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Airpods or Beats X or PowerBeats 3?
- Thread starter MrXiro
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twinlight
macrumors 6502a
I picked up the Solo 3 in silver. They are ok but nothing more. Will probably be to warm for gym workouts and fall off my head when running. Can't understand why Apple are releasing a bunch of different headphones with USB when it's color match the iPhone and the W1 chip is mostly for iPhone users.
I thought the headphones had controls for music but its just one button. Sure I can push it multipel times but would rather have separate buttons for ff, rwd..
Also I thought now with the AirPods coming I could use Siri for control of playback. But most commands gets me 'I can't do that on the Watch'. I can't adjust volume or change track.
I thought the headphones had controls for music but its just one button. Sure I can push it multipel times but would rather have separate buttons for ff, rwd..
Also I thought now with the AirPods coming I could use Siri for control of playback. But most commands gets me 'I can't do that on the Watch'. I can't adjust volume or change track.
jbachandouris
macrumors 603
The last time I checked, neither Geek Squad nor AppleCare were available for any Beats products. That may have changed, but it hasn't even been 6 months since I looked into this.
I bought a pair of wired Solo 2 from Best Buy. The said they do not offer Geek Squad warranty on Beats, so talk to Apple. Apple told me they do not sell AppleCare on Beats even if bought from them.
Ask before you buy.
I was referring to the Airpods.
Though looking at Best Buy's Website for the Beats X at the very bottom where it says "PROTECTION AND SERVICES" they are offering a 2 year Replacement Plan for $19.99. Not sure if it will still be there when they actually sell the headphones but it's there currently. They are also available for the PowerBeats Wireless 3 but NOT for the PBW 2s.
They also offer a $8.99 replacement plan for the Lightning Earpods which they are selling for $29.99
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jbachandouris
macrumors 603
That's good. I feel a whole lot better buying a pair that can be protected. Let's hope they stay that way.
Rangers94
macrumors 6502
Not having volume control on the Air Pods mean they are not a choice for me. It's ridiculous that you can't control volume from headphones. I don't want to have to reach into my pocket to raise/lower volume or have to use Siri (which sucks). I'll wait for 2nd gen at least. Plus they look ridiculous.
I'll be getting power beats3. I like how they fit snug around ear and they have 12 hour batttery life. Just wish you were able to charge them with lightning but I guess you can't have it all.
I'll be getting power beats3. I like how they fit snug around ear and they have 12 hour batttery life. Just wish you were able to charge them with lightning but I guess you can't have it all.
You could always buy them with an Amex card (also some Visas) which doubles your manufacturers warranty and they cover any repairs after the first year up to the $ you spent on the device along with theft on the device for the first 90 days. I was able to get a replaced iPhone 5s 2 days after the warranty expired with my Amex. They reimbursed me 100% of the replacement fee that Apple charged me.
boston04and07
macrumors 68000
It is an odd inconsistency, isn't it, with some Beats products using micro USB still (Powerbeats, Solos) and some using Lightning (Beats X, Pill Plus). I guess that they might not have wanted to redesign the outer casing for the Solos and Powerbeats, which pre existed the acquisition by Apple I believe unlike the Beats X and Pill Plus, but still, this is Apple. They usually like details like this to be uniform and it's not like switching from micro USB to Lightning would have changed the outer casings all that much.
I agree on the VOL thing. But I have an Apple Watch so I can control the VOL there. I just love the idea of clear sounding untethered headphones. I have 2 pairs of truly wireless headphones... one of them sounds like butt (They're ok for Podcasts though) and the other cuts out if I want to move 5 inches in any direction.
I have a few pairs of knock off PowerBeats and I actually enjoyed them more than the actual PowerBeats Wireless 2 I bought and returned.
I need something I can work out with, therefore probably going to PowerBeats3 route. I know they are a bit overpriced and durability is questionable, but it would drive me a bit bonkers not to have something with the w1 chip to pair with my 7. I am admittedly OCD and it would bother me every time I connected the earphones. If they break and Apple won't honor the warranty, AMEX is pretty good about cleaning up stuff like that.
I couldn't find an updated release date for the PowerBeats 3. Does anyone have an idea when they will be available?
I couldn't find an updated release date for the PowerBeats 3. Does anyone have an idea when they will be available?
AustinIllini
macrumors G5
Unless the W1 provides some battery improvement, the W1 itself is not a critical update. It just means my Solo3 is on all my devices. I still have to manually go pick it, however. Bluetooth PowerBeats2 should work.
