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Beats Powerbeats Professional 2: Two-minute assessment
I will be frank (you possibly can nonetheless be no matter your identify is): lots has modified on the earth of Bluetooth audio since Could 2019. That is when the Powerbeats Professional 2’s forefathers burst onto the comparatively new true wi-fi earbuds scene and promptly cornered its fledgling athletic sub-genre.
The factor is, the wealth of dependable earbuds any of us can decide up now for as little as $20 had been inconceivable six years in the past, so the Powerbeats Professional 2 arrive as an attention-grabbing (fairly massive, cumbersome even) proposition. If their storied heritage didn’t exist, we would really query what Beats was doing releasing a set of earbuds with a big curling tail on one finish that doesn’t facilitate open-ear listening, however as an alternative features a extra conventional driver housing and neck for making a closed seal betwixt its ear-tip and your ear canal.
One would possibly argue that previously few years engineers have collected substantial information and used it to create concha-fit and droplet-shaped ergonomic driver housings, which suggests we not want arms for our earbuds – even for sports activities. We’d even suppose it odd for Beats to be pitching such a design at athletes – as a result of different vivid sparks have invented open-ear true wi-fi earbuds up to now 4 years, and these allow us to simply hear visitors or our coach’s voice as we work out.
However the Powerbeats Professional 2 get a corridor cross for many of this, owing to the love we nonetheless have for the then-groundbreaking inaugural Powerbeats Professional. I bear in mind the large video advert I noticed day by day at London’s Waterloo Station, that includes Serena Williams serving each appears and tennis aces whereas carrying an ice-white, Wimbledon-friendly set of Powerbeats Professional. These earbuds – which arrived earlier than the inaugural AirPods Professional and really, earlier than the ‘Professional’ suffix grew to become a mainstay of the audio vernacular – quickly appeared as iconic because the superstars who wore them.
So we should be asking not solely how the Powerbeats Professional 2 rise up in opposition to the best noise-cancelling earbuds geared toward common customers, however additionally how they examine to the best open ear headphones that till just lately had been the protect of athletes. OK, as a set of ‘common’ wi-fi earbuds, the case you will be toting round is sort of large – not fairly espresso coaster large, however shut. Nevertheless, when you’re an Apple Music subscriber the head-tracked spatial audio works very properly and the noise cancellation is sort of good; neither is pretty much as good as AirPods Professional 2 thoughts, however the spatial audio specifically is not far off. Slipping them on is not as fast a job as it’s with different earbuds, however as soon as on, if safety is your most important situation with Apple-styled ‘Pods you will be happy – these Beats ain’t going wherever. Additionally, at 10 hours from the buds and an extra 3.5 fees within the case (to equal a whopping 45-hour complete) the battery life is spectacular, though when you’re utilizing ANC or spatial audio it is 8 hours and a most playtime complete of 36 hours. For readability, you will solely get 5.5 – 7 hours out of your AirPods Professional 2 earlier than they want charging. Not unhealthy, eh?
Nevertheless, as a set of sports-focused earbuds that sit contained in the ear, a very good transparency mode is essential and regardless of Beats’ assurance that that is essentially the most natural-sounding transparency mode in any set of Beats earbuds (with the adaptive algorithm powered by the H2 chip updating over 200 occasions per second) I’ve heard many more practical transparency profiles – and easily turning ANC off is not one thing I might advise, since this listening profile provides to the already-slightly tinny points via the highest finish, making the soundstage just a little too ahead and candy total.
Value sensible, they’re additionally just a little scorching and heavy-handed. Regardless of arriving on the identical value as their older siblings, occasions have modified. You should purchase related designs for significantly much less now; you could not then.
However cease every little thing! We have to discuss issues of the guts. As a result of make no mistake, you must really feel prepared to put your coronary heart in Powerbeats Professional 2’s fingers right here, both through the Well being app or your appropriate, linked health app. Beats instructed me heart-rate monitoring had been on the corporate’s temper boards for inclusion since 2014 and the function’s debut right here is the results of properly over 4 years on the bench with engineers (and subsequently within the ears of over 1,000 real-world athletes for testing).
What I can inform you is that the heart-rate monitor is right here now, superbly applied in sure third-party apps when linked with Apple’s Well being app. And due to the heart beat readings, the super-secure match and the wonderful battery life, you might be ready to forgive the few shortcomings I’ve talked about up to now, plus a few sonic shortfalls I’ve but to get into.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Value & launch date
- Unveiled on February 13, 2025
- Priced $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.95
How typically can a product are available on the identical $249.99 / £249.99 / AU$399.95 payment as its 2019 counterpart and nonetheless not be thought of nice worth? Merely put, competitors has introduced costs proper down. Lately, $100 / £100 is top-end for inclusion in our best budget wireless earbuds information, and something above that goes into mid-range and flagship territory.
