Disappointed in PowerBeats Pro

[Superfuture48]

Seems like people are misunderstanding sound quality vs sound signature. I've owned wired IEMs in the past like Shure, Etymotics and UE. I've had to switch to wireless earbuds when I purchased the X and XS Plus.

The sound quality of both are in the same ballpark, neither differentiates enough to conclusively say one is superior to the other. I prefer the sound signature of the Airpods as I find it's a bit more balanced (though not as accurate and flat which I prefer). I find the sound signature of the PBPro to be heavily sculpted towards the low end (which is the signature of Beats). I do find my complaints of low volume probably can be attributed to the signature because the base muddles and overwhelms the brightness of the highs and clarity of the mids. It does however still have poor passive sound isolation as I've tried Complys and silicone triple flanged tips which I normally use on expensive IEMs and it only slightly improved.

I'm on the fence with the PBPros. On a positive note, nothing beats the simplicity of use due to the chip, physical controls and of course the industry leading battery life.

 

[gadgetfreak98]

I got mine on Friday. Impressive design, but overall, I’m a bit disappointed. Following are my concerns:

• As others have noted, the volume is just too low at the max — not that I want to listen at that level regularly, but if I’m on a subway platform, for instance, basically very little can be heard
• I have tried both Comply tips and the included silicon. Surprisingly, the large silicon seem slightly better for me. But either way, isolation isn’t great. Might be that it’s hard for me to see the ear tips fully in my canals
• The sound is a bit tinny for my taste, but this just may be because I’m not getting a great fit? It gets a bit better when I hold them pressed into my ears, but that’s impractical
• The part where the “B” logo is can press up against cartilage in my ear, creating discomfort rather swiftly
• On my run today into the wind, they did little to drown out the wind noise
• Hey Siri seems harder to trigger than the Airpods 2 I tried (but don’t fit me)
• The case — ah that case — is just enormous

I did use them on a run today and they were certainly secure. Everything seems well-constructed. But overall, I’m not sure I’m not just better off sticking with my tried and true Jabra Elite Active 65ts.

In comparing the two for me, the Jabras are equally secure (with the Comply tips I use), isolate more noise, are more comfortable and more weatherproof, at least by rating (and I have run for hours in pouring rain in them). Plus the case is certainly more compact. Not quite AirPod compact, but not too far off.

Conversely, they lack some of the tech and connectivity wizardry that the PBP’s boast. But then again, once connected, I think that becomes less important.

I hope others enjoy their PBPs greatly. I will try them for another few days, but I think I may save myself the money and stick with what has worked well for me with the Jabras.

 

[pinkoos]

I'm having similar issues with these - tinny and very little bass

I've tried all the included ear tips and did A/B comparisons with my Plantronics Backbeat Fit 3100 true wireless headphones and, in terms of sound quality, the PBP just don't stack up against the 3100, surprisingly

Yes, the PBP trumps anything else in terms of ease of connectivity with all things Apple (the 3100 actually sucks in this department), but, for sound, and for me, the PBP is severely lacking

It is truly a bummer for me as I was hoping Apple would release true wireless headphones that are not AirPods since they don't stay in my ears

I'll keep on giving these a chance for the next few days, but it's not looking like I want to drop $250 for something that doesn't suit my listening profile

 

[torana355]

Hahahah, are you serious? Beats are absolutely not known for their audio quality. There is not one beats in ear headphone that sounds better than AirPods.

Errr what!!! The Beats X sound better than Airpods it's not even a contest.
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Don't try and tell me that its not possible for AirPods to have better sound than in-ear phones because you don't know what the hell you're talking about.

Now maybe trying the other tips will work for me and give me better sound, but please stop with what you think are audio qualities of good headphones.

Well to a certain degree they are right, Earbuds are not used in ANY high end headphones, you either have IEM or Overear headphones. Earbuds that just sit on the outside of the ear are generally only used in very cheap and nasty headphones. They have ZERO noise isolation which make them useless for any critical listening in a studio or otherwise.

 

[Donnation]

Errr what!!! The Beats X sound better than Airpods it's not even a contest.
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Well to a certain degree they are right, Earbuds are not used in ANY high end headphones, you either have IEM or Overear headphones. Earbuds that just sit on the outside of the ear are generally only used in very cheap and nasty headphones. They have ZERO noise isolation which make them useless for any critical listening in a studio or otherwise.

