In this review of the Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones, you can read our experiences with the latest fully wireless earbuds from Beats. What is the sound quality and how comfortable are they in your ears? You read it in this Powerbeats Pro review!
Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones
Since the acquisition of Beats , new Beats products are occasionally released. They are mainly new versions of the popular headphones, although there was also the new BeatsX. One of the most appealing new releases from Beats are the Powerbeats Pro, which have recently hit the shops. The Powerbeats Pro are the first fully wireless earbuds from Beats. While the previous wireless earbuds still needed a cable (for example, along behind your neck), this is not the case with the Powerbeats Pro. How do you like these fully wireless Powerbeats Pro? Are the Powerbeats Pro worth the money? In this Powerbeats Pro review, we discuss the pros and cons of these earbuds.
Specification
These are the main features of the Powerbeats Pro:
- Completely wireless earbuds
- In-ear design with noise isolation
- Built-in H1 chip, with support for Hey Siri and easy pairing
- Long battery life and fast charging with charging case
- Supplied with multiple sizes of earplugs
- Available in black, from the end of August also in white, blue and green
- List price € 249, –
The Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones are the successors of the earlier Powerbeats 3. These are wireless earbuds with a cable between the two parts, which passes behind your neck. The Powerbeats 3 have a longer battery life, but are not completely wireless and are equipped with the W1 chip. That is the same chip as in the first generation AirPods . For this review, we mainly compared the Powerbeats Pro with the AirPods 2 , because these are the earphones that we know well and that are equipped with the same H1 chip. We can therefore compare the properties and the differences well.
App and installing
For those who have had AirPods before, the Powerbeats Pro immediately feel very reliable. They come in a box that immediately serves as a charger. The Powerbeats Pro have the same H1 chip as the AirPods 2 . Connecting the Powerbeats Pro is therefore a piece of cake. You just need to open the box and follow the steps in the notification that appears on your iPhone . Because the Powerbeats Pro are directly linked to your iCloud account, they are immediately ready to use with all your devices.
Before you put the Powerbeats Pro in for the first time, it is wise to see which domes suit you best. There are four sets. Depending on your ear canal, you not only choose the dome that gives the best sound, but is also the most comfortable. In our test, the smallest cap resulted in less noise, while the largest was a bit uncomfortable in the long run. The ability to adjust the size to your hearing is a big advantage over the AirPods. If the AirPods keep falling out of your ears or are not comfortable, there is little you can do about it. The Powerbeats Pro is more versatile in that respect, although you have to like in-ears.
Sound and performance
In terms of sound, the Powerbeats Pro leave a good impression. The sound is a lot warmer and fuller than with the AirPods. Apple’s earbuds sound a lot flatter compared to Beats. True music lovers will therefore appreciate the Powerbeats Pro much more, although the sound does not come close to the high-end headphones that are often equipped with extensive noise cancellation . The Powerbeats Pro do not have this technique, but there is something comparable.
With noise-isolation is noise out. For this review, we mainly tested the Powerbeats Pro in the office and in public transport. With the right rubber earplugs, conversations from people around you can no longer be literally heard. If you want to fully focus on the music, the Powerbeats Pro will come in handy. Other ambient noises, such as a busy colleague typing, are also excluded from the Powerbeats Pro. We have also noticed that we have to turn the sound a lot lower with the Beats earbuds than with the AirPods. Due to the design, the sound goes directly into your ear, without interference from ambient noise.
If you don’t like the AirPods because of the limited audio quality, then these Beats earbuds come much closer to what you’re looking for. The Powerbeats are much more focused on sound quality or close. Especially for earplugs we find the sound impressive, especially if you are already used to the AirPods or Apple’s standard earplugs. If you already have Beats headphones, then you know roughly what to expect in terms of sound. The bass is clearly present, but we did not find it particularly disturbing in our test. On the contrary, it provided a much richer experience of the music. Sometimes we heard sounds in the music that hardly stand out when listening through the AirPods.
Still, sound quality remains something very personal. One finds the ringing in his ears far too disturbing, while this may not be enough for the other. If you are looking for high-quality earplugs with better sound than the AirPods, then the Powerbeats Pro are a good candidate. The music sounds fine in both the low and high spectrum. Whether you like Nederpop or rap, your music will always sound better than with the AirPods.
Controls
What we like about the Powerbeats Pro is that it has physical buttons. With the big B button you can pause music or activate Siri . There is also a volume knob on top, with which you can quickly turn the sound up or down. The advantage is that all these buttons are available on both the left and right earbud. So it doesn’t matter whether you have them both or only one, because you keep the exact same options. The Powerbeats Pro also include the ear detection, so that they automatically connect when you put them in or stop playing when you take them out of your ears. With the AirPods, we regularly remove one from our ears to stop the music when someone is talking to you. The design of the Powerbeats Pro makes that a bit more difficult, but fortunately there is the physical button for that.
Thanks to the aforementioned H1 chip, you can also use hands-free Hey Siri to start, pause, adjust the volume or give other commands. This works exactly the same as with the AirPods 2 and the experience is therefore the same. Siri responds quickly and sounds good, although the sound quality is of course a bit better than with the AirPods.
Each Powerbeats Pro also has its own microphone, so you can also make phone calls. Which microphone is used is determined automatically. The conversation partner does not notice any difference in sound quality between, for example, the AirPods or Powerbeats Pro.
