PI7 S2

I have been using the MTW4 for just about a year. At the same time I have Bose Ultra Quiet II and B&W pi7 s2. For most of the days I have the MTW4 with me. Bose was my first pair of wireless earbud and its ANC and sound quality (comparing with my original ancient iPhone wired earbud) blew me away, until I tried the MTW4. Yes its ANC and bass is not as strong as Bose, but its sound quality is much better with wider sound stage, more details and more clear, and it’s very well balanced that it won’t sound harsh to your ears. The Pi7 s2 has the most beautiful sound out of the three, but its lacklustre ANC and lack of control on the earbud makes me only use it at home when the surroundings are quiet. I heard Pi8 does better than Pi7 but the price keeps me away from giving it a try. MTW4 has accompanied me on hundreds of occasions when I need to separate myself from the noisy environment and let me live in my own world. I really love this pair of little things. Until recently, it started to malfunction from time to time. The ANC of the right earbud sometimes suddenly goes a little “transparent” and I can hear the noise outside. It is not very obvious but it makes you feel the imbalance between the left earbud. At first I thought maybe it’s due to the noisy environment, however, one day, I literary caught the moment when the right earbud went from normal ANC to abnormal, with a subtle “click” sound. Then I knew it was not my hallucination. Sometimes when I put it back to the case and took it out again, it fixed itself, but sometime it doesn’t. I don’t know where to turn to fix this problem but it’s really annoying to see the beloved earbud malfunction :(

There's a huge difference between lots of bass and good bass, the only tws buds with an ultra tight bass that is good for music where 90% of the focus is the bass are the Fokus rex 5 with the EQ curve setting emphasizing the low end, the B&O beoplay Ex/11, the B&W Pi8, and the Beyerdynamic Amiron 300, I extremely recommend the Amiron 300 since it has Beyer's distinct V curve that makes it excellent for bass focused music and the anc is actually not bad at all. I think you'd be disappointed with the xm5/6 since the 5 has a tighter bass than the 4 but there's a lot less of it at the same time, and the same goes from the 5 to the 6, 6 is way tighter, but again way less of it than the 5

That sounds like the difference between tight bass and amount of bass. I can't imagine literally anyone needing more bass than the Amiron 300, unless what they specifically want IS the loose boomy flubby bass, the signature beats by dre sound. I own the Pi7 S2 and have around 20 hours of testing the pi8, the 7 S2 is exactly that, looser flubbier bass, not more of it, the pi8 sounds like it has less bass because it's a tight controlled bass, not boomy bass that bleeds everywhere

I'm not really sure where you're getting here, you say my points aren't valid because a search result for a set I recommended says they have no bass, then go on to recommend the S2 and gemeni II, which multiple search results have people complaining that the bass is loose uncontrolled mud. Which furthers my argument that people cant differentiate between a lack of bass and bass clarity. The S2 are a muddy mess

I actually just grabbed a pair of PI7 S2s, Amazon had an open box for $120 couldn't pass up the opportunity to try them. I love them so far, my only real complaint has been they are another bud that is too quiet. ​I managed to fix it, though. I found that using full-sized tips (the Azla Crystals) helped the seal, and the new 'Loudness Enhancer' setting in the Bluetooth Codec Changer app is a lifesaver. Between that and a little EQ, they sound absolutely amazing. It's wild how close they get to the Gemini II, I still think the Gems win most of the time, but the Pi7 S2 surprises me with some insane bass on certain songs. ​Honestly, it’s criminal that B&W charges as much as they do for the Pi7 S2 and provides zero EQ in the app. But with that loudness enhancer working so well, I’m actually tempted to try the MTW4 again to see if it fixes the volume issues I had with those, too.

Depends on what exactly you’re looking for, but in my experience: Devialet Gemini II – They don’t need the app to sound amazing. The app can help you tweak the EQ further if you want, but out of the box, the sound is already excellent. Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 – The app doesn’t actually do anything, so you definitely don’t need it. JBL Tour Pro 3 – The Harman curve is world-famous for a reason. You don’t need the app unless you want to enable spatial audio, which I’ve found to be mostly a gimmick.

