Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Review: The AirPods Pro Killer for Sports?

Powerbeats Pro 2: Prices and availability

The Powerbeats Pro 2 have been officially available since February 11, 2025, and cost $249.99 in the Apple Store and at selected retailers. They are available in four colors: Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electric Orange. In addition to Apple, retailers such as Amazon also offer the headphones, making it worth your while to keep an eye out for offers or check back here at nextpit regularly. We are always on the ball to report the best deals.

Special Underwire Shape for a Great Fit

The Powerbeats Pro 2 rely on a proven but greatly improved earhook, which has been reinforced with a nickel-titanium alloy. This not only provides additional stability but also noticeably better wearing comfort.

With 20 % less weight compared to its predecessor, the earpieces are barely noticeable even when worn for several hours. There is also a large selection of ear tips (XS, S, M, L, XL), which is a great advantage, especially for users with less than "standard ears," such as me, for example.

During sports, the earpieces sit absolutely securely – even intensive training or fast movements don't upset them. This is a clear advantage over the 2nd generation AirPods Pro, which tend to fall out when bending over, sprinting, or cycling on uneven routes through the Bolivian mountains or along the streets of Berlin.

The charging case is significantly more compact than its predecessor, making it more suitable for everyday use. Wireless Qi charging and a modern USB-C format round off the design.

Powerbeats Pro 2: Sound quality and ANC

The sound quality of the Powerbeats Pro 2 is very good. The specially developed dual-diaphragm transducer delivers a balanced sound with rich bass, clear mids, and razor-sharp highs. Compared to the AirPods Pro 2, the Powerbeats Pro 2 wins in terms of sound.

Beats offers 3D audio with head tracking on its Powerbeats Pro 2: the surround sound felt very natural, just like the AirPods Pro, and is a real boon for immersive listening.

The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is the best that Beats has ever built into its in-ear headphones – according to the manufacturer! In reality, it is good, but not at the level of high-end over-ear models such as the Sony WH-1000XM5 (review) or the AirPods Pro Max (review). The ANC reduced plenty of ambient noise effectively but is not the absolute top class.

One highlight is the combination of ANC and the perfect fitting earpieces: While I often had the problem with the AirPods Pro 2 (review) where the tiny inserts didn't provide enough shielding and large ones didn't fit well, this worked much better with the Powerbeats Pro 2. The in-ear earpieces sealed off outside sound out well, which is also due to the overall shape of the fit with the ear hooks.

Transparency mode, on the other hand, has room for improvement: it sounds natural, but sometimes you get the feeling that some frequencies are attenuated. Conversations are easy to understand, but the volume is lower than without wearing a pair of headphones.

There is a small "but" when it comes to supported Bluetooth codecs: While Sony and other manufacturers now rely on LDAC or LHDC, the Powerbeats Pro 2 stick with AAC and SBC. This is not a problem for iPhone users in particular, as AAC works perfectly on Apple devices. However, anyone who uses an Android smartphone and values Hi-Res audio may be bothered by the lack of LDAC support.

Powerbeats Pro 2: Telephony and heart rate measurement (!)

Making calls with the Powerbeats Pro 2 worked really well – even in (moderate) wind or while riding on a bike. Beats used an advanced microphone setup with six microphones and beamforming technology that effectively suppresses background noise. To stick to my bicycle example: My regular conversation partners didn't realize that I was just sitting on my bike with lots of traffic going on around me.

Up to a speed of around 20 to 25 km/h on the bike, voice quality was excellent. Beyond that, however, the system reaches its limits, and it becomes more difficult for the other person to understand your speech.

The controls are haptic-based and well-thought-out. However, there are a few things to remember:

• Tap once: Pause or accept music
• Tap twice: Next song
• Tap three times: Previous song
• Long press: Switch ANC/transparency mode
• Tap + hold twice: Begin heart rate measurement

Yes, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are one of those rare headphones with integrated heart rate measurement. The in-ear earpieces measure your heart rate using PPG sensors in the ear and can forward the data to apps such as Nike Run Club, Peloton, or Strava. Fitness fans will love this feature, especially as heart rate measurement in the ear is even more reliable than taking measurements via the wrist. While the blood flow in wrists is partially restricted during activities like burpees and other similar movements, resulting in inaccurate heart rate measurements, I can't currently think of any exercises that involve the ear canal.

Endurance Runner? How Long does the Battery Last?

The battery life of the Powerbeats Pro 2 is quite impressive and should be more than sufficient for most users. The earpieces themselves offer a maximum runtime of up to ten hours before they need to be placed in the charging case.

If the included charging case is used, the total battery life increases to up to 45 hours, so you can easily go several days without recharging. However, if you use Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) all the time, you can expect a slightly shorter runtime. In this case, the total playtime with the charging case is around 36 hours.

Fast charging is built in for those in a hurry: Just five minutes of charging time is enough to get the earpieces ready for around one and a half hours of music playback. It takes around two hours to fully charge the case and earpieces. Thanks to the wireless charging function, you can also charge the case conveniently using a Qi charging pad.

Questions and Answers about the Powerbeats Pro 2

Are the Powerbeats Pro 2 waterproof?

The Powerbeats Pro 2 are IPX4 certified, which means they are protected against sweat and water splashes. However, the charging case is not water-resistant, so you should not get it wet.

How long does the Powerbeats Pro 2 battery last?

The earpieces themselves last up to 10 hours on a single charge. Together with the charging case, you get an impressive 45 hours of total battery life. With Fast Fuel (that's what Beats calls their fast charging function), you get a full 1.5 hours of music playback in just 5 minutes of charging.

How good is the Active Noise Cancellation of the Powerbeats Pro 2?

The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is good, but not at the level of high-end over-ear headphones. It reduces a lot of ambient noise effectively, but is slightly weaker than the ANC of the AirPods Pro (2nd gen.) or Sony WF-1000XM5.

Are the Powerbeats Pro 2 better than the AirPods Pro 2?

That depends on what you're looking for. For sports, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are unbeatable because they fit better in the ear and don't fall out, thanks to the ear hook. The AirPods Pro 2 have a better Transparency Mode experience and are more compact. In terms of sound, both are at a very high level.

Does 3D audio work with Android?

Yes, 3D audio with head tracking also works on Android, but Apple users have some additional features. For instance, iPhone users can personalize their 3D audio settings via iOS.