Design and comfort
Whether you like the design of the Powerbeats Pro is personal to everyone. Opinions on the design are divided among the editors. If you are completely in love with the simple design of the AirPods, then the larger design of the Powerbeats Pro takes some getting used to. Especially because of the ear hook on the back, it feels a bit like a hearing aid. If you think the AirPods are ugly, then Powerbeats Pro will probably appeal more to you.
The wearing comfort also plays an important role in choosing the Powerbeats Pro. Because of the ear hooks, they never fall out of your ears, something that can happen with the AirPods, for example. The ear hooks are quite flexible, so you won’t be bothered by it while wearing it. It does take some practice to put them in properly. We do it best with a rotational movement, with which you turn the ear hooks behind your ears as if it were.
Still, the Powerbeats Pro remain more present than the AirPods, which is mainly due to the in-ear design of the earpiece. The Powerbeats Pro go a little deeper into your ears. This of course also ensures the better sound, but during very long sports sessions or, for example, a long airplane flight, this can become annoying in the long run. If you now mainly wear (over-ear) headphones, the Powerbeats Pro are a lot lighter on your ears. They are therefore ideal for people who often exercise. When running, you can fully focus on the music and your pace, without having to worry about them falling out of your ears.
Water resistant?
While we don’t recommend using the Powerbeats Pro while swimming, they can withstand a fair amount of water. The Powerbeats Pro are officially sweat and water resistant (IPX4), so a heavy rain shower or quite a sweaty effort are no problem. This is a significant advantage over the AirPods, which do not have this qualification.
What is the battery life ?
We’re also excited about the Powerbeats Pro’s battery life. The Powerbeats Pro last for no less than 9 hours without recharging. That is a lot longer than with the AirPods, which stop after 5 hours. Although we have never been dissatisfied with the battery life of the AirPods, you hardly have to pay attention to that with the Powerbeats Pro. The Beats earbuds also survive long workouts.
You can charge it yourself via the included charging case. This one has the same color as the Powerbeats Pro itself and looks a bit like a square glasses case. You slide the Powerbeats Pro magnetically into the box, after which they automatically start charging (provided there is still enough power in the box). The charging case itself can only be charged via a Lightning cable. We think it is a shame that the case cannot be charged wirelessly. Especially now that we are used to that with the AirPods, we find it a bit inconvenient to take a loose cable every time. That is also because the Lightning input is quite deep in the box, so it does not work with all iPhone docks.
Charging is a lot faster than with the AirPods. In fifteen minutes you can listen to music for 4.5 hours. Because the earbuds themselves also last longer, you don’t have to charge the charging case as quickly. We think the box is on the hefty side. You don’t quickly put it in your pocket, while you do with the AirPods. This hefty size of the Powerbeats Pro charging case is necessary because of the design of the earbuds, but we also think it is a bit strange that there was no room for wireless charging . Especially the lid is on the large side.
Who are these Wireless Earphones for?
Who are the Powerbeats Pro best suited for? It just depends on what you are looking for. If you want to choose a set of wireless earbuds and do not have too many demands on the sound quality, the AirPods are still the better choice in our opinion. They are cheaper and the sound quality is good and in most cases they are also fine in your ears. If you already have AirPods and are happy with them, we don’t think it’s necessary to upgrade to the Powerbeats Pro.
If you place a little more demands on your new Bluetooth earbuds and have not yet found a suitable set, the PowerBeats Pro are the better choice. The sound is considerably better and you can be sure that they will never fall out of your ears thanks to the design. We therefore find the PowerBeats Pro the better choice for athletes, partly because they are sweat and water resistant. You don’t get the same sound as with the more expensive headphones, but due to the light weight, the Beats earbuds are a lot more portable than the often heavier headphones.
True audiophiles who only want the best of the best, we don’t necessarily recommend the Powerbeats Pro. For that group, the Powerbeats Pro produce just a bit too much bass, although the experience is completely personal.
Conclusion Powerbeats Pro review
The Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones are mainly seen as the sporty and more advanced brother of the AirPods 2 and that is not without reason. If you do a lot of sports where you also move a lot, the Powerbeats Pro are an absolute must. The design ensures that the earplugs never fall out of your ears. In addition, the sound is a lot better than with the AirPods. It sounds warmer, fuller and with more bass, which is partly due to the noise isolation . We also like the versatility with the various rubber earplugs. This ensures that the Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones always fit. But even if you don’t exercise, the Powerbeats Pro are recommended, especially because of the better sound.
Almost all the benefits of the AirPods that make Apple’s earbuds so versatile can also be found in the Powerbeats Pro. Simple pairing and quick connection work exactly the same with these Beats earbuds as with the AirPods. Things like ear detection and Hey Siri can also be found on the PowerBeats Pro, making these earbuds extremely versatile in use. The AirPods mainly shine in ease of use. That is also the case with the Powerbeats Pro and the better sound quality is added to that. We are certainly impressed with the earplugs, although we still think the AirPods are the better choice for the average listener because of the lower price.
Pros of Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones
- High ease of use thanks to H1 chip
- Great sound quality
- Nice design
- Wearing comfort is high, partly due to various rubber earplugs
- Long battery life
Cons of Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earphones
- In-ear design is not for everyone
- Charging case very hefty
- Wireless charging is missing
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