Earlier this week, I got my hands on the new Powerbeats2 Wireless headphones from Beats by Dre, and I’ve been listening to music and taking conference calls on them non-stop. Now that they’ve been announced, I can share my review with you. First thoughts? These are totally worth it!
Getting the best fit
If you’re familiar with the Powerbeats line, the first thing you’ll notice is that the hoop over the ear design is still the same as the 1st version. For me, this is great because they do a fantastic job of staying on ear. In fact I don’t wear ANY earbuds without hoops to prevent the constant annoyance of them popping out. Speaking of popping out, these fit very snug. It took me a few tries to get the right fit. They give you several ear tips and not all ears are the same size, so make sure you don’t assume that because one size fits well in one ear that you automatically use the same size for the other ear. In other words, feel comfortable mixing and matching the ear tips to ensure you get the best fit.
The best fit, ensures you get the best sound. When I first put the PowerBeats Wireless on, I was disappointed & confused. They didn’t sound horrible, but they weren’t as great as the original wired PowerBeats wireless. I knew what I was hearing couldn’t possibly be what Jimmy & Dre wanted us to experience. I was so caught up in the design and newness of the Powerbeats that I got distracted and forgot about my own ear tips advice!
How did they sound?
After making some adjustments and getting the right size tips in my ears, it was a world of difference. Bass sounded full and heavy, treble was nice and crisp and the midrange kept it all balanced.
To test them out, I came up with a bunch of songs that would really test these headphones and see how far they can go. First, I tried songs with heavy bass like 50 Cents “In Da Club.” If your speakers suck, the bass kick in that song will immediately have your speakers sounding like crap.
I then tried Pharrells “Come Get It Bae” as I wanted to hear a song that had a lot going on it musically. When the strings come in you really appreciate the detailed sound coming from the speakers.
I then tested one of my favorite Skrillex joints “Recess” and that had me sooo ready to either hit the club to DJ or to bench press double my usual amount – LOL. In other words the music fully consumed me and had me seriously pumped up.
Then I wanted to hear something with more keys and vocals in a totally different genre so I tried out Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” and must have hit repeat like 3 times it sounded so good!
Lastly, classical. I know these are PowerBeats Wireless & the original line was inspired by NBA player LeBron James, who wanted to have quality sound while working out in the gym. So I realize this may not seem a likely choice but I’m testing for range and who says you can’t workout to classical. Plus, working out is not why I wear them. My choice? “Symphony No. 5 in C Minor” performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra! Simply amazing, every nook and cranny in that orchestra was heard.
Go Beyond Music!
I also really enjoyed the ease of use for hands free calls and for sending text messages thru Siri etc… At first I thought the mic placement was too close to my ear and that the mic would struggle to have to pick me up but I was happy to hear people tell me I sounded crisp and clear. And I took calls in tons of different environments, inside the house, outside in Manhattan, in a revolving door when I called into Carson Daly’s radio show!
Had 2 call-in @CarsonDaly radio show but they called me early so I did intervu in this #RevolvingDoorWasQuietestSpot pic.twitter.com/9L1MnVH83O
— Mario Armstrong (@marioarmstrong) June 4, 2014
The one thing I have not yet been able to test is the battery life. The Powerbeats2 seem to hold a pretty decent charge, and of course as with any Bluetooth device you can see on your phone just how much battery life you still have left for your connected device. But I can’t say for sure what to expect here.
The Bottom Line
– Sound quality is amazing!
– Conference calls are very clear.
– New wireless design is totally on point!
Absolutely worth it!
The Powerbeats2 Wireless were just announced yesterday and are not for sale quite yet! But if you want to be the first on your block to get a pair, head on over to this link at the Beats by Dre site and sign up to get notified when they’re available!