W1 is significant battery improvements from what I gather. The Solo2 Wireless is 12 hours per charge while the Solo3 is 40. Powerbeats2 are something like 6-8 while Powerbeats3 is advertised at 12 hours.
Based on those numbers, I would guess without a W1, the Airpods would only get about 2 hours and the Beats X would get about 4 per charge.
AustinIllini
macrumors G5
Point taken. I have been using the crap out of these Solo3's and I'm at like 92% battery.
They haven't announced it yet. But I have a feeling Beats X, PB3 and Airpods will drop around the same time in late Oct.
I went for the Earskinz, thanks for the recommendation. They are on the way arriving tomorrow. The EarPods are not bad considering they are a throw in with the iPhone but the fit just irked the heck out of me.
I got the Beats Solo 3 wireless from Apple. They are awesome. I have the Powerbeats 2, pretty good but really noise isolation is nonexistent. They have music in my gym on fairly loud so the PBs are worthless there. Not bad at home with no background noise.
I will probably try the BeatsX and Airpods as well. So long as stuff is returnable there is no risk.
Kilo-9
macrumors regular
I am considering the Powerbeats 3 for running. I am wondering if anyone has any input on waiting for the PB3's or jumping on the current PB2's as they can be had for a good price since their replacement looms on the horizon. Is it worth it to wait for the 3's at $199 or go with the lesser cost 2's now? Thanks...
My Earskinz rec was from a different post right? But yeah, I just got a pair last week and I love them. I actually really like using the Earpods now. I just hope that they fit the Airpods in the charging case... I have a feeling that they might not and we will have to remove them every time... or Earskinz could redesign it so they can still fit the Airpod charger/case. I'm getting the vibe that the Airpods are slightly larger than the Earpods and that is why it is fitting better in ears.
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SQ-wise they'll be the same. You'll get roughly 4 more hours of medium Vol level use out of the PB3. But unless you have multiple Apple Devices and switch around a lot like I do (I walk with my iPhone but do elliptical with my iPad) the PB2s would work just fine. They have refurbed ones at Best Buy for $90 right now... I almost jumped on them but I think I've got my heart set on the Airpods or the Beats X currently and I'm just gonna save my pennies until they come out.
Kilo-9
macrumors regular
Thanks for the input. I'm not a regular user of headphones...these would only be used for running and only with my iPhone. If there is no SQ difference or any other advantage of the PB3's for a basic user like me, I can't justify the additional money.
AustinIllini
macrumors G5
And honestly, the PB2 gets like 4-5 hours, which is WAY more than the average workout.
Get the PB2 at BB, return them if you don't like them or wait to buy them when the new ones come out so you could compare. I got the former on sale, pretty much a steal if you ask me.
Is it only 4-5? I thought it was advertised for 6-8. But I forget and I'm too lazy to look. My PB2 knock offs get 6 hours or so.
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If you don't care about "no name brands" These PB2 Knock offs are a better bang for your buck IMO. I have these and another pair that are practically the same that look more like the Beats ones and I switch off when one set runs out of power. But they are rated for 6-8 hours and I get about 3-4 days of work outs before I get low battery warning. My workouts are usually 1.5 hours long.
These are the other knock off ones I use.
What I like about these that are better than PB2 is that they have better sound isolation for the gym use. The PB2s hang loose on purpose so you can hear the outside world... these (both pairs) go into your canal a bit and block out outside noise.
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AustinIllini
macrumors G5
Yeah, it company line is 6 hours. Not sure if I can corroborate as I never pay attention to use like I pay attention to my iPhone
If Amazon reviews can be trusted, the PB 2 do not have all that high of ratings. Something like 4 out of 5 stars something like that. Maybe a tad less. They are currently $139.00 at Best Buy.
I've tried using Siri on the phone to raise the volume and change the track with no issues.... I guess the Watch's Siri interface isn't as good as the phone's. With the watch I just like to use the "Now Playing" screen and control everything.
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Here's what I've heard about them. They have a high failure rate and the SQ is just OK. From my memory (I owned them for a week) I recall them being very loud and pretty bass-y. They don't jam all the way into your ears so there is less isolation of audio. At the time I bought them for something like $150 and they weren't worth it to me.
I highly recommend the Status Audio BT-S for 34 bucks on Amazon. They sound pretty good (nothing amazing and they are bass heavy) and are cheap.