Powerbeats Pro 2 - Wireless Noise Cancelling Workout Earbuds with Secure- Fit Earhooks, Up to 45-Hour Battery with Charging Case, Sweat & Water Resistant, Heart Rate Monitoring - Jet Black

They cost what they cost but they are very worth it. Got them for spouse to use while working out. Once the fiddly nature of setting them up and pairing them was understood they were put to use and are now loved for sound and ease of use. I love that they fit on my MagSafe station and that they actually are comfortable. No excuses, worth the money and stylish to boot. Battery life is good and the charging is easy to do especially on MagSafe station. They are expensive but they did not feel cheap or sound cheap. They work period and have solid build quality. You have to decide if this is an amount you want to spend for this type of product because the question is not about function or quality it is all about the cost.

When I bought a set of these earbuds last year I liked everything about the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds, EXCEPT the poor sound, When these earbuds were first released, the sound quality was significantly worse than that of the Beats Fit Pro. The sound was so inadequate that I returned the pair I purchased and rated the product one star. However, Apple obviously fixed the sound issues. I tried the Powerbeats Pro 2 this week. The sound is now excellent. Along with the much better form factor for active use than the form factor of the Powerbeats Fit, the Apple H2 chip, and generally excellent design overall, these are now arguably the best smart earbuds on the market for athletes. I am pleased to change my product rating from one to five stars. Below is my original review, along with an updated explanation for why I rated these earbuds at one star after a few weeks of use (before Apple fixed the sound.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ UPDATE after a few weeks of use: After using the Powerbeats Pro 2 for a few weeks, I’ve found that the tinny non-immersive sound and the poor noise cancellation are frankly too bad to live with, especially on a $250 top of the line product. I wanted to like the Powerbeats Pro 2 ear buds based on the great ear fit, the comfort, the excellent user controls and the smaller/lighter form factor than the original Powerbeats Pro. The fit is also a lot more secure than the fit of the Fit Pro, at least for me. However, if you listen to the Fit Pro back to back with the Powerbeats Pro 2, the sound quality of the Fit Pro is heads and tails dramatically better. The Powerbeats Pro 2 sound quality is not even in the same league. The Fit Pro sound is excellent—strong bass, strong treble, well-balanced, immersive. The Powerbeats Pro 2 sound is thin, tinny, lacking bass, lacking depth. And to compare the noise cancellation between the Fit Pro and the Powerbeats Pro 2: when you turn on noise cancellation in a loud room on the Fit Pro there is an immediate and dramatic cut off in ambient noise. On the Powerbeats Pro 2 it’s hard to notice any difference when you turn on noise cancellation in a loud room. All in all, I’m more willing to live with the Fit Pro with its less secure fit but better sound than I am with the Powerbeats Pro 2 with its more secure fit but totally inadequate sound stage. For a $250 set of ear buds, Apple/Beats needs to fix the sound and noise cancellation issues. I talked to Apple about whether there would be any way to improve the sound. Apple technical support first was almost totally unwilling to even talk to me because I purchased these earbuds at Amazon. And then they offered no assistance that would meaningfully improve the sound. The bottom line: I have reluctantly returned these earbuds. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My original review: PROS: Better, more custom fit in the ears (at least for me) than the original Powerbeats Pro. The fit in the ear canal is at a different angle than with the Fit Pro. With the Powerbeats Pro 2 I get the best fit with medium ear tips. With the Fit Pro I get the best fit with large ear tips. Much more secure fit than the Fit Pro. More comfortable than either the original Powerbeats Pro or the Fit Pro. Can easily be worn for hours without any discomfort, so a perfect accessory for ultra-endurance athletics. Design, material and build quality are all excellent. They look and feel like a high quality product. Transparency function works well—so well that it’s possible to listen to music AND be safe and connected to your immediate surroundings, like jumping out of the way of e-bikes on busy city multi-use paths, and in dodgy neighborhoods where you’d want to be in yellow alert while moving around. The lighter, less bulky feel is great compared to the original Powerbeats Pro. Sound quality is excellent ON PHONE CALLS and for other vocal-heavy uses. The case is significantly smaller than the massive original Powerbeats Pro case. The case is more robust than the case for the Fit Pro. There’s a toggle to turn off the gimmicky heart rate monitor 😊. CONS: The sound quality for music is more tinny and overall worse than the sound quality of the Fit Pro. Bass response is more subdued and there’s an overall midrange bias. For $250 ear buds, this is disappointing. Some reviewers have said that the sound is also worse than the sound on the original Powerbeats Pro. For me, the sound between the Powerbeats Pro and Pro 2 units is comparable—less rich on BOTH than on the Fit Pro. The pulse monitor seems gimmicky and superfluous. Is there any athlete on the planet doing aerobic sports who isn’t already monitoring heartbeat and using a device that is more accurate and effective than these ear buds? And other than athletes doing aerobic sports, who else has any interest in knowing their heartbeat while listening to music? Noise cancellation seems a bit worse than on the Fit Pro. THE BOTTOM LINE? I love that these things stay in my ears no matter what I’m doing—in that sense they’re unique among the most well-regarded ear buds on the market. I also love that they’re really comfortable. And I love that the feature set includes most of what Apple includes on its best ear buds. For me, those factors trump everything else (even though the sound NEEDS to be richer and more immersive—Apple, please fix this in an update). If the same is true for you, and you’re tired of having your ear buds pop out at inconvenient times, you may want to give the Powerbeats Pro 2 a look.

