Wanted to create a thread where Powerbeats Pro owners can share their thoughts. I'm just going to try to add things you won't necessarily see in the professional reviews. You can read countless professional reviews online or watch them on YouTube. I should add that I've been using the Powerbeats3's for 16 months before receiving the Pro's.
I'll start by saying you do not need the charging case during the day. I wasn't clear how the pairing/repairing process would work without the case. But in my testing so far, you can wake the Pro's simply by putting them in your ear after a period of inactivity. Meaning you can put the Pro's in any case/pouch of your choosing, and then pop them in your ears for them to work. This solves the issue of how to carry them around in your front pocket. Just buy any pouch/case on Amazon that you like and you are good to go. I personally am using this pouch and it works great for me. Very slim profile and super easy to carry in my front pocket when desired. Now, David Carnoy at CNET did make the obvious point during his initial hands-on video that Apple should have included a cheap carrying pouch with the Pro's in the box. But yes, the charging case should not stop anyone from getting the Pro's.
Speaking of the charging case, it's even bigger than I thought. The issue is the thickness. It's essentially the size of a standard post-it note, but it's a thick boy. Reminds me of a square hockey puck. Definitely not pocketable in most pockets unless they are quite large and even then it will probably stick out. It's really just meant for a bag. Also it's a bit slippery. There are no grooves to grip aside from the 'B' logo on the top. It's very smooth otherwise and I wish Apple had designed it to be easier to grip. It could easily slip out of your hand if you aren't careful.
I haven't tested the single charge battery life claim of 9 hours. So far every professional review has stated that it does indeed last 9 hours in their testing, and sometimes longer. So realistically you can easily go out with these in your front pocket with zero worries. I imagine that anyone that needs them for more than 9 hours is probably going to have a bag with them. (Travel, work, etc.)
They are noticeably smaller than the Powerbeats3's.
I have always used the default medium silicone tips that came already placed on the Powerbeats3's. With the Pro's, I found the default medium tips to be leaking in more ambient noise than I had with the PB3's. I then tried the tips that are smaller and more narrow (not the small tips, but rather the different shaped ones (cones) that appear to go deeper into your ears). These just leaked in even more sound. So then I tried the largest tips that come with the Pro's and these ended up solving my issues. They created the seal I'm after and I feel the sound quality is best with these tips. Comparing the same size tips of both the PB3's and Pro's, they are indeed different. The hole of the PB3's tip is larger compared to the Pro's. Not sure why Apple made this change.
As for sound quality, I'm really happy. Most reviews state this is a step up from the PB3's in that regard. I can't really tell what is specifically different, but I'm super happy with the sound quality. Certainly not a step back in any way from the PB3's, which I think sound great.
A real shame there is no wireless charging here. Not a huge deal with 24 hours total battery life but really feels like such an obvious feature to include at this point.
Side buttons are easy to locate due to the textured feel of the 'B' logo. You don't need to press the side buttons hard, but regardless I still find this to be an awkward sensation. I find that placing my thumb on the bottom of the earbud, and my middle finger on the top, and then using my index finger to push the button, alleviates the awkwardness as you displace the pressure of your finger pushing into the side of your earbud. The volume rockers found on both buds are terrific.
The side buttons are very sensitive. Sometimes adjusting the bud during my workout will inadvertently pause my music or podcast. I tried to put one earbud in my pocket post-cardio at the gym as I made my way to the lockers and my podcast kept pausing. If you want to move around while using one earbud you're gonna need to keep the other one in the charging case, in a pouch/case not in your pocket, or on a table. Otherwise they will be triggered in your pocket as you move.
I really like the black color. Makes the headphones disappear. The white model would be nice in that people would know you have headphones on. But I'm not a fan of the 'B' logo displayed prominently on all the non-black models.
Price-wise these should probably be $199.
Overall I'm thrilled with the Pro's. The glowing written reviews are on-point IMO.
I'll start by saying you do not need the charging case during the day. I wasn't clear how the pairing/repairing process would work without the case. But in my testing so far, you can wake the Pro's simply by putting them in your ear after a period of inactivity. Meaning you can put the Pro's in any case/pouch of your choosing, and then pop them in your ears for them to work. This solves the issue of how to carry them around in your front pocket. Just buy any pouch/case on Amazon that you like and you are good to go. I personally am using this pouch and it works great for me. Very slim profile and super easy to carry in my front pocket when desired. Now, David Carnoy at CNET did make the obvious point during his initial hands-on video that Apple should have included a cheap carrying pouch with the Pro's in the box. But yes, the charging case should not stop anyone from getting the Pro's.
Speaking of the charging case, it's even bigger than I thought. The issue is the thickness. It's essentially the size of a standard post-it note, but it's a thick boy. Reminds me of a square hockey puck. Definitely not pocketable in most pockets unless they are quite large and even then it will probably stick out. It's really just meant for a bag. Also it's a bit slippery. There are no grooves to grip aside from the 'B' logo on the top. It's very smooth otherwise and I wish Apple had designed it to be easier to grip. It could easily slip out of your hand if you aren't careful.
I haven't tested the single charge battery life claim of 9 hours. So far every professional review has stated that it does indeed last 9 hours in their testing, and sometimes longer. So realistically you can easily go out with these in your front pocket with zero worries. I imagine that anyone that needs them for more than 9 hours is probably going to have a bag with them. (Travel, work, etc.)
They are noticeably smaller than the Powerbeats3's.
I have always used the default medium silicone tips that came already placed on the Powerbeats3's. With the Pro's, I found the default medium tips to be leaking in more ambient noise than I had with the PB3's. I then tried the tips that are smaller and more narrow (not the small tips, but rather the different shaped ones (cones) that appear to go deeper into your ears). These just leaked in even more sound. So then I tried the largest tips that come with the Pro's and these ended up solving my issues. They created the seal I'm after and I feel the sound quality is best with these tips. Comparing the same size tips of both the PB3's and Pro's, they are indeed different. The hole of the PB3's tip is larger compared to the Pro's. Not sure why Apple made this change.
As for sound quality, I'm really happy. Most reviews state this is a step up from the PB3's in that regard. I can't really tell what is specifically different, but I'm super happy with the sound quality. Certainly not a step back in any way from the PB3's, which I think sound great.
A real shame there is no wireless charging here. Not a huge deal with 24 hours total battery life but really feels like such an obvious feature to include at this point.
Side buttons are easy to locate due to the textured feel of the 'B' logo. You don't need to press the side buttons hard, but regardless I still find this to be an awkward sensation. I find that placing my thumb on the bottom of the earbud, and my middle finger on the top, and then using my index finger to push the button, alleviates the awkwardness as you displace the pressure of your finger pushing into the side of your earbud. The volume rockers found on both buds are terrific.
The side buttons are very sensitive. Sometimes adjusting the bud during my workout will inadvertently pause my music or podcast. I tried to put one earbud in my pocket post-cardio at the gym as I made my way to the lockers and my podcast kept pausing. If you want to move around while using one earbud you're gonna need to keep the other one in the charging case, in a pouch/case not in your pocket, or on a table. Otherwise they will be triggered in your pocket as you move.
I really like the black color. Makes the headphones disappear. The white model would be nice in that people would know you have headphones on. But I'm not a fan of the 'B' logo displayed prominently on all the non-black models.
Price-wise these should probably be $199.
Overall I'm thrilled with the Pro's. The glowing written reviews are on-point IMO.
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