Just like the original PowerBeats Pro, I picked up the PowerBeats Pro 2 on release day and have been using them as both my workout earphones, which is what I bought them for, and my primary earphones ever since. I wanted to do a review that compares the PowerBeats Pro 2 with their predecessors and the AirPods Pro 2. I also give some general thoughts after using these earphones for the past month in different scenarios.

Design and Fit

The PowerBeats Pro 2 received a major redesign from the original version that was released in 2019. After 6 years, you would hope that would be the case, but you never know with Apple/Beats. The shape of the earhook on the new model has a narrower shape than the old model. For me, this impacted how I put them on.

With version 1, I would put them in, then twist them backwards to really get a better seal. That doesn’t work with the shape of new ones.

With these, I put them on, then have to push them in my ear a bit more to get a better seal. It took me a minute to figure out why they sounded so bad.

The Powerbeats retain the physical buttons from the previous design, which are the volume rocker on top and outward facing physical “B” button to play or pause music. Holding that button is also how you toggle between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode, features which are new to the PowerBeats line.

While I love having these physical buttons, it can be a little tricky use the Beats button without uncomfortably pushing the earphone further into your ear. This feeling was a little better with updated design, but still kind of uncomfortable.

I wear glasses at least half of the day, and the PowerBeats Pro 2 still felt pretty comfortable. You’d think the glasses would get in the way of the ear hooks, but it’s actually fine.

The only place I ran into fit or comfort issues was using the PowerBeats with the Vision Pro. I use the Solo Knit Band, and the ear hook definitely gets in the way of the band. Its not unbearable, but it was uncomfortable enough that I won’t often, if ever, use these earphones with my Vision Pro again.

Case

The charging case is an another area where there’s been a fair amount of improvement.

First, there are a couple of easy wins. Wired charging goes from Lightning to USB-C. The case also gains wireless Qi charging support, which is a first for any Beats product.

Next, there were improvements to what were probably the biggest complaint about the case, its size.

The original case was huge. Almost comically large. And while the PowerBeats case is always going to be bigger than something like an AirPods case due to the shape of the earphones, the old case was prohibitively large. I generally keep the case with me in my pocket in case I need to re-sync the headphones (a problem I had with the first-gen AirPods). It never felt comfortable to do that with the PowerBeats Pro.

The new case is 33% smaller than the previous one, and significantly lighter as well. The weight difference is reminiscent of picking up an iPhone 5 after having an iPhone 4S. The case almost feels empty; it’s really striking. Hopefully, there are still some size improvements that can be made in future revisions, but I’m happy with the improvements we got this time around.

Another common complaint was with charging. With the PowerBeats Pro 1, if you didn’t seat the earphones just right, there was a good chance one or both of the earphones wouldn’t charge and would probably stay connected to your phone or tablet. The new case has much stronger magnets to pull the earphones in place and onto the charging contacts. I haven’t had a single instance of the earphones not being seated correctly.

On the other hand, I’ve noticed that there seem to be weaker magnets in the front of the case compared to the prior model. Why does this matter? Well, it contributes to the new case feeling somewhat flimsy when opening and closing it. I’ve had a couple of instances of setting the case down too hard or at the wrong angle, and the top just flies open. The earphones didn’t come out, but it was still annoying.

Despite my minor complaints, the case improvements get a big thumbs up from me.

Workouts

There are absolutely no surprises with the workout experience of the PowerBeats Pro 2. They are earhook style earphones, which means they aren’t going anywhere during strenuous activity. I’ve tested them while using free weights, weight machines, the treadmill and running outside. As with the previous PowerBeats, I had exactly zero concerns about them falling out or shifting around too much.

Thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s H2 chip, the PowerBeats Pro 2 add both Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode for the first time, and both features are very welcome. Other Beats headphones, like my beloved Beats Studio Pros, offer these features via Beats proprietary chipset, but the quality is much better with the H2.

I never realized how noisy my gym was until I could shut out most the noise. I’m honestly a little embarrassed that its taken me this long to bring noise-cancelling earphones to the gym. I guess that goes to show how much I enjoyed using the original PowerBeats Pro.

Transparency mode is useful when exercising outdoors and you want to remain more aware of your surroundings, like car or bike traffic.

Sound Quality

Sound quality is highly subjective, so take all of this with a grain of salt.

