Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 bring better battery life and premium styling
Flagship true wireless in-ears joined by more mainstream Pi5
Fashion-conscious audiophiles have two new top tier in-ears to watch out for, courtesy of B&W. The Bowers and Wilkins Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2 are second-gen versions of the firm’s true wireless ‘buds, bringing enhanced connectivity, extended battery life, and a wider selection of premium finishes to choose from.
The new models, which replace the outgoing Pi7 and Pi5 in the line-up, can now last five hours between trips to their respective charging cases. Both will be good for a further two hours of listening after a 15 minute pitstop. The Pi7 S2 has an extra 16 hours in reserve, while the Pi5 S2 has a further 19.
Redesigned internal antennae extend Bluetooth range to 25m, while keeping aptX on-board for high quality playback. The Pi7 uses the more advanced aptX Adaptive codec, which supports 24-bit/48kHz – perfect for Qobuz, TIDAL and Deezer, which are all baked in to the Bowers & Wilkins Music smartphone companion app.
The Pi7 S2 remains the flagship, with dual drivers (one 9.2mm dynamic and one balanced armature), adaptive noise cancellation fed by six microphones and the traveller-friendly wireless audio retransmission function, which lets you hook up its case to in-flight entertainment systems and the like for wireless listening. The overall design hasn’t changed from the first generation, but the S2 is arriving in three new colour options: Satin Black, Canvas White and Midnight Blue.
The Pi5 S2, meanwhile, has 9.2mm dynamic drivers and uses four microphones for its active noise cancelling. ANC strength is user-controlled here, and continues to offer a passthrough mode for better awareness of your surroundings. It’s launching in Cloud Grey, Storm Grey and Spring Lilac colours, with Sage Green set to follow in the coming months.
The Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2 are available right now, directly from Bowers & Wilkins and from the usual places both online and bricks-and-mortar. The Pi5 S2 starts at £299/€299/$299, while the Si7 will set you back £349/$399/€399.
They join B&W’s burgeoning over-ear line-up, which includes the PX7 S2 and flagship PX8.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor