As you would expect from a flagship product from Bowers & Wilkins, the Pi8 earbuds (RM2,399) are heavy on design—sleek, slick forms pared down to the essentials. The case clicks shut in a satisfying manner, but is also surprisingly light. Despite this, battery life is decently long—with active noise cancelling on, one gets an additional 13.5 hours from the case to go with 6.5 from the earbuds themselves for a total of 20 hours of use. Bundled with four tip sizes to help find that perfect fit, the earbuds have a fuller shape that feels secure when sitting in the ear.
And, as you would also expect from a flagship product from Bowers & Wilkins, they sound pretty great, too. Equipped with 12mm Carbon Cone drive units, they have great clarity and detail, and a wide soundstage that belies their size. When paired with the phone app, users can customise the sound signature with their own EQ settings—though this is somewhat limited with only five bands available. The Pi8 has a nifty trick as well, as its re-transmission function has been carried over from its predecessor—the case can be fed with a wired source from an analogue or digital source, and sent to the earbuds. This allows the Pi8 to be used when Bluetooth is not available—for in-flight entertainment systems, for example, or other legacy systems with a 3.5mm output.
The Pi8 is available in four colours—black, white, blue, or green—plus an additional grey-and-orange special edition (RM2,999). The latter is thanks to the brand’s ongoing collaboration with motoring icon and fellow British stalwart, McLaren Automotive.