I was majorly on the fence given the kind of 50/50 reviews from around the net. I love my Beats Studio Pros, so I figured these would be built with the same standards - but they blew my expectations away. Fit for working out: 10/10 I was annoyed by the buttons on both ear buds at first, trying to get used to them was a hassle. And then boom, right in the app there’s settings for every switch. Turn them on/off custom modes for everything. ANC is insane. Way better than my previous Bose buds and far exceeding the ANC on my Studio cans. At the gym yesterday a guy asked me to use some 45 plates off my rack, I couldn’t hear a word he said even with my music muted. 10/10 Sound quality is a 9. Low end sounds great but the highs can get a bit muddy depending on what you’re listening to. Also, earbuds suck for listening to music so I take that into account. Get some real headphones. Battery life is average to below average, that’s my only real complaint. I’d say you use about 10% of the battery every hour (with the ANC) on. Case is durable and the buds themselves seem to be well constructed. Volume control is a snitch. You can program the buttons from the app to do whatever you want. Connectivity with an iPhone is fast and seamless. They’re ready to go as soon as you open the case for the first time. Far superior to Bose in every way.

I’ll just start by saying that I personally love these headphones but can see why others may not. I think the pros outweighs the cons but will break down some high and low lights below: Fit: 10/10 They are by far more comfortable to wear than the AirPod Pro 2 thanks to the ear strap. I would always have my Pro 2s slip out and can say these won’t. However, these will not be better for those with glasses so would go with the Pro 2s if you wear glasses. These also sit pretty far out of the ear so would not be comfortable to wear when laying down for most. Additionally, I did a workout and it didn’t move an inch and stayed in even with heavy sweat. Sound Quality: 8/10 Sound quality is not something you should rely on others to sell you on as it is a personal preference. With that said I will say for me it’s on par with the AirPod Pro 2s just more treble I think. However my ear shape compliments these ear pieces very well so it could be alignment. I will say that these will not hold a candle to any over the ear headphones so please don’t judge them from those. My Sony XM4s blow these out the water with sound quality but these are much easier to carry around. So would recommend if sound quality is your thing; then get over the ear headphones instead because even my Sonys were better than the Pro 2s. Physical features: 9/10 The headphone’s buttons allow you to double tap to skip which Apple did away with in the Pro 2s. This was a big seller to me because I did not like having to use my phone to skip or ask Siri to play next. However, with the buttons being out the outside if by force of habit you reach up to potentially push them back in, be aware you will stop the music and will have to hit it again. Tech and features: 8/10 Heart rate monitor is nice but I think it will take another software update or 2 to reach its full potential. It’s pretty accurate just don’t like how you can’t play music when hooked up to gym equipment. Noise Cancelling is decent on these but not the best. The Pro 2s are better by far but for working out or wearing them around the house it gets the job done. Mic on these are on par with the Pro 2s. I didn’t have any issue talking with anyone on them and everyone could hear me fine. Overall: 8.5/10 I think that if you’re looking for a great working earbud these are it. They easily pair well if you have over the ear ones already and just looking for something less bulky. They have all the features you could want and will stay in place during movement and talking. ANC and Spatial Audio are nice and work well (though the ANC on the Pro 2s are better.) If you’re looking for the next best thing in audio, these are not it. These are not looking to be the Pro 3s as some people are expecting them to be or beat over the ear headphones sound quality. These are meant to improve upon the prior models and I think they did. These have their own swim lane that will have you either in love with them or not.

