Bowers & Wilkins is that marquee name that commands respect in the audiophile world. Their speakers? Unimpeachable. Their headphones? One of the high bars in sonic excellence. With the Pi8, the brand is going for another round with a pair of true wireless earbuds... and what do you know, I think they finally cracked it.

(We don't know what David Beckham has to do with the Pi8. Guess he's the ambassador for Bowers & Wilkins. We are just using this image to appease the SEO gods. Did it work? Let us know!)

(JK, don't.)

The Pi8 is the successor of the Pi7, which was greatly lauded at the time of its launch. So, how do you improve on that? Well, Bowers & Wilkins wasn't satisfied with how the Pi7 fitted so they rejig the structure, moving the mics and antennas about, making it smaller. Even the case that it comes in, it's slimmer and sleeker than its predecessor—the matte finish, the metal accents, the weight in your palm—it just whispers luxury.

Then there’s the sound. Dual hybrid drive units push out audio so rich, you can hear the air between notes. It can be a little bassy but overall the mids and highs kept it crisp, where I could hear the notes clearly and distinct. It’s the kind of sound profile that makes you want to dig through your music catalogue to hear what you’ve been missing.

The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) is still impressive if not more. Not only does it hush out the world like that matronly librarian of yore, when its in transparency mode, it also lets the world in so naturally that you forget you’re wearing them.

Battery life? Five hours per charge and 16 more from the case. Not class-leading, but respectable. Wireless charging and fast-charging sweeten the deal. Bluetooth 5.2 keeps connections rock-solid, though multi-device pairing would have been a nice touch.

The Pi8 is pricey but you're paying for quality. And from what we are already hearing, it's not a bad price to pay for.

Get your Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 True Wireless Earbuds from TC Acoustics