The Bowers & Wilkins PI6 are premium in-ear wireless headphones aimed at audiophiles and anyone who values top-tier sound quality.
With their large 12mm bio-cellulose drivers and active noise cancelling (ANC) features, these earbuds promise high-fidelity audio in a sleek and elegant form. They feature a 24-hour all-inclusive battery, IP54 water and dust resistance, and an easy-to-use app. Despite their emphasis on superior audio quality, they come with a fairly competitive price tag.
Design
The PI6 boasts a sleek, premium design that is unmistakably B&W. High-quality materials lend them a premium feel, with a metal-accented housing that complements their elegant design. We’re loving our Glacier Blue review unit as a soft and understated blue. It’s available in a similarly muted green, forest green.
The buds are chunkier than your average true wireless bud, but we found they seat better in-ear because of it. They’re not heavy and they don’t feel like they’re plugging your ear, which we felt with Sony’s WF-1000XM4. This may partly be because there are no memory foam ear tips, but there are 4 sizes of silicone ear tips.
We like the overall fit – they’re light, comfortable, and easy to pop-in. It’s worth noting that we have larger ears, so small ears may find them bulky. With an IP54 rating, the PI6 is resistant to dust and water splashes, making it suitable for workouts or daily use in pretty much any environment.
Controls
The headphone controls are not our favorite feature, but they work well enough. The outside of each bud is a touch button that has the usual single tap, double tap, and triple tap functionality. The only configuration that’s currently possible is changing what the tap-and-hold controls. It can control the volume, or one bud can control ANC while the other controls the voice assistant.
The sound mode touch control only toggles between noise cancellation and pass-through; if you want to listen with ANC off you need to use the app. The buds are large enough that you can insert or readjust them without accidentally touching one of the controls.
App and Features
The Bower and Wilkins app for Pi6 is very basic. You can switch between noise modes, you can choose from two options for tap-and-hold controls, and there’s EQ settings with a slider for bass and treble. The buds thankfully come with a wear sensor for auto-play and auto-pause which works well. You can turn this feature off in-app.
The app has an integration with a handful of music services that’s supposed to make streaming music from multiple services more seamless, but they’re missing most of the popular streaming services. The only other in-app options are updating your headphones or pairing new devices. The Pi6 personalization options are lacking.
Battery
The battery life of the PI6 is respectable, offering 8 hours for the ear buds with ANC on. The charging case adds an additional 16 for a total of 24 hours. There’s also a quick charge which gets you 2 hours of playback. It charges with USB-C, and there’s a short USB-C to USB-C cable included. The case does not support wireless charging.
Sound Quality
The PI6 sound quality and experience is its real selling point. The buds offer fantastic detail and liveliness with a spacious soundstage and clear separation between different frequencies. They are equipped with 2x12mm bio-cellulose drivers. The balance between clarity in the mids and punchy bass makes the PI6 stand out, especially for vocal-heavy tracks.
The bass is punchy and deep, but controlled. The mids are clear and smooth, particularly in vocals and instruments. The highs are crisp and well-detailed, offering sparkle without being overly harsh. While there’s not much EQ customization beyond a treble and bass slider, the factory tuning is excellent and well-balanced.
The microphone quality was fairly good. Voice quality was natural and clear, though background noise reduction was just okay considering each bud has 3 microphones to help reduce noise.
Noise Modes
The ANC is very good, though still not as aggressive at noise cancelling as Sony or Bose. It’s a very clean and natural ANC that noticeably reduces noise. It’s best at cancelling low-level ambient noise. You’ll still hear some airplane and commuting white noise, but considerably less than you would without it enabled.
The buds naturally have good noise isolation, so ANC isn’t always required. The transparency mode is fairly average and too unnatural-sounding for our taste. For some reason, half the time we insert the buds they’re set to transparency despite never using this feature — possibly an accidental touch that happens too often.
Bottom Line
The Bowers & Wilkins Pi6 deliver an exceptional sound experience, making them ideal for audiophiles who value clarity, deep bass, and a wide soundstage. Their durable build and comfortable fit support long listening sessions in any environment.
While the limited EQ and app features might leave some wanting more control, the Pi6 strikes a good balance between design, sound, and comfort. At $249, they compete well against pricier models like Sony and Bose for sound quality, though they fall short in ANC and features.
For an even richer experience, Bowers & Wilkins’ new Pi8 offers aptX lossless Bluetooth, better materials, and advanced features.
The Pi6 offers superb audio, with rich bass, clear mids, and a broad soundstage. Its premium design, comfy fit, long battery, and IP54 rating are ideal for daily use. But, limited EQ options, a basic app, and occasional connectivity issues keep it from reaching its full potential. At $249, it’s a great choice for those who value audiophile-level sound quality over advanced features.