Airpods or Beats X or PowerBeats 3?

[duffman9000]

A little background: the PB3s are my first Beats products. I got them as a pair of workout and running headphones to replace my dead Jaybird X2s. Have been listening to the PB3s for a week now, and I'm sorry to report that they simply don't cut it for me.

- They stick out of the ears quite a lot and consequently gather a lot of wind noise when used outdoors
- Isolation is poor - I can't hear the voices clearly when listening to podcasts in the gym as the background music drowns them out
- As a result of (1) and (2), I find myself constantly dialling up the volume, and I don't want to damage my hearing by listening at high volumes
- Audio cuts off intermittently when playing .mkv files on my Mac
- The audio quality is simply poor at the asking price - my experience with headphones is quite varied, I've tried and owned products of various price categories (~$20 MEElectronics | ~$100 VSONIC GR07BE, Jaybird X2 | ~$200 Fischer DBA02, AKG 7XX | ~$1000 JH13, Campfire Audio Andromeda), and to my ears, these sound like $20-50 headphones. The bass is bloated, leaks into the midrange. There is very limited definition across all frequencies, with poor detail retrieval. Midrange is recessed, with poor vocal depiction. There is no PRaT (pace, rhythm and time) to these headphones - speed and articulation of the notes are poor. I didn't quite bother getting into soundstage analysis, because the tonality and frequency response are alarmingly and attention-grabbingly bad. I understand that audio quality might not be of top priority while using these for workouts, but the value proposition from a sound quality point of view is ridiculously poor. In comparison, the X2s, a product of a similar form factor, have much better sound for the buck.

There are a few redeeming features, but I don't feel these are essential upgrades over the competition, and overall, I don't think the PB3s are worth the money.

+ W1 pairing was great, but I don't switch between devices as often as I thought I would
+ Battery life is great, but I don't mind anything from 8 hours
+ Fit is comfortable, build quality is respectable

At this point, I'm going to return the PB3s. For home wireless headphones use I just ordered the Sony MDR 1000X at a discounted rate here in Australia. For the gym I got the Westone MMCX bluetooth cable and am currently on the lookout for a decently performing pair of MMCX IEMs to go with it (Shure SE215, iBasso IT03, Westones W10).

I have a pair of Plantronics Beatback Fit. Not the best sound, but the microphone is downright crap. I got a great deal, much lower than the current price despite buying about a year ago. If the microphone were improved I would buy another set.

I have a Sony MDR 1000X. I also received a good deal. Not perfect, but it's near the top in every category in its price segment. The Beats don't compete in any area except the BT pairing and reception distance.

>> - They stick out of the ears quite a lot and consequently gather a lot of wind noise when used outdoors

That is worrisome. I've never had this happen on the Beatback Fits.

 

[MrXiro]

>> - They stick out of the ears quite a lot and consequently gather a lot of wind noise when used outdoors

That is worrisome. I've never had this happen on the Beatback Fits.

It's cause the PBs are built to NOT be in ear so you can hear outside noise. But thus wind gets in and interferes. Also build quality is questionable on the PB line. I've read many horror reviews of them failing after a few months of use.

Against my better judgement I've picked up the Solo 3s for $220 ($240 after tax) from Amazon and now I'm loving them. I think I'm going to sell off my older headphones to make up the extra cost of these. They're literally the best bluetooth headphone I've ever owned. Great range, looks awesome, sounds "good enough" for my needs. I need to look into getting rid of a white pair of ATH-m50x, black ATH-m40x, Solo 2 wired Stone color and possibly Sony a great pair of Sony XB950bt headhones that were my go to bluetooth headphones. But with the amazing range of the Solo 3s I find myself never touching the Sony ones anymore.

 

[duffman9000]

It's cause the PBs are built to NOT be in ear so you can hear outside noise. But thus wind gets in and interferes. Also build quality is questionable on the PB line. I've read many horror reviews of them failing after a few months of use.

