Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Airpods or Beats X or PowerBeats 3?

Which are you considering: Airpods or Beats X or PowerBeats 3?

  • Total voters
    592
pojo1806 said:
I'm trying to decide between BeatsX and Jaybird X2 so out of your choices I would say BeatsX.
Click to expand...
I had the Jaybird X2. Returned them to Amazon. I was having pairing troubles, and I reset them and everything, charged them. Now they won't turn on. Eeek. I plan on getting the Beats X when they come out, because they charge with lightning, have Fast Fuel, pretty good sound (from what I've heard), and most of all: the W1 chip. If you have an iPhone, these look very promising.
 
I have a Beats studio one and it has a very ****** quality for 300 dollars. Unfortunately, I love the look of PowerBeats and I want to get it for the gym. It is too bad the new black/red color does not look as good as the 2nd version. I am debating whether I should get a white or a black pair for PowerBeats3.

Does the white one get dirty easily?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kanders78
darthbane2k said:
Airpods.

Apple won't allow the Beats X to market before the Airpods.
Click to expand...

With the PowerBeats 3 being available to order all of a sudden (whenever that was) are we thinking that'll be the same with the AirPods, that they'll suddenly be available to order? I really want a pair!!
 
I picked up the PowerBeats3 and they're pretty good...

Well much better than my awful (but cheap) Soundpeats QY7. They always skipped while biking and were awful.

https://www.cnet.com/products/beatsx-earphones/preview/

This says the BeatsX are sweat resistant so I might actually return the PB3 and wait for these. I picked up some Comply tips for these PB3s, and the fit's still not too great. If I turn my head all the way, the right headphone falls out of my ear. I hate having such...awkward ears :|
 
  • Like
Reactions: clunkmess
jev425 said:
Biggest reason I would like the beats x is that it uses a lightning port to charge. So for me that is convenient considering I can charge them anywhere I already charge my iPhone(home, car,work)with cables I already have set in place.
Click to expand...
I can see the lightning port being a huge advantage for buds with low battery life (i.e. 4-10 hours). Being able to use my phone charger to charge my headphones would be nice.

For something like the Solo3, I feel like it's not a big deal as they last so long.
 
O.K. I've changed my mind in a sense, I originally decided on the AirPods but at this point, I have decide to get whatever is released first. So if the AirPods are released first, I'll get those but if the BeatsX are released first, I'll get those. I like the fact that they both have lightning charging capability on both and they're both technically made by Apple so I'll just get whichever one comes out first. A part of me was so close to either getting JayBird Freedoms or JayBird X3's but then I told myself to wait for Apple to release their headphones.
 
Won't the AirPods be the same as the ear pods currently given with the iPhone just bluetooth? In other words, same audio quality?
 
After the initial review of BeatsX, now I want one. I was going to get PB3 in a couple weeks when I drive down to Portland. It is about 180 bucks with my employee discount and no tax. Now, if BeatsX comes out then, I might wait and see. So many things to consider... I just want something for the gym that works fine. I am afraid BeatsX cord will be too long for running, but I really like the new design, plus the lightening port. Oh well. I wish I were richer I would buy them all! I will just keep using my Beats Studio (wire) for now.
 
I am waiting for the Beats X, apple earphones could never stay in my ear so I'm going to have to pass on the air pods, I also don't like their design.

Side note, I have grown to hate "in ear" earphones so I don't have high hopes for the Beats X, my favorite for the last couple of years has been Bose, unfortunately their wireless versions seem bulky.
 
I received my Powerbeats 3, but the sound is just terrible. Way too much bass and the overall sound is quite muddled.

I'm going to return the Beats give the Jaybird X3s a whirl.
 
Vengeful said:
I am waiting for the Beats X, apple earphones could never stay in my ear so I'm going to have to pass on the air pods, I also don't like their design.

