I have had my Powerbeats Pro for about a week now and after a bit of a rocky start and an adjustment period, I find them to be almost perfect headphones. When I first put them on, I was wildly disappointed. They were uncomfortable and sounded tinny with no bass at all. I genuinely believed I would be returning them and getting second gen Air Pods instead. But, given how excited I was for the Powerebeats Pro to come out and the cost, I decided to put in a little effort and give them a chance. It wasn't until about 3 or 4 days in that I decided to keep them.
So, if you are like me and think your new Powerbeats Pro sound like garbage when you first put them on and you wonder if all the positive reviewers are high, experiment with all the tips before dismissing the headphones as crap. In-ear buds need a good seal to sound good. I have freakishly small ears so I always start with the smallest tip available when trying out new headphones which usually works for me. Not this time. It sounded awful and I was briefly outraged that I had paid $250 for garbage. It was counter-intuitive, but I finally tried the biggest tips instead which gave me a good seal and let me wear the headphones without having to go as deep into my ears which made them more comfortable too. Once I found the right fit with a good seal, I discovered that yes, in fact, these things do actually have some nice ear-thumping bass. I think the bass is better than original Air Pods but also not overwhelming as Beats products have a reputation for being. It's satisfyingly skull shaking without being distorted and is balanced out nicely by clear highs. I'm not an audiophile by any means, but I won't listen to any old crap either. I like a little bass and good clarity and the Powerbeats Pro deliver.
My biggest issue with these is comfort. As I mentioned, I have freakishly small ears and while I have been using Air Pods for a couple years, I was doing so with discomfort. I put up with a little paind because of the convenience of function. I love the automatic connection, the ability to use one bud at a time and charging on the go in the case. So, when I first read about the Powerbeats Pro, I was expecting something that would have the convenience of Air Pods with better comfort and something that wouldn't fall out of my ears all the time. Generally, I do okay with headphones that have different sizes of silicone tips so I was expecting the Powerbeats Pro to be a comfort upgrade. Initially, they actually hurt my ears more than Air Pods, especially my right ear. I fully blame this on my freakishly small ears. I'm one of those people who often finds "one size fits all" to be laughably ridiculous. Again, I was determined to love these things so I tinkered a bit to find an acceptable level of discomfort. The largest tip allows me to get a good seal without having to put them in so deep, relieving some pressure and cutting down on pain. When I first tried them, I could only last about 20 minutes before the pain forced me to take them out. After adjusting to find a good angle and replacing the silicone tips with Comply Sport tips, I'm a lot more comfortable and can last 2 or 3 hours before I feel discomfort. Even then, I would call it discomfort and not outright pain. It's discomfort I can live with and not any worse than what I experience with Air Pods. Also, my discomfort is only in my right ear instead of both like I get with Air Pods. Since I go with one bud a lot of the time, I'll just use the left one. No biggie. I can't blame the manufacturer for my tiny ears which is why I'm not taking away a star.
On the plus side, the fit is very secure. I have worked out in them several times and they don't budge. I never could work out in Air Pods because they fell out all the time. I can also wear these while laying down which I couldn't do in Air Pods without them falling out periodically. Also, the connection is great. Original Air Pods used to randomly lose connection or not connect when they were supposed to. The chip upgrade in the Powerbeats Pro seems to have resolved this little annoyance. They connect faster and after a week, I haven't experienced a drop or glitch once.
The Powerbeats Pro do come with a tradeoff when it comes to the size of the case. If you are used to carrying around Air Pods in your pocket in their tiny case, forget about it with Powerbeats Pro. The case is significantly larger. It goes in a bag or purse without taking up a ton of room but it's too big to fit comfortably in a pocket. The extra battery life for Powerbeats is nice though. I frequently use one bud at a time and used to drain an Air Pod and have to switch ears regularly. I'm using the Powerbeats Pro the same way and haven't drained a bud yet. I'm okay with the bigger case since the better battery life makes me feel secure about leaving the case at home when I need to go bagless.
So in summary, these are the best sounding buds I have used. They are super convenient, easy to connect and won't fall out of your ears. If you have normal human sized ears, they will probably be comfortable and the battery life is great. You have to deal with a bigger case but the positive improvements over Air Pods make the size trade-off worth it. If you don't hear the bass, try different tips and twist them around a bit before you give up. Hopefully you won't have to work as hard at it as I did to find your happy place with Powerbeats Pro but the effort has been worth it. These are really great headphones and worth the price.
