Meet Jamie Simmonds, the world's third fittest woman and international CrossFit champion.
Jamie Simmonds, the third strongest woman in the world in 2019, is an international CrossFit Games champion and ambassador for the plant nutrition company Nuzest.
Previously a gymnast and rugby player, Jamie made a name for herself on the CrossFit competitive scene in 2016 when she stood on the podium with Team CrossFit Yas.
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"Scarlet Nexus is an excellent action role-playing game for all fans of the genre."
Unique fight
A surprising story
Funny characters
Long running time
Stylish look
Weak exploration
Strong on backtracking
There's no shortage of Japanese action RPGs out there, but Bandai Namco's Scarlet Nexus is a new IP that stood out from the crowd and caught my eye right away. After playing the demo that was released earlier this year, I knew I was having a good time, and I'm overjoyed that my guess was correct.
Scarlet Nexus is a game that takes all expectations and pushes aside from amazing players with new ideas in all directions. This "brainpunk" title takes place in a futuristic world in which people have found a way to use a hidden gene to unlock superpowers in certain people. This premise lends itself perfectly to both the gameplay and the story, which pleasantly surprised me throughout my experience.
While the game starts out a bit slow and took some time to get into, Scarlet Nexus is a rewarding experience and a great addition to any JRPG collection thanks to its bombastic storyline and gameplay.
At the beginning of Scarlet Nexus, I got the impression that the story with boilerplate characters would be based on books. Fortunately, I was completely wrong. While the characters may seem like a tropical tick for anyone who's seen an anime in the past decade, they have so many memorable moments together that they quickly grew on me and I wanted to spend more time with them.
The world of Scarlet Nexus is a futuristic world in which certain members of humanity have awakened to various superpowers thanks to a psionic hormone discovered in the brain. There are also other, wonderfully designed mutants who come from heaven and enjoy human brains. The Other Suppression Force (OSF) was formed to combat the zombie-like threat.
Things start with players choosing either Kasane Randall or Yuito Sumeragi, two new recruits to the OSF who have very unique powers and abilities. There is a lot more to this new duo than meets the eye, however, and this is where the story of Scarlet Nexus really shines.
These surprises really make the Scarlet Nexus plot so special – you just have to see them yourself.
Things start out as you'd expect from a story like this one. You meet your teammates, train, go on a mission or two, get to know each other, the usual. Then suddenly one surprise after the other begins and leads to a story without brakes and loads of excitement. Before I knew it, I found characters to get excited about, mocked others, and kept wondering where things were going next. As is usually the case with a story like this, players will wonder who and what they can and cannot trust.
I wish I could go into further detail, but that would mean spoiling everything. These surprises really make the Scarlet Nexus storyline so special – you just have to see them for yourself.
History isn't the only area that this game excels in as the gameplay has me drawn to my screen as well. Even in the opening tutorial, Scarlet Nexus wants to show players that it's not like any other action RPG. That's because of its unique combat mechanics, which allows for some fun graphics, combos, and strategies.
The game has everything you would expect from a character driven action game / hack and slash title – perfect dodging, weapon attacks and throwers. What makes it stand out is the use of the psychokinesis attacks and assist specials that got me primarily interested in the title.
By holding R2, players consume a psychokinesis meter. This allows players to control surrounding objects and throw them at enemies, causing great damage. Attacks can be chained with standard weapons and specials, with the chains getting longer and more elaborate as you level up to make room for some fun combos. As with any game that has a huge focus on combos and free flowing combat, you can already guess what you will see with this system, but it gets even wilder with the SAS mechanics.
Even in the opening tutorial, Scarlet Nexus wants to show players that it's not like any other action RPG. That's because of its unique combat mechanics, which allows for some fun graphics, combos, and strategies.
SAS is a brain-to-brain connection that allows players to temporarily use the different skills of group members and basically grant different assists. These include elemental attack reinforcements, invisibility, time slowdown, a doppelganger who can double attacks, or a partner who steps in with an auxiliary attack.
This mechanic adds a deep strategic element to combat as different SAS attacks have unique stats that are more effective on certain enemies. For example, an enemy can shoot water that splashes over them after a certain number of hits. Using a SAS assistant with electrical properties allows players to do more damage to their soaked opponent. In the beginning, players start with one of these assists and work their way up to four at a time, which opens the door to high combo potential. It just takes a bit of sanding to get there.
