Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Post Your Powerbeats Pro Review
- Thread starter blairh
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Amazing.
PROS: I can actually hear what I’m listening to without the interference of traffic, subways, or all other external noise. The bass is sweet. Having volume buttons—who knew how convenient that would be! They also stay in my ears despite the slightest movement, but especially while running.
CONS: The treble is a bit “tinny” as others say, but not disturbingly so. There’s a slight noticeable weight to them, unlike the Airpods that are nearly “invisible” to notice weight-wise.
CONCLUSION: Who wants to buy my AirPods?
PROS: I can actually hear what I’m listening to without the interference of traffic, subways, or all other external noise. The bass is sweet. Having volume buttons—who knew how convenient that would be! They also stay in my ears despite the slightest movement, but especially while running.
CONS: The treble is a bit “tinny” as others say, but not disturbingly so. There’s a slight noticeable weight to them, unlike the Airpods that are nearly “invisible” to notice weight-wise.
CONCLUSION: Who wants to buy my AirPods?
Just received my pair. I agree with others. On all powerbeats I’ve been a medium tip user. Used the comply foam tips isolation 400 on the powerbeats 3 loved them. However on the powerbeats pro the large silicone tip works amazing seals great bass sounds good and volume louder.
I tried using the same comply tips on the pros but they sounded horrible lots of leak. Comply definitely has to redesign them for the pros. I’m going to stick with the large silicone tips. It was kind of annoying having to squeeze the comply tips stick them in the ear then wait for them to expand. Now I can just drop them in and good to go!
I tried using the same comply tips on the pros but they sounded horrible lots of leak. Comply definitely has to redesign them for the pros. I’m going to stick with the large silicone tips. It was kind of annoying having to squeeze the comply tips stick them in the ear then wait for them to expand. Now I can just drop them in and good to go!
I see a lot of the reviewers saying that picking the right ear tip is very important. I see references to medium and large. Can someone clarify what which tips you mean? I feel kinda stupid on this one, as 2 of the sets look identical to me. I have the following.
1 set came on the PBPs. It is a single seal. To me this looks the largest.
3 sets came in a round container. All 3 of these are double seals.
- 1 is clearly small.
- The other 2 sets in this container are bigger than the previous small set, but I can't tell a difference them.
Is it possible that I did get 2 medium (double seal) sets, and no large? Or are 2 of the double sets, close in size?
1 set came on the PBPs. It is a single seal. To me this looks the largest.
3 sets came in a round container. All 3 of these are double seals.
- 1 is clearly small.
- The other 2 sets in this container are bigger than the previous small set, but I can't tell a difference them.
Is it possible that I did get 2 medium (double seal) sets, and no large? Or are 2 of the double sets, close in size?
Oddly enough no one has mentioned the need to adjust the flexible ear bar/retainer which sits behind your ear. This is key to getting a good seal as it adds to the geometry of how the audio tip alines with your ear canal
Last edited:
The ones that come on the Pro's are the medium size. In the box you should find small and large of the same shape, and a set that looks like a cone.
At first I was having connection issues with mine. They would lose connection and I'd have to re-pair, time and time again. Now, it seems as if they are even better than my first-gen AirPods. Soon as I take them out the case they connect and I haven't even put them in my ears yet! That H1 chip is something special. I've taken suggestions from this thread and used the large tips and I like it. Bass is nice and deep. I do have a concern about carrying them without the case because the sensor wont allow them to be idle so the battery will run down whether you wear them or not. I only use my AirPods at home with my Mac now because the PB Pro seem to have an issue staying connected(probably too many BT connections). I got these because black is a more low key color and the battery life is a major factor as well. No doubt about watching movies with one earbud in at work. The case isn't too big for me and I have made adjustments to how & when I take it with me so complaining about it is not necessary. Plus I knew this before I purchased them and planned accordingly. These are a win for me.
Yesterday I removed them from the charging case at 8:30 am. Fully charged. I placed them in a pouch and brought them to the gym. Used them for two hours. Kept them in the pouch the rest of the day. Used them again for an hour last night. At 10:30 pm when I placed them back in the charging case they were at 22%.
(As a side note, I don't plan on using the pouch unless I need to go somewhere and don't want to bring the case, which will be pretty rare for me. Usually I have no issues bringing a little bag with me everywhere. There were some hiccups yesterday with the BT connection in my car alongside the Pro's in my pouch. Also at one point last night music randomly started playing on the Pro's in my front pocket. I suspect because I was walking around and it randomly woke up the Pro's. Also phone calls would default to the Pro's in my pocket, so I'd have to switch the source each time before a conversation. Things like that can be really annoying over time. So my impression is that the pouch route won't be as seamless as say AirPods.)
Review: Best gym headphones, improved sound over Airpods & my JayBirds.
Cons: Ears start to hurt after a bit.
Case size doesn't matter- leave it in your gym bag and put them in when you're done.
Cons: Ears start to hurt after a bit.
Case size doesn't matter- leave it in your gym bag and put them in when you're done.
