Beats by Dr. Dre Powerbeats Pro

As far as stability and support go, these sports in-ears are convincing on all counts. By rotating the in-ears to the intended wearing position, the stable earpieces fit around the ear firmly, keeping them in place even in the event of robust movement. The impressive level of support does have a downside, however, as a degree of pressure is exerted on the ear canal. The wearing comfort of this sturdy and flawlessly crafted system is not unpleasant but could cause an issue for those particularly sensitive to pressure. Compatibility with headwear is also a problem, as the in-ears protrude beyond the ear and can, therefore, cause further pressure problems.

Battery Life

The runtime of the Powerbeats Pro is advertised as a respectable nine hours, which is noteworthy considering the design format. In the test, the battery life even pushed to about ten hours until the in-ears held in the carry case, which also serves as a charging station, needed to be recharged. Another practical feature is that the quick-charge function allows for spontaneous use, as a 5-minute charge already delivers a playback time of over an hour. A full charge, on the other hand, takes around 80 minutes, with the in-ears being unable to be recharged twice in the case, resulting in a total operational life of over 25 hours. With iOS devices, there are two ways to keep an eye on battery health. For starters, a pop-up window informs about remaining capacity when the charge case is opened to remove the in-ears. Additionally, the battery widget can be used to display the battery status of the in-ears and the reserves of the carry case.

Device control

Bluetooth pairing of these in-ears initiates automatically when the case is opened, whereby both earpieces connect independently to the device, allowing them to be used together or individually. The remote functions of both earpieces are also identical, with the multi-function button on each side controlling playback, answering and rejection of calls and, by double-clicking, to advance to the next track, while pressing three times jumps backwards. Buttons react precisely and quickly. However, I would have preferred a better haptic design. On the other hand, the individual volume control, which is located at the top of the case, is well considered.

In addition to the remote, the Powerbeats Pro have a sensor-controlled playback with automatic Play/Stop function. This function can be activated and deactivated with iOS in Bluetooth settings. Additionally, the so-called “ear recognition” function works relatively reliably and helps to conserve battery capacity. The voice-controlled “Hey Siri” function was also a real highlight when it came to sports, enabling extensive control via voice assistant during playback, even when the device was in a different room. Voice assistants can also be called by holding down the remote button. What didn’t completely convince, however, was the speech intelligibility when making a phone call. My own voice, the caller, registered rather faintly.

Sound

The sound of these sport in-ears is quite balanced and harmonious, although the bass foundation is still plenty powerful and has depth. However, it does not dominate, allowing midrange and treble to display their full potential. What is conspicuous, however, is that the bass loses precision in the low frequencies. At the same time, the upper frequency range of the basses fades. Although the two ends of the frequency spectrum seem a bit undefined, the sound is still distinct and rich in detail. This is particularly handy as the headphones are ideally suited for intense sessions of exertion due to their responsive performance, considerable output with reserves and powerful, assertive sound. Those who prefer a bass-driven tuning will also have a lot of pleasure with these in-ears outside of training. Despite the perceived fullness, the stage is neither too tight or flat. On the contrary, a well-defined structure unfolds in a relaxed and quiet setting.