The Powerbeats Professional 2 are the most recent fitness-oriented earbuds from Apple-owned Beats. Successor to 2019’s Powerbeats Professional, the second-generation mannequin comes with a number of enhancements, together with a brand new design, a brand new Apple H2 chip, energetic noise cancellation, and even built-in coronary heart charge monitoring.
Beats says the Powerbeats Professional 2 are the best-selling earbuds of their class, which isn’t surprising because the ear hook class is dying as producers transition in direction of earbud-style design. Nevertheless, for health fans, the ear hook design stays probably the most safe technique to have your audio with you as you’re employed out. However are you keen to shell out $250 for it and, extra importantly, must you? Let’s discover out.
Design
The Powerbeats Professional 2 design sees a major overhaul over its predecessor whereas sustaining the identical primary kind issue. The extra squared-off design provides technique to a curvy physique that can also be rather a lot smaller and lighter, with Beats claiming a 20% weight discount. The design is IPX4 sweat and waterproof.
The Powerbeats Professional 2 includes a new nickel-titanium alloy ear hook that’s meant to be far more sturdy but in addition smaller—50% smaller than the one on the Powerbeats Professional.
Alongside the edges of the earbuds are devoted quantity buttons, which make it very straightforward to regulate the quantity even when your cellphone is not close by or if you happen to do not need to interrupt your exercise. The Beats emblem additionally acts as a button, which controls issues like playback and ANC toggles.
On the interior aspect are the brand new ear suggestions, which now are available in 5 totally different sizes. There may be additionally an optical sensor to detect the earbuds being worn to manage playback and ANC. Subsequent to that’s the new optical coronary heart charge sensor, which makes use of vibrant inexperienced LEDs to see by way of your pores and skin. The sensors are positioned on each earbuds so you may nonetheless use them even in case you are simply utilizing one earbud.
The earbuds come inside a reasonably massive charging case, which Beats claims is 33% smaller than its predecessor. The corporate has additionally made it simpler to position and take away the earbuds from the case. The case has a pairing button on the within and a standing LED on the skin. On the again is a recessed USB-C port for charging. The case helps Qi-wireless charging by way of its backside floor.
Now for some execs and cons. The brand new earbud design is a welcome change, feeling each smaller and lighter than earlier than. The bodily buttons really feel unbelievable to make use of and make it very handy to manage options and playback with out having to depend on the cellphone.
Nevertheless, the brand new hook is viciously taut and snaps again with unimaginable ferocity. I discovered this the laborious manner once I pulled it and it snapped again on my finger in a manner that made me scream like a Tom & Jerry character. The hook’s solely goal in life is to maintain the earbuds anchored to your ears and it couldn’t care much less about your emotions.
The buttons being really easy to make use of additionally has a draw back, which is that also they are very straightforward to press when inserting the earbuds into your ears. I had to determine new methods to insert them in my ears with out touching any of the buttons, which is less complicated stated than completed as the big Beats button is particularly straightforward to press.
Lastly, regardless of being smaller, the charging case continues to be comically massive by fashionable earbud requirements. I perceive it must be that manner however that doesn’t make it any much less cumbersome. The LED on the entrance can also be positioned at a clumsy angle so it’s all the time out of sight if you open or shut the lid until you particularly tilt the case upwards. Lastly, as a minor gripe, the recessed USB-C connector won’t work with each USB-C cable on the market, which may very well be an issue because the earbuds do not include a cable within the field.
Consolation
Consolation is a vital facet of headphones, one that may make or break a pair. It is also very subjective, so what follows under is my expertise and your mileage could range.
The Powerbeats Professional 2 sit considerably in a different way in your ears than most common in-ear earbuds. Whereas most earbuds are likely to rely totally on the ear suggestions and a deeper insertion to anchor themselves, the Powerbeats Professional 2 maintain themselves in place utilizing the form of the interior earbuds and the hook, whereas the ear suggestions have a considerably shallow insertion depth.
