Post Your Powerbeats Pro Review

[Closingracer]

I had first gen airpods from day 1 and the battery is toast. I bought version 2 and thought meh I need to try the power beats. I used them a weak and my biggest issue was the fatigue I felt in my ears. Mostly with the hook around the back. They felt so heavy coming from air pods. I bet it would be different had I never used airpods. Back they went and now I’ll use my crappy airpods until the next ones come out.

I would of given it time. It took me a week or two to get used to it and now no issues. I do get 30 days with Best Buy( Elite). Not sure if amazon sells these tho

 

[Closingracer]

I've just had a strange connection problem this morning when attempting to run a half marathon. Only the right earbud would connect and play music from my watch. No matter how many times I took the left bud out of my ear and tried to get it to switch on and connect, it wouldn't. When I got home and tried both again they connected just fine to my phone and played audio through both.

I think they have some bugs that need to be ironed out.

I don’t have that issue with my watch at all

 

[Aliciakeystx]

I pre-ordered these headphones before reading any reviews because I have been so desperate to find good headphones to run with. In my nearly 30 years of existence, I’ve never been satisfied with a pair of headphones. I probably have the weirdest shapes ears ever because nothing fits them. Either they slide out or hurt, or both.
Day 1- FINALLY THEY’RE HERE!!! I charged them while finishing my work day up (I think they came pretty much charged because they were at 100% within 5-10 minutes) then eagerly headed to the park for a test run. The temp has reached the 90’s here in Mississippi so it was inevitable that they would be receiving a sweat test! After 3 miles (41 minutes, let me mention I’m a beginner runner) I realized I never had to adjust them or push them back into my ear, not ONCE! I’m thinking this is too good to be true! I had forgotten I even had them on, other than the fact that I had a clean crisp bass playing in my ears. I also own a pair of Studio beats, and honestly these ear buds sounds almost as good... which is pretty awesome to not have to wear something so bulky but still have the noise cancellation and sound quality.
Overall, it’s only been one day but my first impression is absolutely amazed.
Side note, these were shipped in a box big enough to fit a baby heifer and it looked like it had been thrown off a mountain. I could almost remove the tiny product box through an opening of the baby heifer shipping box. Not sure if Amazon or UPS is to blame for that, but it definitely wasn’t the headphones fault.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Not an owner nor a review.

Personally I wanted these to be my main headphones, the sports nature suits my use case and lifestyle completely ... BUT.
1. I find I’m wearing my reading glasses more and more daily both at work and outside of the office; except for the gym.

2. Reading immediate release and recent reviews the inner ear seal is not great has severely put me off. I’m not sure the compli’s I have will fit.

3:

Have to concur with the comments about audio quality. For 250 dollars, audio has to be infinitely better than this.

^ thank you.

Most importantly, and also with #1 I prefer a much more discreet design and style: B&O E8/E8 2.0, GalaxyBuds and similar design than to any over the ear hook. An inner ear loop or flex wing is more desired by myself.

Too bad that a few reviews of the E8 2.0 have the exact same dead in 1 hear issue I faced with the first gen after 3-4wks. I’m NOT going through another 60 days return for a repair or replacement again after spending $400+ Canadian!

I would’ve owned the GalaxyBuds if better control for iOS was possible than at launch.

For now I’m sticking to my AirPods, and will wait for Gen 3 of true wireless in-ear stereo headphones to debut from competitors. I hope Apple shuns this ridiculous tampon design in only white! My stubborn growth of ear hair is getting far too noticeable !

 

[aloper]

Having owned the PB's since launch, I've really liked them for working out. But, I'm going to have to contact support and see if I can get a replacement case or headphones...

The issue I've been running into lately, is putting the PB's into the charge case...Then coming back the next morning and finding my right one, at 100% but the left, has drained down and dead at 0%. It's been happening more and more over the last few weeks. To get both to charge, I have to put both in the case, then push the left one around a little so it makes firm contact, to the contacts in the case. Then I have to close the case, open it and double check the battery widget on my phone to make sure both are charging. Not sure if it's the contacts in the case or in the headset...But just dropping them in the case, results in the right charging, but the left not...

 

[Closingracer]

Let me know how that goes. I'm on x3s but I am considering the PBP.. The only thing holding me back is that price tag... (I'm in Canada - I do have employee discount through work though)

Try the new jaybird Vista then ?

