Post Your Powerbeats Pro Review

[yegon]

Mine arrived yesterday, I like them.

I’ll be using them mainly for the gym and activity, sound quality is adequate for the purpose. I agree they’re a bit trebly, but not a deal breaker.

Was most concerned about the comments they don’t get loud enough, but they’re fine for my use, hovering around 55% volume at the gym like previous earphones I use there.

People using them at max volume and to whom it still isn’t loud enough, unless you’re already a bit deaf hence the need for high volume, I implore you to reconsider how high you set volume to. Sure, they might sound too quiet in a noisy environment, but find somewhere quiet and use the same volume and you realise the strain you’re putting on your ears.

You only got one set of ears.

Lecture over, ha.

 

[Akrapovic]

I'm very impressed, although I can't seem to get "Hey Siri" to work. Am I right in assuming I should be able to just say "Hey Siri Pause" without touching anything to get Siri to pause the music?

What Siri settings are required (presumably on the iPhone) to achieve this?

 

[jjohnstonjr]

I got my Powerbeats Pro yesterday and I love them. I ordered them on Wednesday from Verizon and they got here in two days. The week prior I purchased the Air Pods 2 and returned them after about two days of use. It wasn't anything different in them that I didn't have in my original Air Pods. I read several reviews online prior to making this purchase and I have to admit I was on the fence and a tad bit worried. The thing that lead me to purchasing these was the fact that my Air Pods were dying so fast. Well after charging and using these last night I can say that I LOVE these things. The bass, the clarity and comfort all have me sold. I will admit that the price was something that semi scared me away but in theory it was only $50.00 more than the $200.00 Air Pods. These fit extremely comfortable with no reaching for them or trying to adjust them, I love the physical button to pause the music and the stock ear buds that comes on them fit with no issue at all. Sure the case is a bit huge so I won't be putting these in my pockets ever. I can't wait to use them when I go for my first run with them. Anyone out there looking to make the leap I strongly recommend it.

 

[aloper]

I'm very impressed, although I can't seem to get "Hey Siri" to work. Am I right in assuming I should be able to just say "Hey Siri Pause" without touching anything to get Siri to pause the music?

What Siri settings are required (presumably on the iPhone) to achieve this?

First up, on your phone go into settings > Siri & Search, and make sure listen for hey Siri is enabled.

Second, and this is important...When you say “hey Siri” using the Powerbeats, they don’t emit a tone so you know Siri is now listening.

To get it to work reliably, just say “hey Siri”, wait a second, then ask your question in a normal voice. To double check, put your phone down and walk away, say into another room or down a hall, and repeat. Another way to test, start some music on your phone so you hear it through the Powerbeats. Put the phone down and walk away again, then repeat a hey Siri request. You will hear the music fade out, then ask a question.

Sometimes if you use hey Siri through the Powerbeats, by just saying “hey siri” without a question...wait a few seconds, you will hear...”hmmm, I’m listening”...

 

[DOUGHNUT]

Just got mine 3 days ago. Already took mine for a few runs and gym sessions. Here are my impressions:
The charging case is definitely big. But the way I use it is simply bring my headphones out for workout and leave the charging case at home. The battery life is impressive. Went for a 30 min run plus another 30+ minutes walking, my battery life was still at 85 percent. I might just wear it out for my workouts and leave the case at home or gym bag. Definitely not pocketable like AirPod cases.

Comfort wise it’s pretty good. I did swap the tips to a set of Comply foam tips, which I’m a huge fan of. Increases noise blocking and bass response. Also extremely comfortable. My main gripe is the plastic inner housing is slightly big and can impinge on my ear after wearing it for a bit causing mild pain. It’s not bad and I’m sure depends on ear anatomy. Way more secure than AirPods. Doesn’t matter how hard I shake it it doesn’t fall out.
Putting on the Powerbeats pro takes a few times to get used to. I usually engage the ear hooks first, insert the headphones then rotate it in place. Once it’s in, it’s very secure and stays in ear.

Sound quality overall excellent. Even better with comply foam tips, addition of H1 chip is great. Responds faster than my original AirPods when it comes to switching devices and hey Siri works very well. Buttons are easy to press but takes a few times to get used to where the buttons are.

Personally I think these are great and worth the money, either using it as your only wireless earphones or use it in conjunction to AirPods, these are great headphones especially for apple users. Definite buy!

 

[Akrapovic]

First up, on your phone go into settings > Siri & Search, and make sure listen for hey Siri is enabled.

Second, and this is important...When you say “hey Siri” using the Powerbeats, they don’t emit a tone so you know Siri is now listening.

To get it to work reliably, just say “hey Siri”, wait a second, then ask your question in a normal voice. To double check, put your phone down and walk away, say into another room or down a hall, and repeat. Another way to test, start some music on your phone so you hear it through the Powerbeats. Put the phone down and walk away again, then repeat a hey Siri request. You will hear the music fade out, then ask a question.

