For quite some time, Apple Inc. had seemingly drifted off in developing new products under Beats label, except for some alternative colorways and minor updates. The brand of Beats Electronics started to fade away until the Powerbeats Pro was released.
The Powerbeats Pro are considered to be the most comprehensive and impressive product released by Beats Electronics since it was taken over by Apple Inc. Being the first true wireless Beats earphones, the Powerbeats Pro also happens to be regarded as the best among all the headphones in the brand.
Take note, the Powerbeats Pro is far from cheap. With a regular price tag of $250, some might say that there are similar counterparts in the market with more affordable prices. However, the Powerbeats Pro can deliver various benefits and features and are practically considered as simpler and more affordable versions of AirPods.
What’s Inside the Powerbeats Pro
When you get to unbox the Powerbeats Pro, you may have to either scratch your head or stifle a laugh when you see the size of the carrying case. Think of it as unboxing a standard true wireless pair of headphones but with a case that’s not really in proportionate range with the product.
We’re sharing with you an example to make it easier to imagine what we’re talking about. Imagine that you could fit about four AirPods cases in the Powerbeats Pro’s box -that’s how big it is. On the bright side, the case of the Powerbeats Pro seems to be very durable and robust, including a battery that offers twice the running time of the earphones themselves. In consolation, the case of the Powerbeats Pro is still less than half the size of over-ear headphones. In terms of sound quality, the Powerbeats Pro are pretty good, worthy enough to be compared to premium over-ear alternatives.
Powerbeats Pro Design
The design of Powerbeats Pro is brilliant, but not in a showy way. It still has the crossbar section that most Beats users are familiar with. The said crossbar section still houses the batteries for each earbud but it now has an additional function as it is integrated into the hard stem that curves up and over the back of the ear.
Apple has also softened the area that wraps around the ear to make the Powerbeats Pro more comfortable to what we may consider as one of the highly sensitive areas of the body. The design of the Powerbeats Pro is now more of a single, flowing external shape that makes the earbuds amazingly more coherent and intentionally designed, with a hint of minimalism – quite a breath of fresh air in comparison to its chunky predecessor.
If you’re looking for an absolutely discreet look, the Powerbeats Pro may not be the best choice. These buds really get our vote for comfort and if you plan on using the Powerbeats Pro for workouts and other fitness related or high-performance activities, you’re definitely with a good audio buddy.
How Do The Powerbeats Pro Fit?
Seating the earbuds in the ears may be a bit of a fiddly experience at first. Unfortunately, the Apple AirPods are not sharing its simple and streamlined shape with the Powerbeats Pro, so you would really have to pay more attention to get the latter securely in place.
The Powerbeats Pro gets our vote over the Apple AirPods Por when it comes to the sizes of in-ear tips, though. The Powerbeats Pro has a more customizable fit so that users can easily adjust it for maximum comfort. For short, the Powerbeats Pro have a greater chance of providing a comfortable and snug fit compared to the Apple AirPods.
There have been some reviews and feedback from users that if the Powerbeats Pro are not positioned properly, they have a tendency to dig in the back of the ear and influence the overall fit. The hooks may also get in the way with the arms of glasses, so that will have to be a consideration for eyeglass wearers. There’s a hack for it though – you can try putting the Powerbeats Pro earphones first before putting on your glasses. Overall, the Powerbeats Pro offer a phenomenal comfort, fit and stability like no other.
In terms of its size and shape, the Powerbeats Pro can be considered as lightweight earphones. We can’t really say that you’ll feel like you’re not wearing any earphones but they can actually come close to the feathery ease of wearing the AirPods.
Powerbeats Pro: Life With an Athlete
Generally speaking, the Powerbeats Pro can be very much considered as workout headphones. Whether you’ll be using them playing basketball, getting your sweat on at the gym or simply doing some dynamic zumba sessions at home, the Powerbeats Pro can definitely provide a decent performance.
The Powerbeats Pro is amazingly so stable and remains in the ears despite intense movements. This is why it’s safe to say that the Powerbeats Pro are athlete friendly. A word of warning though, the battery case of the Powerbeats Pro is not water resistant like the earbuds so you should not forget to dry off the buds before tossing them into the case.