Consequently, the Powerbeats Professional 2 are likely to put extra pressure in your concha in addition to the again of your exterior ear with the ear hook, the identical hook that may most likely be used as an anti-roll bar in your automobile as a consequence of how taut it’s. This I didn’t discover notably comfy, as each my interior ear and the again of my exterior ear would begin to get sore after about an hour of use. It was extra distinguished in a single ear however it did occur on each.
To be clear, the Powerbeats Professional 2 match my ears like a glove so it was not a fitment problem. The problem appears to be that this design merely is not as comfy for extended use as normal earbuds. Within the very least, the hooks ought to have had extra padding on the ends.
However whereas they is probably not very comfy over lengthy intervals, they do what they’re designed for, and that’s to remain inside your ears. You’ll be able to shake your head until it comes clear off however these earbuds aren’t going anyplace. The earbuds keep cosy whereas the nickel-titanium hooks grip your ears like they owe them cash. When you’ve got hassle getting common earbuds to suit your Easter Island Head ears, then these ought to do the trick. Simply know that simply because they keep in your ears doesn’t suggest you’ll get the most effective match when it comes to sound, ANC, or coronary heart charge monitoring.
Software program and options
The Powerbeats Professional 2 are designed to be appropriate with iOS in addition to Android units, though you do get extra options when paired with Apple units.
For starters, the earbuds help one-touch pairing with Apple units so you’ll get a immediate in your cellphone or pill as quickly as you open the case to pair. On Android, you will want to press and maintain the pairing button on the case.
When paired with an iPhone, a brand new choice will get added to the Settings menu to allow you to configure the earbuds with out having to obtain one other app. On Android, you will want to obtain the Beats app, which provides you entry to most, if not all, of the options discovered on iOS.
One of many options discovered solely on Apple units is spatial audio with head monitoring. This makes use of audio processing in your Apple gadget in addition to the accelerometer and gyroscope on the Powerbeats Professional 2 to supply spatial audio results on appropriate content material that strikes round as you progress your head. I’ve personally by no means been a fan of this characteristic so it wasn’t a giant loss for me when switching to an Android gadget.
iOS settings
One other Apple-exclusive characteristic is audio sharing, the place the earbuds can share their audio with one other appropriate Beats or AirPods product close by so two folks can hearken to the identical audio from the identical supply gadget. The Powerbeats Professional 2 additionally options “Hey Siri” or “Siri” command, which you’ll blurt out any time and entry the characteristic hands-free.
One characteristic that’s unique to not simply Apple units however very particularly to the Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional is lossless audio. When paired with this gadget, the H2 chip can entry a proprietary, low-latency codec that can also be lossless so you may get the highest quality and lag-free audio. Nevertheless, for all the things else, the earbuds depend on normal AAC audio.
Beats Android app
Sadly, one large omission within the characteristic checklist is multi-point pairing. In contrast to most different fashionable, high-end audio merchandise available on the market, the Powerbeats Professional 2, very like each AirPods mannequin, can solely be paired to at least one gadget at a time. They attempt to soften the blow by syncing your pairing throughout all of your Apple units on the identical iCloud account so you may transfer between them with relative ease however it’s nonetheless not as handy as being related to 2 units without delay.
Efficiency
Audio high quality
The Powerbeats Professional 2 sound is barely bass-forward. There may be some further thump to be discovered within the bass notes within the mid-bass area however it’s nonetheless pretty managed and tight. It is a pretty typical Harman-esque bass tuning that livens issues up a bit with out being overwhelmingly bassy or bass-centered.
The mid-range dips within the decrease octaves, inflicting vocals to take a step again within the combine. I usually discovered myself rising the quantity a bit to compensate. It isn’t a slender or sharp dip, so it would not change the timbre of the vocals or devices, and issues nonetheless sound kind of how they need to, only a bit quieter.