While the focus is on action and story, the game doesn't lack the usual RPG elements.
To unlock all of a character's abilities, players will have to fight their way through the story and revisit previous areas to level up and earn brain points. As with many other RPGs with such a mechanic, players select points on a map to decide which path to take next.
On the other side of the field, party members can be leveled up to unlock more SAS skills. This is achieved by increasing the level of attachment with them, similar to what is done with the Persona series. The bond with a character is increased by talking to characters or giving them gifts, which in turn unlocks more skills. Once a specific interaction requirement is met, players will also unlock a Bond Episode, a special cutscene in which the player character gets closer to the person they have connected with. This also increases overall team loyalty and grants bonuses such as special items and free resuscitations. While it may sound like a chore, it opens up lots of fun moments of dialogue between characters without getting in the way of the core battle loop.
There is also the classic material system that RPG fans are familiar with. In the levels, players will find small digital cubes that they have to pick up. These can be taken to a store and exchanged for various party cosmetic items, health items, and various weapon and stat upgrades.
It feels lively thanks to the abundance of NPCs and the great care that has been put into the look, feel, and sounds of the various maps.
The only downside to RPG gameplay is the exploration of the game. While I really liked the game's bright and detailed city and ruinous environments, it feels like traversing the city. Items are placed in empty and boring hallways and often feel unnecessary. It gets even more annoying when you return to these areas to find more.
Still, I enjoyed exploring the world of Scarlet Nexus. It feels lively thanks to the abundance of NPCs and the great care that has been put into the look, feel, and sounds of the various maps. I just wish hunting for items didn't feel like a drag at times.
Scarlet Nexus is a must have for any fan of Japanese action RPGs and standard JRPGs. If the story doesn't get your attention, the fight will be. It has enough flesh to distract from its tiny blemishes. It's a pleasure to interact with his characters, and seeing them grow together really got me fully invested in all of their story arcs. I left the experience and longed for another title like this one that would take its excellent action even further.
It should take over 60 hours in total. The unlockable skills are well worth the hunt down as well, as they add plenty of extra playback time for those looking to dive deeper.
There are tons of other action RPGs out there. The Tales series and the acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Remake are some that I would recommend, but Scarlet Nexus offers such a rich and unique experience that I wouldn't turn it down.
If you're hungry for some good action or story, I highly recommend jumping right into this one.
Editor's recommendations
You need these five basic movements to build your first bar muscle – and how to get there without injuring yourself.
As a trainer, I've seen so many variations of bar muscle upward progression. Many that I have seen are extremely dangerous and involve tapes, boxes, and a lack of adequate skills and strengths.
This article explains the right basic moves to build your first bar muscle – and how to build that first bar muscle without injuring yourself in the process.
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“The Realme GT is a solid mid-range smartphone with a flagship processor inside and an attractively low price. But don't expect it to compete with most other top of the line phones elsewhere. "
Vegan leather model is an eye-catcher
The Snapdragon 888 chip works great
Compact and light
Mediocre camera
No watertightness
It's impossible to ignore the yellow and black color scheme of the eye-catching Realme GT, as well as Realmes repeated claims that the phone is a "flagship" because it uses the top Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. But a phone takes more than a fast processor to impress, and while the phone's other specs are good, they don't stand out. The Realme GT has the show and the run, but is that enough to make it a phone?
If Bumblebee used a smartphone, it would be the Racing Yellow Realme GT. The yellow vegan leather is softly structured and feels very comfortable and has so far left no traces from my hands covered with sunscreen and moisturizer or from being tucked into pockets and bags, which would suggest that it is durable. It's adapted to a strip of glass, but could very well be made of plastic that runs along the left side of the back and contains the camera module.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
At first glance it looks jet black, but on closer inspection it has a very faint V-shaped motif, complete with a slight bluish cast that runs along it. It's actually a little too faint and would look better if it were visible more often. While I think the Realme GT looks beautiful, these two primary design features elevate it well beyond what it actually is – another reworking of the same Realme and Oppo phone design we saw recently.