Of course its a contest. Don't tell me what sounds better to my ears friend. To me it isn't close and the Airpods sound better than both Beats X and the PowerBeats 3, but not better than the PowerBeats 2.

I'm not talking about doing critical listening in a studio, and you aren't going to be doing that with PowerBeats Pro's either, so your comment is completely pointless.

 

[torana355]

Of course its a contest. Don't tell me what sounds better to my ears friend. To me it isn't close and the Airpods sound better than both Beats X and the PowerBeats 3, but not better than the PowerBeats 2.

I'm not talking about doing critical listening in a studio, and you aren't going to be doing that with PowerBeats Pro's either, so your comment is completely pointless.

I'm sorry but you obviously have little idea on this subject. Enjoy your day.

 

[jbachandouris]

I own PowerBeats 3 and I have owned the AirPods. The AirPods never fit me very well.

I'm disappointed to her that the PBP don't sound very well. At $250 they need to at least sound 'as good as' the others.

I also own the Bose SureSports. My 51 year old ears can't really say that any of them sound better than the other.

I also own over the ear Beats headphones. They sound good enough for me.

 

[soulreaver99]

I'm having similar issues with these - tinny and very little bass

I've tried all the included ear tips and did A/B comparisons with my Plantronics Backbeat Fit 3100 true wireless headphones and, in terms of sound quality, the PBP just don't stack up against the 3100, surprisingly

Yes, the PBP trumps anything else in terms of ease of connectivity with all things Apple (the 3100 actually sucks in this department), but, for sound, and for me, the PBP is severely lacking

It is truly a bummer for me as I was hoping Apple would release true wireless headphones that are not AirPods since they don't stay in my ears

I'll keep on giving these a chance for the next few days, but it's not looking like I want to drop $250 for something that doesn't suit my listening profile

My experience is a little different from yours when it comes to sound quality and bass. I was going to say try different eartips but you've already tried that. I noticed that if they don't fit and are positioned correctly in your ears, they sound like a pair of cheap headphones. But when seated right, they are pretty awesome. Everyone's got different ears so most likely these aren't made for you. Maybe try a different pair as a last resort?

 

[HelloMikee]

For those saying the sound isn’t good, are you using Spotify? I’ve noticed that under the “playback” settings, having the equalizer on and the “enable audio normalization” on really degrades audio quality on some devices. Turn those off and your speakers or ear/headphones can sometimes sound exponentially better, shockingly better actually.

 

[pinkoos]

For those saying the sound isn’t good, are you using Spotify? I’ve noticed that under the “playback” settings, having the equalizer on and the “enable audio normalization” on really degrades audio quality on some devices. Turn those off and your speakers or ear/headphones can sometimes sound exponentially better, shockingly better actually.

I'm using Apple Music
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My experience is a little different from yours when it comes to sound quality and bass. I was going to say try different eartips but you've already tried that. I noticed that if they don't fit and are positioned correctly in your ears, they sound like a pair of cheap headphones. But when seated right, they are pretty awesome. Everyone's got different ears so most likely these aren't made for you. Maybe try a different pair as a last resort?

I tried the largest included silicone buds this morning (again) and it's a bit better than what I remembered when I did all the A/B comparisons the other day

 

[iPunish901]

just got mine today. PBP sound sooo much better than my airpods. i cant wait to wear them at the gym tomorrow.

 

[Nautilus007]

For those saying the sound isn’t good, are you using Spotify? I’ve noticed that under the “playback” settings, having the equalizer on and the “enable audio normalization” on really degrades audio quality on some devices. Turn those off and your speakers or ear/headphones can sometimes sound exponentially better, shockingly better actually.

This is my number one concern, the reports of low volume.

Hopefully when I get mine these reports prove to be false.

 

[Donnation]

I'm sorry but you obviously have little idea on this subject. Enjoy your day.

Lol, ok.

 

[myapple2019]

I'm disappointed to her that the PBP don't sound very well. At $250 they need to at least sound 'as good as' the others.

Please do not take seriously of any disappointment comments in the forum before you experience using the Pro first as their disappointments may not apply to you.

 

[jjayr41]

Yeah I’ve had mine for a day only but from what I can tell at least for me, the fit is much better than my AirPods, the sound is also much better than AirPods. All of which solves the gripes I had with the AirPods. Yes I do hear outside noises, not as loud as I do with the AirPods but I’m not bothered by it. I will test this out when I ride my bike or longboard but overall the seal around my ear is not bad. The only thing I don’t like is the yuuuge case compared to the AirPods. I may get one of the soft cases on amazon but really the portability of the AirPods can’t be beat.