Against my better judgement I've picked up the Solo 3s for $220 ($240 after tax) from Amazon and now I'm loving them. I think I'm going to sell off my older headphones to make up the extra cost of these. They're literally the best bluetooth headphone I've ever owned. Great range, looks awesome, sounds "good enough" for my needs. I need to look into getting rid of a white pair of ATH-m50x, black ATH-m40x, Solo 2 wired Stone color and possibly Sony a great pair of Sony XB950bt headhones that were my go to bluetooth headphones. But with the amazing range of the Solo 3s I find myself never touching the Sony ones anymore.

That's great that the Solo 3 worked out for you. I can't really evaluate the sound on headsets unless it's really bad or there is too much bass lol. Sound had to take a distant second compared to comfort and comfort is subjective. I don't know why it's so difficult getting the right squeeze in headphones. The Bose, I don't know what their secret is, but those felt perfect. So light and so gentle around the ears. If the Solos felt like the Bose my choice would have been much tougher.

 

[MrXiro]

That's great that the Solo 3 worked out for you. I can't really evaluate the sound on headsets unless it's really bad or there is too much bass lol. Sound had to take a distant second compared to comfort and comfort is subjective. I don't know why it's so difficult getting the right squeeze in headphones. The Bose, I don't know what their secret is, but those felt perfect. So light and so gentle around the ears. If the Solos felt like the Bose my choice would have been much tougher.

On Ears in general have a tight squeeze IMO. Over the Ear is the only time I can wear headphones without feeling the pinch. I wore the Solo 3 for 2 hours the other day and I got some pinching... but I think if you extend the headphones more the pressure of the clamping is reduced.

 

[LouisLoh]

I have a pair of Plantronics Beatback Fit. Not the best sound, but the microphone is downright crap. I got a great deal, much lower than the current price despite buying about a year ago. If the microphone were improved I would buy another set.

I have a Sony MDR 1000X. I also received a good deal. Not perfect, but it's near the top in every category in its price segment. The Beats don't compete in any area except the BT pairing and reception distance.

>> - They stick out of the ears quite a lot and consequently gather a lot of wind noise when used outdoors

That is worrisome. I've never had this happen on the Beatback Fits.

That's good to hear about the MDR 1000X. Can't wait for them to arrive.

The PB3's are back on the shelf of an Apple store awaiting their next sucker.

 

[ascender]

I think initial reactions to the powerbeats 3 have just served to remind me just how personal headphones are. Some of the reviews and comments I've read make me think I'm reading about a totally different pair of headphones.

So far I've been very pleased with them and there's a few subtle differences from the 2s which have improved them. If they are more resilient than the 2s, which I think they might be as the remote seems to have been overhauled, then they're onto a winner.

 

[bhoven]

Tell us how the new one is!
[doublepost=1478902477][/doublepost]

New pair of Powerbeats3 had the same audio issues as before, but it turns out the issue was with the tips. I followed the advice of the CNET reviewer and bought some Comply tips and now they sound great.

 

[Mr.C]

Which version of the Comply tips did you buy ?

 

[MrXiro]

Which version of the Comply tips did you buy ?

T-400 IS THE SIZE

 

[Mr.C]

T-400 IS THE SIZE

Thanks.

 

[clunkmess]

At this point, i'm so impatient that i'm getting which ever one releases first: AirPods or BeatsX.

 

[boston04and07]

Last week I got a pair of Solo 3's and am absolutely loving all the improvements the W1 brings. The method of connecting/switching between devices and battery life is truly awesome, and the range is just nuts. I can leave my phone or iPad in one room and walk all over the place with no interruptions or cut outs. Before with my Solo 2's I couldn't walk more than twenty feet away from my device or put a wall in between without issues, so I'm really loving the whole W1 chip thing. I even walked out of my house (forgetting I was wearing my headphones), shutting the front door behind me, and walked about 80 feet down the driveway to check the mail and had no interruptions. Very cool. Only complaint I can think about them is that they don't use Lightning to charge...hopefully next time they'll add that.

So, if the W1 chip is as nice on any of the smaller headphones as it is on the Solo's, I'll definitely be picking up a pair. I think any of them would complement the Solos nicely for when I'm out and about and don't feel like carrying the larger headphones with me. But now that I've seen all the niceties that the W1 can bring, I just can't go back, so I guess I'll be getting the Airpods or Beats X whenever they come out.

