These new earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins can add wireless audio to your other devices

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

We’re pretty used to the release cycle of true wireless earbuds improving on battery life, sound quality, or noise-canceling. Connectivity is usually improved, thanks to new Bluetooth specifications, but Bowers & Wilkins isn’t one to just improve on existing products.

The company’s new PI7 true wireless earbuds have a charging case that can be used to stream audio from any device they’re plugged into, adding Bluetooth audio to devices that traditionally needed wires.

Yes, that means that even airplane headphone jacks can be used to stream audio to your wireless, active-noise-canceling headphones. No longer will airline travelers need to carry additional adapters, or worry if they downloaded enough content onto their tablet or laptop. Now all they need to do is plug the PI7’s adapter cable into the seat, and enjoy the in-flight entertainment through your earbuds.

The use of either USB-C or 3.5mm to USB-C cable to connect the earbuds’ charging case to any device also means you can add wireless audio to the Nintendo Switch, to older MP3 players if you still have one of those, or anything with a 3.5mm jack. Amazing.

As they’re from Bowers & Wilkins, the PI7 will have refined sound quality as well, provided by “Dual Hybrid Drive” units in each earpiece, and six microphones spread across both buds for noise canceling. They support Siri or Google Assistant, have four hours of playback with another four charges in the case, and they feature fast charging for two hours of playback from only 15 minutes of charge.

You can buy the PI7 today, for $400, or there’s also the PI5 for $250, but those do not have the Bluetooth broadcasting case.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Review: EPOS GTW 270 earbuds – gaming earbuds that don’t suck
• Review: Coumi ANC-860 earbuds are a perfect all-round option
• Review: Bowers & Wilkins PX7 Carbon Edition noise-canceling headphones
• Review: Meze Audio Rai Solo IEMs – punching above their weight

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.