Paint the Realme GT black and it will look very, very similar to the Realme 8 5G, Oppo A54 5G, and other phones that have been released in the past few months. The lens layout can change a bit within the camera module, but on closer inspection, the crossover in the Oppo and Realme phone design is painfully obvious. Both are part of the BBK Electronics empire along with OnePlus, Vivo and IQOO, but work independently of each other.
Does that make the GT less attractive? Not really. If you want to reuse a drab design, it's best to disguise it in a crazy, eye-catching yellow and black color scheme. The Realme GT is pleasantly light at 186 grams and quite thick for the leather model at 9.1 mm, but overall reasonably proportioned to live with. A version in which the vegan leather back is exchanged for glass is also available.
The GT's 6.43-inch Super AMOLED screen comes as a surprise. The resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, the lack of curves on the sides, and the screen-to-body ratio of around 85% aren't the stuff of mobile dreams, so I wasn't expecting anything special. However, it is very attractive for videos and can even compete with the higher-resolution Fluid AMOLED screen of the OnePlus 9 Pro without HDR10 + and massive brightness.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
If you look at Carfection's Litchfield Toyota GR Yaris review on YouTube at 1440p, there's nothing different from each other. Compare it to the Apple iPhone 12 Pro, and the Apple phone's more natural tones appeal to the standard coolness of the Realme GT screen, but it really manages to hold its own against these two display heavyweights in some ways.
The flatness doesn't appeal to me. I prefer a screen with a certain shape and I appreciate the way curved glass catches the light and feels in my hand. The GT lacks that, which makes it feel ordinary. Outside of video, the Realme GT's screen lacks vibrancy – even in Vivid mode – and the screen protector is poor quality, attracting fingerprints, and dulling the display when the operating system is in general use. On the positive side, the refresh rate of 120 Hz makes scrolling incredibly smooth.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
There's a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor at the bottom of the screen, but it has an annoying habit of not always activating when I pick up the phone or tap the screen to wake it up. However, face unlock with selfie camera usually worked before I became too frustrated. Audio is delivered through stereo speakers and is fine for casual use, plus the phone supports Dolby Atmos, but the phone's sound doesn't have much depth.
Inside the module on the back there are three cameras, a 64-megapixel Sony IMX682 main camera, an 8-MP wide-angle camera and a 2-MP macro camera. There is a 16 MP selfie camera in a hole punch at the top of the screen. Realme calls the GT a flagship phone, but this isn't a flagship camera setup. The IMX682 is used in the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G, for example.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
The camera is acceptable but inconsistent and unable to compete with the best cameras available on phones today. On its worst days, the main camera tends to become oversaturated and does not always set the white balance correctly, while it destroys the mood in more complex lighting conditions with dark shadows and missing details. The wide angle camera is where the inconsistency is found mostly in the way it matches the colors.
Realme GT main camera Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends
Realme GT wide angle camera Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends
Realme GT 2x digital zoom Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends
Realme GT 5x digital zoom Andy Boxall / DigitalTrends
When the conditions are right, the Realme GT can take well-balanced, detailed photos that I'm happy to share with minimal editing. It seems to favor general photos of people, pets, and food, struggling with scenes that required more nuance and skill to capture effectively. The selfie camera has an activated beauty mode as standard, which significantly smooths the skin.
The camera app annoys me. Although the Realme GT doesn't have an optical zoom feature, Realme adds a 2x and a 5x option that you can use in the camera app. Unsurprisingly, the photos aren't very good. The 2x digital zoom can be passable, but the 5x is bad, and by making it an option, Realme confuses people about the actual capabilities of the camera, causing people to ruin photos they are too Rightly expected them to get better.
A "flagship" camera must encourage you to take pictures by producing stunning photos that will increase your creativity and fun. The Realme GT's camera lacks the general capability or hardware to do this, which is unfortunate given the imaging capability of the Snapdragon 888, but is fine for general everyday use.
The Realme GT's flagship references come almost entirely from using a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. The Snapdragon 888 chip is tremendously powerful and I had no issues playing Asphalt 9: Legends and Genshin Impact. Realme speaks of a 360Hz adaptive touch sampling rate, but I didn't notice any difference when gaming on the GT compared to other phones.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Realme UI 2.0 software, which is based on Android 11, is almost identical to Oppo's Color OS V11 software, to the point where you can choose the same icon shape and size, as well as the same font, to do just that to achieve the same look, all from identical settings pages. Both brands are part of the BBK Electronics empire so this is no surprise, but don't buy a Realme phone if you've used an Oppo phone and didn't like the software.