 

[Closingracer]

I just returned my pair. Jaybird released the jaybird Vista and it has IPX7 rating , smaller case and customizable EQ with the App. They don’t sound bad and I like it but I have the Sony WF-1000XM3 for free and sound way better. I do want a more sport earbud so I returned them and got the jaybird Vista which are cheaper and got the best buy warranty for it. At worse I can get a new pair for free because battery life is bad at the end of 2 years.$250 and they don’t sound better then the Sony ones that MSRP at $229 before tax.

Maybe if there on sale for around $200 I’ll get them again

 

[Hi Tek]

Try the new jaybird Vista then ?

I've never seen these before. I'll look into on Youtube... - They are a little big though lol (Compared to AirPods).

 

[Closingracer]

I've never seen these before. I'll look into on Youtube... - They are a little big though lol (Compared to AirPods).

How ? They aren’t. Super small and lighter ..

 

[ascender]

I thought I had connection problems, but turned out the left headphone just isn't charging all the time, so often there'd be 0% when I'd try to put them on.

Returned the case and headphones to Apple, got a very quick replacement of just the charging case... Apple are saying I only returned that, so I'm now involved in trying to get that resolved.

If you ever had to return your Powerbeats Pros, I'd recommend taking a picture of what you send back to them!

 

[Gamer-Dad]

Quick update on mine...

Been almost a month using mine pretty much everyday at the gym and elsewhere. So far, they have been perfect. No connection drops, sound great, feel great, really no complaints. Definitely glad I repurchased after my first experience with them wasn't positive. This set has been spot on! Could the case be smaller or lighter? Sure, but I don't carry the case around with me in the gym. Battery life has been superb, as my workouts usually last at least 3 hours. I've never fully drained them nor the charging case. I've been lucky with the case making contact with charging. I haven't had the issue of opening the case only to find out 1 of them didn't charge.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with them

 

[jprmercado]

Had mine for a few days already, and overall I’m very happy with them!

Some thoughts:

• Initially, my heart sank at how tinny the sound was. Apparently, I was using the wrong tips. The best one for me is the biggest pair. It’s got the best seal for me.
• After finding the right tips, I got to experience the sound quality described in the reviews: deep, punchy bass and clear highs. I don’t find the highs harsh. I’d describe the sound to be pleasantly warm and full-bodied.
• Volume is enough for me. I typically have it at around 70–80%.
• No connection issues at all, except for the rare, random hiccups, but I suspect that it’s because of Spotify or Apple Music. [I’m having trouble reconnecting it to my PS Vita after the initial pairing, but I guess that’s more a problem of the Vita.]
• Fit was terrible at first, but that was mainly because I had the hooks on too tight. Fixed that. But, because of my ear shape, there’s some mild pain where the sensor(?) makes contact with the cartilage of my ear. It’s not terrible, though.

I guess my main issue is the overnight battery drain. [I leave them out of the case.] Charged them to around 90% before sleeping. When I woke up, the right earbud was at 70% and the left one was at 60%.

I prefer to not put them in the case when they’re more than 70% charged, since I’m not a fan of unnecessary charging.

Based on the support pages and the chat-based support agent, putting the earbuds in the case is the only way to turn them “off”. For now, at least. I hope this is addressed in a future firmware release. The earbuds shouldn’t have to drain too much when literally motionless on a flat surface.

That aside, though, I am definitely keeping these.

 

[mcaswell]

I'm trying to decide between Airpods and PowerBeats Pro (bought both, will return one). I'm terrible at audio A/B comparisons... by the time I switch headphones, I've largely "forgotten" the details of what the first pair sounded like. And though I am a musician, I don't pretend to be knowledgeable in terms of being able to accurately and definitively describe various characteristics of how a set of headphones perform.

Despite Beats not typically being associated as well-suited for the type of music I mostly listen to (classical/orchestral, and classic rock), I have a more pleasing listening experience with the PowerBeats Pro... it sounds, for lack of better terms, "cozier, warmer, and more comforting" than the Airpods. I love how I can really feel Geddy Lee's bass line plodding along in songs like The Camera Eye, yet something like the delicate violin solo in Scheherazade sounds delightful too, as do fuller sections of orchestral pieces. Don't get me wrong, the Airpods sound fine too, but I just enjoy the sound of the PowerBeats Pro more.

