TRUE WIRELESS pt2

Yep, there are so many ace in-ears we couldn’t fit them all on one spread – so here, instead of the originally scheduled pull-out Phil Collins poster, is your second helping

BOWERS & WILKINS Pi7 S2

Acouple of years on from the first-gen Pi7 in-ears comes a successor. We didn’t experience any dropout issues as some did with the old model, but B&W has redesigned the antenna system anyway to ensure connectivity consistency this time around. And it seems to have worked.

As before they’re pretty big in the ear, but they do have dual drivers in each earpiece: a 9.2mm unit alongside a balanced-armature driver for the higher frequencies. Still, they’re really light and comfortable, as long as – and this is key – you get the fit right.

Qualcomm’s aptx Adaptive tech is at the core, with adaptive ANC thanks to six mics and transparency mode. Unfortunately, the ANC isn’t the best. Rivals work better – and on a flight we found they weren’t blocking louder noises at all, though low-level stuff was fine. The B&W Music app enables you to adjust the transparency mode, although not EQ settings, which will be a downer for some. You can adjust whether you want playback to stop when you remove a bud, though.

One of our bugbears with in-ear buds generally is touch controls – and here they’re just a pain. They’re so easy to activate by mistake if you adjust a bud in your ear. Another downside is that the battery life is so-so by today’s standards – 5hrs maximum from the buds and an uncompetitive 16hrs from the large case (which can fast-charge).

Thankfully, the Pi7 S2s excel in the one area where they need to: audio quality. You’ll find the sound of these earphones absolutely stunning. It’s really focused and punchy for heavier tracks but also deft and warm for the lighter stuff. We can’t speak highly enough of it, and it’s worth the high premium – but a star is knocked off for the imperfect noise-cancellation and so-so battery life.

Price £349 / go.stuff.tv/pi7s2

Key specs

● Bluetooth 5.0 ● SBC, AAC, aptx ● ANC ● 5hrs + 16hrs case ● 2x 7g

STUFF SAYS They sound simply brilliant, but the ANC isn’t up with the best ★★★★✩