As an owner of the Beats PowerBeats 1 for over 5 years, I was skeptical about purchasing these after seeing the different comments between PowerBeats 1 and the new PowerBeats 2, but I am very glad with my purchase and to start using the new features in my day to day activities. Case: The case for the Beats PowerBeats 2 is much lighter (weight wise) and the case is also slimmer compared to PowerBeats 1 case. The case can easily fit into a large pocket or zipper compartment in a purse or bag, but the case is still bigger than an Apple AirPods case. The PowerBeats 2 case is now the same color as the PowerBeats 2 themselves where the PowerBeats 1 case was black, where my PowerBeats 1 are Glacier Blue. Over-Ear Design: The over-ear design for the PowerBeats 2 is much smaller compared to the PowerBeats 1. With smaller ears, I personally feel like it fits much better compared to the PowerBeats 1 over-ear design because the old design used to sit on part of my ear and rubbed my ear making it painful. I can see why people with larger ears do not like the new over-ear design of the PowerBeats 2 because it would be too small for their ears. Inside Ear Design: The inside-ear design for the PowerBeats 2 is a bit larger for the round part and shorter for the speaker part compared to the PowerBeats 1. The PowerBeats 1 were smaller for the round part and longer for the speaker part. I can see why people are having problems not liking the new design because the new design for PowerBeats 2 basically sits on top of the ear canal, instead of being inserted further down to give it a tighter seal. The Inside Ear Design was one of the main reasons why I was skeptical of purchasing because of having small ears. I personally think they fit fine, if not better because since the design is sitting on top of the ear canal the larger round part is not rubbing on my ear sitting inside like the PowerBeat 1 design. Ear Tip Design: The Ear Tip Design for the PowerBeats 2 is a single cone tip compared to the double cone tip on the PowerBeats 1. The tips that come with the PowerBeats 2 are XS, S, M, L, XL. The M is automatically inserted on the PowerBeats 2 when they arrive. The M design fits my small ears easily. If you want more of a tighter seal or need a larger size, then you can easily switch the tips out. If you want it to feel similar to the PowerBeats 1, you can switch out the single cone tip for a double cone tip easily. Charging: Charging for the PowerBeats 2 is now with a USB-C, instead of a lighting charger on PowerBeats 1. PowerBeats 2 also does not come with a charging cable, so you need to purchase one separately or use a current USB-C charging cord you own. My PowerBeats 2 arrived 70% charged, so I was able to use them instantly. The magnets for magnetic charging also feel stronger on PowerBeats 2 than on PowerBeats 1. The magnetic charging for PowerBeats 2 is located on the top and bottom of the large round part, instead of, on the outer part like on PowerBeats 1. PowerBeats still holds a charge for a longer period of time than other earphones especially with the charging case. This is another reason why I love the PowerBeats with how long they last on one charge. Perfect for if you are on the go or use them a lot for a long period of time. Sound: The sound for the PowerBeats 2 is very similar and a bit improved from the PowerBeats 1. New features for Active Noise Cancelling and Spatial Audio, which I am happy to see and try in the near future. Depending on what you are listening to such as music, some songs have very clear details while other songs feel flat, but it could be the way the song was mixed and mastered to begin with. Connectivity: If you have Apple Products such as an iPhone connectivity is the same and instant for the PowerBeats 2 as it is for the PowerBeats 1. It still reads text messages and calls of all types still sound great. It's one of my main reasons why I love the PowerBeats because it's very easy to use with other Apple products. New Features: New features on the PowerBeats 2 includes Active Noise Cancellation, Spatial Audio (like surround sound or 3D audio effect listening), and Heart Monitor if you are active in the gym. Long Wear Period: I feel like the PowerBeats 2 and PowerBeats 1 longwear period is about the same. The PowerBeats 2 are still light where you forget you have them on, but after several hours it does start hurting your ear like the PowerBeats 1 do. This is just common with all earpieces that aren't custom mold fit to your ears. Packaging: The PowerBeats 2 has much cheaper packaging compared to other Beats products including the PowerBeats 1. The PowerBeats 2 packaging is basically a recycled cardboard box with a thin piece of paper holding it together. As soon as you take the paper around the box off, the package instantly opens and the PowerBeats could easily fall out if not unpackaging on a soft surface. Definitely thinner and less packaging than PowerBeats 1 as well. Price: I wouldn't have paid the $300 price when they first came out, but since they have come down in price, it was time to purchase. I was able to purchase these during Prime Days for $175. Overall: I really am enjoying the PowerBeats 2 compared to the PowerBeats 1. I feel like the new design will work better for me. I’m also excited to try all the new features on PowerBeats 2 while also having the same things I love about the PowerBeats 1 such as long hold charge, easy compatibility to other Apple Products, and how it reads my message to me. It’s perfect for me who is always on the go, listening to music, watching videos on my phone, doing video meetings and chatting on the phone. To purchase or not: The best way to know the PowerBeats 2 are for you is by purchasing them and testing them out for yourself. The worst that can happen is it doesn’t work for you for whatever reason and you can easily return them back for a refund.

