Beats Powerbeats Pro review – Are these wireless headphones really worth all the hype?

Powerbeats Pro

Powerbeats Pro review (Image: BEATS)

It’s really hard not to have noticed the all-new Powerbeats Pro headphones.

With an advertising campaign that features some of the biggest sports stars in the world, the audio firm is certainly not holding back in its bid to get consumers excited about its latest headphones.

The Powerbeats Pro join an ever-growing range of products aimed at getting you through your daily fitness regime.

But the big question is, do these £219 headphones really match up to the hype that currently surrounds them?

Express.co.uk has been using the Powerbeats Pro for the past few weeks and there’s no doubt that these are some of the best in-ear headphones on the market right now

Not only do they offer impressive audio quality but their comfortable fit and simple set-up all help to make these some seriously desirable music makers.

Let’s start by telling you just how easy they are to pair with your iPhone.

With a similar experience to the AirPods, you simply open the charging case and the place the Powerbeats Pro close to your smartphone.

A graphic then automatically appears on the screen prompting you to pair and, once tapped, the Powerbeats link up and stay connected to all of your Apple gadgets.

There’s very few Bluetooth devices that offer this level of simplicity and it should mean that even the biggest technophobe will be up and running in a matter of seconds.

Powerbeats Pro

Powerbeats Pro are on sale now for £219 (Image: BEATS)

Beats Powerbeats Pro review

Beats Powerbeats Pro are very simple to set up on iPhone (Image: BEATS)

Once you have got the music started you are not going to be disappointed as the sound is really quite exceptional.

Audio is crisp, clear and, like all Beats headphones, packed with bass which is all pretty outstanding considering their relatively small size.

You won’t find any noise cancellation on the Powerbeats Pro, which is a shame, but the tight-fitting means there’s a decent level of background sound blocking.

That snug fit and ear loop design also mean it’s almost impossible to dislodge them once you’ve squeezed them in your ears.

To make them even more comfortable, the Powerbeats Pro are actually 23 per cent smaller than their predecessor and 17 per cent lighter.

This lightweight design is also sweat and water resistant and their outstanding build quality should mean they survive plenty of punishment.

And that’s a pretty important feature for something that’s been designed to power you through your time in the gym.

Powerbeats Pro

A recent advertising campaign features some of the biggest sporting stars in the world (Image: BEATS)

Another thing that’s important to emphasise is how simple the controls are.

Each earbud is designed in exactly the same way with a main button offering pause/skip and play, then there’s a volume switch placed conveniently on the top.

This really is all that most people will need and Beats has done a good job keeping these headphones incredibly simple to use especially as there’s that option to control everything from each ear.

One final thing that’s impressed is battery life.

The Powerbeats Pro will easily last around 8 hours and the charging case means you are unlikely to ever run low on juice.

Plus you also get a Fast Fuel option which brings 1.5 hours of playback after just 5 minutes of charging and up to 4.5 hours after 15 minutes of charging.

Powerbeats Pro

The Powerbeats Pro come with a charging case (Image: BEATS)

So, it’s all very good for the Powebeats Pro but we do have a couple of minor niggles.

Firstly, the charging case isn’t exactly subtle with this big plastic box taking up most of your pocket.

Unlike the new AirPods, you can’t refill this case wirelessly and you’ll need an Apple Lightning cable to boost the internal battery.

The only other issue we have is for those thinking of using the Powerbeats away from the gym as their design is certainly big and bold and not as subtle as some other Bluetooth headphones.

Powerbeats Pro

Powerbeats Pro review (Image: BEATS)

Powerbeats Pro

There’s no noise cancellation but the snug fit does block some sound (Image: BEATS)

VERDICT:

There’s no question that the new Powerbeats Pro are some of the best sports headphones money can buy.

They sound great, fit like a perfectly formed glove and offer the sort of performance that you’d expect from an elite athlete.

As well as being perfect for the gym or your nightly run, we’ve actually ended up using them as our daily drivers proving how much we’ve enjoyed having them in our ears.

Like most tech devices, there are a couple of minor niggles such as the monstrous charging case and the fact this huge battery pack can’t be charged wirelessly.

But these negatives aren’t enough to ruin what is otherwise a pretty awesome audio product.

If you love a workout and want some music to get you through it, you truly won’t find much better than the Powerbeats Pro.

source: express.co.uk