Denon Perl Pro – Bass is very good. The custom ear-mapping profile is fantastic, and bass is deep and textured. If you really want to go overboard, there’s an Immersion Mode with multiple levels that boost bass to ridiculous levels. ANC is solid too. Regularly goes on clearance for cheap. Bowers & Wilkins PI7 S2 – Touch controls can be a bit finicky, and they’re quieter than most so you might have to crank the volume. But the bass absolutely thumps and manages to hit hard without bleeding into mids or highs. Available super cheap on Amazon as open-box. Devialet Gemini II – If money isn’t a concern, these are insane for their deep textured sub-bass. ANC is very good, and the soundstage is holographic while keeping that deep low-end punch. Currently my favorite buds. Budget or just bass-focused options: * Jabra Elite 75t – Bass-forward, not much separation but solid. * Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro – Heavy bass, decent ANC for the price. If you prioritize bass over ANC, I’d stick with something like the Denon or Devialet rather than upgrading to the new Sony XM5/XM6, since bass impact is more important here.

Noble Fokus Rex 5 has clean bass but it lacks pressure its too fast and analytical overall they sound incredible but if you are wanting to feel the bass your other option do a better job however all of them pale in comparison to the Devialet Gemini II the bass out of them is insane I would say the status pro x is second but its plagued by a very hard to use EQ that makes dialing them in an absolute pain.

Pi8 have terrible bass they sound great but their older brother the pi7 s2 has much better bass.

As a fellow EDM listener, I cannot recommend the Devialet Gemini II highly enough. They’re my go-to for EDM, especially hardstyle, psytrance, and most importantly melodic dubstep. They have a rich, deep sub-bass with a holographic soundstage, amazing ANC, and are super light and comfortable to wear with an IPX4 rating. As a secondary option, I really like the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2. While they’re not as holographic or detailed as the Gemini II, they actually have even more bass. One thing to note, though, is that they suffer from a lack of volume I was able to rectify this by using the volume boost feature recently added into Bluetooth Codec Changer (app) but that is not an option for iPhone users. Another solid EDM option is the Denon PerL Pro. They have insane sound customization that tailors to how your ears actually hear, making them sound incredible. Unfortunately, I broke the left one by dropping it, (their weird shape causes it to fall) and it’s currently being replaced. But if you're not prone to accidents like me, they’re definitely worth considering for their deep bass and customizable sound profile. If you can only pick one definitely go with the Devialet Gemini II they are truly in a league of their own and my top choice for EDM.

Whether they’re worth it or not is subjective, but to me, they’re totally worth it. In fact, I think they’re the first buds in that price range to actually justify their value. Unlike something like the Noble Fokus Rex5, the ANC is top tier, the app is intuitive, well-designed, and polished, and the sound is incredible, especially with its 5Hz sub-bass extension, giving them deep, rich, visceral bass. Since you’re in Europe, check out Leboncoin for open-box or lightly used sets at a much lower price, sometimes as much as half off. As for the Denon PerL Pro, I wouldn’t recommend trying to run with them. They come with wings to keep them more stable, but they have a weird disk shape that acts like little parachutes on your ears, making them less than ideal for active use. If you decide to try the the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2, do not buy new from Bowers & Wilkins, absolute rip-off. I’ve seen near-mint, lightly used sets go for as little as €70. I picked up mine from Amazon open box (listed as “used once”) for $120 USD. They’re cheaper in Europe because they come from the UK.

Oh ffs, don’t recommend the Rex5, Pi8, or Beo 11s for bass 🤦‍♂️. All excellent buds for clarity and sound quality, but they completely lack bass. It’s well known that the older cousin of the Pi8, the Pi7 S2, has way deeper and better bass, with a 5Hz extension. The Rex5 uses a planar magnetic driver, which makes the bass fast but lacking the visceral punch a dynamic driver delivers. If the goal is musicality and bass, the Rex5 is about as far from that as you can get, better as a tool to analyze and pick apart tracks than for a fun, bass-heavy listening experience. I haven’t tried the Amiron, but literally the first result when googling them is a Reddit post titled [Beyerdynamic Amiron wireless have no bass](https://www.reddit.com/r/BEYERDYNAMIC/comments/1juzusn/beyerdynamic_amiron_wireless_have_no_bass/). It’s blatantly clear that you’re not a basshead, probably don't listen to EDM, and you should probably excuse yourself from this conversation.

