Beats (Apple) - Powerbeats Pro 1

Got them today. I had the PBP1 for about 3 years. I tried swapping them back & forth during the same songs & PBP1 sounds fuller, deeper. I used the xl tips to make sure it was a tight seal. The PBP2 sound tinnier, the midrange/treble sounding slightly lower quality, probably due to the new smaller driver size. I’m torn on returning them because I was really looking forward to these. But my old ones sound just fine/possibly better : /

After comparing them some more, there’s no question about it; the old ones just sound fuller/better. As much as I like the new design I’m gonna return them this weekend.

I have the bose ultra open earbuds and love them for the design, ease of use and sound quality. I had previously used beats powerbeats pro, samsung earbuds fe and airpods pro and realized running isolated with noise cancelling has a lot of risks but there is nothing better than the bose in the market that lets you be sound aware as well as enjoy the music. Got good deal during BF so that helped

Just got my v2, updated it, tested the fit, and then did an extensive sound comparison test against Powerbeats Pro 1, AirPods Pro 1 & 2, Sony XM4, and DT990 Pro (Motu M2). The most disappointing comparison was against its own gen 1...as the OP said, the highs are tiny, harsh, and the mids are muddy/unclear overall at some point. I would rank the PBPv2 last on my list. I will promptly return it and continue to use the gen 1, despite its battery issues.

i have the og and i’m subscribing to “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” sure it’s missing newer amenities but they work great. not sure what the price difference is but if it’s not much ig just go with the newer ones.

My AirPods Gen 1 sound better than my power Beats Pro 1st gen but the pros have buttons, battery lasts longer and they stay in my ear and are more comfortable. so I don’t care about the audio quality. music and podcasts and calls sound fine.

I have not tried anything else. I sent my pros to get a battery replaced by Apple. They ended up charging me 275$. Just gave me new ear buds and my old case back and no ear tips. They won’t do anything about it. total rip off.

I watched the YT reviews as well and after buying and experiencing them, I find myself thinking that those reviews were heavily influenced by Beats along the lines of the recent insta360 scandal. The PBP 1’s are definitely superior in terms of audio AND ergonomics (try not accidentally pausing music when adjusting fit on the PBP2’s) and I think that the seal they form around the ear is nearly as good as the bad ANC in the PBP2’s.

I have too many myself. Method 360 anc, liberty nc, galaxy 2, Rail anc, 1st generation powerbeats pro and a box of others. Apart from more wired ones

I couldn’t agree more - these sound terrible. I love the sound profile of the original Powerbeats Pro, but I would like to maybe upgrade to something newer. Does anyone have a recommendation for headphones or earbuds with a similar sound profile to the original Powerbeats Pro?

I returned my Powerbeats Pro 2’s as well. The sound quality wasn’t a major concern for me, but the fact that I could never get them to sit comfortably in my ears, even after trying all the tips, was a significant issue. I had love my Powerbeats Pro 1s, so I was really excited about these. I probably could have learned to live with the fit but not with the high price tag ($270 after tax), especially since the high price seemed to be due to a feature I didn’t even need (heart rate monitor) since I already have an Apple Watch. If they had offered two options, one with and one without the heart rate monitor, for around $50-$75 less, I might have considered it. But ultimately, I couldn’t justify spending $270 on them. I’m quite disappointed. ☹️

Same with me. I tried a few others before because nothing stays in my ears. The Beats stay in even if I’m sweating buckets in the summer or running in the rain battery life is also awesome.