Categories: True wireless

The Bowers & Wilkins PI7 are impressive. Even if the price of just under 400 euros seems high at first, the first True Wireless in-ears from the long-established English manufacturer are worth the money. The sound raises the bar for their competitors and revises (my) prejudice that TWS earphones are not good enough for pure music enjoyment. What was also pleasing was the option of audio streaming via USB as well as mini-jack cable. So the PI7s offer wireless listening from the TV and can be used as playback devices for on-board systems on planes and trains, and even media creators could get used to incorporating True Wireless headphones into their work process thanks to the USB streaming function. A convincing debut in the true-wireless market!

Hype or not: The Electro-Harmonix EHX Sport Buds offer so much value for money for their price (about 35 Euros!) that I can hardly believe it: They deliver full power, have a strong bass and are also well positioned in the mid and high frequencies. Not only their volume, but also the conciseness of their transient reproduction puts many much more expensive devices in the shade. In addition, there is a built-in microphone with good sound and, for smart devices, an extensive remote control that is easy to get the hang of using. The Sport Buds sit securely in your ears, offer multi-device connectivity, are waterproof, recharge quickly and are comfortable to wear thanks to their fit and light weight. If there’s one thing seriously wrong with these in-ears, it’s that they require the use of an equalizer, regardless of playback volume and music genre, to produce a balanced, less bass-heavy sound. But if that’s exactly what you’re looking for, the EHX Sport Buds are the right headphones to really blast your ears during sports activities.

I summed up the TWS150i thus: “Good battery life, elegant design, neutral sound, great range, reasonable price – what else can one say, except to congratulate Koss that they have succeeded with the TWS150i, solid in-ears that make no mistakes sonically.” And I’d say exactly the same about the TWS250i. However, with two additions, because on the one hand I would like to praise the significantly better precision of the touch controls, and on the other hand, the extremely high wearing comfort, because the TWS250i are really almost imperceptible when in the ear. I would say that the rather discreet bass performance is a matter of taste because the lower frequency range is undoubtedly there and is reproduced precisely – just without that extra half decibel boost that makes up the fun factor. Fans of objective sound will appreciate this very much. Lovers of “sub-in-the-head” experiences, on the other hand, might find it too small (without equaliser intervention). I also sorely missed the option to use multi-pairing, because in modern life it’s pretty common to change players (mobile phone, tablet, laptop, etc.). Even if they don’t do everything right: All in all, these comfy and good-sounding in-ears from Koss score very highly on points, even when considering the recommended retail price of 89 euros.