I understand sound is subjective, but you’re just wrong here. The Pi7 S2 are very detailed without the bass bleeding into the mids and highs too much. Comparing them to mud cannons like Beats shows a fundamental lack of nuance in the lows and mids, and I’m not sure how you got them to sound “flubby”, unless you were using an iPhone, where the locked AAC codec killed the sound. While they’re not as detailed or separated as something like the Devialet Gemini II, which somehow manages to have deep bass and retain maximum detail and clarity, they still sound excellent. The Pi8, on the other hand, completely lacks bass, probably the flattest bass I’ve ever heard from an audiophile TWS bud. While they are incredibly detailed and loud, they lack the raw bass their older cousin has. As I mentioned before, it’s clear you’re not a basshead and likely don’t listen to EDM. That’s totally fine, but it also means you shouldn’t weigh in on a post where someone is literally asking for sub-bass.

😂 This is rich. You say “people can’t differentiate between lack of bass and bass clarity,” and yet here you are, completely unable to tell the difference yourself. Quick Google search would have saved you from embarrassing yourself: the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 are universally praised for a warm, tight, punchy, bass-forward sound. Not muddy. Not flabby. Not loose. Anyone saying otherwise either has a broken unit or literally doesn’t know how to listen. The Devialet Gemini II? Same story and have even more clarity and detail. Precision bass that hits hard without bleeding into mids. Your “muddy” claims just expose that your ears literally cannot distinguish clarity from sloppy lows, the exact failure you insist everyone else suffers from 🤦‍♂️. Just because you don’t enjoy bass-forward buds doesn’t make them muddy 🤡 So yeah… you just argued yourself right out of the conversation. Thank you for the demonstration.

I never said anything against enjoying music versus fidelity. I personally dislike the Noble Fokus Rex5 because they’re too clean and analytical, so I get your perspective to a point. What I don’t get is why you’d buy treble-heavy “endgame” IEMs if you actually hate treble. Secondly, IEMs are equipment dependent. If you fail to drive them properly and just use a 3.5 mm-to-USB adapter, of course they’ll sound terrible. RTINGS caters to the general consumer, not niche audiophiles, so of course something like the AirPods will score better. Their scores also factor in ANC and ecosystem integration; numbers alone don’t make the MK3 objectively inferior. If you think the muddy mess of the AirPods Pro 2/3 is “texture,” you have zero clue about bass, probably because you’re targeting the wrong buds. For real textured bass that preserves mids and treble, check out the Devialet Gemini II, Bowers & Wilkins PI7 S2, or the JBL Tour Pro 3 I already mentioned, there’s a reason the Harman curve is famous. Based on your indication of dislike for elevated treble, I’d probably recommend the PI7 S2 over the others. The PI7 S2 has the strongest mid-bass, which could provide the fuller sound you might be after. I personally think the Gemini II sounds more detailed, holographic with deeper sub-bass, but its elevated treble could be sharp for you. If you still think AirPods have more bass texture than anything, nothing can help your ears, accept it and save your money from here on out. 🤷‍♂️

You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. The AirPods Pro 3 only support AAC and SBC. AAC is capped at 256kbps; it is objectively not Hi-Res. Apple uses high-quality DSP to make them sound clean, but they aren't even on the same planet as the Gemini II for raw fidelity or sound quality. ​The Gemini II uses aptX (384kbps 16-bit/48kHz) which still pushes more data per second than Apple's AAC. But you’re judging the buds by a codec label instead of the engineering. While the AZ100 has an impressive magnetic fluid driver, Devialet uses a titanium-coated driver and their real advantage is the proprietary processing and software architecture programmed directly onto the chip. ​Combined with their PBA (Pressure Balance Architecture) that equalizes in-ear pressure, the 10mm titanium driver delivers a holographic, near open-back soundstage that no Hi-Res software trick from Sony or Apple can replicate. Devialet's design philosophy was to implement a perfected version of a stable, industry standard codec rather than push unfamiliar higher res options. While I will concede it’s disappointing they don't have higher res codecs, I assure you they continue to compete with and surpass buds that do. ​To give a list of wireless earbuds I’ve tried / owned over the years: Apple AirPods Pro 3, Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2, Pi8, Bose QC Ultra Gen 2, Denon PerL Pro, Devialet Gemini II, JBL Tour Pro 3, Noble Fokus Rex5, Sony WF-1000XM5, Sennheiser Momentum TWS 4, and Status Pro X. And I’m sure I’m blanking on a few more. The Gemini II remain my undisputed favorite set of wireless earbuds.

