Introduction
A while ago we reviewed the Apple AirPods. We gave our full opinion and review on them and if you should buy them. If you want to check out that article you can read it here. Shortly after that review, we purchased a pair of the Dr Dre Powerbeats Pro, A completely Wireless, in-ear headphone.
We have been using them as much as we can in all different scenarios and building up our opinion to give a full Powerbeats Pro review and we are finally ready to share it with you all. This review will be going through what we think are the good points, the bad points and everything in between. At the end of this review, we will also be doing a short compare against My AirPods (Skip to there). Which ones should you get? Which ones are best for you? First? Let us get into the main Powerbeats Pro review., Let’s start with the packaging.
Packaging
Let us start with the packaging. Now, I am a sucker for some good packaging, brings a smile to my face. As you know, Apple bought Beats (back in 2014) so as you can expect the packaging is top-notch! You can tell it’s got that Apple touch to it. Lovely textured black box, single image. Inside? That is the usual Apple story.
The main headphone case is on top, with the cables, different size earbuds and instructions tucked underneath. Very clean and very simplistic. If it isn’t needed it isn’t in the box! The Apple way.
What’s in the Box?
- Powerbeats Pro Earphones
- Charging case
- Ear tips with four size options
- Lightning Charging cable
- Paperwork
We will mention the design of the actual headphone quickly. They are very clean and minimalistic! I love the design. They do come in a choice of colours, I went for the White/Cream, but I loved the look of every colour. They feel very well made, and all the times I have used them I haven’t had any issue with hardware or software. Very well built.
The Good
They’re some things that I love about these headphones, and some things I don’t (but we will get on to that in a bit). As mentions above in the box you get four interchangeable Ear tips, making it very easy to get a great, comfy and secure fit. Personal mine felt perfect right out of the box, but you have the option to change it up if required.
On the subject of fit, these headphones are very comfy, thanks to the over the ear design they are secure in your ear and I had confidence in them not to fall out at any point. Which isn’t the case for the AirPods. They are heavier than most headphones, but again, due to the over-ear design, you don’t feel this while wearing them. They are great when having to wear them for long periods, don’t ache or irritate your head, great for longs runs or longs workouts.
Sound? The sound is the typical Beats, Good Bass response (As is typical with Beats). The high end isn’t as tight as it could be, but that is the case with all Beat headphones. The sound is bass focused. They have pushed the bass and Mid-bass, but this is the Beat sound. If you have tried other Beat headphone then you are familiar with the “Beats” sound. Well, that is the case here. For Genres like Hip Hop, RnB, Pop or Rock these are perfect, again, as you would expect for Beat headphones.
However, my favourite thing about these headphones is the Volume adjustment! Coming from AirPods, having a built-in volume rocker in each earbud is perfect. Pair that the buttons and these headphones are so easy to control your music without the need to get your device out. The next step on this Powerbeats Pro Review is the bad points, there are a few.
The Bad
The is one thing that I dislike, this is a personal thing but I feel that 90% of people that move from AirPods to Powerbeats Pro will hate as well. To skip or pause a song you have to use a physical button. Now, I understand this may not sound like a huge deal, and it isn’t. However when moving for the AirPods, which use a touch restive button to skip and pause. To skip or pause songs you find yourself pressing the button into your ear. You also find that you have to hold the headphone to press the button otherwise it doesn’t register your click. again, small thing, and if you haven’t used the AirPods, this won’t be an issue from you, but for me going form a touch festive butting to a physical button is a bit of an adjustment.
There are some other things that are “bad” about these headphones. Again, this only really applies if you have moved over from the AirPods. The case for the Powerbeat Pro’s is a lot bigger (which makes sense as the headphones are bigger). With the AirPods, you were able to put the buds in and then slide the case back into your pocket. With the Powerbeats the case is a bit too big to just walk around within your pocket.
Now, the main one, The price! These puppies are not cheap. I pad £219 for these headphones. Which is a lot of money! This will put a lot of people off buying these. Which is fully understandable. There are cheaper wireless headphones out there. There is even cheaper headphone from Beats out there. I mean the Powerbeat Wireless headphone (One version down from these) are £129. Which is a huge saving if you are ok with the cable around the back of your neck. Are they worth the price? Yes and No. It is a lot of money for a pair of headphones, but there is some serious tech in them.
Any Other Points?
As far as battery life goes, they seem to last longer than the AirPods, I haven’t had them run out on me yet. The case holds a good amount of charge. So if you are unable to charge the case for some reason you will still be able to get a good amount of use out of them. I haven’t had the headphones or case run out on me yet. Which says a lot!
As far as the mic goes, all seems standard, had plenty of phones calls using the headphone and haven’t had any complaints about the sounds. It’s not a world leading mic but it gets the job done. Pair that with the volume rockers on the headphones and handsfree calls are a breeze with this headphones.
As you would expect, I haven’t had a earbud fall out yet! This is obvious due to their over the ear design, but worth saying that with all the activities I have used them for, yet to have any issues. They feel locked and secure in the ear. Which lets you focus on the sport or activity at hand.
Are they better than AirPods?
So the biggest question I hear you ask is are they better than the AirPods? Well, Yes and No! Price wise? Go with the AirPods. Planning to workout, running or physical activities? Then go Beats. Let us go into more detail.
For me, as mentioned above. The fact that you can change volume on the headphone is a huge things. I haven’t used Siri to control music, and never plan to so having a volume button on both headphones is a huge selling point for me. When using these for sports like running or cycling. Having a volume buttons is a massive advantage.
One area that I would say the AirPods are better is if you are looking for a pair of wireless earbuds for general use, your daily commute or to use at your work desk. Low activity use. The reason for this is that due to the case being smaller they are easier to pull out your pocket, pop in and away you go. Saying that you can use either for any job.
Personally, if you are are a sporty person that does lot of running or lifting or any kind of fitness, then I would highly recommend looking into the Powerbeats Pro headphones. Thanks to the Volume adjustment and the buttons, pair those with the fact that they are water resistant and you have the perfect workout headphones.
Conclusion
Overall i do enjoy these headphones, and I am glad I bought them. Do I think they are expensive? Of course, do I think they are worth the price tag? Kind of. If you are going to be using these everyday, and getting the most out of them, then yeah the price tag is justified. However, if you are just a casual listener then I think a cheaper set would be more suited to you.
So that is out Powerbeats Pro Review, hope you got some information about them. We have tried to cover everything in this Powerbeats Pro Review but I am sure there is some things that we have missed. If you own a pari of these headphones, what do you think about them? Let us know over on our Instagram, or email us here. We would love to hear your opinions about them.
Written by Kieran Blacker
Kieran is the CEO and Founder of Sets & Reps. He decided to make an application that helped people get a gym workout when not at the gym. He designed, Coded and built the application himself.