Powerbeats Review: Verdict
If you’re looking for a great workout headphone, with superior sound quality, 15 hour battery life, and don’t mind the feeling of a cord behind your head, then save $130 and opt for the Powerbeats over the Powerbeats Pro.
What we love
- Great battery
- Incredible sound quality
- Withstands big workouts
- The neck strap (really!)
What could be improved
- The charging cord is tiny
- No wireless charging
- Carry bag is cheap AF
90/100
$219.95
I write this in the midst of social isolation, governed by the powers that be to retreat to our homes while the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the globe. For now, we’re compelled to distance ourselves, facing fines and infection if we socialise with more than one other person at a time. With the state of the world pushing us all further apart, there’s solace in the fact that your headphones are still connected.
Powerbeats are the more affordable, and less techy version of the Powerbeats Pro. Both boast excellent sound quality, long battery life, a sporty design, water and sweat resistance, and the Apple H1 chip which makes pairing with iOS devices a breeze. The main difference is glaringly obvious, the neck strap.
The Neck Strap
Corded, wireless headphones - what an oxymoron. There’s no doubt that the strap deters from the otherwise sleek Beats design, and makes them look kind of cheap. And they are cheap, for Beats at least - coming in at $219.95, the cord makes these headphones around $130 less than their truly wireless counterparts. The question is whether a cable is worth an extra $130 in your pocket?
With each stride, the gentle caress of the cord on my neck reminds me to savour this time. What may have come off as annoying a couple of months ago, is now an homage to the freedoms of a heaving summer heat.
The cord that connects my Powerbeats together is a connection to the outdoors. The cord that may have felt like a noose around my neck in Summer, is now a lifeline back to a normalcy.
Remember when we had the luxury of choosing to stay inside? When the feeling of your hair tickling the top of your shoulders in the heat was something to avoid?
Not now. Not today.
Even if we weren’t in the midst of government mandated isolation, the cable wouldn’t bother me much. Frankly, I quite like it. It means that I can droop the headphones around my neck, or listen in just one ear, and in general don’t have to worry about losing one. If one of these go, then so does the other, which offers some semblance of comfort.
Audio Quality
Couple the phenomenal sound quality with the well fitted ear pieces, and you can all but block out distractions. Powerbeat audio has the same clarity and balance as Powerbeats Pro, with low harmonic distortion, and dynamic range. Whether you’re drowning out the noise, or the silence, the sound quality is well above plenty of other wireless headphones.
Nestled snugly in my ears, the earpiece won’t be distancing itself anytime soon. My feet pad the pavement, where once I darted and dodged runners, now there is only clean, crisp playback in my ears, and the pounding in my chest. Any other time the noise cancellation would be preferable, if not necessary to drown out the monotony of chatter from groups of mums, or dogs yelping at their owners to hurry up. Now when I stop to catch my breath, and pull an ear piece out, the silence stuns.
A Workout Headphone
Powerbeats Pro were hailed as an "AirPods Killer", which means it’s not absurd to compare the corded model to original AirPods (as opposed to the AirPods Pro). While AirPods seems like a great workout headphone, realistically they’re just not made to withstand the kind of elements exercise throws at them. Sweat makes them slippery, and less responsive, while the Powerbeats not only stand up to the challenge, but run at it head on.
By this corner, my AirPods are usually slipping, finding it hard to grip under the sweat, preferring not to skip the song as I double tap my left ear. No problem for the IPX4 water-resistance of the Powerbeats, the ergonomic ear piece stays firm, the satisfying click of the playback controls prompting a newly energised tune to radiate through my body.
Charging and Battery Life
The wireless, wired headphones also require a wired charger - but luckily not for too long. The fast charge gives you 1 hour of playback in just 5 minutes, charging the headphones to its full 15 hours playback in 1 hour and 15 minutes.
I had to work hard to get the Beats to run out of battery, two days of using them for Zoom meetings, music and exercise eventually wore them down, but realistically I had ample time to give them a top up if I needed to. Although, after getting used the AirPods convenient charging carry case, actually plugging these headphones in was an adjustment.
An adjustment made more frustrating by the fact that the included charging cable is no longer than 20cm. It is perfectly fine attached to my laptop, and could be subbed for any Apple Lightning connector, but it is a pain point none the less.
Connectivity and Siri
The benefit of the Apple H1 chip is that pairing the Powerbeats with an iPhone, or with any iOS device is essentially instant. I received the Beats the day after they launched in Australia, and even then, when pairing them with my iPhone.
A three second hold of a button was all it took, and I was paired with my phone and with Siri. They popped up on my home screen, spinning in all their glory. Even connecting to Android handsets is easy, which is a pleasant surprise for an accessory made by Apple. While I didn't get the same reverence from pairing the Beats with my OPPO, a quick slide into settings connected them and so they have stayed.
While the headphones themselves filter out some external noise thanks to the in-ear design, the dual beam-forming microphones do the same, enhancing call quality and voice pick up while using Siri. Calls came in crystal clear, while skipping songs, and sending texts were as smooth as using Siri directly from my phone. So you know, not perfect but it works.
I round the final corner, and then I see my friend. The one person outside of my household I am allowed to see right now, provided that we are outside and exercising. I pull one headphone out, it dangles, resting gently against my collarbone. Ready to come back into the fray if we get questioned about why we’re outside. We keep our distance, and while we chat it feels nice knowing that this connection won't cost me a $1,000 fine, and the connection behind my head means I won’t lose my headphones either.
Powerbeats - Is a neck strap worth $130?
If you're tossing up between the $219.95 Powerbeats with the strap, or the wire-free $349.95 Powerbeats Pro, then you can easily save yourself $130 without compromising on quality. The wired-yet-wireless Powerbeats are an incredible set of headphones. Pairing, connectivity, sound quality, and battery life are all outstanding, and apart from a short charging cable, I can't fault them - they outdo my usual AirPods in every way, shape and form.
If you're in the market for an amazing workout headphone, that can double as your everyday set then this is the one to beat. Sure wireless charging, a longer charging cord, and even a nicer carry case would be lovely, but at the end of the day those are not what really matters in headphones. Who needs a nice carry case, when you can dangle them around your neck?
Powerbeats vs. Powerbeats Pro
The Powerbeats and Powerbeats Pro are both impressive headphones, but if you're tossing up between the two, here are the key specs.
| Powerbeats | Powerbeats Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | Single Charge: Up to 15 hours Fast Fuel: 5 minute charge gives 1 hour playback |
Single Charge: Up to 9 hours Charging Case: Over 24 hours Fast Fuel: 5 minute charge gives 1.5 hours playback |
| On-ear Control | Yes | Yes |
| Connectivity | Apple H1 Chip Class 1 Wireless Bluetooth |
Apple H1 Chip Class 1 Wireless Bluetooth |
| Hands-free Siri | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $219.95 | $349.95 |
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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