​No worries on the language barrier. I would also classify myself as more of a melomaniac than an audiophile. ​I have to disagree on the Status Pro X; they are easily my most hated device in my collection right now. They feel far too in my head with almost no soundstage. Even though they have the capabilities to go as low as 5Hz and are the loudest buds I own, they lack the bass texture that the Pi7 S2 or Gemini II provide. The most infuriating aspect is the EQ in the Status app; it links the frequency bands together, which makes it impossible to tune them properly. I’m probably just going to give my pair away because I can't stand the lack of control. ​As for the AZ100, they are on my list to try, but I hesitate because of reports of quality control issues as well as hearing that they lean more toward an analytical sound rather than a musical one, which is the issue I have with the Rex5. While the Rex5 has a huge soundstage, the presentation is a little too clean for my taste and the plannar driver lacks the bass pressure of a dynamic driver. I find it a little surprising that a melomaniac prefers the more audiophile bud. The universal consensus is that the Gemini II is richer, more engaging, and more powerful, while the AZ100 is cleaner and more neutral but as you said audio is subjective.

I've tried using external EQs to open up the soundstage on the Status Pro X without success. I suspect it's a combination of my ears with the hardware. I'm sensitive to sibilance and those Knowles BAs can be a bit piercing. Cutting the treble to save my ears unfortunately also cuts the air needed to widen the stage. Regarding Wavelet, I find it to be an unreliable non-root stand-in for the old Viper4Android. Even with identical settings, Wavelet introduces audible distortion and digital grain that isn't present when using a manufacturer’s native app. The best implementation I’ve found so far is in Bluetooth Codec Changer and the devloper just recently added numbers for better fine tune adjusting. It utilizes a background service to hook into the A2DP profile, allowing for device-specific profiles and a remarkably clean Loudness Enhancer that avoids the typical digital veil. However, software solutions remain fundamentally inferior to storing a PEQ on the bud's hardware DSP. Software EQs are at the mercy of the Android mixer, require battery-draining background services, and often force a negative pre-amp that kills volume headroom. The major drawback with the EQ in Bluetooth Codec Changer is that it acts as a middleman, which breaks compatibility with my FiiO Airlink. Because Samsung refuses to support aptX Adaptive/Lossless natively, I’m forced to choose between high-end EQ control or the superior codec. Based on your preference for a W signature and clean separation in the 210 to 320Hz range, you should look at the Noble FoKus Rex5. It has plenty of sub bass, but the physics of the planar lacks the slam of a pure dynamic driver because the decay ends so much quicker. A lover of the Technics magnetic fluid driver should appreciate the cleanliness of the bass. That speed, along with the 5-driver setup, offers unmatched separation in the specific low-mid pocket you mentioned. My personal melomania keeps me on the hunt for massive V-shapes and holographic stages, which is probably why the Devialet Gemini II and B&W Pi7 S2 are my top two buds right now, at least until the Geekfly Vitas Pro drops.

My experience with b&w earbuds is there bluetooth connection always falls off after using it for a while, a staffmember from hifi klubben said they fixed it with the pi8 Ps i had pi7 and pi7 s2 and pi5. Very good sound and the pi8 is rather loud compared to older models but not bad tbh

My experience with b&w earbuds is there bluetooth connection always falls off after using it for a while, a staffmember from hifi klubben said they fixed it with the pi8 Ps i had pi7 and pi7 s2 and pi5. Very good sound and the pi8 is rather loud compared to older models but not bad tbh

People speak about the AZ100 with EQ but all buds and headphones are the same. They need tuning. I have AZ100 and out of the box they sound better than any Sennheiser I’ve had which all definitely need to go through Sound Personalisation to even sound reasonable. Anyway I agree, AZ100 and also B&W although I had Pi7S2 so the new ones may be even better

Comfort wise I found buds with stem design to be the most comfortable —AirPods pro 3 and B&O beoplay ex—the least comfortable for me would be Bose QC ultra, Xm3, 4, and Momentum 3 since those are very bulky. For ANC, AirPods Pro 3s and Bose QC Ultras are top tier and Sony a lil behind. In terms of sound quality, PI7 S2s, Beoplay ex and HiFiman sounds best to my ears. I usually daily drive either AirPods Pro 3 or Bose QC Ultra along with either Beoplay EXs, B&W PI7 S2s, or HiFimans. (One for good ANC and the other for good sound quality)

I purchased the Jbl tour pro 3 four days ago. I returned them yesterday. They sounded good, but my ears couldn't get a good seal on them. I tried all the ear tips. I got the B&O Pi7 S2, they fit perfectly.