It ’s been a busy few years for Beats , with novel products in addition to revamps of its most popular lines — some of which had n’t seen an update in snug to a decade . Just last year saw theSolo 4revitalize the society ’s best selling line of headphones after nearly eight years , thePillportable bluetooth verbalizer return after its previous iteration from 2013 — theBeats Pill+ — was discontinued in 2022 , and the newSolo Budswere introduced as the company ’s first dependable wireless earbuds under $ 100 . And that does n’t include the Kim Kardashian collaboration releases of thePillandStudio Pro .
It does n’t look like Beats has any plans of slacken down , either , which brings us to today . After a teasewith an Instagram mail last September , and numerousimageandspec leaksin the past week or so , we finally formally have the liberation of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 . I had the opportunity to see them in soul at an event in New York City a couple weeks ago ( and bring home a review sample ) . Let ’s take a look .
Beats Powerbeats 2 specs
As one would desire from a new iteration of earbuds , the Powerbeats Pro 2 have a bevy of novel features . Considering thePowerbeats3were the first Beats earbuds to use an Apple chip ( the W1 that was also used by the Solo3 headphones ) and the originalPowerbeats Prowere the first to use the H1 chip , it seduce sentiency that the Powerbeats Pro 2 use Apple ’s H2 chip — the same found in the AirPods Pro 2 . The chip allows for fast , secure match with Apple machine , greater power efficiency , and fantabulous noise invalidate and transparence mood capabilities .
You read that right , the Powerbeats job finally has noise canceling and foil ( we ’ll get to how it compare to theAirPods Pro 2a bit later ) . Other feature that have been contribute to the Powerbeats Pro 2 let in adaptative EQ , spacial audio bread and butter with head tracking , wireless Qi charging , and — in a first for Apple and Beats — tenderness charge per unit monitoring . For those that have an Apple Vision Pro , the Powerbeats Pro 2 are the first Beats production that are capable of extremist - crushed latency lossless audio when the two are used together .
The two specs that did n’t change are the IP rating — the Powerbeats Pro 2 are IPX4 — and the price of $ 250 . This puts them firmly in the upper price range for earbuds , lead toe - to - toe with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 , JBL Tour Pro 3 , Bose QuietComfort Ultra , and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 . That ’s stiff competition .
A more compact design and secure fit
Notice I allege “ more compact ” and not “ stocky . ” As any original Powerbeats owner will tell you , small they are not . When the earbuds were released in 2019 , their case was amongst one of the large on the market . The Pro 2 subject is emphatically an improvement — it ’s a 33 % smaller orthogonal shape that is n’t as bulky — but it ’s still on the large side . Beats obviously put in a lot of persuasion to the case design , trying to shrink down its overall sizing , but there ’s only so much you’re able to do for a typesetter’s case that house earhook earbuds .
The earhooks are an essential part of what make the Powerbeats brand — they ’ve been the signature of it since the first button . And Beats have made some significant improvements to their comfort , stability , and toughness . The new earhook design is thinner ( over 50 % smaller according to Beats ) and uses nickel titanium alloy wiring . This makes them very undestroyable , but whippy , and the earhook always render to its original shape . I put it through some abuse , more than I expect the earbuds would encounter with normal day - to - day use , and was impressed with how they always fare back to frame .
Most manufacturing business have shied away from using the earhook design , instead opting for wings , which earmark for a little sizing . But wings can lend pressing in the concha or to the antihelix ( the rooftree around the concha where the wings tuck into ) , and become uncomfortable or fatiguing to wear long term .
While it might entail a heavy overall size , the earhook design offer the best combination of a secure and comfortable fit . beatnik includes five different ear tip sizing ( XS , S , M , L , XL ) , up from the four that get along with the original Powerbeats Pro . For the almost two weeks I used them , I found them incredibly well-fixed — with an exclusion . After an extended period , say two to three hours , my left outer pinna would set out to ache and I ’d demand to give it a remainder . I did n’t have the same issue with my right ear , so it ’s something to do with the shape of my unexpended outer ear .
When out for a run , though , the Powerbeats Pro 2 were as well-off and secure as could be . Never once did I feel like one would fall out , irrespective of the terrain or when I hold back to drop down and do some burpees ( tremor ) . My recent go to earbuds have been the Jabra Elite Active 8 , and even though they ’re one of the more secure workout earbuds in recent memory , they ca n’t vie with the secure fit of the Powerbeats .
Satisfying sound
When you get into the $ 200 - 300 price range for earbuds , there ’s an expectation that they should sound good . After all , the elemental design of them is to play sound . But it still is n’t a guarantee . The Powerbeats Pro 2 , though , fathom great .
