It also helps that the Pro buds are extremely comfortable, and not just in terms of how they fit in and around the ear, but also in terms of how they feel when you’re listening to music. Okay, I'll get one minor caveat out of the way first. For voice calls, Siri use and the kind of all-day wearability that a lot of people today look for from buds, Powerbeats Pro are good… However, their deep fit means they can't be used in the same way as AirPods (and the various AirPod imitators and rip-offs). You aren't left with much situational awareness with two Powerbeats Pro inserted, although you can opt to just use one at a time which does improve that. Inside the box you’ll also find a small Lightning to USB Cable plus a soft carrying case and directions for the earbuds, though setup is as simple as holding them near an iOS device or pairing them via the power button to an Android device. You’ll also be made frustratingly aware of all of these issues when you take the Beats Powerbeats Pro with you on any form of public transit—for all its other features, the Powerbeats Pro still don’t offer noise-cancellation. My for Powerbeats Pro requires an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 14.5 or later, iPad with iPadOS 14.5 or later, or Mac with macOS Big Sur 11.3 or later. Customers must have an Apple ID and be signed into their iCloud account with Find My enabled.

footnote1While using included USB-C cable with a compatible USB-enabled source device. Requires compatible lossless content from supported apps/services. Not all content is available in lossless format. app requires Android 8.0 or later. App is available on the Google Play Store and on beatsbydre.com. The connection on the PowerBeats is strong throughout their use – although we did have a couple of issues with them during the test. It only occurred on a run in -6C (21.2F) temperature, but twice the PowerBeats just shut off and needed to be re-paired with the iPhone 7 Plus to get music playing again.Given the fact these headphones are designed to work so well with products in the Apple ecosystem, it won’t be a surprise if future models are Lightning-connected instead. hardware and software required. Works with compatible content in supported apps. Not all content available in Dolby Atmos.

One issue with the design of the Beats Powerbeats Pro is that they do jut out of the ears a bit, and don’t have quite the same low-profile look as the Apple AirPods.The bass is higher than you’ll find on many other headphones, but not to an insane level – the buds don’t reverberate in your ears, just give more of a fullness to what you’re listening to. In terms of sound quality, the Powerbeats have a decently wide soundstage and good overall clarity in the entire audio spectrum. They match what we've heard from other earbuds around this price point but there are certainly cheaper, better-sounding alternatives out there if you're an audiophile.