Bowers & Wilkins Headphones User Reviews

Name: Bowers & Wilkins Headphones
Rating: 2 (193 reviews)

Bowers & Wilkins Headphones

B&W Group Ltd

🔧 Utilities

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Disappointed customer

Everytime I take my headphones off the sound continues, it isn’t like the app says that it will shut off automatically, it doesn’t. I would like to know what to do to fix this or am I supposed them back. Plus the sound is low it’s not high. The noise cancellation is the only thing that works properly. As I said before the sound is low and it sounds as if it’s at a distance and not loud at all.

Vampyre1966

4 years ago

APP DOES NOT CONNECT TO IPAD AIR 4th gen

Please fix this. Headphones will connect via app but music will not play. I try with my iPhone and same thing. I then try to turn my Bluetooth off on my phone and turn it back on and I’m able to connect. I try this with my iPad and It will not work correctly. It does not locate the Bluetooth device.

Cameroni1997

4 years ago

Read the other reviews. My advice is skip the app until it’s revised.

The PI5 is a decent device at a good price point. They paired w my iPhone but not with an iPad (new Pro). After a couple of hours, I deleted the app w iOS and its settings. The PI5’s paired on first try w iOS Bluetooth settings. The app was the problem. By the way, there’s a review the mentioned that the IEMs reported to pair successfully in the app, however, the audio came through the iPads speakers. I had to check but it was true — Ridiculous. If you like the PI5’ then keep them and just use the iOS music settings until B&W’s headphone app is fixed. Thanks.

swross

4 years ago

Response from developer

Hi swross, thanks for your feedback; we're sorry to hear of the issue you have experienced. Audio pairing is separate from the app and is initiated by the small, internal switch in the case, after a couple of seconds press. Up to 3 devices can be retained in the memory of the earbuds. For individual support, please contact either your retailer, or ourselves directly, through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.

The app is fine, but PX7's flawed design

At first, I thought that it was the app makes my PX7 noise canceling button stop working. Nope, the app is fine.

The issue is that PX7 headphones are made of nylon and graphite - both may generate and distribute static electricity in contact with hair so various faults I would attribute to that and not the software or app.

Niko Strikes Back

4 years ago

Absolutely Horrible App and Software

Every time I try to listen to these cans through my iPhone (up to date). I have to go through a weird and random combination of connecting via the (worthless) app and the native Bluetooth interface. This has plagued me for a few years now and is the reason I rarely use these headphones, will never buy another set again, and have told anyone who'll listen not to buy your brand. For a $400+ product I shouldn't have to allow for an additional 30minutes of my trip preparing to get these headphones to connect to my device.

This is a shame because the headphones, when they work, sound great.

Hsbbba

4 years ago

Response from developer

Hi Hsbbba, thanks for your feedback; we're sorry to hear of the issue you have described. Audio pairing is separate from the app and paired devices are stored by the phone for selection. If you need any support, please contact us directly, through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.

No longer can tell you hour batter life and no longer connects to Iohone since the update

Fantastic product ( Px7) , terrible app. No way to tell battery life as the app searches for a connection and never finds it. Pre- update, it worked fine.

A company that makes such amazing products should not make an app this bad.

Matk XX

4 years ago

Useless

Won’t recognize my PX7 set. (Yes, tried resetting the headset and reinstalling the app, and made sure headset is connected to phone in Bluetooth). And the PX7 set itself makes a loud scratchy noise in left phone when any level of noise-canceling is on. It’s done this almost since I got them. Got a replacement set; same problem. B&W seems uninterested in this defect

NYC is home

4 years ago

Please fix the application!

Hello, I got my pI7 and the application is not satisfying, I’d like to;
*change my touch controls,
*manage the exact sound I wanna hear,
*and I literally can’t activate the ambient sound when I want to, (like I’m working out in the gym and someone comes and starts talking and I have to take them out of my ears because there’s no touch control to activate ambient sound!)
*Also I can’t control siri with my voice!
*Please make a short cut for the battery, it’s hard to go to the app every time I wanna check my battery due to it takes a while to contact, even though they are connected to my phone!
Please fix this bogus, the sound quality is perfect and I love the soundscape Future.

mohammad79-7-7

4 years ago

Needs EQ

While I really like the headphones themselves the app has been a total disappointment. It only has the bare minimum of features that really contributes next to nothing to the headphones themselves. Glaringly, next to the headphones that it competes against it lack EQ control. While using this with music on my iPhone is somewhat alleviated using the phone it does nothing when using my Pandora channel. The new B&W music app updated this but isn’t backward compatible with the existing headphone app. Please either update the app it make more useful or make the new app backwards compatible with my Px7 headphones.