Sometimes if you use hey Siri through the Powerbeats, by just saying “hey siri” without a question...wait a few seconds, you will hear...”hmmm, I’m listening”...

You’re a star, thank you for taking the time to type all that out! I’m out for a run later today so will be giving it a try.

 

[N0ddie]

I bought the Mrs a pair for her birthday and tried them out yesterday for the first time.

Initially I was worried as the sound was pretty rubbish. However this was down to bad fitting. Our ear canals are of a similar size (opted for the smallest included tips) and once adjusted for this and fitted correctly we were both impressed.

Fitted correctly we found around 50% volume was loud enough. Above this it just gets painful and is unnecessary. They are good but I won’t be replacing my Bose QC35s with them but the Mrs is dead chuffed with them.

 

[ALW1026]

Is there a way to change to controls. i wanna change the volume button to a previous track/next track button. Pushing the button on the side is gone have me busting my ear

 

[Broken Hope]

I'm very impressed, although I can't seem to get "Hey Siri" to work. Am I right in assuming I should be able to just say "Hey Siri Pause" without touching anything to get Siri to pause the music?

What Siri settings are required (presumably on the iPhone) to achieve this?

Siri needs to be enabled on the lock screen.

 

[Akrapovic]

First up, on your phone go into settings > Siri & Search, and make sure listen for hey Siri is enabled.

Second, and this is important...When you say “hey Siri” using the Powerbeats, they don’t emit a tone so you know Siri is now listening.

To get it to work reliably, just say “hey Siri”, wait a second, then ask your question in a normal voice. To double check, put your phone down and walk away, say into another room or down a hall, and repeat. Another way to test, start some music on your phone so you hear it through the Powerbeats. Put the phone down and walk away again, then repeat a hey Siri request. You will hear the music fade out, then ask a question.

Sometimes if you use hey Siri through the Powerbeats, by just saying “hey siri” without a question...wait a few seconds, you will hear...”hmmm, I’m listening”...

Siri needs to be enabled on the lock screen.

Thank you to both. It does appear that enabling on the lock screen was the final bit I needed.

Have to say, I'm finding Siri detection underwhelming. "Hey Siri" only works about half the time. When it does, it's brilliant, but when it doesn't, you're running along saying "Hey Siri! Hey Siri! Hey Siri" like an idiot.

 

[dgreening]

I love my PBPro's. First I only used them for working out and I like them so much more than the AirPods. Now I use the AirPods when listening to podcasts or music because I don't want to block everyone out which I feel the PBPro's do. I recently had 2 late night deployments at my work and needed to be on the call for over 3 hours. The first call I used the AirPods 2 for 3 hours but I did get the alert they were running down so I switched before the call was over. The second call I used the PBPro's and after 3 hours and at the end of the call they were at 50%. I think I found my pair to wear on long conference calls. I will still use both the AirPods and the PBPro's in my life and it will depend on if I need to block others out.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I just received my PBP. I don't know why so many people have trouble putting them on. I did it one-handed in a matter of seconds (3-4) per ear using default cushions.

I played "Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing" to get a quick idea of what they will sound like, before putting them back in the charger to get a full charge. I will give them a more thorough testing once they have charged.

Right away, I noticed the sound is very clear albeit the treble range sounded a bit tinny to me with the default cushions. I didn't hear any overuse of base.

The case is big and bulky, especially compared to the Airpods. That really isn't an issue for me.

 

[odanrot]

Received mine today.

Pros:
Quality construction
Multiple tips (mine sound best with the large tips)
Very quick connection...seemed faster than my AirPods 2

Comments:
I compared these to my AirPods 2 with multiple songs and multiple genres (and with multiple tips). To my ears, the Powerbeats Pros sounded slightly better than the Airpods 2. Slightly.

With all the different tips, the Powerbeats were much more noticeable in my ears. They made them itch and I was constantly aware of the pressure. Wasn't really bad, I was just aware. When I replaced them with the Airpods, it was like going from a heavy coat to a windbreaker.

The convenience factor also lends it more to the Airpods. Wireless charging, much smaller case, quicker to put into ears (especially when getting a phone call).

For me, I'll be sending the Powerbeats back and keeping the Airpods 2. I was really hoping they would blow me away. They are a really good product, but the convenience of the Airpods outweighs the slight sound improvement in the Powerbeats.

 

[FToWnPlAyA]

Someone has balls of steel to test these under shower and swimming?

 

[ascender]

As much as I love my AirPods, and I really love my AirPods, they don't fit my ears very well, so I've had to use silicon covers with them when I'm out running. For general use, they're fine, but I'm never 100% comfortable that they're not going to fall out if I catch them on clothing or something.

I still use them for 3-4 hours a day on average between phone calls and running. The main problem I have with them is that due to the poor fit (which is much-improved with the silicon covers), if I'm using them in noisy environments, I struggle to hear and end up cranking the volume way up. When running by roads or on very windy days, they can verge on being useless. But even in town walking by traffic, they're not great.