So for a quick comparability on the earth of ‘common’ buds, Bose’s QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are available at $299 / £299 / AU$449 and Technics’ outstanding EAH-AZ100 are additionally in the identical ballpark, at $299 / £259 / AU$499. Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 at the moment price round $199 / £199 / AU$349. Sports activities-focused choices typically are available a good method beneath these sorts of figures (the Shokz OpenFit Air arrived in summer season 2024 with a $149 / £119 price-tag for instance) though the Bose Ultra Open buck the reasonably priced development – they’ll now be yours for the same $249 / £249 / AU$349.95, having arrived at $50 greater than that.
All of that is meals for thought, however remember that not one of the choices I’ve listed above can monitor your heart-rate…
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Specs
|
Drivers |
9.5mm dual-layer driver |
|
Energetic noise cancellation |
Sure |
|
Battery life |
As much as 10 hrs (buds), as much as 45hr complete |
|
Weight |
7g per earbud |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.3 (Apple H2 chip), USB-C and wi-fi charging |
|
Waterproofing |
IPX4 |
|
Different options |
Coronary heart-rate monitor, head-tracked spatial audio |
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Options
- Coronary heart-rate monitoring is beneficial – except you utilize an Apple Watch
- Spatial audio with head-tracking enhances commutes
- Disappointing IPX4 splash-proof ranking
Let’s begin with the ticker-taker. It isn’t a brand new idea as I’ve already talked about – Beats wished to incorporate it again in 2014 – however it’s been a very long time in growth. The tiny sensor on the helm in Powerbeats Professional 2 (which is derived from the Apple Watch, however is definitely 1/sixteenth of the dimensions of the sensor within the Apple Watch Series 10) incorporates a photodiode, an optical lens, an accelerometer and an LED sensor, however Beats admits that this element “wasn’t that minuscule at first”. And whereas the ear is definitely a terrific place to entry your pulse, getting a sensor small, mild and correct sufficient to put on comfortably in a headshell was a “lengthy, arduous course of”.
Properly, it is right here now – and when you’re not utilizing anything, it is good. You should be carrying each earbuds to get a studying, as a result of once you do, that inexperienced LED mild sensor in every earpiece pulses over 100 occasions per second, then measures the sunshine mirrored again to calculate what number of occasions your coronary heart is thrashing per minute.
Accessing the function might sound just a little restricted and even disappointing at first (there is not any juicy ‘Coronary heart-rate’ bubble in your iPhone Management Heart once you click on via, as I may need hoped) however it’s because the Powerbeats Professional 2 are actually meant to solely begin taking readings once you start a exercise, fairly than to always monitor your pulse all through the day or everytime you select to summon a studying. That stated, you possibly can dig into your iPhone’s Well being app, then both faucet Browse on the backside proper > Coronary heart > Coronary heart Fee to name up a dwell determine, or go to Abstract on the backside left > Present All Well being Information > Coronary heart Fee, to see a graph of your dwell coronary heart charge. However actually, you are meant to be in coaching and with a third-party health app. The one at the moment supported one I exploit is Nike Run Membership, however as soon as you’ve got linked the app and given the mandatory permissions in Settings, it really works a deal with.
It is value noting two issues: when you put on an Apple Watch whereas utilizing the Beats, the Watch readings are all the time prioritized, and secondly, Powerbeats Professional 2 do not work with Apple Fitness Plus but (which suggests no Strava assist, ie. the one I might actually prefer it to work with). On the time of writing, heart-rate monitoring in Powerbeats Professional 2 is obtainable in these iOS apps: Peloton, Slopes, Ladder, Open, Runna, YaoYao, and Nike Run Membership, so loads of actions are lined.
In the event you’re on Android, it is completely different once more (and arguably, higher). Right here, the function will work with any health app that helps coronary heart charge monitoring, you simply have to manually begin every coaching session with a double faucet and maintain on both earbud.
On each iOS and Android, you possibly can flip the ticker-taker off within the settings, when you simply don’t desire it taking readings.