The Snapdragon 888 chip is tremendously powerful /
Is it below average? No, it's fine and has plenty of customization options to make it your own if the look is awkward. I've found it to be reliable and fast, the settings menu is logical enough, and notifications have been delivered for the most part without any problems, although some apps don't always notify you of a new message until you unlock the phone. I find that the keyboard is set very low on the screen, which has resulted in more typos than usual.
Inside is a 4,500mAh battery that has enough power to last for almost two days, but only under normal conditions of use. Make a video call and play a few games and the battery will run out by the middle of the second day. It is charged with the 65-watt SuperDart Charge from Realme, which fully charges the battery in about 35 minutes, but has no wireless charging.
The Realme GT is available now in Europe and is coming soon in the UK, but the only official prices are currently available in euros. The phone costs 449 euros, which is around $ 550 for the 8GB / 128GB version or 599 euros / $ 725 for the 12GB / 256GB model. It's not currently available directly through Realme's UK online store, but it can be found through Amazon in Europe and as an import from sellers on AliExpress, where it starts at $ 480. If you choose to import the phone, make sure it is the Global model or you will not have Google Play or Google Services installed.
I've been using the Realme GT every day for a couple of weeks now and have had no real problems with it at all. People have commented on the striking yellow and black color scheme, and the battery has kept up with my activities, but I haven't really settled down with the phone. The problem is, outside of the vegan leather and yellow paintwork, it's not very exciting.
The camera and screen are satisfactory but do not encourage me to use them and certainly do not offer anything above the competition. The existence of the Realme GT is based solely on the Snapdragon 888 processor and the performance it delivers.
While it's a solid everyday phone, the rest of the specs don't take full advantage of the Snapdragon 888's capabilities or what we expect to go with it, which is unfortunate. It also lacks many other features that we would expect from a top-of-the-line phone, including wireless charging, a great feature-rich camera, and water resistance. It certainly has a lot of guts and gaming is great. So if all you're looking for is performance, the GT delivers it for a reasonable price. But the rest of the phone doesn't keep that monster processor's promise.
The unclear pricing of the Realme GT in the UK and the lack of an official US release make it difficult to compare directly, but we'll compare it to phones that cost less than $ 500. The Samsung Galaxy A52 5G doesn't have the Snapdragon 888, but it does have a better camera and screen, plus long battery life and a pretty design. The software is great too, and it's our recommended Android smartphone for this price point. Similarly, the Google Pixel 4a beats the Realme GT's camera and software, but it can't keep up with its processing power.
Less obvious competitors include the Asus Zenfone 8 and Xiaomi Mi 11, both of which cost about the same as the Realme GT and offer similar specs, but also have disadvantages.
The Realme GT has 5G so it can be connected to the fastest mobile data service at any time, which gives it a good start in terms of longevity. The phone isn't waterproof, and other than the leather back being likely to be moderately more durable than the glass version, it's not a particularly rugged phone either. It is advisable to put it in a case.
Realme offers software updates for two years, but doesn't go into timing. Due to the custom user interface via Android, it takes longer for major Android version updates to arrive than for example on a Google Pixel phone. However, the Snapdragon 888 processor will help ensure that the phone lasts for at least two years.
No, unless your only requirement is to have the fastest Qualcomm processor at the cheapest price. There are better all-rounders for a similar price.
Editor's recommendations
This training plan has a refreshing and healthy approach that you can use in any gym to build more muscle and achieve your goals.
The age-old desire to build a strong, well-proportioned body is still alive. Yes, the average gym goer no longer craves to build a monstrous, freaky, flashy body with gnarled veins, huge, stocky legs, and the inability to fit inside a shirt.
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"PowerA's Fusion Pro 2 is great value at $ 90, but you get what you pay for with this third-party controller."
