Why I Regret Buying The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

Transcribed from the audio version of this podcast episode.

Roberto here with another long-term review. This time, we go back to the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.

Try saying that five times in a row fast. I've had these since release day and... unfortunately, it makes me very sad to tell you that this is one of my most regrettable purchases, and I'm gonna tell you why.

So when the Powerbeats Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds were announced, I actually didn't catch the news. A good friend of mine sent me a message in the link and told me about them. And they really piqued my interest because the problem with the AirPods Pro 2 that I use daily is that they do have a tendency to fall out of your ears at the most inopportune times.

And so having all the benefits of the AirPods Pro 2, but with a secure fit was extremely attractive to me. As a super busy bespoke tailor in London I am always racing around fitting and delivering custom made suits to my clients … music keeps me going and ear buds that stay put are very important to me.

And there was so much hype around these. They had famous sports people and celebrities featured in the branding, marketing.

And even earlier reviews were saying that these were the best wireless earbuds since the AirPods Pro 2. So what could go wrong?

So let's talk about the design and the comfort. The Beats Pro, the Powerbeats Pro 2 are more compact overall than their predecessors. And in terms of design, there's great, there's not...

And in terms of design, and in terms of design, they're great. There's nothing really that you can complain about. You've got the ear hooks for that secure fit over the ear, and you've got physical buttons as well to control the volume and to play, pause your music and accept and reject calls.

You've got Siri built in so that you can use the voice assistant to do all of that stuff hands free.

Okay, I found this on the web for built in so that you can use the voice assistant to do all of that stuff hands free. Check it out.

But it was right away in use that I got my first problems with them, because I just can't get them to fit. It doesn't matter which ear tips I select. Using the smallest ones means that they go too deep into the ear canal, and that is uncomfortable.

Using the medium size means I'm neither here nor there, and obviously using the larger ones means they sit outside the ear, and it renders noise cancellation completely useless, but I'll get on to that a little bit later on in this review.

The main problem that I've had, the main problem that I've had personally has been discomfort and a little bit of pain. Firstly, at the top of the ear from the loop, and also I've suffered from a phenomenon that I have since found out is called ear drain. Now, apparently it's something to do with the material used on the silicone buds, combined with the way that they're placed inside the ear canal.

And I've had liquid draining from my ears, it dries, and then it's very, very painful when you try to remove it.”

“So it means that I might use these for a couple of days, and then I can't use them for a couple of weeks, because I'm waiting for my ears to return to whatever a normal state is.

Now, there are no complaints on how secure these feel once they're on. I mean, you put them on, and they are not going anywhere, but the pressure and ear drain problems means that I am very disinclined to pick these up.

Now moving on to sound quality, these are on a par with the AirPods Pro 2 for normal use in non-noisy environments. And again, this is all based on my personal experience, my personal opinion. So if there are those of you that are having a great time with these, please do join in the conversation in the comments.

I'd love to hear from you and see how you're getting on. And similarly, anyone who's had the same problems that I've had, I'd love to hear from you too.

Transparency mode works just as well as it does on the AirPods Pro 2. Spatial audio is great. The quality of your music as it comes through these buds is fantastic.

Noise cancellation has been pretty much useless for me on these things. I live and work in London. I use the train systems every single day.

And nevermind trains, even just walking down the road and walking the dogs, I can hear just about everything. The leakage is crazy. And again, it doesn't matter what earbuds, ear tips size I use, the problem is the same across all of them.

So me personally, I am really struggling to get a good seal on these. And even if I get anything near a good seal, I then start to get the ear drain problem, which is a huge, huge issue.

In terms of day-to-day usability, these are fantastic if you can get them to work for you. There are no connection issues whatsoever. You get exactly the same seamless integration with all of your Apple devices as you get with the AirPods Pro.

And battery life is absolutely outstanding. I, during the first couple of weeks that I used these, don't remember having to plug them in to charge them, and I do use my earbuds for probably a good two to three hours a day on average. So combined with the case, you're getting a fantastic battery life.

So what made me stop using them? Well, to be honest, I don't really remember. I think I left them on my desk one day, having got fed up with the lack of noise cancellation or the lack of effectiveness of the noise cancellation.

And I just never picked them up. In fact, to film this review, I really had to search for them. I didn't know where I'd put them, which tells a story, which tells a story in itself.

I think when something is so disappointing and causes you discomfort and doesn't quite do what you're expecting it to do, it really turns you off in a way that you can be completely dismissive of that product. And I've not experienced it much in the last few years, but this has definitely been the biggest disappointment that I've had with tech in recent memory.

So, who might like the Powerbeats Pro 2? Gym goers who don't really care about the fit, they just want some of their music to come through, but make sure that they're not losing their earpud, but make sure that they're not losing their earbuds, having them cascade across a gym floor while they're trying to work out. You guys and girls will probably absolutely love these.

There will be a lot of people, obviously hundreds of thousands, if not millions worldwide, who will be able to find a perfect fit and not have any of the issues that I have had personally.

But I have to say, if anyone asked me if I could recommend these, I would say no. I would, on the other hand, recommend, I would, on the other hand, wholeheartedly recommend the AirPods Pro 2. I've actually found the fit of these, while not perfect, to be so, so much better than the original AirPods Pro.

And I use them for cycling and for normal gym working out, and very rarely have a problem with them falling out I do have to check them frequently just to make sure that they're in place. But I do get a very good seal on these, and the experience when moving around on public transport is for the most part absolutely fantastic in comparison to these, which have been pretty much useless for me. So I wouldn't recommend the Powerbeats Pro 2.

So sadly, it does pain me to say that my final conclusion is that I wouldn't recommend buying the Powerbeats Pro 2.

Certainly, if you're curious, I would go to an Apple store, and I would make full use of their 14-day return policy. Unfortunately, I went past that window, but I would give them a try and give them a proper try.

And if they're not working for you, make sure that you take them back and get your money back. I sadly will have to box these back up and put them on eBay to get rid of them.

So have you had a similar experience to me, or has your experience of the Powerbeats Pro 2 been completely different? As always, we love to hear from you, so please drop your experiences and your feedback in the comments below.

As ever, thank you so much for your support of the channel. Remember to drop a like if this video has been helpful, and subscribe to the channel for more of our magazine style content. I'll see you on the next one.

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