Now, on to Personalised Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and dynamic head-tracking. That is Apple’s 360-degree sound tech that adjusts the audio based mostly on the form of your ears, head, and – when you toggle it on – utilizing your Apple machine as a supply so the audio has a hard and fast level of origin (and strikes between every ear as you progress your head in direction of stated supply machine). I actually charge this in Powerbeats Professional 2, because of the strong match and seal the design promotes, significantly when listening to extra acoustic tracks. Need to hear how good it’s? Strive listening to Sam Fender’s Arm‘s Size and holding your machine at arm‘s size. Good, no?
The Powerbeats Professional 2 solely assist lossless audio with ultra-low latency on Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional, so whereas high-resolution is feasible on these earbuds, it is an costly route – and I don’t personal a Imaginative and prescient Professional headset (however depart a remark when you’ve examined it – I might like to know whether or not there is a notable uptick in audio high quality).
Name high quality? It is good: Powerbeats Professional 2 have a complete of six microphones (three per earpiece) and callers all through my testing stated I sounded very clear and, on one event, “significantly empathetic”. Beats says there’s machine learning-based noise isolation tech at play, so callers will hear your voice at its finest, aided by a voice accelerometer to detect once you’re talking and thus improve readability. What I can inform you is that when you take calls typically in your earbuds, you will be happy right here.
Different notable options embrace the choice to customize what a press-and-hold of the bodily ‘b’ button does on every earpiece (between Siri and noise management features), computerized ear detection, Discover My to find a misplaced earbud in iOS (you possibly can choose which earbud you’d prefer to emit a beeping noise if it is round the home, or see the place they’re on a map) and Discover My Beats on Android through the companion app. However there is not any U1 chip within the charging case – and no speaker inbuilt as there’s in AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4’s charging nests, so the case itself is silent. There’s additionally an ear tip match take a look at that’s really fairly choosy; I needed to regulate to smaller ear tricks to get the inexperienced mild in each ears, even once I personally felt like I had it proper.
As any AirPods proprietor will know, there is not any multi-point connectivity in Apple earbuds – and that hasn’t modified right here. You may ‘share’ the audio you are listening to in your Powerbeats Professional 2 to different Beats or Apple earbuds within the neighborhood utilizing Apple’s proprietary Share Audio possibility, however make no mistake, your Powerbeats Professional 2 can solely be paired to 1 supply machine at a time. You additionally can’t tweak the EQ on a devoted tab with the Powerbeats Professional 2 – though on iOS, you possibly can go into your iPhone’s settings > Apps > Music > EQ to tweak issues just a little.
Lastly (and I am placing this beneath ‘options’ fairly than ‘design’ since any sports-specific earbuds actually should deal with sturdiness) there is a considerably disappointing IPX4 ranking for the earpieces, and the case is neither water- nor sweat-resistant in any respect. What meaning is that whereas carrying the buds for sweaty exercises needs to be tremendous (the Powerbeats Professional 2 will survive mild rain, humid environments and splashes of water), they completely positively can’t be submerged within the drink, which appears at odds with their, er… athleticism. And it isn’t that it might probably’t be finished: Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earpieces boast an IP57 ranking, that means they’re going to survive a 30 minute full submersion in water as much as a depth of 1 meter.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Sound high quality
- Energetic and forward-sounding – nearly to a fault
- Slightly tinny in some profiles; overwhelmed by the unique Powerbeats Professional for bass weight
- Turning off noise-canceling negatively impacts the sound
This isn’t fairly the glowing reward that long-term followers of Beats’ Powerbeats Professional may need been hoping for. A 3.5-star ranking for sound high quality just isn’t unhealthy and make no mistake, the sound right here just isn’t with out advantage, however this can be a big and hotly-anticipated seventh-iteration Beats earbuds product and the heavily-leaked follow-up to the long-lasting Powerbeats Professional, almost six years on. And I’ve to do my job: the sound is not glorious – and never simply because solely the comparatively lowly SBC and AAC codecs are supported (ie. no hi-res audio, except you are utilizing them with the Imaginative and prescient Professional).
Maybe partially as a result of the motive force is smaller than within the authentic Powerbeats Professional (a 9.5mm dual-layer driver versus 12mm within the originals) the sound very completely different, and just a bit extra constricted. Deploying noise cancellation offers the Professional 2 the very best likelihood to shine, and right here, with dynamic head-tracked spatial audio additionally toggled on, there’s separation and a wholesome serving of element in Tom Petty’s textured vocal in Free Fallin’, with guitar strings grazing every ear and a bridge as dynamically abrupt and agile as I bear in mind. Nonetheless, cue up Gunna’s One in all Wun and the smouldering monitor is notably moodier, fuller and extra resonant via the low finish in each AirPods Professional 2 and my Technics EAH-AZ100. Pay attention with the Technics and I am dropped into the combo; swap to the Beats and I am just a bit bit above it, desirous to get caught into the bass just a little extra.