One relatively minor negative aspect of the PowerBeats Pro... though I love the volume controls, I find the side button a little uncomfortable to press (it pushes the eartip further into the ear canal, which isn't necessarily terrible, but it makes a loud popping sound when I do so). I can somewhat minimize this by gripping the body of the earpiece as I push the button, but still I find it considerably easier to double-tap the Airpods to skip to the next track.

And there is one area in which the Airpods seem to have a noticeable edge: wind noise. My primary use is while cycling, and I definitely experience more noise with the PowerBeats Pro, which I would theorize is due to these having a more pronounced and angular cross section exposed to the airstream, while the Airpods, already smaller, are largely hidden in the ear and have a more rounded profile. It might also be influenced by the "sealing" aspect of the PowerBeats Pro transmitting more of the vibrations from the wind into the ear canal. I wear "Cat-Ears" on my helmet (fabric things that velcro to the straps and block a significant portion of wind noise from hitting your ears), and these definitely help, but I still hear a distinctive low rumble from the wind. It's certainly not intolerable, but still is noticeably more pronounced than with the Airpods.

So, it's going to be a tougher decision than I first thought... last night, I was 95% set on keeping the PowerBeats Pro, but now after a quick comparison on the bike it's more of a 60/40 split.

 

[terminator-jq]

This might be an unpopular opinion but I thought I’d share it anyway just in case there’s other people on the fence.

So, previously I had a pair of Beats X which I really loved. After a little over a year of owning them, my right side went out and it was time for a replacement. I debated between the Powerbeats Pro and the Airpods. I ended up buying the Powerbeats.... but I returned them about an hour later for the Airpods... Why? Here’s so pros and cons for each:

As a side note: I own a pair of Beats Solo’s that I use for when I really want to get into my music. So sound quality, while important, wasn’t necessary my main focus. I mainly just wanted something that would work great for using at work and for workouts.

Powerbeats Pro:

Pros: Great sound quality, stays in your ears effortlessly, I actually like the look of them (I’m not really a fan of the way the airpods look), physical buttons on both sides, loooooong battery life, official IPX4 rating (airpods can withstands sweat and water but it’s nice to have it be officially rated).

Why I returned them: The main reason I returned them was for the lack of convenience... The charging case is big. I know many reviews have talked about it and I honestly thought they were overreacting until I brought it home. For me, the case was just too cumbersome. There are times when I don’t want to carry a bag or have a jacket with larger pockets. I like being able to bring my headphones wherever I go and with a case that large, it’s just a chore. It was also a little difficult to get the headphones back into the case to charge. The airpods go back into their case without much effort or strategy. The Beats took some fidgeting and even though it eventually makes sense the more times you do it, I can still see that becoming annoying in certain situations. While the headphones do stay in your ears much better than Airpods, I found that they became somewhat uncomfortable after about an hour or so... This was definitely going to be an issue since I use headphones while I’m working. Lastly the price... For $250, I just couldn’t justify it.

Airpods:

Why I bought them: The Airpods charging case is magnificent! It’s small and it just works. Wireless charging is also a very nice bonus. The airpods are light and can be very comfortable for long periods of use. Sound quality, while not quite as good as the Beats, is still very good. The price is right! I got my Airpods with the wireless charging case on sale for $179. I was also able to buy an accessory kit for $20 which includes attachments that make it easier for the Airpods to stay in your ears during workouts and I also bought a 2 set wireless charging mat for $50. All of those items together cost .2 less than the Powerbeats Pro...

Cons: I don’t really care for the way the Airpods look... perhaps it will grow on me. They don’t stay in your ears quite as well but with the accessories I got, they can be modified to fit nicely. Only comes in white. No official IPX4 rating.

———————————————————-

So in conclusion, both headphones are good depending on your needs. If you are ok with the higher price, ear hook design and much larger charging case then the Powerbeats are fantastic. However, if you want a better value, a more portable charging case, wireless charging and an overall lighter design, then the airpods are the way to go.

Hopefully this will be helpful to someone who’s on the fence.

 

[mcaswell]

You're right about that case... it's not quite as big as I expected it to be (based on descriptions and photos), but there's no denying that it's pretty bulky and inconvenient to carry around. Wouldn't be as much of an issue if there was a way to power down the earpieces so that the battery would not drain when kept in a smaller pouch out of the case.