Accurate short review. The PowerBeat Pro is indeed the best earphones ever released by Apple, above AirPods for exercise/gym activities. AirPods has a risk of falling from your ear while you wiping your sweats on your face and around your ears after exercising. Standing calf machine shoulder pads also risk your AirPods falling from your ear. Overall, Powerbeats Pro is the best Apple exercise earphones. The price is worth it and justifies the new AirPod H1 feature-connecting seamless with blue tooth capable apple devices, water/sweat resistance/proof, secure ear handle and excellent sound quality. Love this above my AirPods.
My Powerbeats Pro were delivered yesterday. Very soon the left earbud stopped working and performing a reset did not bring it back to life. Needless to say, I returned the Powerbeats Pro today. I am not going to get a replacement. The sound quality was good but not good enough to compensate for the relative difficulty in putting them on, and removing them from, the ears. The Powerbeats Pro are better suited for fitness activities than daily use. While I continue to wait for Apple to release the Airpods in black, I ordered the Jabra Elite 65t. Yes, the case of the Jabra Elite 65t does not allow for wireless charging and has a micro-USB rather than a Lightning connector; they do not charge as quickly; and do not allow for easy switching between Apple devices, but they come in black; are half the price of the Powerbeats Pro, and several reviewers have found the sound and call quality of the Jabra Elite 65t to be good.
i dont want to regurgitate what everyone else is saying about the PBP. My only gripe about them is that they need be a little louder.
which jaybird if you dont mind me asking. coming from the tarah pro i think those sounded better than the PBP
which jaybird if you dont mind me asking. coming from the tarah pro i think those sounded better than the PBP
Thanks for the feedback. I went to the Apple Store and they looked at the tips I got in the package, and the tips they use for demos. My set was definitely different. They gave me a new set of their demo tips, so I have full set of tips now.
Like many others, the Large single cone, for me, is a good fit that makes a decent seal without being uncomfortable.
first 20 minutes review:
- case isnt as big as i was expecting based on reviews. its fine.
- my go-tos are beatsx and these do sound better, i can hear specifics better and the “soundstage” feels wider than those. also sound louder but not by much. enough for me though.
the bad:
- i cant get a good seal with any of the provided tips but i moved my beatsx comply tips over and they work ok. not perfect though, i can see myself trying forever to find the tips with the perfect seal because without seal that the bass is too soft. if i cant nail it down it might be a dealbreaker
- adjusting the fit turns the music off accidentally. ill figure that out though
- case isnt as big as i was expecting based on reviews. its fine.
- my go-tos are beatsx and these do sound better, i can hear specifics better and the “soundstage” feels wider than those. also sound louder but not by much. enough for me though.
the bad:
- i cant get a good seal with any of the provided tips but i moved my beatsx comply tips over and they work ok. not perfect though, i can see myself trying forever to find the tips with the perfect seal because without seal that the bass is too soft. if i cant nail it down it might be a dealbreaker
- adjusting the fit turns the music off accidentally. ill figure that out though
I tried the demo pair at the store and they didn't have the PBP tips, so they substituted the one for PB3. Sound quality very tiny. I suspect the tips I used have everything to do with this. I will try to demo again with the correct tips.
This whole 'choose the right tip' thing has me confused as I have used various types of in ear headphones throughout the years and have never had the other sets sound 'bad,' they were just loose. I can use the 'wrong' tip on other in ear headphones and they still sound decent. That seems not to be the case with the PBP.
This whole 'choose the right tip' thing has me confused as I have used various types of in ear headphones throughout the years and have never had the other sets sound 'bad,' they were just loose. I can use the 'wrong' tip on other in ear headphones and they still sound decent. That seems not to be the case with the PBP.
Overall, I like them. Largely I did not have high expectations from sound quality standpoint, since being Bluetooth and not super expensive. Technology wise it’s astonishing and very comfortable. I find them more comfortable then my Bose Soundsport Free, so it’s a win especially in the working out department and listening to music. I found the Bose to be alright, but it had horrible method for keeping the buds locked into your ears while sweating. Overall, I suspect I might use these more often then my AirPods due to comfort.
Returned them for three main reasons:
1 - the audio signature is fatiguing. Too much treble
2 - they drain battery at all times. In my ears, sitting unused on a table, or in their case. They’re constantly draining the battery. No it’s not an issue with just mine. They all do it.
3 - the price is just stupid. I get better audio from my 19 dollar Anker Bluetooth earbuds.
1 - the audio signature is fatiguing. Too much treble
2 - they drain battery at all times. In my ears, sitting unused on a table, or in their case. They’re constantly draining the battery. No it’s not an issue with just mine. They all do it.
3 - the price is just stupid. I get better audio from my 19 dollar Anker Bluetooth earbuds.
I agree about the treble comment too. I couldn't take it after doing many many comparisons with my Backbeat Fit 3100 with many different songs and interchanging all the tips and even trying some Comply tips.
I'm just so glad I made the cutoff to return them, literally the last day I was eligible for a return I believe
I'm just so glad I made the cutoff to return them, literally the last day I was eligible for a return I believe