Powerbeats: big sound for smaller price than Pro
POWERBEATS are well known for big sound in a small package and the latest iteration has an even better feature – a much smaller price than its Pro counterpart.
The sounds you get in the latest $219 model are pretty much the same as the Pro – just without the charging case.
And if you’re on the move, chasing your super energetic dog as I have been lately, the neck cable is a welcome addition to ensure you don’t lose your music in the pursuit.
I definitely prefer the feel and comfort of the Pro model without the cable but apart from a few adjustments mid walk or run every now and then, it’s no deal breaker.
The earhooks are easy enough to put over your ears though a little more complicated with glasses.
You have four different eartips to ensure you get the right fit which is just as important for the audio result as comfort.
Bluetooth connection to your phone or tablet is easy enough and there’s full controls via Siri for iOS devices via the integrated Apple H1 headphone chip.
You can also change tracks, activate voice assistance or take a call via the button controls on each earphone while the separate volume rocker makes music level adjustments easy. The sound is good, almost too good for the price, with a decent dynamic range and low distortion.
On a windy day’s walk, I was pleasantly surprised at how uninterrupted my music was by the external sounds.
When you’re on a call, dual beamforming microphones and a speech-detecting accelerometer target your voice and filter out external noise.
Powerbeats offer up to 15 hours of listening time which means you’re not having to plug them in that often to recharge. And if you forget to charge them, five minutes will give you enough for up to an hour of playback.
Powerbeats retail for $219.95 versus $349.95 for Powerbeats Pro. Both products have 12mm drivers for sound, are IPX4 water and sweat resistant. The Powerbeats with cable are 6g heavier at 26.3g.
Mark Furler