Powerbeats Pro 2 thoughts from an AirPods Pro 2 user.
I’ve been trying these for almost two weeks now, and here are my thoughts as an AirPods Pro 2 user:
Silicone ear tips do not secure as easily as you think. They can easily fly off if they’re not seated correctly. You won’t be doing this a whole lot after you get the right size, but don’t lose them as they bounce away. There is no click that confirms proper positioning like on the AirPods Pro 2.
There is no mesh on the ear tips, so earwax buildup is a bigger problem here than it is for AirPods Pro, which have ear tips with a built-in mesh.
The charging case is 33% smaller than the 1st generation Powerbeats, but it is still more than twice as big as the AirPods Pro 2 case.
I dropped the case from about 3 feet and the earbuds flew out of the case. Not surprising, but just in case you thought it had a snugger fit or a stronger lid magnet, which it does not.
The top lid feels like cardboard, feeling like a recycled takeout box lid. The beige-like Quick Sand color doesn’t help either, giving it the same color as a recycled box. I guess it was either feeling cheap and light or feeling premium and heavy. Don’t expect that dense, quality feel of AirPods cases.
Being a clamshell case, you also lose the “fidgetability” you get from the AirPods case that opens like a Pez dispenser, whereas the Powerbeats case opens clamshell style.
No magnetic wireless charging. It will charge on Apple’s MagSafe chargers which supports the Qi standard, but not magnetically. You also don’t get Apple Watch puck charging. For the record, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation support magnetic wireless charging on MagSafe and Apple Watch chargers.
The fit is definitely more secure compared to AirPods, but for casual use the AirPods are better since they are easier to take on and off at will. If your AirPods frustrate you because they get loose or fall off during workouts, these will please you.
If you trim your own beard, the Powerbeats Pro 2 don’t get in the way since there are no stems jutting out from your ears. There is a simple solution though, to make sure AirPods don’t get in the way of manscaping.
I would be cautious using the beats in a torrential environment or cleaning them too aggressively. I’ve accidentally washed my AirPods Pro 1 in the washer before, and they survived after drying them out. I’m sure my AirPods Pro 2 would also survive, but the Powerbeats Pro 2 have physical buttons and more ingress points for water to get in.
Speaking of physical buttons, I appreciate the volume rocker. It’s really personal preference when it comes to a physical volume rocker vs swiping up and down on an AirPods Pro 2 stem to change volume. Both work great.
I do have a problem with the Beats ‘b’ button mainly because the button is too easy to press, and it easily registers clicks even when the earbud is not fully secured in your ear. If I’m watching a YouTube video with one earbud in place, the minute I start to put the second earbud in, my video ends up being skipped to the next video in the algorithm. This happens more often than I’d like even though skipping a video requires two clicks of the ‘b’ button. Not an issue with AirPods Pro.
Sound quality is similar, if not the same as AirPods Pro 2. Don’t buy these thinking they will sound better. Noise cancellation is also the same or very similar, and the difference between these and the AirPods Pro 2 is negligible.
I highly recommend doing the Ear Tip Fit Test. My left ear is perfect with the default medium tip, but my right ear required an extra-large tip to be comfortable. Don’t hesitate to try all 5 sizes of ear tips.
The Find My App works much better on the AirPods Pro 2 due to its U1 chip, giving you Precision Finding. The speaker grilles on the charging case also makes it easy to hear and find. I tried playing a sound on my Powerbeats even though it was right next to me, and it wouldn’t work even after several minutes. Find My will let you know that your Powerbeats are in your house, but you will still have to rummage everywhere to actually find them.
These are far better at monitoring your resting heart rate vs your workout heart rate. I’m working on a more detailed piece about this but in short, don’t buy these if you’re serious about tracking your workout heart rate.