Are the Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless Earbuds Worth $250?
After successfully making the AirPods a ubiquitous sight, Apple finally gave a Beats by Dre product the wire-free treatment. The long-anticipated Powerbeats Pro earbuds are the iconic brand’s first-ever completely wireless product.
The earbuds have been developed to deliver the signature Beats sound in a comfy and durable form factor with familiar, yet fresh design. At a quick glance, they look like a slightly more elegant Powerbeats3 wireless earbuds with their cable cut off.
I spent several weeks using the Powerbeats Pro earbuds as my daily driver, and I’m really impressed by them. Here are five reasons why the earbuds are worth every penny of their $250 price tag.
They're Exceptionally Comfortable
The Powerbeats Pro are the most comfortable completely wireless earbuds I have tested to date. They successfully combine a lightweight build and an incredibly secure fit. I used them on a daily basis during commutes, brisk walks, runs, as well as various workouts, and never worried that they might fall off. In this instance, the buds are miles ahead of their competitors.
The Controls Are Easy to Use
I was impressed by the effortlessly intuitive controls of the Powerbeats Pro. You can control audio playback, answer and reject phone calls, summon Siri, and control the volume via buttons on the left and right earbuds. Users of compatible Apple devices can also use “Hey, Siri” voice commands.
I found this feature to be handy during an NYC subway ride when I adjusted the volume of a podcast on my left bud, as well as during an outdoor run when I bumped up the volume of the music on the right one. Just in case, the earbuds will automatically pause audio playback when you take one (or both) off, and resume it when you put them back on.
They Sound Amazing
The Powerbeats Pro sound incredible! Far from being the typical workout earbuds, which can hide some of the fine details in the audio tracks behind a powerful bass, the latest Beats earbuds deliver an impressive sonic experience that’s worthy of their price tag.
Their sound is grin-inducing and balanced in equal measure, offering a sweet harmony between an assertive low range, a well-sorted midrange (a challenge for many competitors), and detail-rich highs for soaking in the tracks’ intricate details. I found Powerbeats Pro’s audio performance during phone calls to be excellent, too.
During my testing, the headset unsurprisingly maintained a flawless connection with my iPhone, courtesy of Apple’s H1 chip. It plays nice with non-Apple devices, too.
Also found in the latest AirPods, the H1 chip delivers an unrivaled pairing experience with Apple hardware. All you need to do is open the battery case with the Powerbeats inside next to your device to connect them. Once set, the earbuds will pair with all your Apple devices, so long as they use the same iCloud account.
They Have an Epic Battery Life
You can expect up to 9 hours of wireless audio playback between battery charges from the Powerbeats Pro — a truly remarkable number for a pair of completely wireless earbuds. Most users will be able to enjoy a day of use on a single charge.
Their battery case holds almost two full charges for a total of 24 hours of cable independence. It is fast too – you can get 1.5 hours’ worth of audio playback after only five minutes of charging. I only wish it were a tad more reasonably sized! Like the AirPods, the Powerbeats Pro’s case has a Lightning connector for charging.
They're Water Resistant
Being a workout-friendly Powerbeats product, the Pro earbuds are both sweat- and water-resistant. With an IPX4 rating, they can easily survive rain and splashes of water, as well as your sweatiest workouts.
Wrap Up
Apple surely took its time to deliver a truly wireless Beats product, but the wait was well worth it. The Powerbeats Pro earbuds are an instant contender for being the best of their kind, setting new standards for comfort, ergonomics, versatility, audio performance, and battery life in this highly contested product category.
The latest Beats earbuds are also highly rated by review editors from Engadget, TechRadar, and The Verge. Yes, they are a tad pricier than some competitors, but certainly worth the splurge if you can squeeze them into your budget.
For the time being, you can order the Powerbeats Pro only in a decidedly understated black paint job. There are three more eye-catching colors on the way — ivory, moss, and navy — the last two sporting a Beats logo with a contrasting gold finish.
Read More:
A Guide for Shopping Beats Headphones
The Coolest Gadgets of the Year
Noise-Canceling Headphones We Tested and Liked
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