Great value
Feature-rich package
Practical volume control
Easy to customize
Loud rumbling
D-pad is a step down
Uncomfortable back paddles
Let's get something straight: the Xbox Elite Series 2 is the best video game controller on the market today. Unfortunately, it's also one of the most expensive. The third-party provider PowerA may have recognized an opportunity and, with the Fusion Pro 2, has risen with a direct competitor to Microsoft's own gamepad.
This wired controller is specially designed for the Xbox Series X | S and offers many of the same extras as the Elite Series 2 at a significantly lower price. It's a sturdy package with back paddles, trigger locks, volume controls and a lot more. At $ 90, it seems like an important value versus the $ 180 Elite Series 2 at first glance.
The Fusion Pro 2 is indeed a solid third-party option for those looking for an Xbox controller with some bells and whistles. Just prepare a classic "you get what you pay for" case here because it lacks the sleek design and cut of a proper Microsoft product.
It's hard to deny what a strong offering the overall package is. For $ 90, Xbox gamers get a ton of features here that aren't on a standard Xbox controller. For starters, it comes with a paddle pack that adds four back buttons to the controller. That alone is one of the main selling points of the Elite Series 2.
In addition, the controller has trigger locks that allow players to adjust the voltage on each trigger. There are three different settings each, each of which allows for some very specific controller settings. There is also a volume control at the bottom of the pad that allows players to easily turn the voice chat up and down. Pressing the rotary dial will also mute the chat, which is incredibly handy to have a click of your thumb away.
Those are the greatest features, but there's a lot more where that comes from. The package comes with removable front panels, anti-friction handles, additional joysticks and a carrying case to store everything. It doesn't have all of the interchangeable parts that come with an Elite Series 2, but it makes up for that with the bonus features.
It's hard to deny what a strong offering the overall package is.
The price point goes really far here. In comparison, PowerA's Nintendo Switch Fusion controller costs $ 100 and has far fewer extras. While $ 90 may seem expensive for someone who just needs a standard game controller, it's a real steal when you consider that a similar product costs twice as much.
While it's certainly more cost effective than an Elite Series 2, that doesn't mean it's inherently better. There are many tradeoffs players will make if they choose this route. Most notable is the fact that it is a wired controller, which in itself is a big catch in itself. The package comes with nice mesh wire, but it still means you have to stay tied to your Xbox to play.
There are many tradeoffs players will make if they choose this route.
These compromises also crop up in more subtle ways. The controller uses a regular four-way D-pad, which is a questionable step down from the Xbox Series X's more multi-directional pad. This part is also not interchangeable, so it cannot be replaced across the board.
The most noticeable difference comes from the rumble. The controller's dual rumble motors aren't subtle; This is one of the loudest controllers I've ever heard. Leave this on a coffee table and it will sound like it's piercing. The technology just feels a little cheap compared to the more precise rumble found in video game controllers today. It must be noted that the fact that it is rumbling at all is an improvement over the Switch's Fusion controller, which lacks overall feedback.
These quirks aside, the key layout itself is perfectly serviceable. There are a few differences in depth, but this feels like a regular Xbox controller. It's just these little details that bring the third-party character to the fore.
The biggest feature here is the paddle pack, which adds four back buttons to the controller. There's a lot to like about them. It's easy to assign buttons to them, the paddles feel responsive, and the backpack itself can be pulled out at any time.
It's still incredible value, but expect to feel the difference.
The positioning feels a bit off. although. For my hands, the backpack sits a little lower than I would like. That means I had to keep my back fingers higher, which made it difficult to find a comfortable position. After playing a few rounds of Knockout City, I felt like I wanted to throw the pack out entirely.
That's a shame, because the Fusion 2 has a lot to offer in terms of comfort. The rubber grips are especially nice compared to the cold suppleness of a standard Xbox controller. The trigger locks and interchangeable joysticks are also a welcome bonus that allows players to really customize the feel of the controller.
Of course, comfort is ultimately a question of subjectivity. The paddle package may be just right for some players while others may feel like it's just a bull's eye. No controller is a one-size-fits-all solution, but it's an area where Microsoft's expertise really becomes apparent. The company has spent decades creating the perfect Xbox controller, and that becomes evident when you switch to a third-party option that lacks those subtle tweaks. It's still incredible value, but expect to feel the difference.