I find the PowerBeats Pro 2 to sound pretty similar to the original PowerBeats Pro. Some music sounds a little bit clearer, but not by a ton. For context, I mostly listen to R&B and Pop music streaming with Apple Music. Bass is still pretty pronounced, but it’s not overpowering, just like pretty much all Beats products since Apple acquired them. They aren’t the best sounding earphones I’ve used, but I don’t have much to complain about. I still prefer the sound of over-ear headphones, when given the choice.

Battery Life

A quick note on battery life, the PowerBeats Pro 2 are rated for up to 10 hours of playback per charge. With my normal usage patterns, I almost never notice their battery life, since they go back in the case between workouts.

However, since I did test the PowerBeats as everyday earphones as well, I can confirm they last much longer than my AirPods Pro 2, and it’s been nice to have that extra time.

My AirPods Pro 2 last around 3.5 hours when using them with Vision Pro, but the PowerBeats Pro 2 were able to go at least six hours with no issue, and were not completely drained.

Vs. AirPods Pro 2

You could sum up this comparison as the “almost, but not quite” section. Even though the PowerBeats Pro 2 are closer in feature set to the AirPods Pro 2, the entire package isn’t quite at the level of the AirPods.

The PowerBeats overall sound very good, but not as good as the AirPods Pro. The bass is more pronounced in the PowerBeats, but to me, the AirPods have an overall richer sound. The noise cancellation is comparable to the AirPods, but not quite as good. Transparency mode, same story.

The PowerBeats, unsurprisingly, don’t get most of the new features that Apple has been adding to AirPods Pro 2, like Hearing Test and Hearing Aid support, as well as the Active Transparency mode that has really been a game changer for me. If I had to put a number on it, I’d say there’s a 15% delta between the quality of the AirPods Pro 2 and PowerBeats Pro 2, in these categories.

Vision Pro

The PowerBeats Pro 2 came with a benefit I was really anxious to try, and that’s support for lossless audio when paired with Apple Vision Pro. I own the AirPods Pro 2 with Lightning, so I haven’t been able to try this feature until now.

Going into it, I hoping, but not expecting to notice a difference in audio quality with lossless music annnnnnnd….I was right. I tested with streaming music and newly downloaded music with the lossless setting on, and my ears can’t discern any quality difference.

That’s not to say you wouldn’t notice a difference if you have better hearing than I do, but if you were looking at buying the PowerBeats Pro 2 to use with your Vision Pro for lossless audio, its not worth it.

Android Support

Beats continues to tout how their products have great support for both Apple and Android devices. In their more recent releases, that’s been accomplished by using a proprietary Beats developed chipset. Since the PowerBeats Pro 2 are using Apple’s H2 chip, they do work a little better with iOS devices than on Android, with iOS features like Find My integration and automatic heart rate monitoring when a workout is started. On Android, heart rate monitoring must be manual started and stopped.

On the other hand, I do like that the dedicated Beats app still exists on Android. This gives users a convienient place to configure all of the settings for their Beats as well as manually check for firmware updates, which you still can’t do on iOS.

The basics work just as well on both platforms, but this disparity is something to be aware of if you’re planning on using the PowerBeats with an Android device.

Other Issues

Since the PowerBeats Pro 2 were released a few issues have cropped up that are worth bringing up.

One, as pointed out by DC Rainmaker, it seems the PowerBeats Pro 2 can’t play music while built in heart rate sensor doesn’t work when sharing heart rate data with connected gym equipment. Presumably that’s a limitation with the bluetooth chips or Bluetooth profiles that chipset Beats is using supports.

Also noted in the above review, there are claims that some of the connected fitness apps on iOS that Beats advertised as working with the PowerBeats Pro 2, haven’t been working, like Strava and the Peloton app. Their Android app counterparts seem work without issue.

What’s most disappointing to me is that if you use your Apple Watch for tracking workouts in tandem with the PowerBeats, the heart rate sensor on the earphones defers to the readings from the watch. I was really hoping the software on iOS would be intelligent enough to merge the two datasets for a much richer and more robust set of readings from my workouts. Alas, that is not (yet?) to be.

Conclusion

If you’re coming from the original PowerBeats Pro, and you like them, the PowerBeats Pro 2 are really just more of what you love. Even with the somewhat flimsier case, the new PowerBeats check off so much of what was wrong with the previous model, they are an easy recommendation for fans of the originals.

Against the AirPods Pro 2, unfortunately, the PowerBeats Pro don’t stack up too well. The Power beats has some advantages, like different colors and the security of the earhook design. But the AirProds Pro 2 sounds better, has more features, and has better implemented features, like noise cancellation and transparency mode.

The PowerBeats Pro 2 retail for $249 and can be purchased from various retailers, including Amazon.