The prolonged acoustic guitar intro in Rod Stewart’s Maggie Could (often known as ‘Henry’ and performed by Martin Quittenton) has power and pep – there is not any faulting the Powerbeats Professional 2 for timing throughout the frequencies – however because the monitor continues, the forward-focused nature of the Powerbeats Professional 2 fairly over-emphasises the keys and mandolin within the higher mids, even making Rod-the-Mod’s voice sound a contact tinny. And sadly, issues do not enhance once you flip noise-canceling off, which seems to warmth the soundstage up a notch, as if we’re listening on cassette tape. Cue up the transparency mode and it helps quash the marginal sweetness, however throughout a run I merely did not really feel like sufficient ambient noise filtered in – and there is not any option to tweak the degrees of filtering in (or being nixed) right here fairly than ‘Transparency’, ‘Off’, or ‘Noise cancellation’.
- Sound high quality rating: 3.5/5
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Design
- A triumph for safety (and for on-ear quantity tweaks)
- Case is smaller, however nonetheless large by right this moment’s requirements
- They take a number of seconds to suit – particularly when you put on glasses
I’ve talked about the marginally disappointing ‘solely splash-proof’ IPX4 ranking, in order that’s out of the best way. I’ve additionally praised the up-to-45-hour stamina, which is a large plus. Aside from that, there’s lots to have a good time within the design division.
Stated design (together with the case, which may now cost wirelessly) is sort of large by right this moment’s requirements, however the Powerbeats Professional 2 are solely as large as among the finest open-fit earbuds – the sort with the arm that slinks round your ear. Actually, you would be forgiven for considering that is an open-fit pair of earbuds given their measurement, however they are not – and for me, it is certainly one of their greatest strengths.
In 2025, it is a very uncommon proposition. Every earpiece additionally has a bodily quantity rocker on the bar above the ‘b’-branded driver housing and since nothing works as constantly and reliably as bodily buttons (possibly you are carrying gloves ‘trigger you are snowboarding; possibly your telephone’s in your equipment bag) it is a wonderful choice. It additionally means you are not fidgeting with a number of presses of a most important multi-function button to modify quantity, which, as anybody used to this is aware of, can typically imply unintended monitor skips or Siri piping up.
And the reward retains coming! The colorways are glorious (see the ‘electrical orange’ and ‘hyper purple’ colorways in addition to your extra commonplace black and ‘fast sand’ grey) and regardless of squeezing in that heart-rate monitor, Beats has made the Powerbeats Professional 2 mild, very comfy and unmovable. I attempted to dislodge them throughout aerial hoop and silks coaching, spinning upside-down at speeds I’ve no enterprise making an attempt as of late, they usually by no means even moved. Added to the additional pair of ear ideas within the field, to equal 5 fairly than 4 (the ear tip match take a look at will not allow you to off evenly both), they’re actually among the most well-fitting earbuds I’ve ever examined.
The one draw back to all this safety? Becoming them requires just a little bit of labor and when you’re somebody who tends to depart the home in a rush, you would possibly end up reaching for earbuds you possibly can throw in and go. In contrast to open-ear choices, you do want to ensure the Powerbeats Professional 2’s headshell is correctly in your ear, then snake the arm round your ear, then twist every little thing again in direction of your crown, to lock it in. I typically discovered myself by accident urgent playback buttons whereas doing this or dropping one if I did not sit calmly to carry out these duties, particularly since I put on glasses to take a look at my display screen (and the arms of your glasses sit in the identical spot because the arms of the Powerbeats Professional 2, behind the ear). The factor is, if safety is your most important situation, it is value it. In the end, the design right here remains to be a success with me.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Worth
- Glorious battery life
- Coronary heart-rate monitor is a present USP
- Sonically they are often overwhelmed for the cash
At $249 / £249, the Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 aren’t low cost for a sports-focused set of earbuds – and certainly in opposition to Apple’s AirPods lineup, contemplating Apple now makes its new AirPods 4 for simply $129. However the Powerbeats Professional 2 do include a ticker-taking sensor no different AirPods can at the moment boast, and stamina ranges that far exceed something most earbuds can boast.