Moving from the original Powerbeats Pro to the Powerbeats Pro 2 feels like a true generational leap rather than a small upgrade. The first thing that stands out is the sound quality—it’s noticeably richer, cleaner, and more balanced across highs, mids, and bass. Everything feels more precise and immersive, whether I’m listening to music, watching videos, or taking calls. The noise cancellation is genuinely impressive. It does an excellent job of blocking out background noise without making the audio feel compressed or artificial. At the same time, transparency feels natural when I need awareness of my surroundings, which makes them perfect for both workouts and everyday use. What really makes these impossible to live without, though, is Spatial Audio. Once you experience it, there’s no going back. It adds depth and dimension to the sound that makes music and videos feel alive, almost like you’re inside the performance. Combined with the secure Powerbeats fit and Apple’s seamless integration, the Powerbeats Pro 2 feel like a premium, fully realized evolution. This upgrade didn’t just meet expectations—it exceeded them.

Pros: 1. Amazing fit. These earbuds have the best fit security out of any earbuds I’ve owned. I have the Beats Fit Pros but I’ve had trouble with them falling out of my ears especially when running and jump roping. I have small ears; the earhooks on the Powerbeats Pro 2s barely make contact with my upper ear and yet the headphones stay put perfectly during activity. I almost gave myself whiplash trying to shake them out of my ear with no success. 2. Microphone quality. Microphone is on par with the Beats Fit Pro. Crisp and clear. 3. Noise cancellation. The noise cancellation isn’t mind blowing and won’t block out all noise in a loud environment like the gym. However, it’s still pretty solid. Better than the Beats Fit pro. 4. Heart rate monitor. It is solid if you don’t want to carry your apple watch. Cons: 1. Sound quality. The sound quality alone is worth taking off two stars. These earbuds would be perfect if more effort was put into the sound quality. I read many reviews across different platforms for this product. I saw many criticisms of the sound quality but still decided to try them for myself. There’s tons of earbuds under $50 that sound way better than these earbuds. For $200-$250, the sound quality is terrible. There’s a huge emphasis on vocals, bass is lacking, and even the instruments on songs sound lackluster. The sound is distant and can be tinny for some songs like others have mentioned. It sounds like listening to someone sing on a facetime call with music playing in the background. I decided to keep these earbuds for the fit and connectivity alone but the sound is a huge miss. This could easily be remedied if Apple offered an equalizer for their earbuds but unfortunately they do not. If you’re on the fence on buying these earbuds, you should only get them if you need workout earbuds that don’t fall out and other options don’t work for you. They’re extremely overpriced for the sound you get. They’d be an easy choice if they were $120 or less. However, there’s much better sounding options for $50 or less if you’re solely concerned about sound.