The treble response on the Powerbeats Professional 2 can greatest be described as gentle. The sound lacks a number of the shimmer or airiness on the high, giving the general sound a barely uninteresting high quality. I do not discover the treble efficiency to be inaccurate or poor however similar to the mid-range there’s a bit much less of it, so the main target invariably strikes in direction of the bass.
The general tuning appears optimized towards your typical exercise playlist, that includes bassy, vibrant tracks the place the vocals most likely do not matter that a lot. That is the place the tuning from the Powerbeats Professional 2 thrives and provides you the most effective listening expertise.
That stated, I did not thoughts the tuning for crucial listening or for listening to different issues, akin to films, TV reveals, and podcasts. Regardless of the slight choice for bass, the sound continues to be moderately balanced and most content material I listened to tended to sound simply high quality. As with the AirPods, the Powerbeats Professional 2 have no EQ or audio presets however regardless of that I by no means discovered myself wanting to achieve for both of them. Whereas I actually may have used a bit extra sparkle on the high finish, this isn’t a nasty tuning to have if it is the one one you may have.
Tuning apart, the audio high quality doesn’t impress on a technical stage. The sound is not particularly detailed or resolving and neither the imaging nor the soundstaging are something to write down residence about. Whereas these aren’t usually robust fits of wi-fi earbuds, we’ve heard higher through the years, particularly on merchandise with increased decision codecs.
Microphone
The Powerbeats Professional 2 have good microphone efficiency. Voices are likely to sound fairly clear and are up there with the most effective when it comes to readability. The background noise discount is a bit aggressive and you may hear it working laborious even when there is not a lot background noise however it’s additionally efficient when there may be noise current.
Noise cancellation
The Powerbeats Professional 2 have energetic noise cancellation, a characteristic sorely lacking on their predecessors. Having stated that, the ANC expertise right here is not top-tier, and there’s a cause for that.
Most ANC merchandise depend on energetic in addition to passive strategies to dam sound. ANC earbuds use ear suggestions and a deep insertion level to passively block out mid and higher noise frequencies whereas the software program takes care of the decrease frequencies. This does not work that effectively if the earbuds do not kind an important seal or if the information do not sit deep sufficient in your ears, which is precisely the case with the Powerbeats Professional 2.
The information right here merely do not go deep sufficient in your ears in my expertise, which meant that the Powerbeats Professional 2 weren’t canceling sufficient noise within the mid and better frequency ranges passively. When the software program kicked in, the low frequencies had been taken care of however you had been nonetheless left with some noise within the mids and highs.
This meant some appears like folks speaking round you, the sound of water as you do the dishes, gymnasium tools, and children working round within the park can nonetheless come by way of on the Powerbeats Professional 2 in a manner it will not on normal ANC earbuds with a correct seal. It is nonetheless fairly first rate general however it’s inferior to the AirPods Professional 2 or most different high-end wi-fi earbuds nowadays.
On the plus aspect, the transparency mode is nice and the sound is pure with none latency.
Lastly, it is value noting that regardless of having comparable {hardware} because the AirPods Professional 2, the Powerbeats Professional 2 don’t have the listening to aids performance. It appears Apple goes to maintain that characteristic an AirPods unique for a while however it additionally appears out of whack with the Powerbeats branding. Think about Grandma strolling round with vibrant orange Beats down the road. The world is not prepared for that sight.
Coronary heart charge monitoring
The Powerbeats Professional 2 have built-in optical coronary heart charge sensors, which is a uncommon if not distinctive characteristic amongst wi-fi earbuds. The primary cause to have these on the earbuds is not essentially to make use of it along with your cellphone, though you may actually do this, however with different issues akin to gymnasium tools.
However let’s begin with the cellphone first. This was a little bit of a impolite awakening as I came upon you may’t simply go into the iOS Well being or the Beats app on Android to see your coronary heart charge from the earbuds. It should solely broadcast that data to third-party apps put in on the gadget that help the protocol. Additionally, you first have to double press and maintain the Beats button to even interact the guts charge monitoring, a factor you have to do each single time for the characteristic to work.