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| Price | From: $199.95 | From: $179.95 | From: $169.95 | From: $159.95 |
| Ratings | (2) | (7,213) | (2,702) | (37,141) |
| Form-Factor | On-ear Headphones | Over-ear Headphones | Wireless earbuds | Wireless earbuds |
| Fit | UltraPlush on-ear cushions | UltraPlush over-ear cushions | 4 ear tip sizes (XS, S, M, L) | 3 ear tip sizes (S, M, L) |
| Battery Life (listening time on one charge) | Up to 50 hours of listening time | Up to 40 hours of listening time | Up to 9 hours of listening time | Up to 7 hours of listening time |
| Battery Life (listening time with charging case) | Up to 36 Hours | Up to 36 Hours | ||
| Fast Fuel Charging | 10-min charge = 5-hour playback | 10-min charge = 4-hour playback | 5-min charge = 1-hour playback | 5-min charge = 1-hour playback |
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| Active Noise Cancelling and Transparency Mode |
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| Personalized Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking |
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| Lossless Audio |
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| Sweat & Water Resistant |
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| Chip Platform | Beats Proprietary Platform | Beats Proprietary Platform | Beats Proprietary Platform | Apple H1 Platform |
| Charging Port | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C with charging case | USB-C with charging case |
Reviews with images
Get these while you can.
I purchased the Beats Powerbeats Pro Wireless Earbuds November of 2022, it's July of 2023 right now and I am extremely happy with this purchase. It is rumored that there will be a new model coming out soon, which may be why the price of this model is currently on sale. I would get them at the price they are while you can!There are a few possible issues with these earbuds and if I could give them 4.5 or 4.75 I would, but the pros certainly outweigh the cons - perceived or real.Pros 1st:1. Sound quality. These are so much better than the bargain earbuds that I have always used that it's not even comparable. There is a very clear and crisp sound. On an airplane or in a crowded room, you can turn the volume up as high as you want and there's no distortion in the sound.2. Noise Cancelation. While not comparable to over the ear headphones for in-ear buds I can't imagine that you would get much better.3. Wrap Around feature. When I was deciding between the Powerbeats Pro and the Apple AirPods pro. It was the wrap around feature that was the tie-breaker. I have used these earbuds in a plane, in the gym, on a hiking trail, and various other places and I have never had them fall out of my ear - which is the point. I have helped others look for their in-ear buds on planes and in the gym and I didn't want that to be me.3. Battery life and charging time. I use these earbuds almost every single day. The battery has never been an issue. Some might consider that fact that the beats use the lighting cable instead of USB-C, but for me that has been a plus. I can charge the beats case in my truck with my iPhone charger if it ever gets to it. The old problem of the buds not sitting in the case correctly and thus burning through the charge on the case after you take off the charger has been resolved. Or at least it has never one time been a problem for me.4. Additional pros. The seamless connection to your Apple devices and the range after connection are worthy mentions. The built-in microphone provides clear audio that cancels out much of the background noise. And the sweat and water-resistant quality makes them perfect for workouts or outdoor activities.Cons:1. The "Find My" feature on iPhone is not very helpful for the Powerbeats. If they are paired you can find them if they are laying around the house somewhere, but I don't think it would be helpful at all if you leave them behind somewhere. And you cannot see them separately, you see both the left and right side together. This is certainly one area where AirPods would have the advantage.2. The size of the case. Compared to most earbuds this case is HUGE. Most people will not want to stick them in their pocket as you can with most others. I carry them in my backpack most of the time because of the size.3. The size of the ear tips. I have tried every set that comes with the beats and I'm down to the smallest size. They fit me perfectly but I do not have the smallest ear canals.One other thing to note: These work just fine with my glasses but the arms on my glasses are straight. If you have over the ear arms, it might be more of a problem.These earbuds are perfect for anyone looking for high-quality wireless earbuds that can keep up with their active lifestyle.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2019
Color: BlackStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2020
Color: BlackStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Kassandra
Cautiously optimistic
Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2023Color: NavyStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Moises Kasparian
Recomendo
Reviewed in Brazil on December 17, 2021Color: BlackStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Kindle Customer
Not worth the price
Reviewed in India on February 23, 2024Color: BlackStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Chaitan Rao
Charging Earphones is Very Difficult
Reviewed in Singapore on November 30, 2020Color: NavyStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
shosie
Comfortable to wear
Reviewed in Australia on October 3, 2020Color: NavyStyle: Powerbeats ProSet: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
