Every music-listening gym-goer looks for three main features in their headphones – a comfortable fit, long battery life, and great sound.
With the recent boom in the availability of wireless earbuds and the advances in wireless technology, it is not difficult to find a pair of high-quality wireless earphones online.
One of these products happens to be the Beats Powerbeats Pro. Beats, known for the punchy bass in their products, revamped their existing sport-focused Powerbeats and turned them into a set of truly wireless earphones perfect for gym-goers and runners.
The older Powerbeats had a cable, that dropped down from the earbuds, wrapping around the back of the user’s neck. The cable has wholly disappeared, giving the new Powerbeats a fresh look.
Presentation-wise, the Powerbeats are unmistakably premium. The earphones come in a sturdy, black-colored charging case, which is super satisfying to snap open and shut.
The case feels solid and has the right amount of weight to it, and thanks to its magnetic catch, there are no chances of the case accidentally opening and your earphones dropping out.
The concept itself isn’t new – the case doubles as a battery pack for the earphones, that begin recharging when they’re slid back into the case.
On a full charge, you can expect the Powerbeats to last up to nine hours. The case carries a large battery – storing roughly two more full charges worth of power.
The user has a total of about 24 hours of use on fully charging the case and the earphones.
Charging the case is easy and fast, using the USB-A to Lightning cable provided in the box.
The case of Powerbeats Pro is significantly larger than the pocket-sized Apple AirPod Pros’ case. Many users find it a bit too chunky to fit into the jeans pocket or jacket pocket.
Nonetheless, since the Powerbeats are designed to be used primarily during exercise sessions, you’ll find yourself putting the case away in your bag anyway.
Let us further evaluate the performance of the Powerbeats Pro by considering the three most important metrics that gym-goers look at – sound quality, comfort, and battery life.
Sound Quality:
The products by Beats have a history of exhibiting exemplary bass, and there’s no change in that trend. The Powerbeats Pro will give you the full experience of the classic ‘Beats’ bass.
When listening to music from lower quality streaming services, too, the total bias is perfectly acceptable.
At average volumes, the presentation is clear and smooth. Turning the volume up makes the presentation of the music a touch too aggressive.
The detail in the sound the Powerbeats produce is decent – pushing the emotion behind the vocals and the resonance from each guitar strum perfectly.
However, the performance of the earphones underwhelms when used during an exercise session.
The Powerbeats Pros lack dynamic range – making the intense sound like a weak pitter-patter. The heavy thumps don’t demand attention, and music sounds fizzled out.
When the thundering bass kicks in on any track, the output as a whole is astonishingly soft and inaccurate.
The rival Sony WF-1000XM3 does a much better job. The Sonys recreate an excellent balance and timing. On the other hand, the Beats make a messy noise out of the same track.
Even with the powerful bass, the overall sound performance is plain bad. The Beats lack the authority, and the punch users expect out of a Beats product.
Comfort:
The Beats Powerbeats Pros do not compromise on comfort. The earphones come with rubber-clad hooks that supply a secure fit.
The Powerbeats are available in black, ivory, navy and moss (green) colors.
The earphones sit perfectly on the side of your head, and the adjustable and bendable ear hooks supply all the grip one would need when working out, making them a dream to wear.
As you work out, the earphones do not move from their position. They are snugly-fit to your ears, and thanks to their water and sweat-resistant design, they stay super comfortable throughout the workout.
The earphones never get hot or slip, and come with four different sized ear tips in the box, making the earphones comfortable for all users.
With the battery life, sound quality, and the comfort factor out of the way, considering the ease-of-use and sturdiness of the earphones as a package should reveal more about them.
Build Quality:
There’s more to any pair of earphones than just the comfort and sound quality they supply. What matters a lot during intense workout sessions are the controls on the earphones.
The Powerbeats have two controls (on each earpiece) – one in the shape of a volume rocker switch, and the other being the Beats symbol itself.
These controls unlock loads of features that you’d need mid-workout.
Tapping on the volume rocker will adjust the volume. The beats button is super versatile – you can use it to play/pause music and receive calls with a single tap.
Double-tapping skips the current track, and a triple-tap goes back one song.
Fast-forwarding and rewinding is also simple – users must hold down these double and triple-taps.
Since the controls are available on both the earphones, they’ll help you sift through your playlist without touching your phone regardless of if you’re left- or right-handed.
Another impressive feature of the Powerbeats Pros is the use of proximity sensors. Taking them off for just a moment results in pausing the music.
Put them back on, and the playback begins again.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Flawless control system
- Great battery life
- Amazing comfort and fit
Cons:
- Audio lacks authority
- Limited dynamic range
The Powerbeats Pros are among the best wireless earphones in the market. They boast a reliable build quality, have great controls, and are super comfortable.
However, the audio quality is underwhelming and will annoy users that expect super-rich, punchy music as they exercise.
If you’re looking for wireless earphones that last super long and are easy to control, these are the right earphones for you.
However, if you consider yourself an audiophile, steer clear of the Powerbeats Pros.