If you are a member of the sweaty hands club, you would be all too familiar with the fact that touch controls and sweaty hands just don’t mix well. That being said, Apple has been smart enough to give the Powerbeats Pro mechanical controls. This is a very logical feature because the Powerbeats Pro are marketed for athletes and life with an athlete is synonymous to sweat.
On each bud, you can find a symmetrical arrangement where the circular “B” logo serves as the control for music playback, taking or rejecting calls. You can also find a small volume rocker above the circular “B” logo. The proprietary Apple H1 chip is included in the powerhouse of the Powerbeats Pro so users can enjoy the option of having Siri listen and execute voice commands.
Powerbeats Pro and Android Devices
In this review, we will not just be giving technical information about the Powerbeats Pro but we will also be sharing with you what a wonderful and versatile product this is. The Apple AirPods and AirPods Pro are notorious for being compatible with Apple devices such as iPhone, iPad, Mac and other iOS devices.
However, did you know that the Powerbeats Pro can work perfectly well with Android devices? Maintaining the excellent wireless performance of the Apple AirPods, the Powerbeats Pro gives a faultless and stable connection, with practically zero dropouts or disturbances in the signal. It also has the longest connection range compared to most true wireless headphones in the market. Put simply, it would be quite a hard task to find a device that won’t work compatibly or beautifully with the Powerbeats Pro.
Watching YouTube videos on some devices that use a Bluetooth connection may have you experience some lags. However, with the Powerbeats Pro, whether it is played on an Android or iOS device, no lag is detected. There are also automatic sensors on the Powerbeats Pro that smartly pauses or resumes music playback on Android devices, just like how it does on iOS devices. The call quality of the Powerbeats Pro is also excellent, with no garbling, failure to communicate and latency.
Powerbeats Pro: True Wireless Battery
The battery life of the Powerbeats Pro is impressive for a true wireless product. It offers nine hours of playback time and if you use it for intensive or extensive listening sessions, you can still enjoy around five hours of playback.
When you return the Powerbeats Pro into its chunky case, you can be sure that the next time you use them they are all powered up. If there’s quite a downside to the Powerbeats Pro, it would have to be the fact that you have to carry a Lightning cable or wire around in your bag or pocket. Some would have preferred a wireless or USB-C charging for the Powerbeats Pro, but you are stuck with the Lightning cable and the chubby charging case.
Powerbeats Pro Downsides
If you are looking for a sign of any disadvantage or downside to the Powerbeats Pro, we can name a couple. First, the Powerbeats Pro don’t offer the best noise isolation in the market, we can’t even recommend them as commuter headphones. Don’t take this the wrong way though – the Powerbeats Pro actually has a better seal and isolation in comparison to the AirPods and they are basically an upgrade from what Apple has to offer. We would have to say that if you want to enjoy some peace and quiet during the commute, the Jabra Elite 65t can be a good choice. The Samsung Galaxy Buds can also be a great choice for commuter headphones but that is if you are willing to use headphones with a connecting wire.
Another slight issue with the Powerbeats Pro has something to do with its treble energy. Now, casual listeners may not really notice it but audiophiles can detect the treble energy in the tuning. Think of it this way – if you are an audiophile and you want to listen to relaxing music to help you get some peace and quiet, the listening session may end up to be fatiguing. Put simply, the Powerbeats Pro are not at all laidback headphones and you need to know that from the start.
The sound of the Powerbeats Pro is stimulating, hence, it is one of the best picks for workouts (whether at the gym or through a TV screen). The sound is bravely in your face with no signs of being veiled or demure. It has energetic highs paired with an impactful and tight bass that speaks authority. If you are looking for music that feels aggressive, fast and dynamic, the Powerbeats Pro truly has the power to deliver.
Is the Powerbeats Pro Worth Buying?
The Powerbeats Pro is a versatile and high-performing pair of headphones that can be a good addition to your recreational life or hobbies. This pair of headphones from Beats Electronics are just so good in almost every aspect, going beyond its marketed expectations of being workout earbuds. With the good sound quality, decent battery life, durability and versatility, we can dare say that the Powerbeats Pro are a universal pair of earbuds worth more than its price tag.