Comparing to AirPods Pro 2 Pros • Secure fit: The ear hook feels very secure. I rarely have to adjust it, though occasionally it needs a quick tweak. • Battery life: Exactly what I need. My AirPods Pro 2 would often die on me, but these last just long enough to get through a full day without worrying. They last a couple hours longer than the AirPods, and the case holds more charge as well (though I don’t really factor that in). • Health integration: I haven’t relied on it yet since I use my Apple Watch, but I can see this being handy when my watch is dead. I’m very active, so having the health tracking built in feels like a useful backup. Cons • Charging: No MagSafe support. Not a dealbreaker, but when you’re used to MagSafe for your phone, you really feel the difference. • Audio quality: • The sound is less full and immersive compared to AirPods Pro 2. • The highs can be overly bright, even harsh, especially in Transparency mode at higher volumes. It feels like the drivers are being pushed too far. • Noise cancellation is slightly weaker, and overall the sound leans a bit tinny and distant. • Bass didn’t feel stronger than AirPods to me (though some say otherwise). • I’m not an audiophile, but coming from over-ear Sony headphones → AirPods → these, the drop in quality was noticeable. Still, they’ll satisfy most people. • Putting on/taking off: • The ear hook makes them harder to put on than AirPods. • The case design doesn’t help — it acts like one big button, so adjusting the buds often triggers unwanted presses. • They’re basically impossible to use with a motorcycle helmet: too bulky to put on underneath, and risky to take off without stressing the earbuds against your ears. • Case size: The case is much larger — about 50% taller, 30% wider, and nearly twice as thick as the AirPods Pro 2 case. The rounded shape exaggerates the bulk, making AirPods look tiny in comparison. It hasn’t been a personal issue (I carry a bag), but it’s noticeably less portable. • Features: No adaptive mode. Transparency and noise cancellation don’t feel drastically worse than AirPods, but they’re not as refined. • Find My: Limited. Only the earbuds are linked, not the case. That means: 1. If the earbuds are in the case, you can’t really track them or play a sound. 2. If you lose just the case, there’s no way to locate it. 3. The earbuds also seem to stop updating their location when idle in the case. Not the end of the world since the case is big and easy to spot, but still a drawback. Neutral • Comfort: Comparable to AirPods Pro 2. Sometimes I forget I’m even wearing them, but the ear hook can start to feel noticeable after very long sessions. That’s the tradeoff for security. • Fit: Works fine for me (I never swapped tips with AirPods either), but there’s less variety in ear tips. Could be an issue for some. • Customization: Nice color options (I got the orange), but fewer case/accessory options compared to AirPods. ⸻ TL;DR I’ll be sticking with the AirPods Pro 2. The secure fit, health integration, and longer battery life were genuinely great, but I mostly needed these to work with my motorcycle helmet, and they simply don’t. The bulk, awkward adjustment, and audio that felt a little off were also noticeable downsides. If you’re very active, don’t use a tight-fitting helmet, and care most about secure fit, health features, and battery life, these are a strong choice. They really stay put, they’re convenient with the health app, and you won’t be stressing about charging. If you’re picky about audio quality, prefer compact portability, or rely on MagSafe and Find My, the AirPods Pro 2 are the better option. EDIT: Figured out the technique for putting under helmet, just adjust hold hooks tight against head (no need for too tight) and scoot them inside with the top of your ear, then once that’s locked in try to do the same with the bottom part inside your ear. After some practice it’s pretty seamless, just know all kinds of buttons will be pushed so don’t connect them to your phone yet. The buttons won’t get pushed anymore once inside the helmet. As far as audio quality in the helmet: Nearly indistinguishable from the AirPods. Previously I was testing these in a windy area, so I think that influenced it, but when completely sealed in my helmet away from noise, they sound great. Again, just a slight feeling of brighter highs on some stuff, but it doesn’t bother me. The helmet gives a much better seal, noice cancelling, and pushes them closer to your ear to resolve all the major sound quality issues. I think the main issue is when exposed to outside noise, the transparency mode and noise cancelling don’t deliver the best audio, which could be because they’re less refined than the AirPods. But once in helmet they feel very secure. As far as taking off the helmet with the earbuds, I haven’t found a comfortable solution yet, but I think I am close. For now I have a far easier strategy: take earbuds off while helmet is on, then take helmet off. It’s easy to pick one earbud at a time out the helmet by tilting your head or the straps. Also I found out it does indeed charge via MagSafe, but it doesn’t hold onto the puck, so it can make aligning it/keeping it on difficult. If you don’t care about adaptive mode, compactness, reliable MagSafe charging, extensive Findmy features, and are using inside a helmet, I’d highly recommend these over the AirPods Pro 2. I’d keep these if I could have two earbuds: one for helmet and one for outside helmet. But right now I can only have one pair, and I won’t go with these due to being picky about the audio quality/sound modes when outside the helmet. I also wish the MagSafe charging and Findmy was a bit better. The health integration being lackluster was underwhelming too, but I don’t need it for that.

