I’m back with a new pair of headphones to review. Beats are a mainstream brand of headphones. Known for their celebrity endorsers as much a their heavy base sound, the Beats logo is easily recognizable in the streets. They launched their first pair of wireless in-ear headphones late last year; the Powerbeats 2 wireless. After reviewing many headphones I wanted to know if beats kept the same bass punch that their known for in their wireless earbuds
Design and build
If you’ve seen the wired Powerbeats earbuds, you see that beats kept the design and just cut the cord. They look modernized and have a pretty good feel to them. The Powerbeats2 have a clip that goes over your ear, flat cord with the grip clip for adjustment behind the neck .
The over-the-ear clip is pretty firm, but still flexible. It looks like you will be able to adjust the clip to your ear. Along with the grip clip, looks like the Powerbeats2 wireless are made to fit just right.
Experience
I am not a fan of the over the ear clip. I don’t know if it’s the shape of my ears or I’m just not that experienced with them but the clip never really adjusted comfortably to my ear. I’m sure many will enjoy the clip since i will help keep the Powerbeats2 in place. Like I said before, the clip, while flexible, will take some doing to adjust the clip to the shape of your ear. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but once I did the sound was sealed.
Check out our review of the Beats Studio Wireless Headphones HERE
Sound
As many of you know, to make the most out of bluetooth headphones, you have to seal in the sound. If you want ambient noise (usually for safety), then you can leave a little wiggle room. Since I rarely workout outside (my gym is pretty safe), and take the subway in New York City subway I prefer a tighter fit to block out noise.
When Beats started making their second generation of headphones, (the new Studio wireless, Solo2), they did more than makeover the body, they re-did sound also. As you remember in my review of the Beats Studio Wireless, while the bass is still powerful, it’s no longer overbearing or hard to deal with. The same applies to the Powerbeats2. You have great sound (especially for bluetooth), that is loud, yet comfortable. At the volume of 90% – max, it does well enough to drown out noise around you. At 90% volume the sound does really well, with most tracks not experiencing distortion.
Comfort
As I said earlier, I am not a fan of the over-ear clip. It tangles with my hair and makes my ear itch (nitpicking I know). When you set them up right though, they fit well. But obviously, the person that buys these is aware of the over-ear clip and uses it. It does a great job of keeping the headphones in place, especially when on-the-go, or even on the treadmill. You have to make sure to adjust the clip properly (snug) and adjust the cord grip accordingly in order to keep the clip from sliding backwards, and the Powerbeats2 from popping out of your ear.
I obviously don’t train as hard as a professional athlete (these were promoted by NBA player, Lebron James), but the Powerbeats 2 still work well during my sweatiest, intense sessions. They felt light and stayed in place. The 3-button mic controls track playback and volume on iOS, but on Android it only controls volume.
Battery Life
The Powerbeats2 wireless charge via microUSB. You can get anywhere from 4 – 6 hours of battery life. Unfortunately you have to be conscious of turning your Powerbeats2 off when not in use, since they don’t have a standby or sleep mode. They will die out if you don’t turn them off manually. At least a microUSB charger (or battery pack) is easy to find.
Pricing and Availability
The Powerbeats2 Wireless earbuds are available in 5 color combinations (red and black, pink and grey, red and grey, blue, and white and grey).
They retail at $199.95.
You can buy the Powerbeats 2 Wireless at Beatsbydre.com, apple.com, and amazon.com
Overall
I’m surprised at how much I enjoyed wearing the Powerbeats2 wireless. They are comfy (the over-ear clip does a great job), loud, and deliver an overall great experience. They have quite a few color options too, for different personalities. They are a bit overpriced at nearly $200, but as expected, you’re paying for the Beats brand. There are wireless earbuds that are less expensive out there, but if you like and trust Beats sound, you won’t be disappointed with the Powerbeats2 wireless earbuds. As I usually advise, look out for sales on these as I don’t recommend purchasing for the retail price.
