If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That was Beats’ mindset when it came to its Powerbeat Pro headphones, an excellent pair of buds that were designed for athletes who wanted to continue to listen to their tunes while 100 deep in their set of burpees. Alas, in the tech world, there’s always room for improvement, and six years after the OG Powerbeat Pros, we have the Beats Powerbeat Pros 2. And after wearing these new buds for a while, we have to say: What the hell took so long?
Specs
- Water Resistance: IPX4
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Yes
- Battery Life: 10 hours (full charge ) + 45 hours (case)
- Colorways: Electric Orange, Hyper Purple, Jet Black, Quick Sand
What’s Changed?
Aesthetically, the Powerbeat Pro 2s and the original Powerbeat Pros look almost identical, except the newer pair is supposedly more ergonomic, with a redesigned flexible earhook for a better fit and superior stability. There are few headphones that have actually been able to pop out of my ear during a workout (I’m talking about you AirPods), and these are definitely not going anywhere no matter what you do to try to get them to fly off. Beats also included more silicone ear tips to accommodate a wider range of ear sizes, and the case is significantly smaller (though still large relative to other earbud cases).
But the biggest changes are happening inside the new headphones. First, they’ve been upgraded with Apple’s H2 chip (and here’s your regular reminder that Apple owns Beats). That means they have better audio quality, better battery life, and speedier Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also a new hear-rate monitor in the ear, which is already compatible with apps like Nike Run Club and Peloton. They also support wireless charging for the first time, and most importantly: The Powerbeat Pro 2s now have active noise cancellation. We buried the lede with that one, but just like Beats, we wanted to make you wait.
Tyler Chin
Tyler Chin
How do the Beats Powerbeat Pro 2 headphones sound?
They’re Beats headphones, so they sound pretty good. The H2 chip is the same one that’s in the AirPods Pros, so they sound pretty comparable to Apple’s flagship noise-cancelling earbuds, but being Beats products, we do find that they boost up the bass just a tad more than other pairs of headphones. It’s great if you have a running playlist that’s timed to your running pace so you can hoof it at the same rate as a bass drum—or if you just really like bass-forward music. The active noise cancellation is pretty good, too, able to drown out the sound of grunting meatheads at the gym, though higher frequencies, like the sound of the train coming to a screeching halt, just might break through for a moment. Transparency mode also works pretty well, so you can still make out the world around you. But unlike the AirPods Pros, there’s no Conversation Awareness feature, which automatically lowers the sound of whatever you’re listening to and amplifies the sound of outside voices. I almost never use transparency mode on any of my headphones, and I like to take off my headphones when people talk to me (because I have decorum) so that’s never been an issue for me.
How do the Beats Powerbeat Pro 2 headphones fit?
I’ve never been particularly finicky when it comes to finding a pair of headphones that fit, but since Apple headphones let you do an ear tip fit test, I’ve found that my music does sound better and my buds are less likely to pop out. I’m not a huge fan of the winged design of headphones, but there’s something satisfying about looping these around your ear so that they feel extra secure. It’s been a minute since I’ve worn winged headphones like this, so it took some readjustment to the style, but now I’m popping them in and out with no issue.
I’ve never been one who’s into high-intensity interval training, so I can’t say with certainty that they’ll hold up to an hour-long Barry’s-like workout, but they’re stable during runs, and an unscientific method of headbanging did not lead them to flying out of my ear.
Meg Ruocco
Tyler Chin
Beats Powerbeat Pro 2 Verdict
Beats designed these headphones for athletes, and we have to admit that it’s designed one helluva pair of earbuds. We always loved the originals, and these new ones just make them so much more enticing to buy. They fit great, sound even better, and now they support active noise cancellation. If we weren’t hyping them up so much as the headphones for working out, we’d say that they’re just a really good pair of headphones. Full stop. But if you’re looking for a pair of headphones for working out, well, there’s a reason these are our favorite.
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