Anyway, I'd like to see the W1 stuff come to devices other than headphones. I'd love to see this kind of range, pairing and battery life improvement in the Pill Plus speaker. I'd even love the ease of switching to come to Apple's Bluetooth keyboard so I can switch it back and forth between my Mac and iPads more easily.

 

[MrXiro]

Last week I got a pair of Solo 3's and am absolutely loving all the improvements the W1 brings. The method of connecting/switching between devices and battery life is truly awesome, and the range is just nuts. I can leave my phone or iPad in one room and walk all over the place with no interruptions or cut outs. Before with my Solo 2's I couldn't walk more than twenty feet away from my device or put a wall in between without issues, so I'm really loving the whole W1 chip thing. I even walked out of my house (forgetting I was wearing my headphones), shutting the front door behind me, and walked about 80 feet down the driveway to check the mail and had no interruptions. Very cool. Only complaint I can think about them is that they don't use Lightning to charge...hopefully next time they'll add that.

So, if the W1 chip is as nice on any of the smaller headphones as it is on the Solo's, I'll definitely be picking up a pair. I think any of them would complement the Solos nicely for when I'm out and about and don't feel like carrying the larger headphones with me. But now that I've seen all the niceties that the W1 can bring, I just can't go back, so I guess I'll be getting the Airpods or Beats X whenever they come out.

Anyway, I'd like to see the W1 stuff come to devices other than headphones. I'd love to see this kind of range, pairing and battery life improvement in the Pill Plus speaker. I'd even love the ease of switching to come to Apple's Bluetooth keyboard so I can switch it back and forth between my Mac and iPads more easily.

I did the same thing... I know I said I wasn't going to get the Solo3s but I got impatient waiting and wanted to test out the W1. The Solo3s are literally my new favorite headphones. The range is incredible and I've only charged my headphones once since I opened them as an initial charge to make sure they were full off the bat. It's actually been nearly 2 weeks and I'm still at 30% power... these are awesome in range and battery life. I'm still looking at the Airpods because I want the truly wireless experience. But I'm having a hard time letting go of the Solo3s now for sure!

 

[Korican100]

Well I dont know if this is bad news or not, but B&H photo just updated their entire website for Black Friday, and they pulled the date for Beats X from 'Expected availability: December 16th' to 'Expected availability: Not available'.

Ugh.....WHY APPLE WHY

 

[tevion]

Had my PowerBeats 3 for a couple of days now, not really used them till today - as was waiting for my Comply 400 Isolation tips to come.

I personally think they're fantastic. The bass is excellent, I found them so good I actually gifted my Bose QuietComfort 20i to somebody at work (previously given them by somebody else, so pay it forward etc). Just can't see me using them when the PowerBeats 3 sound great and are wireless. That's a pretty big statement tbh, as I loved my Bose noise cancelling earbuds.

The only issue I had today.... left headphones on my desk, went into meeting room around 40+ meters away. Went to try and ring somebody, realised after not being able to hear them that my phone was still paired to the headphones. The distance (and through walls) is great.

I will say one negative... When trying them first day, I wasn't as impressed. Then when I got the Comply Isolation tips it changed all that. You really need good memory foam style tips to get the best out of them.

This is the first Beats product I've ever owned, historically avoided them due to the stigma attached. I'm pretty picky with sound, especially when it comes to home audio (Love my KEF 5.1 and Yamaha AV Receiver). Glad I took the plunge.

 

[MrXiro]

Well I dont know if this is bad news or not, but B&H photo just updated their entire website for Black Friday, and they pulled the date for Beats X from 'Expected availability: December 16th' to 'Expected availability: Not available'.

Ugh.....WHY APPLE WHY

I would call that bad news.

 

[DGGoingUphill]

Any glasses wearers using the Beats 3? I'm thinking those hooks would not be great with glasses.

 

[Mr.C]

Any glasses wearers using the Beats 3? I'm thinking those hooks would not be great with glasses.

I would be interested to know this too.