I recently returned apple ear pods as I found them extremely uncomfortable. I've had the beats headset style for years and love so thought id try the new Pro 2 version as I wanted something smaller for travel. First of all, I cannot say enough about this amazing orange color, it's so nice. They come with 5 tips and the small option fits great so far. I'm not getting discomfort or the feeling that something foreign is in my ear. Sound is what you'd expect from beats- great base. The one thing with beats (both mine are the noise cancelling) I find people around you can hear the music. I also find the buttons much easier to use compared to the apple pods. I would suggesting playing around with the tips for the right fit, you won't get noise cancelling without a good fit, I see some negative reviews on this and is was my initial thought too but then changed the tips and much better. My SO is a tech guy and he is really impressed with the quality. This is my first day with them and I know they were just released. Will update my review after more use. Although they are expensive, so far I'm much happier with these than the apples ones I had purchased and would recommend.

You have to try a range of the silicone tips to get a good fit. Use the Apple Ear Tip Fit Test (go in via Bluetooth and scroll down to find the test) to see which size is best and to make sure the silicone tips are inserted properly. Makes a huge difference! My ears are small and so I tried the earbuds that came with and the two smallest sizes. The sound was tinny and I was about to return them with much disappointment. In desperation, on my treadmill, watching a show with scratchy sound, I put in the large silicone tips and yes, just yes. The sound is very good. The Apple Ear Tip Fit Test verified that this is the best size for me to get a good seal. And as I de-layer during workouts, they stay in my ears! Winter hats are another one where an AirPod will get stuck in my hair or fall on the ground. These are perfect.

Everything about them is pretty good if you’re not a sound Nerd. One downside is the case, it’s bulky and feels very very cheap in terms of quality. Doesn’t have that dense and solid feel that the AirPods did. The earbuds themselves are amazing, comfortable, and do their job

Extremely uncomfortable and a poor fit with any of the five included ear tip sizes. Also they could not have put the buttons in a worse spot. You cannot touch the headphones to adjust them in your ear in any way whatsoever without pressing one of the buttons. The Powerbeats Pro version 1 was far superior in every single way, except for they didn't have noise canceling. Oh! And these built-in heart rate monitors that claim to be the best in the world, they don't work with your iPhone. Well done Apple. They only work with third-party apps and gym equipment. So if you download the Nike run app, they work. But only through that app. So as you can see, they are capable of working through the iPhone, but Apple chooses not to let you use them. 0/5 stars. I would not buy these. In fact, I'm returning them.

My husband ordered these Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 headphones for my birthday gift and I was SO EXCITED! Beats Powerbeats are the only headphones I like and I was so sad when my last pair stopped working. These headphones are even better than my last pair of beats! The main reason I love these so much is how they fit in my ear. They feel very lightweight and also stay on my ear! I use these for exercising, and for when I’m cleaning and they always stay in great. The battery life is also another reason I love these headphones so much! I wear them for hours before having to charge them. They are very stylish and chic, and the color I’m obsessed with! Couldn’t be happier with these headphones!