For me, the design is certainly one of this proposition’s greatest strengths; to others, the case could also be just a little large for the category of 2025. They are not successful any awards sonically both – however the audio efficiency is a step up on a lot of the cheaper, sub-$100 wi-fi buds in the marketplace once you deploy noise cancellation and dynamic head-tracked spatial audio. As all the time, it is a matter of priorities.
Truthfully, I by no means thought I might suggest a product that may’t boast top-tier sound. However these earbuds go on for hour after hour, take your heart-rate and really feel super-secure in your ears, so right here we’re…
Ought to I purchase the Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment:
|
Part |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Options |
The guts-rate monitor takes the limelight, however head-tracked spatial audio and enviable stamina are additionally value noting |
4/5 |
|
Sound high quality |
Of all their skills, sound high quality is middling with the Powerbeats Professional 2 |
3.5/5 |
|
Design |
A number of the best-fitting and safe earbuds I’ve ever worn |
4.5/5 |
|
Worth |
For stamina and safety, they’re nice worth. If sound is king, much less so |
4/5 |
Purchase them if…
Do not buy them if…
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 assessment: Additionally contemplate
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 |
JBL Reside Beam 3 |
Cambridge Audio Melomania M100 |
Bose QuietComfort Extremely Earbuds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Value |
$249 / £249 / AU$499 |
$199.95 / £179.99 / AU$249 |
$219 / £169 / AU$299 |
$299 / £299 / AU$449 |
|
Drivers |
9.5mm dual-layer |
10mm dynamic |
10mm driver, recycled Neodymium magnets |
10mm |
|
Energetic noise cancellation |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
Sure |
|
Quoted battery life |
As much as 10 hours (buds); 45 hours (case) |
As much as 12 hours (buds), as much as 48hours complete |
10 hours (buds) 33 hours complete (with case) with ANC on |
6 hours (buds) 24 hours complete (with case) |
|
Weight |
9g per earbud |
5g per earbud |
6.65g per earbud |
6.24g per earbud |
|
Connectivity |
Bluetooth 5.3 with SBC and AAC codec assist |
Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC, USB-C, |
Bluetooth 5.3, aptX Lossless, aptX Adaptive, AAC, SBC (USB-C and wi-fi charging) |
Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C, aptX Adaptive, Snapdragon Sound |
|
Frequency vary |
Not acknowledged |
20Hz – 40kHz |
Not acknowledged |
Not acknowledged |
|
Waterproofing |
Splash-proof, IPX4 |
Sure, IP55 |
Sure, IPX4 |
Sure, IPX4 |
|
Different options |
Coronary heart-rate monitoring, six mics in complete, Apple’s spatial audio with head-tracking |
Match take a look at, six-mics per bud, good display screen case, three spatial audio profiles |
Triple core processor structure; class A/B amplification; three mics per earbud with noise suppression for calls |
Excessive efficiency audio mode |
How I examined the Beats Powerbeats Professional 2
- Examined for 2 weeks; listened in opposition to the AirPods 4, AirPods Professional 2, Cambridge Audio Melomania M100, Technics EAH_AZ100, JBL Reside Beam 3, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Extremely
- Used at work, at residence, throughout aerial coaching and on a seashore in Florida
- Listened to Tidal, Apple Music and Spotify on an iPhone 12 Professional, a Sony Xperia 1 V and a MacBook Professional
The Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 grew to become my musical journey companions for 2 full weeks – after a radical 48-hour run-in interval. They accompanied me whereas working errands (quick strolling; on the London Underground community), at residence and all through a browsing trip in Florida – though they by no means joined me within the water (they are not waterproof, you see).
To higher take a look at the match and safety of the Powerbeats Professional 2, I wore them throughout a very upside-down aerial silks coaching session, a lyra (aerial hoop) class and a pole class, they usually did not budge as soon as.
To check the audio high quality throughout the frequencies, I consulted TechRadar’s reference playlists (spanning every little thing from electro-pop to blues) on Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal, but in addition to podcasts and albums on Spotify, and YouTube tutorials (largely about easy methods to bleed automobile brake pads, in case you had been ) on my MacBook Professional.
I’ve been testing audio merchandise for simply over six years now. As a dancer, aerialist and musical theater performer in a earlier life, sound high quality, the general consumer expertise and safety have all the time been non-negotiable markers for me – and having heard how efficient (and stress-relieving) ANC might be when the anti-phase tech is completed properly, I’ve grown to find it irresistible.
- First reviewed: February 2025