 

[rldunn]

I've just had a strange connection problem this morning when attempting to run a half marathon. Only the right earbud would connect and play music from my watch. No matter how many times I took the left bud out of my ear and tried to get it to switch on and connect, it wouldn't. When I got home and tried both again they connected just fine to my phone and played audio through both.

I think they have some bugs that need to be ironed out.

Yes, have definitely had this happen. But the bug that has happened more for me is when it plays music from my watch for roughly 10-12 seconds and then the music stops. At that point, NOTHING will get it playing again until hours later (or sometimes after deleting the pairing and then repairing). Seems to be a handoff issue between my iPhone (XS Max), AW3, and PBP - I even got replacement PBP and same thing happens.
[doublepost=1566243175][/doublepost]

Having owned the PB's since launch, I've really liked them for working out. But, I'm going to have to contact support and see if I can get a replacement case or headphones...

The issue I've been running into lately, is putting the PB's into the charge case...Then coming back the next morning and finding my right one, at 100% but the left, has drained down and dead at 0%. It's been happening more and more over the last few weeks. To get both to charge, I have to put both in the case, then push the left one around a little so it makes firm contact, to the contacts in the case. Then I have to close the case, open it and double check the battery widget on my phone to make sure both are charging. Not sure if it's the contacts in the case or in the headset...But just dropping them in the case, results in the right charging, but the left not...

I'm getting this problem too. Not a huge deal to do a little extra shove to get both headphones seated, but also shouldn't need to do that with headphones that cost this much.

The other issue I have is that the feature where you open the case and the popup appears on your phone only works for me sporadically, probably less than 50% of the time. And sometimes when it works, it's only after several seconds. Like I said, this is with an XS Max, so it's not an old phone or old bluetooth. This is with latest OS updates, after resets, etc.

As for the headphone themselves, I generally like them. They fit pretty well, whereas AirPods do not fit at all in my ears, sound is pretty good if seated properly, and they stay on while active. However, I sweat a decent amount, so the headphones don't stay seated perfectly for me on summer runs or on workouts, meaning I can still hear well but not amazing sound - that's fine for a workout, but others might want more for the money. They also block out a ton of sound, but aren't noise-cancelling (nor do they claim to be). So, on an airplane or mowing the lawn, I have to use my Bose instead.

 

[AustinIllini]

Poor audio quality and for whatever reason they physically hurt my ears. I know this isn't much of a review, but I'll be returning my pair. Too bad, too. I needed a good pair of workout headphones.

 

[nepats81]

Does anyone have the jaybird vista?

 

[aloper]

Does anyone have the jaybird vista?

I posted a short review and pics of the Vista's, compared to the PowerBeats Pro's here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/jaybird-vista-vs-powerbeats-pro-vs-airpods.2193177/

 

[sigomez]

This might be an unpopular opinion but I thought I’d share it anyway just in case there’s other people on the fence.

So, previously I had a pair of Beats X which I really loved. After a little over a year of owning them, my right side went out and it was time for a replacement. I debated between the Powerbeats Pro and the Airpods. I ended up buying the Powerbeats.... but I returned them about an hour later for the Airpods... Why? Here’s so pros and cons for each:

As a side note: I own a pair of Beats Solo’s that I use for when I really want to get into my music. So sound quality, while important, wasn’t necessary my main focus. I mainly just wanted something that would work great for using at work and for workouts.

Powerbeats Pro:

Pros: Great sound quality, stays in your ears effortlessly, I actually like the look of them (I’m not really a fan of the way the airpods look), physical buttons on both sides, loooooong battery life, official IPX4 rating (airpods can withstands sweat and water but it’s nice to have it be officially rated).

Why I returned them: The main reason I returned them was for the lack of convenience... The charging case is big. I know many reviews have talked about it and I honestly thought they were overreacting until I brought it home. For me, the case was just too cumbersome. There are times when I don’t want to carry a bag or have a jacket with larger pockets. I like being able to bring my headphones wherever I go and with a case that large, it’s just a chore. It was also a little difficult to get the headphones back into the case to charge. The airpods go back into their case without much effort or strategy. The Beats took some fidgeting and even though it eventually makes sense the more times you do it, I can still see that becoming annoying in certain situations. While the headphones do stay in your ears much better than Airpods, I found that they became somewhat uncomfortable after about an hour or so... This was definitely going to be an issue since I use headphones while I’m working. Lastly the price... For $250, I just couldn’t justify it.