I said from the outset that I'd happily pay twice the RRP if they did an in-ear version, so the Powerbeats Pro were music to my ears (no pun intended). Having had them a few days, they've resolved all my issues.

I ran with them this morning on a windy day and could hear the podcast crystal clear, at a normal volume. Same goes for music. When I was running by a road, I could hear the cars, but I could also hear the music nice and clearly without having to turn the volume up.

I used them yesterday for music and phone calls and was impressed with the quality and also the responsiveness of Siri.

The angled ear-hooks are an improvement over the more rounded ones from other similar headphones, so they feel rock solid whether walking or running. I'm not sure how these will be after a few hours of consistent use - I'm guessing the hooks will mean they're less comfortable than AirPods.

I think the sound quality is a big improvement over AirPods. Without a doubt, some of that is down to the improved fit, but these sound way better than my AirPods when playing music, even if I do a back to back test and hold the AirPods in and create a proper seal.

I often do long runs at the weekend so the extra battery life of these is a big bonus to me.

The size of the case isn't an issue for me. I'll very rarely put my AirPods in my jeans pocket - they're usually in a jacket pocket or a bag/rucksack. Maybe there will be times where I'll take AirPods instead of Powerbeats, but even then I can't see the decision being made on size of the case.

 

[Jaunty]

Thank you to both. It does appear that enabling on the lock screen was the final bit I needed.

Have to say, I'm finding Siri detection underwhelming. "Hey Siri" only works about half the time. When it does, it's brilliant, but when it doesn't, you're running along saying "Hey Siri! Hey Siri! Hey Siri" like an idiot.

I completely agree on Hey Siri - my set of Pros are rubbish at picking it up. How does everyone else find Hey Siri? I thought it would be very responsive.

If this is common, then the poor Siri implementation (and the size of the case!) means I may return the Pros, & stay with my Liberty+ wireless buds until Gen 2 at least. I really only use them to listen to music, not phone calls.

 

[Akrapovic]

Does anyone have a very slight ticking noise when running with them? Like somethings moving? I couldn't tell if it was the button or maybe sweat in my ears and it was making that water ticking noise. I doubt it's the button. I'll try different tips, but just wondering if anyone has experienced this.

 

[ascender]

Does anyone have a very slight ticking noise when running with them? Like somethings moving? I couldn't tell if it was the button or maybe sweat in my ears and it was making that water ticking noise. I doubt it's the button. I'll try different tips, but just wondering if anyone has experienced this.

Not noticed that yet and I was keeping an eye (ear) out for little noises which might end up bugging me on longer runs. Will keep my ears open though.

 

[EdMan]

I love my PBP's for the most part. I use them mostly for the gym and still use my AirPod's for everything else. The biggest problem I have with the Powerbeat's is the size and slipperiness of the case. The size I can deal with because I don't carry them around but I've almost dropped the case several times due to how slippery it is and finally did drop it yesterday, outside, and now my case has a few beauty marks on it. I don't know, maybe the scuffs will make it easier to grip. LoL Pissed me off though.

 

[Truefan31]

I wonder if there might be a third party to make a wireless charging case for the PBP?

 

[davideotape]

i need some tips that are kinda like comply but bigger than the larges and a less pliable foam, more like actual noise plugs you buy in a drugstore. i can tell the sound of these pbps are great but they still dont fit properly and the gym external noise permeates way too much

 

[ascender]

Just noticed the improved range of these which seems to be a big step-up over AirPods. Is this the same with AirPods 2 because of the H1 chip?

 

[Akrapovic]

Not noticed that yet and I was keeping an eye (ear) out for little noises which might end up bugging me on longer runs. Will keep my ears open though.

Was out running today and noticed the ticking noise. I'm now 99% certain it is not the button, and is in fact the silicon tips moving in my ear with sweat. If I push them in harder, and/or dry my ears, it goes away for a while.

So really, I need to try different tips. I'm on the largest set so will try smaller. Does anyone make foam (or similar) tips for these?

 

[Jaunty]

I completely agree on Hey Siri - my set of Pros are rubbish at picking it up. How does everyone else find Hey Siri? I thought it would be very responsive.

If this is common, then the poor Siri implementation (and the size of the case!) means I may return the Pros, & stay with my Liberty+ wireless buds until Gen 2 at least. I really only use them to listen to music, not phone calls.

Sorry for the bad form of quoting my own post but the other thing to mention is that if Siri does respond (very infrequent) then the Siri voice volume is super low, even if the music is up loud. If these issues are unusual then I will try swapping out my pair, as the sound quality is good and they fit pretty well even with my glasses on. Thanks for any feedback!

 

[Akrapovic]

Sorry for the bad form of quoting my own post but the other thing to mention is that if Siri does respond (very infrequent) then the Siri voice volume is super low, even if the music is up loud. If these issues are unusual then I will try swapping out my pair, as the sound quality is good and they fit pretty well even with my glasses on. Thanks for any feedback!

Hey Siri is poor at picking up my voice and relatively low volume for me too.