Headphones — B&W (Bowers & Wilkins) Pi8

The Pi8 is a true wireless in-ear headphone from Bowers & Wilkins, positioned at the top of the brand's TWC in-ear range. B&W has built a considerable wireless headphone and earbud lineup alongside its traditional loudspeaker business over the past several years, and the Pi8 represents the flagship expression of that effort within the true wireless category specifically.

Position in line

It sits above the Pi6 in B&W's true wireless hierarchy, near the Px7 S2 and Px8 S2 over-ear models in overall product tier positioning. As the flagship true wireless model, the Pi8 likely carries B&W's most refined driver and processing technology within this category, while the Pi6 below it represents a more accessible entry point sharing some but not all of that engineering.

Key specs that matter

Each earpiece weighs 7 g, with the charging case adding 46 g, a light and pocketable total for daily carry - unremarkable figures within the true wireless category broadly, where most competing flagship models sit in a fairly similar weight range regardless of brand.

Sound and use context

As a closed dynamic-driver TWS design, expect isolation from outside noise consistent with the sealed in-ear format, a standard characteristic of the format that applies regardless of which specific brand or price tier a true wireless in-ear comes from.

Pairing

As a Bluetooth design it needs no separate amplification - it pairs directly with any phone or computer, and B&W's own app likely offers additional tuning or noise-cancelling controls specific to this model, worth exploring after initial setup.

Alternatives

The Pi6 sits below this model in B&W's TWS range at a more accessible price. The Px7 S2 and Px8 S2 move into the brand's over-ear wireless range instead, worth considering if the isolation and stability of an over-ear design matters more than the compact, in-ear form factor. Buyers specifically prioritising call quality and voice pickup, alongside music playback, should check B&W's own published microphone specifications, since flagship true wireless models increasingly differentiate themselves on call performance as much as playback fidelity. Firmware updates delivered through B&W's app are also worth checking for periodically after purchase, since true wireless products in this category commonly receive meaningful sound and feature improvements well after the original release date.