I was a massive wrap on the Powerbeats Pro in-ear headphones when the launched almost a year ago. And for the last few months I’ve been using the latest Powerbeats which are wired ear to ear but wireless to your phone. To be honest, they’ve not set the world on fire.
For some reason, I just can’t get comfortable with them. They are light on the ear an feel great on a long walk – don’t get me wrong.
But like the Powerbeats Pro, to get the right fit, you choose an eartip, and you put them on over your ear and twist to kinda insert them and hold in place.
While out on a walk, the music is good – for $220, in fact the music and sound quality is excellent.
But it also felt a bit thin. Not at all what I expect from Beats. Thing is, when you twist them into your ear, they sound better, but they won’t stay there, it’s like tightening a screw hard, then having it just flick back a quarter of a turn. It’s not undone by any means, but you know it could be tigther.
There are adjustments available, the loop over the ear must have a decent bit of wire in it, which with the right gentle force can be bent – that gives you a tighter fit around the ear.
To be clear, they never at all feel like falling off or out of my ears – but, it just always felt like they could be in further and essentially plugging the ear hole to get the right sound.
When they’re in, the sound is exceptional for the cost, and for the active Apple iPhone user there’s no doubt these are a fantastic option, the fear of losing an AirPod leaves many looking at other options for running or other active moments, so the Powerbeats with a snug fit over the ear as well as the wire behind your neck from ear to ear makes them a winner.
The most important thing is to spend time choosing the right tip and getting a tight fit.
