audio signals, while a new IR proximity sensor provides more reliable and responsive wear sensing.”
The reshaped Smartcases cases are slimmer and the case supplied with the flagship Pi8 can support wireless charging and the “innovative Wireless Audio Retransmission technology”, first within the Pi7.
“This allows listeners to retransmit audio to their earbuds wirelessly from connected analogue or digital sources, such as in-flight entertainment systems, home computers or even the latest generation of USB-C-enabled iPhones,” said Bowers & Wilkins.
