Bowers & Wilkins details Pi6 and Pi8 true wireless earbuds ear fit design process

Bowers & Wilkins has detailed the ear fit design background of the Pi6 and Pi8 in-ear true wireless earbuds with active noise cancellation and IP54 dust and water resistance.

The company researched earbud fit over three years with over a hundred prototypes to improve the fit of the Pi6 and Pi8. Their research unveiled that ear sizes did not relate to a person's gender, ethnicity, or sex. The company says an improved body design with better balance, along with triple microphones per earbud, has helped improve the ANC performance over prior models. Both come with four ear tip sizes to help users find a good fit.

The Pi6 supports the Qualcomm aptX Adaptive audio codec, enabling up to 24-bit 96 kHz transmissions at up to 420 kbps. The earbuds reproduce music using 12 mm bio-cellulose drivers with 2-band equalization. With ANC on, the Pi6 has an eight hour runtime, with an additional 16 hours from the charging case according to B&W.

The Pi8 supports the Qualcomm aptX Lossless codec, enabling 16-bit 44.1 kHz and 24-bit 96 kHz transmissions at ~1 Mbps. Its case adds the ability to retransmit music from wired USB-C and 3.5 mm audio sources using the aptX Adaptive codec to the Pi8 earbuds. The earbuds reproduce music using 12 mm carbon cone drivers and support 5-band equalization. With ANC on, the Pi8 has a 6.5 hour runtime, with an additional 13.5 hours from the charging case, according to B&W.

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 has an MSRP of $249 (available here on Amazon) and comes in cloud grey, forest green, glacier blue, and storm grey. The Pi8 has an MSRP of $399 (available here on Amazon) and comes in anthracite black, dove white, jade green, and midnight blue.