Beats lists a number of appropriate apps, together with Nike Run Membership, Runna, Ladder, Slopes, Open, and Peloton however actually any app that helps the protocol ought to work. I attempted it with the Nike Run Membership and the app was capable of learn the info from the HR sensor high quality as soon as I began a run inside the app (it will not present the info in any other case). I attempted the Nike app on each iOS and Android and it labored completely high quality on each. All of those apps require you to make an account, by the best way, which is an added problem.
At this level, you might be questioning why hassle with this if you happen to can simply use a smartwatch or health band, each of which is able to simply present the HR information on their display with out going by way of this convoluted course of. Certainly, you probably have the Powerbeats Professional 2 and an Apple Watch paired to the identical iPhone, the cellphone will all the time prioritize the info from the watch over the earbuds, so there’s actually no level utilizing the HR monitoring with a cellphone.
Nevertheless, very like a chest strap, you may pair the Powerbeats Professional 2 HR monitoring performance with a bunch of different units, together with gymnasium tools akin to treadmills and train bikes. All you need to do is do the double press and maintain gesture and any close by appropriate tools or gadget will be capable of pair with the earbuds for HR information whereas remaining paired along with your cellphone for audio. Having your health information obtainable on extra units might be fairly helpful, particularly if you happen to depend on greater than your smartwatch for monitoring your well being.
The sensor is seen when not worn correctly
When it comes to efficiency and accuracy, the Powerbeats Professional 2 appeared to carry out effectively. I in contrast it with different HR-enabled smartwatches in addition to a blood oxygen monitor and the readings had been inside the margin of error on all of them. Nevertheless, this can seemingly come right down to how effectively the earbuds suit you. The sensor must be fully lined by your ears to be correct. This isn’t a problem for me because the earbuds match my ears completely however I’ve seen some photos of individuals the place the sensor was clearly seen and that is simply not going to offer you a correct studying.
Battery Life
The Powerbeats Professional 2 have a claimed steady battery lifetime of 10 hours with ANC disabled. In my testing, I acquired 13 hours and 21 minutes of steady playback. Whereas unbelievable, this quantity is considerably out of vary in comparison with the claimed determine and would require additional testing.
I additionally carried out a quick take a look at to see the influence of HR monitoring on battery life. With ANC enabled and taking part in from 100% battery, the earbuds dropped to 94% after one hour of steady playback and 92% with HR monitoring constantly working. Beats assured us the influence of HR monitoring is small on battery life and that does appear to be the case.
The Powerbeats Professional 2 help wi-fi charging for the case. The case may even play a chime any time it’s charged, both by way of a cable or wirelessly.
Conclusion
The Powerbeats Professional 2 are primarily health earbuds, one thing you put on on the gymnasium or if you go for a run outdoors, and at that they’re excellent. They keep securely in your ears whatever the exercise, they’re sweat and waterproof, the guts charge monitoring is nice to be used with gymnasium tools, the bodily buttons are extremely handy, and the sound high quality with the everyday upbeat gymnasium playlist is fairly nice.
Nevertheless, the Powerbeats Professional 2 should not nice on a regular basis earbuds. Consolation might be sketchy after an hour or two of binge-watching, the ANC is simply okay, the case continues to be large, there is no multi-point pairing, and the audio high quality leaves me wanting extra outdoors of the gymnasium, particularly at this value vary. The one solace right here is the great battery life and microphone high quality.
Sadly, the Powerbeats Professional 2 should not fairly the ‘AirPods Professional 2 however with health options’ that individuals needed them to be. If fitment and health options are your precedence, the Powerbeats Professional 2 are nonetheless extremely advisable. But when that is not the case then the AirPods Professional 2 are the higher earbuds general.