Side note, I have grown to hate "in ear" earphones so I don't have high hopes for the Beats X, my favorite for the last couple of years has been Bose, unfortunately their wireless versions seem bulky.
Click to expand...
they say the reason apple airpods fall out ears is because the wires tugging at the earpod. People have cut off the cord to see what it feels like with wireless earpods and stated it is very difficult for the pod to come out of the ear.
 
I'm tempted to buy one at a time, try them first. Then keep which everyone I like the best. I liked the urBeats so I'm thinking it's likely to be the BeatsX.
 
I returned the Powerbeats3 and ordered a new pair. After reading a relatively positive review on CNET I figured it's possible I received a bad pair. I really loved the ease of pairing, range and battery life of the 3s.

kevroc said:
Any follow up observations on this point? Curious to know as I haven't had the previous ones so not quite sure what to expect with regards to sound quality.
Click to expand...
 
  • Like
Reactions: MrXiro
MrXiro said:
Tell us how the new one is!
[doublepost=1478902477][/doublepost]

Do we know that for sure?
Click to expand...

An early review said better, but sound like BT. But "better" doesn't say much.

In my original post I sad no, using this from the review:
The oddest thing about the AirPods isn’t how they look; it’s that Apple’s evidently not all that concerned with how they sound. Your $159 doesn’t buy you any better audio than you’ll get from the EarPods that come free in the box with your iPhone.
Click to expand...
 
Initial thoughts on the PowerBeats3. Sound quality seems identical to the 2's which isn't a surprise. I like the mix and don't find them too bass-heavy - I can't remember the last pair of Beats I tried which did exhibit this characteristic, but it still seems to the be the first thing mentioned in a lot of reviews.

The new seamless pairing worked first time which never happened with the Solo's I tried. The remote/mic box feels different to the one on the 2's, so I'm hoping its been changed to make it more reliable as I suspect it was the weak-link on the 2's and was responsible for a lot of the failed units.

The handsfree ability seems improved over the 2's in terms of quality of the mic according to those on the other end of the calls I've used them on. And battery life is obviously much improved thanks to the W1 chip.

I guess the real test will be how they stand up to use as this was where I've had 2's fail in the past.

As to sound quality of EarPods, I still think part of the problem with the EarPods is fit - they just don't fit my ears and as a result sound really bad, but if I press the EarPods in to my ears a bit, they do sound more than decent and something I'd be happy to use every day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AustinIllini
ascender said:
As to sound quality of EarPods, I still think part of the problem with the EarPods is fit - they just don't fit my ears and as a result sound really bad, but if I press the EarPods in to my ears a bit, they do sound more than decent and something I'd be happy to use every day.
Click to expand...
There isn't a fit on EarPods that sounds good.
 
  • Like
Reactions: duffman9000
I'm still interested in the powebeats 3. These will be my active headset while my Sony's serve as my headsets for everything else.

I went to a local Apple Store and there were no display units and I don't want to buy a set to only return it later if the ear tips don't fit well. I'm looking for a looser fit. Does anyone know if smaller tips are included?

Why am I looking for a loose fit? I've owned in-ear pods before and when I get a tight fit I can hear sound transmitted from the cables when anything rubs against the cables. I have a set of Plantronics that work perfectly in this regard (except the poor microphone and sound).
 
Yes, there's a few different sizes/tips included with the headphones. I've used the 2's for a lot of running and haven't been bothered by a rubbing noise, but to be fair I don't think that's really an issue with Bluetooth headphones as the cord round the back of the neck is short and tends not to bounce around like traditional wired headphones. Certainly whenever I switch back to a pair of wired ones the noise from the cables rubbing is very noticeable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 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).
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: duffman9000, AustinIllini and MrXiro
LouisLoh said:
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).
Click to expand...

Thank you for the review... I tried the PB2 a while back and wasn't impressed and then I heard how often they failed and I didn't want to risk it. $200 is not a throw away set of headphones.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back