Powerbeats Pro Review: An AirPod Upgrade in Almost Every Way

In many ways, Beats' $ 249 Powerbeats Pro are the antithesis of Apple's $ 199 AirPods: the AirPods forgo buttons for touch controls, while the Powerbeats Pro features three buttons; the AirPods are one size, while the Powerbeats Pro have interchangeable tips and are adjustable; the AirPods are not designed for fitness enthusiasts, while the Powerbeats Pro are designed primarily for fitness enthusiasts; and the AirPods are minimalist, while the Powerbeats Pro are not and without excuse.

Basically, AirPod PowerBeats Pro are essentially the same product. Both use Apple's underlying technology – especially the H1 chip – to integrate seamlessly with Apple's product ecosystem. Pairing headsets with every Apple product you own is a two-second process, battery life and battery life are incredible, and you talk to Siri through the "Hey Siri" integration.

Design

The first thing I noticed when opening the package was the size of the charging case. This is the first thing that AirPod users will notice. The case, and therefore the headsets, are much larger than the AirPods. The case is not what I could consider pocket. Of course, it will most likely go into your jeans pockets, but it will not be comfortable.

In addition to the charging box and earbuds themselves, Beats includes a black Lightning cable and three additional earpiece sets. Ear tips of different sizes are easy to exchange and allow you to find the right fit for each of your ears.

I started with the preinstalled tips, but I finally adopted the smaller size. I found that it was the right size for my ears and their comfort, with the added benefit of increased sealing of my ear improving sound quality.

I've never really liked wearing earbuds with a hook, mainly because I wear glasses. I can not find a comfortable way to place the ear hook and the stem of my glasses, causing pain in the back of my ear. It's a problem amplified by the fact that I often wear a baseball cap, which then fights with my glasses and ear hook. It was the same with my experience with the Powerbeats Pro the first days. Eventually, either my ears have adjusted, or I have found the proper alignment, and I find the ear cups more comfortable to wear for longer periods of time.

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I did not run, but I checked to what extent the Powerbeats Pro stayed in place with some brief jogging. At no time did I feel that the atria were moving or feeling as if they were going.

There are three buttons in total on the main body of each headset. The Beats logo also serves as a button to control playback. There is also a volume increase and decrease button that turns out convenient when you do not want to talk to Siri to adjust the volume. A sensor located inside each headset detects your ear and automatically connects or starts playing the sound when you put it in your ear for the first time. Removing it will pause what you listen to – and, yes, this feature works for both Android and iPhone users.

The case is charged via a lightning port on the back of the case, with a light at the front of the case to let you know if its current level is correct. The ear cups themselves enter the casing, with magnets holding the buttons in place and helping to align the two charging pins with the contacts on their underside.

Performance

Pairing the Powerbeats Pro with an iOS device takes only a few seconds. With your iOS device unlocked, open the Powerbeats Pro box and wait for an alert. Tap Connect and you're done. Like Apple with AirPods, the pairing is automatically transferred to the rest of your iCloud-related Apple devices. This means that you do not have to worry about pairing headsets with your Mac, iPad or Apple Watch if you have used an iPhone for initial setup.

Android and Windows users, however, are not left out. You can pair the Powerbeats Pro as any other pair of Bluetooth headphones. The control buttons still work and, as mentioned earlier, the automatic ear detection function also works.

Beats claims a nine-hour battery life, with the charging case capable of adding 15 hours more to this total. In theory, with the case and headphones fully charged, you should have enough power to listen for 24 hours. I think the longest continuous listening time that I have achieved was just over four hours and that there was still more than 50% charge on both atria. If you run out of battery, five minutes in the charging case add 1.5 hours of power. Leave the ear buds in the case for 15 minutes and Beats says you will have four hours of use.

The range of the Powerbeats Pro was impressive, regardless of the device I was currently using. At one point during my tests, I was using the Powerbeats Pro with a Pixel 3 XL and accidentally left my phone in the basement of my house. I climbed into my garage and on the sidewalk of my house before the audio stopped. It was only when I reached my phone that I realized that he was still sitting on the counter of my basement, more than 20 meters apart, with several walls and several layers of concrete in between. Same range and no interference when using the Powerbeats Pro with an iPad Pro and an iPhone XS Max.

Most of the time, I work from home in a quiet office. Testing the earbuds or headphones and their ability to mask background noise is not really possible in this environment. Therefore, during my tests of the Powerbeats Pro, I ventured into a cafe.

The Powerbeats Pro blocks background noise better than AirPods, but do not block everything. I could still hear constant chatter, a coincidence humming from a blender, and occasionally hitting a cup against the counter. Reducing background noise is an advantage of interchangeable tips (presumably, an advantage that would increase if you could find foam tips to replace the soft tips delivered in the box).

As for sound quality, the Powerbeats Pro sounds slightly sharper, with better bass compared to AirPods. Before switching to the smaller ear tips, I was not convinced of the real difference in sound quality between the two. But having found the right fit and having used it for a few extra days, I firmly believe that the Powerbeats Pro are the most impactful headphones, proving that it is essential to find the right fit for your ears. overall experience, especially when it comes to sound.

Conclusion

I still am not convinced that I like to use the Powerbeats Pro more than the AirPods. I like the idea of ​​a better battery life, but again, I rarely find myself completely emptying the AirPods in one listening session. I really appreciate the improved sound quality of the Powerbeats Pro, even though I've never really found the missing AirPods. And I really appreciate the reduced footprint of the AirPod's charging case and headsets, but the Powerbeats Pro case slips easily into my backpack.

I think the bottom line is this: if you hate the look of the AirPods but do not miss the ease of pairing and switching, the battery life and the impressive range, the Powerbeats Pro are for you.

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