Bowers & Wilkins PI3 in Ear Wireless Headphones - Space Grey

As a former pro musician and longtime audiophile, I had long known B&W’s reputation for producing high quality sound products. But, after going through three different models of Beats headphones and earphones (all of which failed in less than a year… avoid Beats like The Plague!), I was seeking an affordable alternative when I stumbled onto an ad for these B&W earphones. Though a bit pricier than my BeatsX, I saw many positive reviews and, informed by those reviews and my knowledge of B&W as a great audio product company in general, I chose to take a chance on these higher-price-point earphones. That chance has so far paid off. I have absolutely loved these phones!I love all genres of music, but my go-to music is heavy rock that keeps me going through my day. So, I demand a substantial bass response. And these earphones deliver, along with a very nice balance of mids and highs. They are easy to use out of the box and they connect to my devices quickly and reliably. B&W was also smart enough to include a handy “cheat sheet” in the box that lays out every feature and function with easy-to-understand illustrations. Very helpful. Battery life is also quite good, especially considering the extra power needed for the larger drivers. I get a fairly consistent 8+ hours of play time out of them. They also have an auto-off feature that kicks in after a period of no usage (I think 30 minutes, but, honestly, I have never timed it). This is a handy feature for me because I use them throughout my day and rarely remember to turn them off during the many times throughout my day when I cannot have them in my ears. This prolongs battery life.With that great sound, however, came a bit of getting used to having the larger drivers (much larger than my BeatsX) in my ears. There was also a bit of experimentation with the different tips and fins needed to achieve my desired ear fit and optimum sound (especially the heavier bass response that I love!). So, as long as you do not mind a week or so of this type of experimentation to optimize your sound and fit, I don’t think you will be disappointed.Again, these phones were a bit pricier than I was excited about and I almost did not purchase. But, as I waffled about the price, my wife not-so-gently reminded me how demanding I am about my sound quality and how I use my earphones all day EVERY day and that you get what you pay for. And she was right! The extra $$$ I dropped on these has so far (3 months) been well worth the investment. Only time will tell if their longevity will be worth the price. But, I am so far confident.

Where to start, when I first made this purchase I was hesitant as I have never heard of this brand. Took a chance after reading some reviews. When they first came wow sound was amazing and could not be happier. Shortly after, one side stopped working, well I bought the Amazon digital warranty. Contacted Amazon and they said contact the manufacture.. tried that and and then manufacture said they did not produce this product lol. Contacted Amazon again, they said they would reach out to the company. Month later Amazon called me and asked if I was happy with the resolution, well strangely the ear buds started working again but one of the silicone ear buds had basically became so loose it would not stay on, again tried to contact the company and they again even with a serial said they don’t make this product… do not buy and do not waste your money on the extended Amazon warranty

I Downgraded from the Bowers and Wilkins P14’s noise cancellation earbuds. Frankly the Noise cancellation on the P14’s didn’t work well for me. They are also bulkier and not as comfortable as the P13’s. My ears tell me that the sound on the P13’s is about 25% better without the noise cancellation on the big sister P14’s.The P13’s are more “audio file” sounding than the over the ear Bose 700’s. They put the Sony wf‑1000xm3 Earbuds on notice. I would say the Sonys are pretty darn good and offer noise cancellation that’s just okay, but not great. Also the Sony earbuds are true wireless, which makes them larger in the ear, and can cause some fatigue after an hour or more.The success of these little earbuds is that Bowers and Wilkins P13’s have a designed balance armature driver for crisp highs and a second dynamic driver for the mid’s and low’s with separate amplifiers for a full, forceful sound.Everybody’s ears are different, but for me these are perfectly comfortable. No compromise in the comfort category.I use these in the gym, and unfortunately my ears do pick up the sound of the weights and barbells clanging. I had to adjust my Gym music playlist to for louder songs.You have to choose your battles when it comes to Bluetooth headsets. Noise cancellation is awesome but it definitely has some degree of sound degradation.In conclusion, I wouldn’t trust the Bowers and Wilkins P13 on a plane or a train. Ears are like fingerprints ( no two alike). Peoples choice in sound is going to vary. I come from the Bose world and I really think Bowers nailed the fine details with an added soundstage that is unrivaled by its competition.Unlike the Vine reviewers I paid $175 for these on a “pre Black Friday “ deal. I’m gonna keep em for a couple of years until Bluetooth technology and noise cancellation improves.

Excellent headset, went through all the reviews, pros and cons, and was quite excited to get it. Unfortunately it misses some key features, that for me were critical:1. Ability to stop playing the music when taken off the ears.2. Enter standby mode when both are earpieces are joined.3. Reconnect automatically when put on the ears.This mean I had to manually stop the music every time, and in case it entered standby mode, had to re-power on the headset manually. As someone who needs to attend calls quickly when not listening to music, this was a major blocker. Else the music and quality are among the best I've heard.