It is well known that Apple already leads the market for True Wireless Studio headphones with its well-known AirPods. But with the arrival of the Powerbeats, both in its standard version and in the Pro version presented here, they may have decided to Break out of the AirPods range to diversify your style.
The goal would be to adapt to a more sports-oriented market., where greater support in the ear and a somewhat less attractive aesthetic are required, which is less in keeping with its classic line.
We must never forget that Beats Electronics was bought by Apple in 2014. Therefore, we will see that these Beats headphones The Powerbeats Pro share many elements with their peers within the company.
Design and comfort
It's inevitable to wonder how the Powerbeats Pro will compare to the AirPods Pro given the parent company that unites them. In the aesthetics department, we can say that Apple, through Beats, has decided differentiate yourself from 100% to obtain a product that fulfills a complementary role to what was already being offered.
In this case, the focus is on the Sports user, whose sudden movement could cause the accidental fall of their TWS headphonesWith a specific design, aimed at a perfect fit around the ear, this problem is completely solved.
Additionally, although not included in the box by default, it is possible to purchase a pack of replacement ear cushions for a relatively low price. These come in different sizes and can be further adjusted to the in-ear section, achieving a perfect, discomfort-free fit.
In short, Headphones with a simple design and extremely comfortable. To this we must add that the quality of the materials is quite good: a very light and apparently resistant polymer. In this way, an acceptable level of waterproofing is achieved that reaches the IPX4 certification, which would allow us to shower with them, although without excesses.
There are a variety of colors: black and white classics, as well as other options in blue and green, as is usual with the Apple brand.
Sound
This is where we really get into the acid test, given that the budget for this type of headset is not low at all. In fact, it goes right into compete against other brands, such as Bose or Jabra, whose standard is quite high.
We found that the quality is quite good, to a certain extent, they have been able to reduce those very loud basses that are common throughout the Beats product line, a feature that has been negative and has generated so much criticism among audiophiles.
If we compare them with models such as the Jabra Elite Active 65t, whose sports orientation is equivalent, we can say that Beats has done a great job and the specific differences in sound quality are practically imperceptible.
We must remember that Powerbeats Pro incorporate the Apple H1 chip, equivalent to what the new AirPods 2 already have. This allows for several innovations and improvements in different aspects of the product. But one feature that What we miss is active noise cancellation, which has been completely absent, despite having enough processing power to run it.
Many would think that in a sports headset this is unnecessary, since it is important to be able to hear the surroundings in order to prevent accidents. But, considering that the price of these headphones is not low, we estimate that The user may want to give them more uses than those strictly oriented to physical exercise.. Although the degree of isolation from the environment is high due to its design, this option would have been desirable.
Microphone
Apple has not been able to take advantage of the characteristics of its microphone and processor to incorporate the cancellation that we mentioned earlier, but this does not mean that, in general terms, The quality of the microphone is like a high-end one for the rest of the functions it allows. Provides crystal clear audio input which will allow you to interact with Siri or during a call with great precision, despite ambient noise.
Autonomy and battery life
In this section, we can say that the Powerbeats Pro are right at the high end and are a clear reference when it comes to establishing the upper limit. It must be understood that they are not compact headphones and that they have enough space to incorporate a battery that is somewhat larger than the conventional one. Therefore, We have been able to exceed 10 hours of autonomy without any problem, something very surprising.
To this we must add that the housing is unnecessarily large so that the headphones fit comfortably. However, this has also allowed them to introduce an above-average battery.
Connections and controls
In this case, all the details revolve around the classic Apple elements. On the one hand, We find a Lightning type connector, which will be useful for those who have several items from the brand, but a nuisance if you are not so loyal.
As with AirPods, We do not have an application to run configurations. Supposedly, the equalization levels will adjust to the type of music that is playing, but this does not mean that it would not have been interesting to be able to include some kind of customization.
Who do we recommend these headphones for?
Having read the Powerbeats Pro review, you may already be able to see the unique use that these headphones are focused on: users extremely focused on athletic activities, who appreciate Apple and prefer to stay loyal to the brand to achieve that perfect pairing between all their devices. These include MacBooks and Apple Watches.
While it is a pretty interesting sports headset, we believe that for this price there are other attractive options. headphones for sports that we should not rule out.