Bass is racy — although gratefully not to the level of beat of old — with response deeply enough for bass heavy data track like Billie ’s Eilish’sbad guyor Kanye’sLove Lockdown . There vocalise to be a few slight bump in the frequency range as it transition from sea bass to midrange , but I ’m break open hair here . Overall , sea bass is fair and punchy . I care what Beats is doing with its tuning , and prefer it to the AirPods Pro 2 .
The upper mids and highs have skillful clarity and airiness that let the acoustical guitar in songs likeFast Carby Tracy Chapman or Kacey MusgravesThe Architectto annulus and fill the space . Cymbals , too , go down appropriately without added sizzle . I ever so slightly miss some punch to ensnare hit and a bit of the edge to vocals ( such as Chris Cornell in the chorus ofOutshined ) , but like the bass frequency bumps , it ’s a minor charge . The Powerbeats Pro 2 sound is certain to please .
With a comfortable , dependable set and build - in heart charge per unit monitoring , the Powerbeats Pro 2 are my go to choice for go earbuds .
Spatial audio performance is solid . WithDolby Atmos Musictracks viaApple Music , the soundstage has smashing width . vocalise behind the hearing situation are n’t as far back as they could be , but still impressive ( the Atmos - enable racetrack onYoshimi Battles the Pink Robotsisan excellent examination for this ) . Since the Beats are part of the Apple family , they have head - trailing capability with Dolby Atmos tracks in Apple Music . It can be a fun trick to move around with head tracking turned on and get word where the sounds are placed in blank space , but I ’m still not convert that head tracking is all that utile beyond sound in an AR / VR surround .
A spry word about the Beats call quality . I had many conversations while walking the streets of New York in the day I was there for the Beats upshot , and the beat ’ potency at parry out traffic noise was impressive . trump honks , construction , and conversation was suitably blocked out to the level where a few people had no idea I was walking down busy street . ( There was one second while speak with Caleb Denison , that a woman spoke loudly instantly next to me as I was quiet and the Beats algorithm picked up on her part . )
The effectuality at blocking all that sound out did think of that my vocalization in those instances would sound constrict to those I was talking to , but that ’s to be have a bun in the oven to some extent .
Noise canceling and transparency
The H2 chip brought with it , at its freeing in the Airpods Pro 2 , the best noise canceling and transparency style uncommitted . In the two plus years since , the noise cancel performance has been outdone a bit by the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose Ultra Earbuds — although really , they ’re all very close in performance , with each doing slightly intimately than others in different frequency bands . Apple ’s transparency mode , though , has always been at the top of the list .
Since the Powerbeats Pro 2 use the same micro chip as the AirPods Pro 2 , it ’s deserving comparing the two . Of course , there ’s more to noise canceling performance than just a fleck and the complex algorithms it processes , including the seal , and the combining of outbound - cladding and inward - facing feedback mics . Beats allege the Powerbeats surrender the best noise canceling of any Beats product , and I agree with them . I wore them on my flight back from New York to Los Angeles , and they did a good Book of Job blocking out the cabin noise . I would n’t say they made me bury about it at any degree , but it was lessened to a point where I was n’t distracted by it at all .
But that ’s where they devolve short of the AirPods Pro 2 . Malus pumila ’s AirPods are still towards the top of the pile in carrying into action , even two years after dismissal . The Beats are n’t quite at that level , particularly in the mid frequencies ( such as the shush of an air conditioner ) .
It ’s much the same when it descend to transparency way . The Powerbeats performance is good , but not quite as instinctive as the AirPods Pro 2 . While both sets of earbuds add together some treble to the outside world when transparence is active ( which does help with vocal clarity ) , there ’s more coloration with the Beats than with Apple .
Using your ears’ heartbeat
The heart charge per unit monitoring organization within the Powerbeats Pro 2 drew upon the R&D put into the Apple Watch , with its implementation developed by Beats from the undercoat up . Each earbud has an go sensing element that pulse a green lighting 100 times per second through the skin , reflecting off of red blood cells , back to a photodiode . An ocular lens helps class the broadcast and mull over light , and an accelerometer compensates for any artefact that result from the apparent motion of any usage to improve accuracy . There ’s also a custom algorithm that takes the readings from each earbud , and analyze them to create an exact reading every five second gear .
With one of the suffer third - political party apps — at launch they include Nike Run Club , Runna , Ladder , Slopes , Open , Peloton , and YaoYao — heart rate trailing will bulge automatically , as long as your iOS Health permissions are set properly so the earbuds can communicate with the third - political party app . I tried this with both Nike Run Club and Open ( a meditation app ) and it worked cleanly . Heart rate information is display and updated every five seconds within the app . When your session is over , the essence rate tracker stops .