tolah5

4 years ago

Response from developer

Hi tolah5, Many thanks for your purchase and your review; it's great to hear that you are loving your headphones. An EQ is on the wishlist for inclusion. If you ever need us for anything; please get in touch through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins

App Does Not Work

I have the PX7 and like a previous reviewer I am happy with the performance but the app will also not connect to my iPhone - in a different way. I have re-paired, rebooted (hard and graceful). Music plays just fine. I can turn noise cancelling on and off from the slider in the app, I show battery levels of the case and both earbuds, but when I try to enable auto noise cancelling or ambient pass through I get an error and it does not enable either feature. Completely second his/her suggestions to add a loudness option, and at a minimum a few eq profiles. The app is fairly basic to be honest.

UpstateChris

4 years ago

This is a review of the app, not the headphones

In short, headphones great, app horrible. Really no excuse for it. When I say terrible it’s not even bc of the functionality. Like some other reviewers have mentioned here, you pair the headphones to the app, come back to the app later and the app can’t find the headphones EVEN THOUGH THEY SHOW AS “CONNECTED” IN iOS’s LIST OF ACTIVELY CONNECTED BLUETOOTH DEVICES!!! There’s only one way of checking battery level on these, for example, and that’s via the app. So to check that I have to delete the headphones in the app and re-add them. Just….not good.

GP1152

4 years ago

Its fine… when it works.

This app is very unreliable for reconnecting to the device. You would think this would be a very simple fix considering how long this app has been around. Please fix connectivity issues.

Motorrad1923

4 years ago

I am disappointed.

I have the PX7 and while I enjoy the tonal quality - decent warmth and colors - I am disappointed in the software: 1 - I can stream my music from the iphone 12pro (getting them paired can be a real struggle) but the PX7 will not connect with the app so I can find out what my battery level is. I had drops while listening to music (I did not have the problem with my Bose Quiet Comfort II on the same tune). I sent the PX7 back, got a refurb pair back and I still can’t get battery level. When I turn on the Bose it immediately tells me my battery charge level - I don’t have to wait until the headphones die (PX7) to know I have to recharge. Simple stuff - hard for BW. While I like the tonal qualities as compared to the Bose I’d like the BW app to have an equalizer so I can adjust for my ear and I’d really like to push more volume - the PX7 do not amplify like the Bose. I was considering a purchase of the new BW earbuds but they have a 4 hour battery charge life and if the BW app can’t tell me when I’m out of juice than it’s not worth the $400. Candidly, the issues I have mentioned are well known and have been posted on several forums so I’m not sure why there has not been more effort to improve performance i.e. software updates. Simple software issues make BW so frustrating - the opposite of what you want when slipping the headphones on. Shame on BW for not tuning into customer feedback. Buy something else!

Duffy1212

4 years ago

Response from developer

Hi Duffy1212, many thanks for your feedback; we're very sorry to hear of the issues you have described. Please double-check the permissions for the app, in the Settings on your phone. The app connects over BT-le, for any connection issues, it is often worth re-booting your device, to clear caches across all platforms. Battery level is indicated by the led colour on the headphones, alongside the app and within Bluetooth connected device information. An EQ request has been passed on to our R&D Team for evaluation, albeit, these options are available on both the handset and as part of any music player software. The new PI5 & 7 will indicate battery level through optional voice prompts, the connected device information on your handset, and within the app. For support with any of our products, please contact support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.

Lots of potential just wasted

This might be the most useless app I have on my iPhone. The earbuds seem to work without the app and they randomly forget the app exists so noise cancelling goes straight to minimum. To make the ear buds find the app you must put them in the case, find them and install again and again and again Has the development team even looked at other applications for competing products? The ear buds are probably the best I have used but this app needs to be farmed out to another developer…a week later. I get to uninstall and reinstall the app because it no longer works. Guess It only gets worse. I say again, farm this out because you don’t have a clue!

Microwave Spy

4 years ago

Response from developer

Hi Microwave Spy, thanks for your feedback. The headphones do indeed operate independently. The app is merely intended to offer switching of functions not easily accommodated on the headphones themselves. For any Bluetooth or BT-le communication oddities, we would always initially recommend rebooting the handset or tablet, to clear cache memory. Double-checking permission access can also be required sometimes after handset updates. For support, please contact either your retailer, or ourselves directly, through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.

Great Brand being destroyed by horrible app

I am a fervent devotee of B&W products, but this app and pretty all of the consumer support interface that accompanies it is atrocious. I have never been able to get my PX5 phones to work properly. I suspect it’s likely a software issue with my pair because the two pairs that I bought for my sons work just fine, but it is impossible to update the software given the tools provided by support. The desktop utility for Bluetooth is non-functional; it will not download to my Macbook Pro, and apparently that is the only way to update the software.

