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Airpods or Beats X or PowerBeats 3?
- Thread starter MrXiro
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Already own airpods, been pondering the beatsx as travel headphones and finally grabbed a pair today.
My verdict?
BeatsX sound better if you DONT equalise your music. If you do, the AirPods more or less match them in sound quality, minus the sound isolation.
After spending hours trying both one after the other, I saw no worthwhile benefit of spending another £130 to have beatsx as well as my airpods.
If anything, it highlights how well rounded the airpods sound actually is. It was an educational experience if nothing else.
As a side note, the AirPods have spoiled me. Using wired Bluetooth headphones with buttons again after having airpods since December felt like a massive step backwards.
My verdict?
BeatsX sound better if you DONT equalise your music. If you do, the AirPods more or less match them in sound quality, minus the sound isolation.
After spending hours trying both one after the other, I saw no worthwhile benefit of spending another £130 to have beatsx as well as my airpods.
If anything, it highlights how well rounded the airpods sound actually is. It was an educational experience if nothing else.
As a side note, the AirPods have spoiled me. Using wired Bluetooth headphones with buttons again after having airpods since December felt like a massive step backwards.
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I have all three. I posted in the other thread the following:
I just got the beats X, and knowing that I didn't like in ear headphones I wanted to give them a shot anyways. My immediate impression is that the AirPods are way better and more convenient. The long wire is annoying and they don't feel comfortable at all.
Powerbeats 3 sound the best but I like the AirPods the best. I am returning the Beats X asap.
Edit: Beats X looks more ridiculous than AirPods too
I just got the beats X, and knowing that I didn't like in ear headphones I wanted to give them a shot anyways. My immediate impression is that the AirPods are way better and more convenient. The long wire is annoying and they don't feel comfortable at all.
Powerbeats 3 sound the best but I like the AirPods the best. I am returning the Beats X asap.
Edit: Beats X looks more ridiculous than AirPods too
In terms of usability, I find the beatsX to be very fiddly. No matter which buds you use, there's still a level of twisting and turning to get them to seal right in the ear, else they sound like garbage. This isn't a problem I ever had with urBeats or PowerBeats2. The AirPods however, sit right where they're supposed to everytime. I always have the bass booster EQ on anyway, and when using this in a quiet place I saw very little difference in sound quality between beatsx and airpods. The beatsX have wicked isolation and AirPods have none which is the biggest detractor, but I'm not sure isolation alone is worth £130, considering you can grab a barely used pair of Solo3 for £150 from eBay or CEX.
I wanted to love the beatsx, I love the way they look and feel, but the minimal sound difference and fiddly fit are a damn shame.
After much deliberation I ordered the PowerBeats 3 on Friday and received them this morning.
Have to say the first couple of hours with them has been great; it's nice to have some wireless headphones with the volume turned down!
The set up process was insanely fast and these are the first Bluetooth headphones I've had where audio quality is absolutely fine; I've used cheaper products in the past and whilst they suited my needs at the time they weren't great for listening to music for long periods of time.
Have to say the first couple of hours with them has been great; it's nice to have some wireless headphones with the volume turned down!
The set up process was insanely fast and these are the first Bluetooth headphones I've had where audio quality is absolutely fine; I've used cheaper products in the past and whilst they suited my needs at the time they weren't great for listening to music for long periods of time.
I have the PB3 and I listen to mine for 3 hour plus training runs with zero problems.
I am one of those people who can't stand the Apple standard earphones. For me, the earphones will not stay in my ear if I move at all. One earphone flops out or hangs uncomfortably, which makes the Airpods a non starter for me.
On the other hand a long time ago I did have Diddy Beats/Ur Beats the precursor to BeatsX and loved them. For me the seal was excellent, and gave the illusion of that thumping bass. So for me the BeatsX were a no brainer. The sound is a little more evolved over the Diddys ( remember that guy?
and he was enough to rate his own beats brand before Gaga ) and I think they look a little less conspicuous than the Airpods. Also as mentioned I feel more comfortable with a cord, so I don't worry about the rare earphone slipping out. The cord took me all of 5 minutes to get used, and the magnets holding the two earphones is stronger than the Taotronics ( which I enjoyed until I got my BeatsX ) I got from Amazon.
Also, no matter which headphones, the W1 chip is so nice.
