Bowers and Wilkins Pi8 has been in the lead for me for so long. The sound quality was unique and superior, and the transmission case was also not duplicated by any other earphone on the planet. So, I’m sure my recent change of focus may have been confusing to some. So I’m here to talk about them.
For starters, being the best is challenging because it is mostly always based on what you are exposed to. So when you see things that don’t work as they should, you typically allow them to be skipped over because the rest is so good. And I think this is my mistake. These things should have been discussed more, not just when something better is in my possession.
1. So, for starters, the battery life drainage or charging is a problem for me. I know at one time, I thought it was by design, but I don’t think this anymore. Too many random days I pick up my pi8s and my battery life after hours or days of charge time never reach 100% or reach it and drop to random amounts like 80% on one side and 91% on the other and yet I never use them independently. I’ve even had my battery life drop from 100% to 93% in less than 2 minutes of music listening.
2. Next, the transmission option sounds so good, but what most don’t tell you is that it’s a very noticeable delay sync to the video vs sound to it. So that kills video games, YouTube, movies, or anything else but music. The problem is that this is what this option was mostly created for. And most fans of this option don’t tell you this because they are too caught up in the magic of just having the option than the effectiveness of it.
3. Next is the touch controls, which are horrible due to its delay. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had frustration over the delay of the controls. You never know if you got it right until you hear that awful default sound to the touch controls. I mean, the whole concept should have been perfected better than this.
4. Next up, the Anc is basic at best. I have never had an ANC that magnifies certain sounds more than off mode does. It’s so frustrating to need it, and it will not be there, especially when out and about. Sure, most people just take advantage of the extremely loud volume it had to help drown out the sounds around them, but I care too much about my hearing to use volume to override outside noise.
5. And finally, the horrible time of charging the buds after using them. I have to wait over 20 minutes to get my buds up to 100% after listening to music for 5 minutes. And God forbid that you use them for 2 hours or more. Good luck getting the solid green light to shine anytime soon. And when you only have 12 hours of battery life to begin with, this just adds to the frustration.
So these are my 5 things that led me to being open to buy the Gemini 2 by Devialet, aka Kai’Ckul. Sure, I was curious about them for a while, but I truly would have never bought them if I wasn’t bothered about these things daily or weekly using the Pi8’s. Nothing is purely perfect for all my needs. But at least with these, I have no battery life issues, no charging issues, no ANC lack, no touch controls delays with custom controls, and they have better phone call quality, more powerful sound, and more of a luxurious comfort fit and look. Sure, it took $500 to do it, and it could have had at least 6 hours of battery life if they actually put in an “off mode” instead of only ANC and Hear thru(you see …nothing is perfect) But at least they delivered on all that they promised. I can’t tell you truly how good it feels to not have to worry about things when I pick up my earphones without worrying about something as simple as wondering if they are going to be fully charged or not or when they will finish charging after using them.
This is one of the reasons why the Devialet is the first true Endgame for bluetooth earphones for me. It’s not just because they sound the best, feel the best in my ears, or have the best luxury looks. They do what they promise exactly. I get to use them fully and focus on using them, not having my attention on what the battery life is or how long it will take to charge. Spliting my attention on touch controls delays frustrations or fear of the need of the ANC and it not delivering.
Ultimately, honestly…$400-$500 is still way too much to ask consumers to pay for bluetooth earphones, in my objective opinion, and I still don’t recommend them to others. I just love Sound for reasons I’ve mentioned on videos that are a little different from others that attach to me emotionally because of things I suffered from during a specific time in my life and so sound means a little more than normal to me vs others. And if you are going to stand on top, the amount of things listed above on the pi8 should not ever exist, and at that price, especially. But with the Devialet, they deliver on everything they promise and avoid those pitfalls, so the price is a little more tolerable, subjectively.
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