Bowers & wilkins pi7 s2

In-ear headphones | £349 | whf.cm/Pi7_S2

Does the hi-fi equipment we are testing justify shelling out a couple of hundred (or thousand) pounds? And how can we recommend a premium product when a perfectly capable alternative exists at a much lower price? These are the questions we ask ourselves every time we test a new product at What Hi-Fi?. And they are particularly pertinent when it comes to the Bowers & Wilkins’ Pi7 S2 premium wireless earbuds.

We reviewed the original B&W Pi7 two years ago and were impressed with their “wonderfully detailed and clear” sound. But connectivity issues, low battery life and ‘basic’ noise-cancelling left us wanting more, especially at the high asking price. Can the sequel deliver a more promising performance?

About that price. There’s no getting away from it: at £349 these buds are very expensive. In fact, they are one of the most expensive true wireless earbuds we have tested, costing more than our current premium Award-winner, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (£280), and Apple’s flagship five-star AirPods Pro 2 (£249). We know there are similarly pricey (if not pricier) models out there from the likes of Bang & Olufsen and Master & Dynamic, but this still feels steep from a brand that is as close to mainstream as a hi-fi company can get.

At least the Pi7 S2 earbuds’ build and design still exude the same level of high quality befitting the high price tag. The elliptical design returns, with a metallic circular protrusion that houses the buds’ drivers, capacitive touch controls and antenna. The buds are a tad on the large side and do stick out of your ears in a chic Cyberman kind of way, but they look more sleek than bulky.

They have had a fresh lick of paint, and are now available in canvas white, satin black or midnight blue. Each has a different metallic accent to suit the finish – it all looks very premium and classy. The matching charging case is similarly styled, but it can feel a tad too large next to the more compact, pocket-friendly designs we have seen recently from Apple, Sony and Samsung.

The fit of the buds has divided opinions in our review team. The ‘twist and lock’ technique for securing the buds in our ears was met with differing levels of success. Some found the larger size (each bud weighs 7g) tricky to lock into place and uncomfortable to wear after a few hours, while others had no problem getting them to fit and stay secure.

Weighty presence

The Bose and Apple buds are lighter at around 6.2g an