This question is a loaded question indeed. What is worthy to you to spend money on will differ from another person. I’m not sure anyone could make that call for you, so I will attack this from the standpoint of myself. I have a lesson to learn here, most definitely.
For starters, I was wrong in my preassessment of the Pi8’s. There is a level of understanding and knowledge that can only come from those who have and are initiated. No matter how much information we look up or how many reviews or forms you read, you will never be able to understand or fully assess things truly until you actually have the product. I assumed Bowers and Wilkin wouldn’t prove to be anything more than an overpriced, unbaked piece of tech, living off of name alone.
But once I got them, nothing could have been further from the truth. What I discovered, hour after hour and day by day, was that the Pi8 took me to worlds while being the highest quality build and look I’ve ever had in bluetooth. I didn’t get the quality until I had the box in hand, had the case in hand, pulled the earbuds out as the magnets grips them like it being held by the smoothest Jedi force ever. And then once I pushed them into my ears, being the first pair of earphone to go inside my ears both evenly in depth without trying, I was able feel absolutely nothing thanks to its weight and balance. They also sat still without ever having to adjust them no matter what I did.
I feel like, for the first time, I have something truly high quality now that I look back at all the other brands I had prior. I thought there was no difference outside of the name on the box but I promise once you get it, you will see the very subtle, yet clear differences that you’ll wonder why you never notice before. It was like being exposed to art for the first time.
Now, to be fair, if this unit did have the same issues that plagued the previous model, none of this matters, which is probably why my opinion was what it was. Stability, reliability, comfort, and sound quality are so important because this model checks all these boxes, especially with it being stable without stutters, skips, crashes, and disconnects, it makes all of this connect. It’s one of the most reliable and stable bluetooth I’ve ever had as well as the best audio, best comfort, best-looking, and highest quality. So when I take that into view along with the fact that I know now, if I had to, I would get rid of every single earphone I have right now if I had to choose them vs. this one single earphone. I hate to admit it, but this earphone has turned me into a fan of Bowers and Wilkins.
So I guess my answer is YES, it’s worth it to me because for me, the reliability of no stutters, skips, or crashes mixed with sound that is next dimensional and comfort of these earphones that flat out can’t be felt in my ears, is just the Best of Best. Even as I write this, I’m floating right now inside a room of pure sound all around me and my room and it’s absolutely one of the best feelings of my life. The timbre is so realistic and levels and layers are so defining. It’s like being high without a single drug. I’ve had other earphones that did this at times and on a smaller scale…but not like this for bluetooth earphones. And now that I’ve experienced this…I would have paid even more for these experience, if I knew this was waiting on me, if I’m being honest with myself.
Look, again…sound is so subjectable. I can’t promise that your ears are like mine nor am I going to say that my opinion should be yours, let alone my experience ending up matching yours. All I can say right now is that the Bowers and Wilkins Pi8’s are IT for me. There is nothing left until the Pi9 comes out barring any unforeseen issues. And that’s another thing, I actually have zero concern about the operation and reliability of the earphones for the first time in my life on bluetooth earphones. I don’t feel that these will just randomly break like I feared for other bluetooth earphones I have purchased. These are either going to work out the box for at least 2 years or they will show you if something was missed in QC out of the box. Maybe it’s because of the high quality of the build that is also part of that cost and peace of mind.
Tech-N-Things 