The PowerA Xbox Fusion 2 is a great budget option for anyone who wants the extras of an Elite Series 2 without breaking the bank. It's a loaded package with an impressive array of features. Just be prepared for the third party nature. Loud rumble motors, awkward positioning of the back button and the wired condition make this controller a controller that accepts many compromises. If value is the primary concern, it is a strong option. It's just not the best available.
Microsoft's Elite Series 2 is the better piece of hardware, although it is available for twice the price.
Since it's wired, you don't have to worry about battery life. The controller itself feels sturdy enough, but it's always difficult to say how a third-party product will hold up over time. However, expect it to be in use for a few years.
No. Anyone who really needs the extras is probably better off paying extra for the Elite Series 2. Otherwise, the standard Xbox Series X controller is perfectly designed for casual gamers.
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Yes, there are a lot of fit looking people who love to post sexy looking fitness moves on social media and most of them don't come with an attempt away from home unless they have a disclaimer.
Coach to the struggling client: "What are you doing?"
Client: "I'm not sure. I just saw it on Instagram."
(Common sigh among the coaches all around).
Yes, there are a lot of fit looking people who love to post sexy looking fitness moves on social media and most of them don't come with an attempt away from home unless they have a disclaimer.
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A firm and big butt has the benefits of good looks and is beneficial for giving strength, posture and stability to the body. They allow you to do other exercises effectively by providing stability. Not only do they support your regular exercise routine, but they are also helpful for walking, sitting, running and jumping. In short, it can make your life easier.
When doing gluteus training, we often only focus on the gluteus maximus, the largest muscle in the buttocks. The gluteus medius and gluteus minimus are two other muscles besides the largest muscle in the hip. These two muscles also need to be focused in order to properly burn the hip. In this article, you will find exercises that will burn your entire bum. All you have to do is do each exercise perfectly.
Here are 12 effective exercises for bigger, stronger, and tighter buttocks. Choose a combination that suits you best and you can incorporate it into your full body exercise regimen or into your lower body exercise regimen.
1. Lie on the floor or mat with your knees bent and your feet hip-width apart.
2. As you exhale, squeeze your glutes and press your heel into the floor. Raise your hips toward the ceiling until your hips are no longer bent.
3. Hold there for 4 seconds.
4. Slowly lower your hips down and relax for 2 seconds.
5. Repeat
1. Lie on the floor or mat with your knees bent so your feet are hip-width apart.
2. Raise one leg in the air.
3. As you exhale, squeeze your glutes and press your heel into the floor. Raise your hips toward the ceiling until your hips are no longer bent.
4. Hold there for 4 seconds.
5. Bring your hips down slowly with one leg up and repeat the process.
6. Finish the repetitions with one leg before switching legs.
1. Sit so your knees are on the floor. Stand straight with your body above your knees.
2. Keep your hands on the back of your head.
3. Bend your hips back and bend down until your chest is parallel to the floor.
4. Push back into position with your glutes and repeat the process.
1. Stand upright, feet shoulder width apart and let your hands hang to your sides.
2. Take a big step forward while bending the knee of another leg so that it is almost touching the floor.
3. Jump and swing your legs in the air and switch legs until you land on the floor.
1. Stand with your back to a piece of a raised platform.
2. Place your foot on the platform with the back of your shoes facing up.
3. Bend your knee and go down until the other knee hits the floor.
4. Hold there for a few seconds and come back.
Tip: In order to concentrate more on the gluteal muscles, point your feet a little inwards and nominally lean the left hip bone a little forward.
Tip: keep the core moving throughout the movement.
In choosing the best combination of exercises that will best suit you, consider all of the above, such as lunges, squats, hip abduction. This will effectively burn the muscles and you can expect results faster.
As a beginner, keep the transition within the exercise as smooth as possible. We also recommend starting with fewer repetitions and increasing the repetitions over time. Following these tips can prevent injury.
"The PI5 is sleek and stylish and offers an alternative to white plastic earphones."
Simple, elegant design
Comfortable
Wireless charging
Effective ANC
Wear sensors
Full, rich sound
Cumbersome transparency controls
No EQ settings
No adjustment of the control
Some bluetooth connection problems
It took Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) longer than expected to launch its first true wireless earbuds, but they're finally here: the $ 400 flagship PI7 and the downward model PI5, which costs $ 250. The sleek looking earbuds came out at a crucial time when most brands are already working on their second, third, or even fourth generation products after years of learning and making improvements. Can B&W get in with a first-gen product at a great price and compete with established companies like Sony, Bose, Jabra and JBL?
