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I’m not a fan of hook style earbuds, but had to buy the Powerbeats Pro 2 since everyone’s raving about it. Just had to see if it’s really that good compared to the AirPods Pro 2. Obviously this is for a whole different demographic that’s fitter, sportier, which is the complete opposite of me. I am still trying to raise my testosterone levels. But even if you haven’t done a sit-up in years, what you could prefer about the Powerbeats Pro 2 is the fact that it’s also supported on Android devices with the Beats app, whereas the AirPods Pro 2 does require an iPhone for settings and updates. Key things to note about the Powerbeats Pro 2 is that it’s now got a heart rate sensor.

You simply have to start an activity with the Health app or other compatible apps to use it. It’s been redesigned to supposedly fit even better than the previous one, and a smaller wireless charging case. I got about 6 hours per charge with them, and Apple claims it’s got up to 45 hours with the case. It’s got the same H2 processor as the AirPods which has lower latency, personalized spatial audio, and it’s also the first Powerbeats to have active noise canceling, which we are going to compare against the AirPods Pro 2, as well as seeing which is better or worse at mic quality, sound and transparency mode. At the end I’m also going to share what I like and don’t like about it.

Microphone Quality Comparison

The Powerbeats Pro 2 has the same microphone setup as the AirPods Pro 2. I tested their zoom call performance with the iPhone’s Voice Isolation feature, with a direct voice recording. I tested it in both quiet and noisy conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind noise.

Well there are differences. During the Zoom call, the Powerbeats Pro 2 had my voice sounding a bit crisper in quiet conditions, but in noisy conditions, they were both quite comparable, with very aggressive voice isolation applied on the iPhone. On a direct voice recording, the Beats was a little less crisp, but its noise filtering seems to be a little cleaner and less aggressive than the AirPods.

👉Have a listen to the mic pickup samples

Active Noise Cancelling Comparison

In terms of active noise canceling, it’s more on the weak side. Even when I stuffed the buds into my ears, the noise canceling was only a little better, not as silent as the AirPods Pro 2. Even so, there is still a thin blanket of silence that lets you enjoy the audio at moderate volumes even in noisy places. Listen to how they compare to the AirPods Pro 2 in the following samples.

👉 Have a listen to the ANC samples

Transparency Mode

In terms of transparency mode, I got just about as much transparency from the Beats as I got from the AirPods, so you can expect amazing transparency that feels like you’re not wearing earbuds. The AirPods Pro 2 does amplify the upper mid range just a little more so it has that crisper, clearer sensation, but it’s just a teeny bit crisper.

Sound Quality

I don’t really like the way they sound out of the box. What’s great about them is that they sound clean, but they don’t have much meatiness in the bass, and there’s a bit of sibilance in the ‘S’ sounds. Tolerable, but I wouldn’t describe them as smooth sounding. The AirPods Pro 2 definitely sounds smoother and heavier in the vocals and bass registers. And no wonder, frequency sweeps show that the Powerbeats are very overemphasized in the mids and lower treble region, including this huge peak in the 1.3khz region, which is why vocals, and even higher pitched percussions like bells and cymbals sound hotter.

👉Have a listen to the sound samples

Verdict

Do I like the Powerbeats Pro 2 more than the AirPods? So far, not really. In spite of the obvious benefits of having that hook, I’ve never been a fan of this style of earbuds because I’ve got big ears, and the hook is pressing super tight over the top of my ears that it actually hurts after a while. Furthermore, I wear glasses so there’s even more weight applied there. But that aside, I didn’t like the way it sounded. Even with headphones accommodations and my audiogram, none of the presets made it sound fuller and heavier.

Its noise canceling is also not as strong as I had hoped. And even if its case is now smaller, it’s still pretty big and fat compared to the smallest TWS case in the market. For all these things, I do prefer the AirPods Pro 2. But the AirPods have certain weaknesses, for which fitness gurus might be happier going for the Powerbeats. The AirPods fall out super easily, and I don’t even have to be working out. I could simply bend over to pick something up and it’ll just fall off. This is where the hooks really help.

The Powerbeats button controls are also easier to work with, and they are fully supported on Android as well with an app. One other benefit of the Powerbeats is you can easily put third party eartips on them. They’ve got a generic nozzle, so they can even work with tips from other earbuds, not necessarily ones with a special bracket like the AirPods. So there are pros and cons to both, but I do prefer the AirPods Pro 2 in the end. But what do you think? Powerbeats Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 2?

If you want to check their latest prices on Amazon, links are below.

Check latest price:

Powerbeats Pro 2 - https://amzn.to/3QrbfkA

AirPods Pro 2 USB-C - https://amzn.to/3UoeJG8

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