Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
More than just AirPods for athletes , the Powerbeats Pro feature better sound quality and much longer battery life .
Best Prices Today: Apple Powerbeats Pro
AirPods are a cultural icon , and for good reason . More than two years ago , Apple free a set of on-key wireless earbuds that solved many of the problems that made us detest Bluetooth phone , do them as commodious and honest as we ’ve always dreamed . And now Apple has new AirPods with a custom H1 chip that build them even better .
But thesecond - generation AirPodsaren’t the upright true wireless earbuds Apple make . Not anymore . That honor now belong to the company ’s beat by Dre foot soldier and its unexampled Powerbeats Pro earbuds .
The first true wireless earbuds by Beats , the Powerbeats Pro , are better than AirPods . You compensate a exchange premium for this quality—$249 , compared to $ 159 for AirPods — and you wo n’t find the Powerbeats Pro quite as portable as AirPods . But if you need true wireless earbuds that work with your iPhone as effortlessly as AirPods and sound better and last longer , they ’re well deserving the agio Leontyne Price .
Update : Since this review was to begin with published , the cost of the Powerbeats Pro has dropped to $ 199 . This is a permanent drop , not a limited sales event . Take the new cost into invoice when considering the product .
Beats on the outside
The Powerbeats Pro will see familiar to fans of the incredibly pop Powerbeats Bluetooth earbuds . They have the same angled nozzles with rubberize tips that fit snugly in your ear canal . Four pairs of gratuity are included , so almost anyone should be able to come up a comfortable fit . They have the same flat , forward - facing consistency ( this time tilt up a little ) , connected to an pinna crotchet that fit behind your volute , like a tightly - fitted pair of glasses .
It ’s a intent made to keep the ‘ bud in post during gymnastic activity . running play , weightlifting , CrossFit — whatever it is you do , the Powerbeats Pro are n’t likely to get dislodged . They ’re IPx4 pee resistant , which basically mean you do n’t have to worry about sweat or splashes , but should n’t deluge them .
In my testing , I could n’t get them to budge without deliberately bump them . I ran , I turned cartwheels , I did jumping diddly-shit , situps , and pushups , I stumbled my way through a few berm roll I have n’t seek since practicing Aikido 20 class ago . Not only did the Powerbeats Pro abide on my ears , they stayed properly fitted into my ear canal .
The come-on keep the earbuds in place , but can become uncomfortable after a couple hours .
They ’re comfy enough to tire for extended periods , though as with all earbuds that lineament ear hooks , the hooks start to bother me after an hour or two .
Any earbud partisan will tell you , a well seal means better sound ( specially bass ) , so the Powerbeats Pro blueprint delivers much better sound quality than AirPods , though they are n’t necessarily the best - sounding true wireless earbuds you may purchase . If you ’re intimate with the Powerbeats 3 , you ’ll have a skillful approximation of the acoustic you could expect . Beats made the Powerbeats Pro a little smaller and lighter , and they use a different number one wood technology , but the overall sound quality is quite similar .
The tight seal means you ’ll get a line a lot less of the existence around you , which make them perfect for noisy surround where you need to block out audio ( busses , gear , planes ) and bad for noisy environments where you demand to hear to be dependable ( city streets ) .
Powerbeats Pro are a batch big than AirPods , but still light and comfortable enough for extended wearing .
The control will be conversant to Powerbeats users , too . rather of tap as you would on AirPods , there are physical controls mirrored on each side : a volume rocker , and a single multi - function button . Tap once to play / intermission , twice to skip forward , three times to cut back , or hold it down to trigger Siri . speck - sensitive rap belike is n’t the best interface for a pair of earbuds made for athletic endeavor . The buttons are well-off to locate and use , though , with just the right amount of opposition . Each earbud can notice when it is removed from your pinna and mechanically hesitate or restart euphony , just as AirPods do .
They ’re also available in four colors , unlike AirPods : grim , ivory , moss , and navy . Only the black model is presently available , the others are hail presently . It ’s odd ( and a picayune unsatisfying ) that the classic Beats red is nowhere to be found .
AirPods on the inside
Inside , the Powerbeats Pro feature the same H1 Saratoga chip and sensing element as the second - generation AirPods , so it has almost all the same features . You mate them to your iPhone by just opening the charge case near it , and check the battery degree the same way . you may trigger off Siri with a work force - innocent “ Hey , Siri ” alternatively of tap , and it work just as well as it does on the new AirPods . The H1 crisp provides a rock music - hearty Bluetooth connection . I did n’t experience any pausing or skipping , even on a crowded commuter train train where there must have been at least 20 other bluetooth gadget in the area .
You pair and suss out stamp battery on the Powerbeats Pro just as you would with AirPods . It ’s like magic .
I had no problem activate Siri , even on a busy street . Just do n’t wait for the euphony to slicing as Siri acknowledges that it ’s mind . Say “ Hey Siri , ” and then immediately follow it up with your command , without pausing .
Four eartips should be enough to give anyone a comfy fit . And grok the bootleg Lightning cable !
You charge the Powerbeats Pro the same way you do AirPods , with a Lightning cable . They even come with a knavish disastrous USB - A Lightning cable television . ( Would n’t it be swell if black iPhones did ? ) The earbuds charge pretty quickly — just 15 minutes will give you almost one-half charge , and a full charge shoot about 90 minute or so . The character holds another 24 hour of billing , just like the AirPods case . There ’s no option for a wireless charge case , though .
Though the cornerstone technology is the same as that in the AirPods , you ca n’t expect AirPods battery sprightliness . you may expectdouble . The Powerbeats Pro are rated for a phenomenal 9 hours of music playback and 6 hour of earpiece talk time . I did n’t listen to music for 9 hours in one sitting , but it did take several multi - 60 minutes sessions before the earbuds lead out of juice . They ’ll easily make it through a long flight of stairs without having to go back in the case .
Better than AirPods, though there are tradeoffs
The Powerbeats Pro are better overall than the second - propagation AirPods , but there are some trade-off . At $ 249 , they ’re $ 90 more expensive , for neophyte . And if you really want wireless charging , it ’s not an choice .
Part of the reason AirPods do n’t fathom as good is because they perch lightly in your auricle , instead of making a tight sealskin with India rubber eartips . This means more of your surround ’s speech sound make it through , which can be worthful in some situations and undesirable in others .
You ’re in spades not get to get the Powerbeats Pro charging cause ( left ) in your air hole . It overshadow the AirPods case ( right ) .
AirPods are also much small and lighter . The earhooks on the Powerbeats Pro make them too bulky to equip in a tiny dental - floss - panache case . The big clamshell case just wo n’t fit in your pocket . And their remain - put design make them a little cumbersome to take on and off often . If you just want to answer short telephone birdsong with your wireless earbuds , the AirPods are much more convenient .
If you want to block external noise , wear your earbuds during rigorous activity , mind for long period without recharging , or if you really care about effectual quality , the Powerbeats Pro are a better choice . If you need to hear your surroundings , or you put a premium on pocketability and quickly placing or removing your earbuds , or just if price is a critical factor , you ’d be honorable off with AirPods .
Now that Apple ’s own Beats foot soldier has formally one - upped Apple ’s true wireless headphones , I look forwards to Apple returning the serve . Maybe with a pair of noise - cancelling studio apartment headphones ?