 

[comptr]

Well I am out I can't wait any longer I am passing on the Beats X and I am just ordered the Power Beats 3 since Verizon.com is selling them for 149.99, 50.00 off. The sale makes it the same price as the Beats X and Power Beats 3 has the W1 chip too. I wear glasses so I will let you know how they fit once I get them.

 

[boston04and07]

Any glasses wearers using the Beats 3? I'm thinking those hooks would not be great with glasses.

I would be interested to know this too.

*raises hand*

I'm a full time glasses wearer and at first, wearing any on-ear headphones was very uncomfortable for me. (Over ears were and still are pretty much impossible for me). However, after a while I figured out that if I adjust the earpieces to sit slightly low on my ears, I can lift the ear hooks so that they're sitting slightly higher than normal and above the earpiece. Basically the ear hooks for my glasses sit just at the top of the earpiece, if that makes sense.

That has actually been super comfortable for me. I figured this out before I got my first set of Beats and for me this method still works fine. My glasses don't look any different since it's only the ear hooks that are adjusted ever so slightly.

I'm person who frequently gets headaches and migraines, and can't wear certain headphones because the pressure can be a trigger for me, but my Beats have never given me a problem, which is nice. I do stretch them out on the box from time to time to ensure they stay as loose fitting as possible though. Headphone comfort is such a subjective thing though, and everyone's needs are so different, that personally I find that I need to test drive new headphones for a week or two before I really know if they'll work for me.

 

[AppleRobert]

My second go round with the Solo 3. Why do they fit and sound even better since the price was reduced?

 

[imaginex20]

I ordered the PowerBeats 3 today from Verizon 25% off. I already have the Powerbeats 2 but wanted the W1 wireless chip. I will still order the AirPods once they're available.

 

[andy.ringwood]

I'm really hoping AirPods are released this week. Or at least early December. It's been Thanksgiving week in the US so that's why the news has been scarce.

 

[JNGold]

So just for context, here's my current owner list: PowerBeats 2, Solo 2 wireless, Bose QC30's (new daily driver), Bose QC35's (for flights/travel), and Jaybird X2's (former daily drivers).

The Airpods for myself is a promise of future state and not a product I would purchase in its current state. Aside from the average to above average sound quality, the lack of in-line controls for Volume and track/scrubbing navigation make them a non-starter. I do have an Apple Watch but don't feel that is a viable solution for the aforementioned controls, especially during winter months with jackets and coats making it a PIA to access the watch quick enough to be convenient.

I am really happy with the QC's from Bose as they offer killer noise cancellation (active), good quality, and very good BT reliability and ease of connection. They connect to multiple devices at once (if available).

If Apple adds the additional controls via the stems of the Airpods either a multiple tap, swipe, or some other combo of gesture, then I would consider them as a future purchase. Until then, I'll keep an eye on how they progress.

 

[duffman9000]

So just for context, here's my current owner list: PowerBeats 2, Solo 2 wireless, Bose QC30's (new daily driver), Bose QC35's (for flights/travel), and Jaybird X2's (former daily drivers).

The Airpods for myself is a promise of future state and not a product I would purchase in its current state. Aside from the average to above average sound quality, the lack of in-line controls for Volume and track/scrubbing navigation make them a non-starter. I do have an Apple Watch but don't feel that is a viable solution for the aforementioned controls, especially during winter months with jackets and coats making it a PIA to access the watch quick enough to be convenient.

I am really happy with the QC's from Bose as they offer killer noise cancellation (active), good quality, and very good BT reliability and ease of connection. They connect to multiple devices at once (if available).

If Apple adds the additional controls via the stems of the Airpods either a multiple tap, swipe, or some other combo of gesture, then I would consider them as a future purchase. Until then, I'll keep an eye on how they progress.

I'm going with a PowerBeats3 (when on sale at $150 again, not worth $200) and a Sony MDR 1000X. The PB3 while I'm active. The Sony's for all other times. I do like the QC35, but being able to quickly turn off NC on the Sony's is just a really nice feature.

Everything you said about the QC35 is true. For me, they are still the most comfortable.