I put the B&W PI5 through its paces.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
Not only is B&W a little late for the real wireless party, but it also seems to have missed the memo on sustainable packaging. Although the box is relatively small, it has embedded magnets, foam pads, and fully coated surfaces that make recycling difficult, if not impossible.
Inside you will find the PI5 already in its charging case, two additional sizes of earplugs, some paper documents and a generously long USB-C to USB-C charging cable. Unfortunately, B&W failed to add a USB-A to USB-C adapter for those of us who don't have a readily available USB-C port or charger.
The earbuds manage to look smaller in your ear than other earbuds thanks to their terraced shape.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
B&W has a flair for sophisticated designs. Whether it's the company's PX7 full-size headphones or the Formation wireless speakers, it's all about sleek elegance. The PI5 shares this design language with smooth lines and subtle accents such as the spiral texture on the outer touch control surface and an aluminum ring with the B&W brand.
Thanks to their terraced shape, the earbuds look smaller in your ear than on the Sony WF-1000XM4, Jabra Elite 85t and JBL Tour Pro +.
They can be easily removed from their wireless charging case and the case's magnets are just the right strength to hold the earphones precisely in place – don't worry about incorrectly aligned charging contacts.
The lid of the case can be opened and closed easily and easily and the large LED display on the front allows you to quickly check the charging status as well as the status of the buds when docked.
The case is just small enough to put in your pocket. The only catch with the otherwise beautiful design is the plastic selection chosen by B&W for the case: Even after unpacking the case, the case was covered with fingerprints and the factory condition could not be restored even by careful polishing with a soft cloth.
They don't look like that, but the PI5 are IP54 certified for good dust resistance and moderate water resistance. However, the case is not protected against dust or water, so you should clean the earbuds before replacing them.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
The PI5's sleek lines don't suggest a lot of comfort, but I found them very comfortable. The inner part of the earplugs is gently curved, while the outer part sits in the concha, where it, together with the silicone earplugs, holds the earplugs in position.
You want to move quickly from hearing nothing to hearing as much as possible. But there is simply no way to do that.
They may not be entirely safe for high energy workouts, but I think most people will find them suitable for their daily treadmill or treadmill routine.
As with most touch controls, there are times when typing on the PI5 has not been registered, but B&W includes a feedback tone so you know when you typed correctly. There's no way to change the gestures – you get play / pause, answer / end call, skip forward / back tracks, and access to the voice assistant. The volume control needs to be done on the phone (or you can ask Siri / Google Assistant to do it).
There's also the option to toggle active noise cancellation with a tap-and-hold gesture on the left earbud, but I'm not crazy about it. In my opinion, the opposite of ANC on is not ANC off, but transparency mode on. You want to move quickly from not hearing the outside world to hearing as much as possible. But there is simply no way to do that. To switch from ANC (on or off) to transparency you need to use a control buried in the B&W Headphones app.
Oddly enough, it is possible to have both ANC and Transparency mode enabled at the same time, which makes no sense at all. This is a major oversight that the company will hopefully fix with a firmware update as soon as possible.
The PI5 are equipped with wear sensors (which can be disabled in the app) and they are very accurate, pausing and resuming the music almost immediately when you remove or replace an earbud.
When testing the B&W PI7, we noticed some pretty flaky Bluetooth connections, but the PI5 were mostly reliable. Your wireless range is perfectly acceptable when you have your phone with you: 35 feet outside and 6 feet or so inside, but if you need to roam more, you're likely to experience dropouts.
I had a couple of glitches getting the PI5 to reconnect after putting it back in its case. It often took a few moments for the earbuds to turn on and then another five to 10 seconds to reconnect to my phone.
Once the earphones switched off the microphone part of the connection without warning. About halfway through a recording, they just stopped working and I had no idea until I played the recording.
On some tracks, the lower mid-range may sound a little distorted.