On the other hand a long time ago I did have Diddy Beats/Ur Beats the precursor to BeatsX and loved them. For me the seal was excellent, and gave the illusion of that thumping bass. So for me the BeatsX were a no brainer. The sound is a little more evolved over the Diddys ( remember that guy?
and he was enough to rate his own beats brand before Gaga ) and I think they look a little less conspicuous than the Airpods. Also as mentioned I feel more comfortable with a cord, so I don't worry about the rare earphone slipping out. The cord took me all of 5 minutes to get used, and the magnets holding the two earphones is stronger than the Taotronics ( which I enjoyed until I got my BeatsX ) I got from Amazon.Also, no matter which headphones, the W1 chip is so nice.
I haven't tested the Solo 3's, but the Beats-X have excellent sound. And I own the AirPods for comparison. And I've been pleasantly surprised by how the Beats-X have do really impress me with clarity and overall with treble/base.
I have both AirPods & BeatsX, and I use the AirPods for normal occasions and the BeatsX when I want to enjoy the music & when I go to the gym.
The Solo3 really impressed me as well since I wasn't expecting much, but I'm trying to make sure the BeatsX have that fun sound I love from the Solo3. Really punchy bass and clear mids. I think the treble on the BeatX may be too much for me but considering trying it.
Good to know. I might have to test those out. Thanks for the input.
They update when connected to your iPhone.
I have been using my AirPods for months and can't use any other now. They have been with me for probably 50+ runs at the gym and they have been soaked in sweat. Still work fine and have never fallen out. I can't understand how people can keep using wired headphones at them gym, it's 2017! Every day I see someone on the treadmill snagging their wire and see the phone drop or even better hitting the band and shooting in the wall behind them. But I guess a new display now and then is cheaper then any wireless headset.
It's not like you need quality sound when working out, even china crap 39$ Bluetooth would be good.. I got the Solo 3 in October but rarely use them. They are more something I use for short walks since they get so warm on my ears.
I think that's a bit like comparing apples to oranges. They aren't the same type of headphone, so there is an inherent difference in sound quality that doesn't necessarily mean one is better than the other.
Since the Solo3 is an on-ear, there is a sensation of lesser bass compared to the X. Whether that's better or worse, that's for you to find out because of personal preference.
I'm coming from Jaybird X2 and am absolutely ecstatic with the BeatsX. Sound quality is excellent. Fit is super secure. The cord is perfect once I realized they aren't too long if you cross them to the opposite ear. When I do it this way the fit is best and an "X" gets formed by the wire below my chin (in front of my Adam's apple). When I saw that I wondered if that's why they're called BeatsX. The AirPods are a non starter for me because they look weird IMHO. The PowerBeats weren't an option either as they aren't comfortable over my ear when I'm wearing glasses.
I also went from the X2's and these simply blow them away, I hated my X2's.
I have Solo3, BeatsX and PowerBeats 2. No AirPods yet due to availability issues.
My rating:
Solo3: 4/5
PowerBeats2: 3/5
BeatsX: 2/5
Solo3 sound about as good as closed-back on-ear headphones will ever sound (open-back like the Sennheiser HD series would put them to shame, but sadly no decent open-back BT headphones exist, due to all these tone-deaf troglodytes demanding the ultimate in isolation, as if that were a mark of quality). They're very comfortable and the battery lasts forever. Build quality, fit and finish = AOK.
PowerBeats2 (same as PB3 minus the W1 chip) are great for people like me who hate all the shortcomings of in-ear rubber buds (the general underwater vacuum-y suction feeling is unpleasant, the slightest friction against the cable is amplified into a deafening noise, so is chewing gum, you can practically hear your heartbeat). The earpiece design holds the buds in place and isolates them from any outside forces (except heavy headwind, which gets pretty noisy), so they are the perfect workout headphones. The one bummer is that the hook that goes over the ear doesn't go well with glasses.
BeatsX = meh. They sound very good under the right conditions, but those conditions include positioning the buds perfectly and then remaining absolutely still. In spite of being wireless, they pick up an extreme amount of contact noise. Turn your head and they'll rumble like not-so-distant thunder. Everything about them is awkward and fiddly, and reception is poorer than on PB2 and Solo3 - with those two I can move around my entire apartment while leaving the source device in its dock or wherever, but the BeatsX will suffer dropouts at surprisingly little distance.
BeatsX look good in PR lifestyle photos taken from the side, but in reality the cable is way too long and stiff. I'm 6'4" with a large-ish head, but BeatsX are still way oversized for me. I think they would probably reach from ear to ear on Jabba the Hutt. They look like freaky orthodontic headgear. So in case you're considering BeatsX because you think AirPods look like some silly mini-tampons, be aware that BeatsX might not have the advantage you think they have.