 

[whsbuss]

Yeah I’ve had mine for a day only but from what I can tell at least for me, the fit is much better than my AirPods, the sound is also much better than AirPods. All of which solves the gripes I had with the AirPods. Yes I do hear outside noises, not as loud as I do with the AirPods but I’m not bothered by it. I will test this out when I ride my bike or longboard but overall the seal around my ear is not bad. The only thing I don’t like is the yuuuge case compared to the AirPods. I may get one of the soft cases on amazon but really the portability of the AirPods can’t be beat.

Post some links on the soft cases

 

[jjayr41]

Post some links on the soft cases

Someone posted a link for this one and I just ordered this as well. I can’t find the share or copy link button in the iPhone amazon app lol...it comes in tomorrow so I’ll see how it is

 

[JonnyIreland]

Got my PBPs yesterday and used them during my commutes today (mostly riding on subway). Wanted to share my thoughts.

I own the previous generation PowerBeats (used for working out) and was using Beats X for commuting until today...I also owned a launch pair of Apple AirPods, which I returned because I hated their sound profile (but really loved the tech).

Anyway, enough of my life story, my thoughts on the new PBPs:

Pros:
-Great sound profile (bass heavy-ish of course, but fuller and more refined than older Beats products)
-Sleek design, seem to be well constructed
-Easy to control with buttons on both ears
-Ability to use just one ear

Pro/Con:
-This is the big one for me, and whether you think this is a pro or con depends upon your situation... external noise. These earbuds do not create a good seal, even with the biggest tips (of course, every ear is different). A LOT of outside noise leaks through, causing the user to boost the volume. I think this is where the complaints come from that “the volume is too low” on these.
Personally, I wanted this upgrade because I plan to ride my bike when wearing at least one of these in my ear(s), so being able to hear the outside world is a very good thing in my use case. It just might make these useless for other users in other situations. These are a very different listening experience vs Beats X or PowerBeats 3.

Cons:
-Case is very nice, but not pocketable.
-My right ear hurts a little when using these, but that could change.
-The price.

 

[Mr. Y]

I don’t think I’ll ever use my AirPods ever again. With my Powerbeats Pro, I can actually HEAR what I’m supposed to without external interference! The bass is sweet—something that is nonexistent with the AirPods. They won’t fall out of my ears at the slightest brush. Overall, so satisfied with these!

 

[dgreening]

Got my PBPs yesterday and used them during my commutes today (mostly riding on subway). Wanted to share my thoughts.

Cons:
-Case is very nice, but not pocketable.
-Charging is fast.
-My right ear hurts a little when using these, but that could change.
-The price.

I like the review but I have 1 question, how is "charging is fast" a con? Just curious because I was thinking that was a Pro.

 

[AppleZombie]

I must agree with the OP. Playing music from Itunes is disappointing and Im wondering how much it has to do with the phone music player as oppose to the headphones. The volume has to be turned up to 100 to get real sound. However, if you play Iheart Radio, watch a movie or you tube you only need to go halfway to get decent sound. You do get more bass from the PBB but Im not sure it’s worth the $250 premium. For workouts they are perfect and stay secure! I might end up selling and getting Airpods 2 instead. Not sure yet.

Edit: I switched my Music Player to Onkyo HF and with adjustable EQ. 100% better, I wish Apple would continue improving their Music Player. Happy for now and keeping!

 

[JonnyIreland]

I like the review but I have 1 question, how is "charging is fast" a con? Just curious because I was thinking that was a Pro.

You’re right, I must have had a brain short circuit... it’s not a con of course. Going to update my post now, thanks for the heads up!

 

[ZipZap]

So, most likely there are many defective units out there.

 

[pinkoos]

Returned mine today

 

[AppleZombie]

Returning mine tomorrow. Picked up a set of Airpods 2 which I have been able to run with then without having them fall out. While the PBP have better sounds quality and a good seal, it isnt worth the $289 I paid. I also found it difficult to put them on one handed without touching either the play/pause button or the volume. I also had issues with pairing when taking them out of their case. Basically sometimes they would pair quickly and sometimes they wouldnt. Maybe I got a defective pair, who knows.