With Apple practically dominating the earbud market with the release of the Airpods and Airpods Pro, we think that it’s only appropriate to talk about their other strong contender: the Beats Powerbeats Pro. As we all know, Beats are not a new name in the audio industry with the Beats by Dre headphones hype going on for many years. This is why in this review, we are very excited to see if the Powerbeats Pro are really a good daily option for those looking for wireless earbuds.
Beats was initially started by rapper Dr Dre (Andre Young) and music producer Jimmy Iovine in 2006 before being bought by Apple back in 2014. Aside from their famous headphones, they’ve also come out with numerous earphones and earbuds both wired and wireless. As we are in the wireless earbuds craze though, we thought that we would rise to the occasion and look at one of the wireless options they offered which is the Beats Powerbeats Pro. This pair offers up to 9 hours of listening time, is adjustable with its ear hooks, and is sweat and water resistant.
Now that sounds good on paper, but let’s see if it holds up well in reality. Let’s start off with the Pros of this pair.
Pros
Workout Friendly. The Powerbeats Pro are great for working out because of two things. First, they’re IPX4-rated which means that they offer protection from sweat and water. Coupled with the ear hook design, you shouldn’t have to worry about them falling out during vigorous exercises. Next, they have great battery life as they’re able to deliver – and sometimes surpass – the promised 9 hours of play time.
Great Design. Compared to past released earbuds, the Powerbeats Pro has a more portable design. It’s wireless but is still held in place by ear hooks which gives you a more secure fit. They also come in a lot of beautiful colors like Cloud Pink (baby pink), Spring Yellow (yellow-green), and Moss (olive green) to name a few.
Good Sound Quality. The Powerbeats Pro has good sound quality with a rich and clear bass. Since their design makes them sit in a sealed position in your ears, sound quality is maximized. With the additional noise-cancelling feature, this pair will definitely make your commutes better.
Now as good as that sounds, we have also found some things to consider before buying these earbuds. While it’s pretty solid for those with active lifestyles, there is still some room for improvement. Here are the Cons we found.
Cons
Uncomfortable Fit. Since the Powerbeats Pro are in-ear earbuds, it’s really important for them to slot in your ears perfectly for you to get a comfortable fit. Unfortunately, they’re not a one-size fits all pair and it can be quite hard for others especially those with larger ears to get a good fit. This will result in them being quite a pain to wear for long periods of time which is something to consider if you’re someone who’s always on-the-go.
Bulky Charging Case. As with most wireless earbuds, one would expect to have a compact charging case to go with them. However, this is not the case (pun intended!) for the Powerbeats Pro. Theirs is very bulky and definitely not pocket-friendly which is an inconvenience especially for those who don’t like bringing big bags around.
Apple Biased. Even though these earbuds aren’t exclusively for Apple users only, they definitely work better or show their full value with the Apple ecosystem of products. We say this because some features are only accessible using an Apple device because of its unique H1 chip that allows the earbuds to be switched between Apple devices seamlessly and enables voice control or Hey Siri which will allow you to issue a command without having to touch the pair directly.
Very Expensive. The Beats Powerbeats Pro retail for $249.95 at Amazon which is really steep – they cost twice the price of Airpods. With the features you get, we think that this is definitely on the expensive size – maybe even on the too expensive side especially if you’re an Android user.
All things considered, the Powerbeats Pro are a great pair for Apple users as they will be able to maximize its features. Its great design with IPX4 rating and good sound quality also make it a viable daily option for those with active lifestyles.
But that’s not to say that they don’t have their shortcomings. You definitely have to keep in mind its inconsistent fit and bulky charging case especially if you’re someone always on-the-go. For the price point of $249.95, you could expect better comfortability and portability.
Overall, while this pair is a strong entry in the wireless earbud market, you might want to see if they meet your non-negotiables for a great pair. Before jumping in and getting this one, we hope to have helped you with your earbud hunting journey with this review.