My rating:
Solo3: 4/5
PowerBeats2: 3/5
BeatsX: 2/5
Solo3 sound about as good as closed-back on-ear headphones will ever sound (open-back like the Sennheiser HD series would put them to shame, but sadly no decent open-back BT headphones exist, due to all these tone-deaf troglodytes demanding the ultimate in isolation, as if that were a mark of quality). They're very comfortable and the battery lasts forever. Build quality, fit and finish = AOK.
PowerBeats2 (same as PB3 minus the W1 chip) are great for people like me who hate all the shortcomings of in-ear rubber buds (the general underwater vacuum-y suction feeling is unpleasant, the slightest friction against the cable is amplified into a deafening noise, so is chewing gum, you can practically hear your heartbeat). The earpiece design holds the buds in place and isolates them from any outside forces (except heavy headwind, which gets pretty noisy), so they are the perfect workout headphones. The one bummer is that the hook that goes over the ear doesn't go well with glasses.
BeatsX = meh. They sound very good under the right conditions, but those conditions include positioning the buds perfectly and then remaining absolutely still. In spite of being wireless, they pick up an extreme amount of contact noise. Turn your head and they'll rumble like not-so-distant thunder. Everything about them is awkward and fiddly, and reception is poorer than on PB2 and Solo3 - with those two I can move around my entire apartment while leaving the source device in its dock or wherever, but the BeatsX will suffer dropouts at surprisingly little distance.
BeatsX look good in PR lifestyle photos taken from the side, but in reality the cable is way too long and stiff. I'm 6'4" with a large-ish head, but BeatsX are still way oversized for me. I think they would probably reach from ear to ear on Jabba the Hutt. They look like freaky orthodontic headgear. So in case you're considering BeatsX because you think AirPods look like some silly mini-tampons, be aware that BeatsX might not have the advantage you think they have.
You're right, under the right conditions BeatsX are really good for music. I haven't tried all the buds included and I'm sticking with the default one for now, but sometimes they don't fit perfectly and music quality goes downhill.
Connection seems good, but I don't have other W1 chip bluetooth headphones to compare.
I can hear contact noise sometime, but is not a big deal.
My use case is making calls, often outdoors, and listen to podcast or news while commuting on the subway so noise isolation is really important to me.
I bought BeatsX because I wanted the isolation AirPods cannot provide. The cable is quite long, but I find it really convenient to keep the buds bound together to form a necklace. They're always there, when I need to make a phone call it is super fast to put them on my ears.
I see. For your particular use case (spoken material) I can see the benefits of isolation, though not for music. From a pure listening standpoint, it sucks. I've been working with music and audio professionally for 30 years, and I only use closed-back headphones when I absolutely have to, i.e. when recording. The isolation exists to keep sound from leaking OUT of your headphones into the vocal/instrument mic, not to keep sound from leaking IN. For listening and mixing, you go with open-back like Sennheiser HD. For the sound quality and the comfort, but also to avoid fatigue; closed-back headphones get warm and sticky, but more importantly the bass has nowhere to escape so it uses your eardrums as punching bags. It's a cheap way to feign deep bass, but the hidden cost is considerable.
From a practical standpoint, the isolation makes even less sense, unless one is a lumberjack, construction worker or demolition expert. Why else would I want industrial grade sound isolation while listening to music? So that I'll be guaranteed to miss the doorbell and the phone, or kids screaming "dad the cat is on fire"? So that I'll jump 3 feet in the air when someone sneaks up behind me? So that I'll miss public announcements, car horns, sirens, bike bells or just people trying to alert me to the falling grand piano above my head? I don't know, to me it seems related to the same general antisocial mentality that gave us stuff like texting while driving. The other day on the sidewalk there was a guy some 20 ft ahead of me, walking his dog, and I could see that he was wearing Sennheiser Momentum (over-ear w/ active noise cancellation). He stopped to let the dog do its business, I walked past him and he did a triple take like I was a flock of stampeding rhinos. Uh, yeah dude, this just in, urban areas found to be populated! OMG! What's the next big trend, stumbling around aimlessly on the highway with VR glasses on?
I agree that the necklace solution with the magnets is really good, and BeatsX were a bargain because of the 3 months free Apple Music included (I was a subscriber anyway, but now I don't have to pay until June), but after I get AirPods I won't be using them much. I find myself constantly taking one of the buds out to get a handle on stuff around me. I found the wired EarPods to be the perfect compromise between transparency and OKish sound. I still hear what's going on around me. Since the AirPods are essentially wireless versions of that, they should be perfect.
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