Jordu

4 years ago

Where’s the EQ Settings I read about and why can’t I stay connected??

It’s amazing that you realize and purchase a product from a company as well known in the audio business as Bowers & Wilkins. I bought theses PI5 audio earbuds, thinking they would be loaded with features and blow the Apple AirPods out the water but I can’t seem to get them to stay connected and would love to have some additional volume and equalization control for the price.

jsyron1

4 years ago

Could be perfect…but software

I agree with nearly every review I’ve read on here. The software needs updated. You have a great product so why not go the extra mile and update the software to keep up with the competition. First, you need an equalizer period. This is a must and sad it wasn’t on the original release. Secondly, I wish there was a battery percentage for the case (if this is even possible). Lastly, there needs to be a way to disable or adjust the sensitivity of the touch controls. When I go outside and it’s windy my PI5 earbuds start going haywire. The earbuds think I’m repeatedly touching them about 5 times a second. The music starts and stops over and over. Then all the features (sound pass through, noise canceling, etc) turn off and on. It doesn’t stop until I reset them by placing them in the case. This is annoying to say the least. Let me disable them or adjust the sensitivity at least. Like I said in the beginning, you have a great product so please give your software/firmware some much needed updates and you’ll be in good shape.

Military69

5 years ago

Response from developer

Hi Military69, Many thanks for your feedback. These suggestions have been passed on to our Research & Development team who are evaluating possible options for the next updates and releases, hopefully coming soon. If you need us for support with your product or the app, please contact us directly, through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.

Great sounding headphones - unacceptable, junk app

The headphones are great: better than the Bose and Sennheiser I have and used before. But the app is an embarrassment: it can never quite connect (even though my phone can luckily connect to the headphones via settings, bypassing the app). After repeated installs and uninstalls, making my phone forget the device and reconnect, etc. I give up. No, I do not plan to reboot my device every time I want to listen to music, nor is it necessary with any of the other brands I have used. This is a waste of time. Even when I was able to connect, there is hardly any reason to: the app (unlike Sennheiser that has a graphic equalizer, different music profile settings, incl. adding effects such as reverb) this app offers no advanced features, and little over the basic settings 80% of which can be changed on the headphones directly by using buttons. I listen to different types of content (podcasts, classical, pop/alt) and having slightly different sound profile settings would be helpful (Sennheiser can do that). With its premium price tag, perhaps it’s time for me to switch to Sony or Apple who have great headsets with apps that actually work. The extremely low star rating (especially for what purports to be a premium brand) is a good indication that I’m unfortunately not an outlier or an exception with these observations.

GeorgeOJ

5 years ago

Response from developer

Hi GeorgeOJ, Thanks for your feedback; we're very sorry to hear of your disappointment with this app. The app is simply intended to provide controls not easily accommodated on the headphones themselves. Your comments and suggestions have been passed on to our Research & Development team for evaluation in future products and releases. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins

PX7’s are great, but this app rarely works

Idk if it’s connecting via Bluetooth or NFC, but either way, this app constantly has problems connecting to the headphones. All I want to do is check the battery status, and the app either takes a long time (and a few tries) to connect, or it just never connects.

I wish the headphones themselves had more controls so this app weren’t necessary.

Matt with unique nickname

5 years ago

T17 setup a pain but worth it

Setup was not out-of-box easy, as it's been for other brands I've tried. The trick that finally worked was pressing the tiny bluetooth-setup button inside the case for 1.5 seconds, until the green light on the front of the case turned blinking blue. (At one point early in the frustrating process, the iPad bluetooth settings showed that the buds were connected, but they weren't. Audio was still coming out of the iPad speakers.)

But the frustration was worth it. The sound is the most satisfactory of the four brands I tried to get here (with the possible exception of the Apple Air Pods Pro, which I cannot use now because of a skin allergy caused by the material in the tips, and of the B&O EQs, which sound very good but fall out easily and whose noise cancellation isn't up to par for me) and the buds fit snugly and, I hope, securely.

My long search for buds with a very good sound, very good noise cancellation, and a secure fit is finally at an end. Thank you, Bowers & Wilkins!

etaoin.shrdlu

5 years ago

Response from developer

Hi etaoin.shrdlu, Many thanks for your review and feedback; we're really glad to hear that you are enjoying your new heapdhones. If you need any support from us, please get in touch through support@bowerswilkins.com. Many thanks, Bowers & Wilkins.