We at AppleInsider.ru really love AirPods headphones, but they are not perfect either: lately, our Telegram chat has been increasingly contacted by readers who are faced with a crackling sound in their headphones. The trouble: AirPods Pro seemed to be invulnerable, but they also have their own problems. A friend of mine encountered a crash in AirPods Pro and quickly found a worthy replacement for them at an identical price. I interviewed a friend to find out how good the Bowers and Wilkins PI5 headphones are compared to AirPods Pro and even Beats. In general, if you are looking for a replacement for Apple headphones, then be sure to study our article inside and out.
Issues with AirPods Pro
A friend of mine experienced a crackling sound in his headphones just a month and a half ago: he uses them almost every day for phone calls and FaceTime, but at one point something went wrong with them. From time to time they began to crackle – an unpleasant omen. There was no time to go to the reseller, and I also wanted to try something other than AirPods.
At one point, he turned his attention to Bowers & Wilkins: I confess, I tried to dissuade him from buying in every possible way and forced him to go to the service center. It’s probably good that he didn’t listen to me and bought this accessory. Delivered it on the same day – that’s where the fun began.
Analogue AirPods Pro for iPhone
The box with the Bowers and Wilkins PI5 headphones is twice as thick as the AirPods, although the package is identical to Apple’s headphones: inside the charging cable, interchangeable ear pads and various instructions. The charging case itself is somewhat reminiscent of the AirPods case, but it is still larger, and there is a large charge level indicator on the front. The batteries of the headphones themselves will last for 4 hours, and the case is able to fully charge them three more times.
The smartphone pairing button is inside – you need to use it to connect. Both the case and the headphones are made of the highest quality: the earpiece itself consists of three types of plastic, which greatly affects the tactile sensations.
They sit very well in the ears, although it seems that they are larger than the AirPods Pro: a friend didn’t take them off for almost half a day, didn’t change the ear pads, talked on them and listened to music – everything is in order, there is no discomfort at all. By the way, it’s nice to control them with the help of a double tap — a classic! He was very glad that this particular method of control was implemented in B&W – pressing the bow from the AirPods was already specifically fed up.
The earbuds work great when paired with the iPhone 12 Pro. Unfortunately, there are no transparency and noise reduction buttons in the Control Center – these are not AirPods for you. But this is not necessary: noise canceling is turned on by long pressing the left earpiece or through the application.
Bowers & Wilkins App
To enable additional options and control Bowers and Wilkins PI 5 there is a special application. There is also a choice of transparency level: you can choose weak or strong. A friend pointed out that this feature is quite comparable to AirPods Pro. In any case, the friend noted that the chewing cat was not heard. Also in the application, you can change the name of the headphones, display the charge, update the software, and even soundscapes.
Speaking of them: a cool feature that will help you relax a little: you can turn on various sounds of nature to meditate or work productively. The main feature of soundscapes is the timer. This is useful when planning to fall asleep. In general, the settings will not be integrated into iOS, as it happens with AirPods, but everything is collected in one place.
Wireless headphones with good sound
Bowers & Wilkins is probably the benchmark in the world of high-quality sound. A friend noted that the sound is a real delight. He experienced something similar when he first tried the AirPods Pro. But there are also differences from firmware: for example, the bass is more juicy. In this regard, B&W are not even close to the Beats, in which, in principle, you do not get a drive from music. Treble and mids are perfect.
The sound itself is clean. Not even the best album Armin van Buuren sounds chic – you can let a mean male tear, except perhaps from the sound quality. In general, AirPods sound decent, but B&W is better.
There are no problems with microphones either: if AirPods have trouble with them, the sound sometimes floats, then everything is much better in B&W PI5. Each earpiece has two microphones, and the interlocutors do not complain that they can hear you from the basement. The same is true for voice messages in instant messengers.
What I want to say: this is an excellent replacement for AirPods, which costs a little more, but, as you understand, it works out the difference of a couple of thousand rubles in full. These headphones are not tied to any musical genre: you can also listen to Tiesto, and Lyosha Svik and even Linkin Park. In general, they are definitely worth a try instead of AirPods if you want to get out of the Apple ecosystem.
