Pi6 & Pi8 Earbuds
Client
Bowers & Wilkins
Year
2024
Type of Work
Design development
Ergonomics
CMF development
Prototyping
When B&W asked us to design their latest generation of in-ear buds our initial focus was the complexity and diversity of ears across the globe. Not just the external parts of the ear – the antihelix, the concha, the tragus and antitragus – but also the position and angle of the ear canal itself. For a company with B&W’s global reach, achieving comfort for the broadest range of users was critical.
Over a three-year research and design process, after a lot of prototypes and even more testing, we homed in on a design that became increasingly comfortable for more and more people. The result is the latest generation of Bowers & Wilkins in-ear buds; the most comfortable and finest sounding buds they have ever made.
The luxurious Pi8s draw material cues from the flagship Px8 headphones but with a polished, jewel-like touch surface surrounded by a protective metallic bezel.
From the outset, it became clear that before any actual design work was to happen, we’d need to understand a lot about ear anthropometrics and ear bud ergonomics – and all within the context of the constraints for the internal components: the driver, the battery, the electronics and critical microphone positions. We created over a hundred ergonomic prototypes and tested them with a huge number of users around the world.
As the form of the earbuds matured, we developed a layered architecture to enable the engineers to optimise microphone and antenna positioning and also to allow for subtle iteration of ergonomic features like the silicone fin. Additionally, we developed a platform design; this enabled us to explore detailing, materials and finishes in order to distinguish the two ranges: the entry-level Pi6 and the premium Pi8.
The Pi6s are available in a range of pastel colours to integrate with different skin-tones and clothing. The outer touch surface is a highly polished and hard-wearing resin that caps the acoustic gap.
The design of the buds is an evolution of the visual language we used for the Px headphones. The ‘superelliptical’ forms of the Px earcup and case inspired the form of the earbud top-cap and its charging case – emphasising harmony across the B&W range whilst making a significant departure from the previous generation of B&W earbuds.