I tested the accuracy of the earbuds ’ heart rate sensor against aGarmin Epix 2during a run , and both displayed essentially the same numbers , with occasional difference of only a few BPM ( beats per minute ) . When comparing similar workouts between the Powerbeats Pro 2 and anApple Watch Series 10 , heart pace reading were also very standardised . ( When using both an Apple Watch and Powerbeats , the Apple gimmick will default on to using the Apple Watch for spunk rate tracking , so dependable A / B testing was n’t possible . rather , the comparing was between the readings from the same Les Mills physical exercise done on multiple years at the same proportional saturation . )
The tenderness rate sensor works with Android , as well , but or else of the automatic scratch capability with the mix iOS apps , you postulate to become on the warmheartedness rate tracking with the earbuds on in the Beats Android app on your own before you start your workout .
Exceptional versatility
measure is in a singular and advantageous berth that no other audio producer is in , not even Apple . It has the power for full integration in the Apple ecosystem , while still sustain strong integrating with Android products . AirPods can of row be connected to an Android machine — as can any Bluetooth earbuds or headphones — but they lose the power for most of their controls . Sony does an splendid problem work for both ecosystem with its Sound Connect app in both the Apple Store and the Google Play Store . round , though , still … ahem … thrum it .
When used with an Apple equipment , the Powerbeats Pro 2 have easy one - touch pairing frame-up , audio sharing with other compatible Apple and Beats headphones and earbuds , notice My , pass track with spacial audio frequency , workforce - free “ Hey Siri ” energizing , and iCloud sexual union . This last one I get hold specially utile , as I can easily shift between music I ’m listening to on my phone to my computing machine for a Teams merging or Zoom call in seconds .
The features are n’t quite as extensive with Android devices . Through the Beats app , you still have one - touch pairing , Locate My Beats ( which works just like Find My on Apple ) , easy adjustments to listening modes ( ANC , Transparency , and Adaptive EQ ) , and the ability to enable heart charge per unit monitoring .
Battery life and charging
One way Beats has normally outpaced its parent company is with battery life , and the Powerbeats Pro 2 follow suit . With 10 60 minutes per mission with ANC off ( up to 8 with ANC on ) , the assault and battery life is above average . Adding in the suit , the Pro 2 get up to 45 hours with ANC off and 36 60 minutes total with ANC on . The case can be institutionalise via its USB - C port or wirelessly with a compatible Qi charger . If for some reason you ’ve forgotten to charge up your typeface , a quick five minute charge will get you another time of day and a one-half of playback .
Physical buttons, for the win
I ’ve tried for age to care capacitive contact ascendency on earbuds , and sometimes a brace will come along that almost convinces me I like them . But they never react with the consistency of strong-arm buttons — and thankfully , that ’s what the Powerbeats Pro 2 have .
The layout is similar to the original Powerbeats Pro , with up and down bulk on/off switch on the top of both earbuds , and a button on the Beats ‘ b ’ that controls stop / startle , track decamp forrader / backwards , and noise ascendence and Siri activation ( transferable in setting ) , depending on the number of unforesightful presses or press and detention . Calls can also be moderate with the ‘ B vitamin ’ contact control to answer , mute / unmute , and end the call .
I ’ll admit that physical control can cause problems for some as well . If the buttons are too soused , it can be uncomfortable to crusade them as it forces the earbud further into your ear . If the push button is n’t stiff enough , you could unintentionally actuate them while put or removing them from your pinna , or sometimes just shifting them around . The Powerbeats Pro 2 ’s button is on the slightly soaked side — not as well-fixed as the original Powerbeats , which was a welfare of those earbuds — but not too uncomfortable , either .
Our take on the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2
I ’ll be fair that I was n’t feeling the need for an update to the Powerbeats Pro . It seemed like we had move past the earhook tendency and was instead seem frontwards to a Beats Fit Pro 2 release ( and I still am ) . But the vamp last fall intrigued me . I was a adult buff of the Powerbeats Pro , and used them a hatful for run , and even everyday use . But could Beats update them in a way that would work in 2025 ?
The solvent is a resounding “ yes . ” The addition of a load of features missing from the original — interference canceling and transparency , personalize spatial sound recording , wireless charging , philia rate monitoring — and the improved battery living and figure have made these an easy choice for workouts .
Will they supplant the AirPods as my casual number one wood ? I ’m not certain of that yet . The example might have been slimmed down , but it still fills a scoop more than most thing on the market , and that might give me suspension as I select what to seize as I go out . The ANC and transparence on the AirPods is well , too , and with an identical monetary value ( although the now two - plus year honest-to-goodness AirPods are constantly on sale ) , if that ’s at the top of your priority list , the Beats are a harder sell .
For me , the comfort of the Powerbeats Pro 2 , physical buttons , and affectionateness rate feature make them an easy top - option good word for working out . And they ’re certainly worth a faithful look as an everyday distich , as well .