Airpods:

Why I bought them: The Airpods charging case is magnificent! It’s small and it just works. Wireless charging is also a very nice bonus. The airpods are light and can be very comfortable for long periods of use. Sound quality, while not quite as good as the Beats, is still very good. The price is right! I got my Airpods with the wireless charging case on sale for $179. I was also able to buy an accessory kit for $20 which includes attachments that make it easier for the Airpods to stay in your ears during workouts and I also bought a 2 set wireless charging mat for $50. All of those items together cost .2 less than the Powerbeats Pro...

Cons: I don’t really care for the way the Airpods look... perhaps it will grow on me. They don’t stay in your ears quite as well but with the accessories I got, they can be modified to fit nicely. Only comes in white. No official IPX4 rating.

———————————————————-

So in conclusion, both headphones are good depending on your needs. If you are ok with the higher price, ear hook design and much larger charging case then the Powerbeats are fantastic. However, if you want a better value, a more portable charging case, wireless charging and an overall lighter design, then the airpods are the way to go.

Hopefully this will be helpful to someone who’s on the fence.

I couldn’t agree with you any more on the convenience of the Powerbeats Pro....Great headphones but overall they just seem very clunky.

I plan on getting the new AirPods whenever they get released.

 

[mcaswell]

I couldn’t agree with you any more on the convenience of the Powerbeats Pro....Great headphones but overall they just seem very clunky.

I've had mine for a bit over a week, and am very happy with them. But my usage doesn't include frequently carrying them around in the case while out and about... I could see how this could be cumbersome. I wish Apple had included a way to manually power them down when out of the case (like holding down the main button for 5-10 seconds or so, same for turning them back on).

 

[terminator-jq]

I couldn’t agree with you any more on the convenience of the Powerbeats Pro....Great headphones but overall they just seem very clunky.

I plan on getting the new AirPods whenever they get released.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what apple does with the next generation airpods. Rumors are saying we will get an official IPX4 rating like the Beats as well as noise cancellation which would also be very nice. I’m sure battery life will also get a bump although the 5 hour lifespan hasn’t bothered me at all. While all of that would be great on its own, I’m really hoping they switch to a more minimal design like the Samsung Galaxy earbuds. Just something that stays in your ears without any accessory needed and looks a little less... odd !

That being said, after owning my airpods for a little while now, I really enjoy them!! I’d even go as far as saying they are my favorite purchase of 2019 so far. I mean they just work... it’s that old apple magic that made me into an an Apple fan to begin with. The size of the case is absolutely perfect.

 

[sigomez]

I’m really looking forward to seeing what apple does with the next generation airpods. Rumors are saying we will get an official IPX4 rating like the Beats as well as noise cancellation which would also be very nice. I’m sure battery life will also get a bump although the 5 hour lifespan hasn’t bothered me at all. While all of that would be great on its own, I’m really hoping they switch to a more minimal design like the Samsung Galaxy earbuds. Just something that stays in your ears without any accessory needed and looks a little less... odd !

That being said, after owning my airpods for a little while now, I really enjoy them!! I’d even go as far as saying they are my favorite purchase of 2019 so far. I mean they just work... it’s that old apple magic that made me into an an Apple fan to begin with. The size of the case is absolutely perfect.

LOL...it’s like we are best friends, I feel the same way about the AirPods as you do...When I had them a while back they were great because like you said....they just work.

 

[mikemj23]

Man I'm totally tied up about whether or not to get PB's or Jaybird Vista over my Airpods 2. I use my Airpods for everything: running, work calls, listening to music, yard work etc. Love the Airpods but would like a better fit. I use Hey Siri a significant amount as well so I feel like I should go with the PB's, but I'm cringing at the $250 price tag.

 

[sigomez]

My suggestion would be to either get the PBS or stick with the current AirPods. The H1 chip makes a world of a difference in my opinion when it comes to Bluetooth devices and Apple devices.

Have you looked in the marketplace on here, i think i saw someone selling some for less than $250.

Good luck!