Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds – Noise Cancelling, Heart Rate Monitor, IPX4, Up to 45H Battery & Charging Case, Works with Apple & Android – Electric Orange

How do they compare to the Fit Pro and original Powerbeats Pro for athletes?
PROS:Better, more custom fit in the ears (at least for me) than the original Powerbeats Pro.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 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 I wish that the sound were richer and more immersive).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.

A HUGE improvement over the originals…but…
I had the original Powerbeats Pro for about 2 years, and man, did I enjoy those earbuds. Though I loved the hooks, the problem was that after a while, the hooks weren’t helping the earbuds stay in place because I sweat so much that the earpiece itself kept popping out. Not sure if that’s a testament to my sweat or just that those weren’t the best fit for me.Fast forward years later, now we have the Powerbeats 2, and I was absolutely excited to get my hands on these. I went with orange because black and white are overdone, and purple isn’t my color really, but orange looked unique. After giving them a run through and wearing them around for a couple hours, here’s just a non-sound professional “every-man” review:1. Packaging is nice. I mean, standard issue Beats with some Apple flair. Though these are wireless charging compatible, the fact that they don’t include a USB C charging cable..,I mean, c’mon…what are we doing. Seriously? How do you not include a USB C cable for people who don’t have a wireless charger? Psst, hey, Applebeats…not everyone is fully wireless with qi chargers. Some folks don’t want it. Stop trying to make it a thing when there are plenty of people who still prefer cables.2. The case feels nice ot the touch. Smooth, almost like…velvety. I don’t know how else to put it, but I think it feels…nicer. I wish I knew how else to describe it.3. Speaking of the case, the case is NOTICEABLY smaller in the hand. I mean, yeah, of course it’s bigger than the AIrPod Pro/2 and all, but a Powerbeats case that isn’t a cinderblock you may keep in your pocket? I dig it.4. Also, the case itself opens REALLY easily. I’ve never had a case that opens as easily or as smoothly as this one does. Most cases require a little force to open, but this case literally feels like it GLIDES open. It’s nice, but it also makes me worry that if I dropped the case, it may pop open easily as well.5. The earhooks are noticeably tighter. I know there are a lot of reviewers on YouTube who say these are super soft and comfortable, but if I’m being honest (and I have no reason to lie about these), the earhooks did cause me a little discomfort after a couple of hours. The hooks wrap tightly enough around the ear, but at the same time, because of the clamping force against the back of your ear, the back part of the hook may end up getting a little sore because part of the hook keeps pressing hard against the back of your ear.. Maybe it’s me, but some folks who may have more physically. sensitive ears may not like this for prolonged sessions.I also like how they don’t stick out TOO far on the side. I prefer that my earbuds stay close to my head, almost flush if possible. These defintely do that.6. The sound is standard Beats, but definitely improved. Nice bass, some mids, good (enough) trebles. As many YouTube reviewers have stated, you don’t get these for the best in sound quality — you get them because you need good headphones with decent sound that will stay on your ears, while also energizing you to get that next rep, while also playing nice within the Apple ecosystem. I found I actually enjoyed using the spatial audio on these because for earbuds as they sound remarkably clear (to me anyway). I’m a fan of spatial audio though, so take that for what it’s worth.7. The tactile controls are nice, though you may find you might accidentally press the button from time to time, especially if you are changing out the eartips. Not a major thing, but I do like the tactile butons a LOT better than the touch controls that leave you wondering if your buds even picked up your taps. Nah, if you like physical buttons, then these have ’em and they feel pretty satisfying when you click them.8. I haven’t really tried out the heart rate sensor yet because I’m a little wary of that kind of sensor in my ear. Personally, I don’t see myself really caring for it, though I can see why some people do, especially folks who perhaps do a lot of cardiovascular work.Final thoughts: If you enjoyed the Powerbeats 1, and you like how Beats sound in terms of sound quality, then give these a whirl. You may like the hooks because they help keep the earbud better on the ear, despite some aforementioned soreness caused by the hook pressing against the back of your ear (does not happen to EVERYONE, but there are some out there for whom this is an issue, esp. in terms of comfort.). You may like the improved (imo) sound. You may even like how the case opens so smoothly and that they’re Beats, which plays very nicely with the Apple Ecosystem. If those are compelling reasons to get these, then go for it. If you are a sound connoisseur/professional who is always looking for a reason to dislike Beats, then you’ll probably find a reason or something to dislike these. You don’t have to listen to me, but I’m just saying how I feel about these as an everyday gym-goer/headphone user, and I like these enough that I look forward to my next lift while rocking these!The reason I deducted 1 star, to be clear, is simply because of the soreness from the hooks. A lot of reviewers say that the hooks are really soft…they kind of are, kind of are not, but I haven’t had them long enough to make a definitive statement whether or not this is an ongoing issue. This is just what I experienced, and others may not share the same experience. That said, hopefully this helps you decide! Cheers! (may update this review as time goes on)UPDATE:Just like the originals, if I make any kind of a facial expression or if I move my face muscles, then the earbud pops out. I don’t know what it is with these specific style of Powerbeats, but when I find that the left earbud wiggles itself out. Definitely a deal killer, and it’s a shame. I like the sound and I like the hooks (soreness aside). But I was doing bench press, and I found that the earbud just does not like to stay put.

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.

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.