Gear Review: Powerbeats Pro | TENNIS.com – Live Scores, News, Player Rankings – Tennis Magazine
Pros Cons
Secure and comfortable fit Bulky case
Long battery life Expensive
Intelligent functionality
Impressive sound quality
Website: www.beatsbydre.com
Price: $250
Some truly wireless earbuds toe the line between everyday use and active wear. One look at the endorsers in the promotional video for the Powerbeats Pro—Simone Biles, Lebron James, Serena Williams—and it’s obvious they’re designed to be gym ready and workout approved. And being a Beats product, doing so while providing a great listening experience is the other objective. If that’s the combination you’re after, these are some of the best headphones around.
First Impression
The Powerbeats Pro has an earhook design. It gives it more weight (20.3 grams) and conspicuousness than a true in-ear model, but there’s the added security that it won’t dislodge without a perfect seal. It’s offered in four different colorways—ivory, black, navy, moss—as variety in appearance is common in the Beats universe. Being an Apple product, you can shuffle seamlessly between your Apple devices signed into your iCloud. They’re also IPX4 certified, making them sweat and water-resistant. Unless your workout entails getting sprayed by a hose, it will stand up to almost any conditions.
The headphones are housed in a sturdy, chunky and somewhat slippery case. A magnetic connection keeps them squarely in place—they won’t fall out even if you open the case and hold it upside down—and lets you know that the buds are charging. Connection to your device requires nothing more than opening the case and checking the Bluetooth menu. Once completed, anytime the case is opened, a notification box almost instantly pops up on your phone letting you know the charging percentages of the buds and case.
Battery life is definitely a strength of the Powerbeats Pro. A full charge yields up to nine hours of playback, with nearly 15 more from the charging case. There’s a single LED light on the exterior of the case that glows red when there’s less than 40% power. It also delivers what they’re calling “Fast Fuel”—a five-minute charge will yield 1.5 hours of playback; 15-minute charge gets 4.5 hours. That’s as speedy a refuel as any I’ve encountered. If they’re dead, pop them into the case on the way to the gym and you’ll have more than enough juice for your workout.
The downside is the case is bigger than many other models—it’s the size of chubby Altoids tin—and might be too large to carry around comfortably in your pocket. Since these are earhooks and the battery life is so robust, I think the bulk can be excused. However, it might have been nice to have a small pouch included if you want to carry them around outside of the case.
Fit
There are four sized silicone ear tips to discover the most secure seal. The offset acoustic nozzle positions securely on the concha, but not with the depth into the canal that other ear buds do. That makes it more comfortable to wear, especially for longer periods of time, but results in some sound leakage and less surrounding noise cancellation. Under most circumstances it’s not an issue, but could encourage higher volumes to drown out noisy areas.
But the real star in this category is the adjustable earhook. It has been a part of the Powerbeats line since its launch in 2010, and it has been redesigned and refined to provide optimal stability during dynamic movement. It sits flush against the lobe and side of the head without pinching or applying too much pressure. Yet it cradles the ear securely enough that I never had the slightest worry the earphones would dislodge during workouts, whether doing sets of burpees or scrambling for a drop shot. These babies don’t budge.
Performance
The earphones have a clever, ambidextrous design; both perform identical tasks, so there’s no need to remember which one does what. Busy with the right hand and need to hear someone? Hit pause with the left. There’s no earbud priority either—each has a connection to the source rather than having a dominant side. Both buds have microphones and you can set up which one to use—or have it automatically switch between the two—if you prefer to take one out for phone calls.
The main function button sports the beats logo. A mild click lets you know that it has been pressed. And it’s responsive—no need to jam it so hard that it impales your ear. One click to play/pause/answer calls; double click to skip track; triple click to back track; hold button for virtual assistant. iPhone users can make use of the “Hey Siri” function, which has almost zero lag time.
Along the top of each bud above the main button is a volume up/down rocker. It does its job well so there’s really no need to consult your phone once you’re working out. A proximity awareness sensor will pause playback if you take a bud out of your ear; put it back in and it will start up again. It can also be deactivated for those who always want uninterrupted playback.
In terms of sound quality, I had no complaints. I’m not audio savvy enough to distinguish the warmth and character of music at its different frequencies. From a layman’s perspective, the bass was definitely thumping without totally overwhelming the vocal and midrange. Sound isolation was pretty good, but I didn’t think it blocked out ambient noise as thoroughly as some other models. Which, depending on need, isn’t necessarily a demerit given there’s no hear-through type function to be more aware of your surroundings.
Connectivity was also a highlight thanks to the Apple H1 chip in the headphone. Not once during use did a bud lose contact or experience any distortion. The wireless range was also a cut-above, staying connected through walls and across 40 yards of distance. Phone calls were clear even in somewhat noisy areas, and watching videos on YouTube and Netflix had perfect audio/visual synchronization.
The negatives in performance were quite minor. The function button is subtle in the landscape of the bud, and can be both occasionally tricky to find and too easy to click if you’re only adjusting your ear and not attempting to alter playback. While the earhooks are secure and comfortable, they do take a little effort to put on and take off. If you’re in a busy office or an environment that requires you to be attentive, it might get annoying having to constantly remove and reinsert them.
There’s also no equalizer. Audiophiles may want the option of customizing the sound to suit their tastes. Runners or outdoor enthusiasts may also want a hear-through feature to funnel in outside noise to be more alert. Neither affected my experience with the headphones, but at this premium price point it’s not unreasonable to expect these options.
Bottom Line
If you’re in the market for truly wireless workout earbuds, the Powerbeats Pro are a great choice. And that goes double if you’re an Apple user. Simply put, they check all the necessary boxes: great functionality, comfort, absolute security, with long battery life and top-notch playback. Are they perfect? Well, the charging case is big to house the earhooks, they’re missing a few features that are available in competing models and they’re expensive. But all I can say is when I wore them for activity, whether on-court or in the gym, not once was I disappointed. What more could you want from your equipment.