Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Review

The concept has potential, but the execution doesn't come together where it counts. Despite an eye-catching design, these earbuds fall short on comfort, sound quality, and practical functionality. It's a creative swing that didn't quite connect, though the battery life is impressive.

Performance Comparison

Sound Quality

While these earbuds sound okay, I expected more at this price point. The quality isn't offensive, but it's not impressive either, and we would never recommend these earbuds to discerning listeners. The soundstage they create isn't as boxed in as the Beats Solo Buds, but they don't give you the wide-open feel of options like the Nothing Ear Wireless either. There is enough room between instruments to hear each one clearly in the sonic space the earbuds create, but the overall experience feels somewhat compressed.

The mix itself is pretty good, with consistent, natural-sounding bass frequencies that feel rich and vibrant without drowning out the other registers. The mid registers offer a wonderful array of textures that showcase lead instruments beautifully. But when you get to the higher registers where soaring vocals can make or break a song, these earbuds fall short. Singers often sound underwater in the mix, like they're standing a little too far from the mic. The lack of sparkle and glimmer in the high frequencies leaves the mix feeling darker overall. Instead of shimmering cymbals and metallic synths, you get muted and muffled highs.

And, horror of horrors, when the odd high note does break through with power, sometimes it rises to a point, with a sharpness my ears do not appreciate. The opening horns in “Mr. Pitiful” by Otis Redding made me flinch. While I love the warm low tones in Redding's vocals, the inconsistent translation in the high notes is a drawback. I didn't notice this issue often though, and the well-balanced lower registers might be enough for less critical ears

On the bright side, these earbuds have no trouble getting loud and deliver all the volume you could want without ever losing control. At higher volumes, the bass can get so punchy that it almost booms, but it never blows out. The result is great for high-energy activities like paced runs. Plus, I never noticed a loss of detail, even at lower levels, making them versatile in a range of environments.

To compare what we were experiencing through the lens of cold hard facts, we took the earbuds to the lab, using SoundCheck software and and our Brüel & Kjaer Type 5128 head-and-ear simulator, (nicknamed Darwin) to chart the frequency response of the Beats Pro 2. You can see how it compares to our GearLab House Curve in the chart below. You can see significant departures in the bass, mid, and treble ranges, with the lower and higher frequencies dialed down too far for our preferences.

User Experience

The Powerbeats Pro 2 feels solid in-ear, thanks to the same rigid over-ear hooks that contribute to the discomfort they cause. None of our testers enjoyed wearing these for extended time periods, and many reported sore inner ears. While they include some useful features like a fit test, “Find My” buds tool, and a (spotty) heart rate monitor, the lack of adjustable EQ and inconsistent performance limits their appeal.

Comfort

I do not find these earbuds comfortable, and other testers agree. Some even experienced painful pressure points. That wasn't an issue for me, but still, the unforgiving plastic body and stiff, over-the-ear hook made them feel awkward at best, and painful at times. You have to twist the buds in place to have them sit correctly and avoid creating immediate discomfort, and many experienced a soreness in the inner ear even after a short stint of wearing them.

The bulky arms look awkward, especially with a hat. And don't even think about wearing them with glasses, the arms just get in the way. None of our testers found these earbuds comfortable enough to wear for a full day at the office.

Stability

The upside of that rigid hook is that it keeps these earbuds in place, handy when you're out in the world or working out. Still, the uncomfortable fit gets in the way here. One of our testers tried adjusting the earbuds mid-run to avoid a pressure point, and the eartip popped off. Luckily, they found it, but it's still concerning.

Adjustability and Tunability

The finicky and uncomfortable fit can also impact the function of certain features. The Powerbeats Pro2 offers a heart rate monitor that only works when the buds are seated properly, since it uses both optical and capacitive sensors. Piercings and body movements also seem to affect it, resulting in inconsistent readings.

The basic but functional app works with both Apple and Android devices. The iOS version feels relatively straightforward, with no hidden features or frills. There are no true adjustable EQ settings or audio presets, which feels like a ripoff at this price point. Instead, an adaptive EQ technology monitors the fit and seal of the buds and adjusts the frequency as needed. So these aren't a great option if you want control over your sound profile. On the plus side, they do have an ear fit test and a useful “Find My” feature to help locate misplaced buds or the case.

While these earbuds improve on the previous Beats Powerbeats Pro with minor upgrades like single-bud functionality, they fall short in comfort and functional features.

Noise Cancellation

The Powerbeats Pro 2 offer decent noise cancellation, but their effectiveness hinges on achieving a proper seal in the ear. And the inconsistent seal of these earbuds means that they inconsistently block background sounds from reaching our eardrums, a process known as passive noise isolation.

When their active noise cancellation (ANC) is turned on and the seal is secure, they reach the upper-middle tier of performance, effectively softening the hum of the office or running on a treadmill. Sharper, higher-pitched disruptions like snapping fingers or clapping hands. Make it through. Without that solid seal, the ANC performance suffers as well.

When they are seated properly, even the passive noise isolation dulls sounds like the creaking of a stationary bike or the low whir of machinery. The video below shows the difference between passive isolation and active cancellation.

We used Darwin and SoundCheck software to listen to how much they dull the sounds of a cafe. The results are also charted below. These earbuds reduce noise by 20 to 30 decibels in the bass range, 15 to 32 decibels in the midrange, and more than 30 decibels in the treble frequencies.

What we really appreciate is their transparency mode, which pipes ambient sounds into your ear past the seal. Transparency modes can often sound tinny and artificial. This one is very natural and lifelike, letting me hear planes overhead, passing cars, and my dog's panting while playing music softly in the background.

Battery Life

Battery life is the one area where these earbuds stand out. They lasted 12 hours and 44 minutes on a single charge in our tests, well beyond the company's 10-hour claim, making them tempting to anyone who has trouble keeping their buds charged. The case holds enough power for 4.5 extra charges, and a quick 5 minutes in the case gives you 1.5 hours of playback. The case charges wirelessly, too, making it easy to plop onto my wireless charging pads.

Call Quality

Earbuds often work to isolate your voice from background sounds to make your end of a phone call easier to hear. To evaluate how well these earbuds perform with calls, we used Darwin, our head-and-mouth simulator, to play recordings of both male and female voices in a room while varying the level of background sounds. While the buds managed to cut through some of the clutter, their overall call clarity left me unimpressed.

The call quality these buds offer, even in a quiet room, is shockingly poor. The voices came through with a grainy, staticky texture, making them sound like they're coming through a broken radio. We ran the test three times using two sets of PowerBeat Pro2 buds and got the same unusable result every time.

In a moderately noisy office setting, the clarity didn't improve. The male voice was especially difficult to understand, with the words sounding so muffled that they're nearly unintelligible. The female voice sounds slightly clearer, but still far from acceptable.

Predictably, the screeching subway test made everything worse. The voices were completely drowned out by background noise, resulting in a garbled mess.

Should You Buy the Beats Powerbeats Pro2?

We don't recommend these earbuds. There are simply too many better options out there. That said, if you have larger ears and find a crazy good deal on them, they're best for gym workouts thanks to their strong volume levels. And their excellent transparency mode could be worth it if you aren't picky about how your music sounds and you need to talk to people all day.

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?

There are a number of options that might better suit your needs. The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are a better fit with a balanced sound profile and excellent ANC. The Nothing Ear Wireless delivers immersive audio at a competitive price point, though it lacks some fitness features.