Design and features:This Bluetooth wireless noise canceling portable ear-insert model provides very good sound and excellent active noise reduction. Its ear plug-like design and electronic noise canceling feature reduce both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones work with or without the noise canceling feature being turned on. You can use the noise-canceling feature without listening to music. Additional features include Either earpiece can be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications (Wear sensor has to be turned off in the Bowers & Wilkins App). Charging/carrying case has built-in rechargeable battery that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries for an additional 20 hrs. of playtime for a total of 24hrs, can be recharged via USB cable or with optional Qi compatible wireless charging plate. Noise cancellation button on left earpiece cycles between On, Auto, and Off noise cancellation modes. Ambient sound modes High/Low/Off can only be enabled through Bowers & Wilkens app. Has touch control for music player transport, call connect/disconnect, noise cancellation on/auto/off modes, digital voice assistant activation. Supports compatible digital voice assistants when used with Bluetooth connected devices that have those features. Headphones pause audio when earbud is removed and resume audio when placed back in ear and can be turned off from the app. Free Bowers & Wilkens App download provides additional features; two ambient sound modes (low and high), multiple soundscapes with adjustable sleep timer, and firmware updates. Google FastPair compatible. Bluetooth connected Apple mobile devices using iOS Version 5 and above will show the battery level. This model comes with Three pairs of ear pieces in various sizes, USB-C connector charging cable, charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case, Quick Start Guide, Warranty Booklet.
Sound quality: We found the PI5 delivers sound quality that falls in the very good range - it reproduces music and voice very well although it does have some noticeable sonic quirks and excellent active noise reduction. With the noise cancelling mode engaged the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) has good impact and goes fairly deep, but is prominent and boomy. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, but is somewhat grainy, a bit dark and congested, and depending on the program material can be a bit overwhelmed by the bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.). The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended, while it is generally a bit subdued, the mid- treble is a bit prominent and sizzly. While the sound has a decent sense of liveliness, it is somewhat closed (sound-wise it's fairly obvious you have something plugging your ears) and only does a so-so job of recovering room ambience. Warm character. The overall sound can best be summarized as bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.)y, somewhat grainy, and a bit dark. Noise Canceling: Excellent noise reduction across the entire frequency range with the low frequencies reduced the most. Orientation changes the noise reduction characteristic - when the noise is coming from the rear a bit less high-frequency noise can be heard. A faint rushing sound can be heard in quiet environments when there is no audio program to drown it out.
Comfort: As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening might be uncomfortable for some. Users with small earbowls might find that the earphone body feels a bit bulky in their earbowl and that they stick out too far and feel like they may lever out of place, but that they will stay in place during casual use and are fairly stable even during vigorous head movement. Users with medium and large sized ear bowls will probably find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are stable even during vigorous head movement. Incidental contact with the touch controls can cause unintentional playing and pausing.