On the plus side, the PI5 can remember the last four paired devices, and the app lets you choose which of them to try first when you pull the earbuds out of their cases (or you can choose "last paired" as the default). You can also use each earbud independently.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
The PI5 has a very forward-looking sound signature that gives the music a warm, rich, and full reproduction. That bass really lets you feel the dark sounds of a track like Hans Zimmer's Time, but it lacks the subtlety of Sony's WF-1000XM4 that can better bring out the little nuances.
The challenge here is that B&W does not offer any EQ adjustments within the app. On some tracks, like Dominique Fils-Aimés Home, where deep acoustic bass and drums are accompanied by sultry vocals, the lower mids can sound a bit distorted. This becomes more noticeable as you turn up the volume. It's not a deal breaker, and despite the lack of low-end precision, there is excellent clarity in the upper mids and highs, which makes the vocal performance really enjoyable.
The PI5 are equipped with Qualcomm's aptX Bluetooth codec, which is said to offer slightly better performance than AAC, but I couldn't make out any difference when switching back and forth between an iPhone 11 (AAC) and a Google Pixel 5 (aptX). .
For less expensive earbuds, I'd probably overlook this, but at $ 250, the PI5 stands up against great audio performers like the $ 200 Sennheiser CX 400BT, $ 230 Jabra Elite 85t, and $ 230 KEF MU3, the all have excellent frequency separation.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
The PI5's active noise cancellation is very good. It was able to completely block the noise from my loud bathroom fan from six feet away, and it also adapted well to traffic and construction site noise as I walked through my neighborhood. It's actually a remarkable feat considering the earbuds only have two microphones. Most of the ANC earbuds that do this good require three microphones.
When melodies are not playing you can only make out a tiny hiss, but it's insignificant and easily ignored.
The transparency mode, which you can fine-tune to let in more or less sound, is very good too, but doesn't quite match the AirPods Pro's creepy ability to make it seem like you're not wearing any earbuds at all.
As I said above, the big problem is not being able to switch between ANC and transparency quickly and easily.
B&W states a battery life of 4.5 hours per charge for the earphones with the ANC switched on, which can be extended by another 20 hours with the charging case for about 24.5 hours of use before a cord or wireless charger is required. The PI5 is on par with the AirPods Pro, but is still at the lower end of the range of current true wireless earbuds.
In testing, I found these numbers a bit optimistic. With the ANC switched on and the volume set to 50%, I only have a little more than four hours of playing time.
However, there is a quick charge function that could help with range anxiety: 15 minutes in the sockets gives two hours of additional gaming time.
Simon Cohen / Digital Trends
I found the PI5 did a good job of canceling out background noise during a call. Some wind noise wasn't a problem either. But B&W may need to increase the gain on the microphones – my voice sometimes sounded a bit far away.
You can switch to transparency mode (from within the app) during a call, which really helps you hear your own voice more clearly.
I'm just not sure what to make of the microphone dropout issue mentioned above. If that happened all the time during phone calls, it would become a major nuisance.
In the B&W Headphones app you will find a number of six “soundscapes” such as waves or forest noises, all of which can be set with a timer to help you fall asleep. These might be helpful for getting 40 winks while flying, but I doubt most people will want to wear these earbuds to bed.
The PI5 brings B & W's famous elegance and sophistication to the true world of wireless earbuds, but a few weaknesses keep them from usurping the ruling brands at this price point.
At the same price as the PI5, Apple's AirPods Pro provide a better overall experience for everything but sound quality. They are smaller, more comfortable, and have better ANC and transparency modes.
For a non-Apple alternative, that's $ 230 Jabra Elite 85t are superb, with better sound quality, better battery life, lots of customization options, and more useful and effective ANC and transparency modes.
For even more savings, try the $ 199 JBL Tour Pro + – their bass isn't as powerful, but just as good or better than the PI5 in every other way.
B&W backs the PI5 with a two-year warranty that's twice the average for true wireless earbuds. They look very well made and with their IP54 protection class should withstand most activities unscathed. My only concern is the battery. All batteries lose capacity over time, so it's not ideal for your earbuds to last for 4.5 hours or less – this can easily drop to just two hours after a year or two of regular use.
Yes. If you can overcome your cumbersome ANC / transparency controls, the B&W PI5 offers a very stylish and sonorous alternative to the current noise-canceling true wireless earbuds.
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