My prior set of headphones were the Beats X which worked great. I purchased the Powerbeats two weeks ago. FYI, most Apple locations are out of them. But, you may find them in stock at Best Buy. In the Washington DC area 10 Apple locations were out of stock. Six Best Buy locations had 1-4 in stock.
Overall, I'm impressed and I am fairly particular about headsets. I prefer small, simple and easy to use. Mine are for business calls, streaming video, etc.
PROS
- A few people mentioned poor sound quality. I have not experienced this. Make sure the current cup is selected for your ear. These have excellent sound quality for me. Turned up half way I couldn't hear anyone in the room speaking. Turned up to max volume my ear hurt and there is plenty of base. I don't use these for music so it's not a big deal for me. I just need good volume to hear phone calls.
- They stay in the ear. I did 100 jumping jacks and these did not move. The ear loop is adjustable and they stay in place.
- They are very light. As many mentioned these are light to the point where you don't recall having them on.
- They easily stay charged for 6-8 hours. I have yet to use them non-stop for eight hours, but I have used them for about 5-6 hours and they were fine. Also, the case charges the headphones so that's a serious plus. I've used them each day for a week and the only charging I've done is with the case. The case has yet to be charged.
- They look slim on you. Minimalist and clean.
- I love the buttons. There are three and it's all you need. Siri also works like a charm.
CONS
- The price point is high in my opinion. At $250 these need to last a while.
- The case is large. You cannot place these in your pocket, however if the battery lasts 6-8 hours you don't really need the case unless you plan on taking them on/off regularly. The case is best stored in a bag/home/office. However, I assume the case is larger due to the ear warp and the larger battery to change the headset for a week (as they stated).
CONCLUSION
- If you can afford it, try these out. You can always return them. But, there's several similar in the $150-$200 price point.