Beats Exercise Earbuds Track Your Heart and Are Discounted

Buying Considerations from ZDNET

Over the year, I've evaluated numerous earbuds, and often, even the newest models seem repetitive. Many companies make gradual improvements, maintaining the core design while enhancing features like audio clarity, ambient noise reduction, or endurance.

Introducing the Powerbeats Pro 2

The Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds are redefining standards in personal audio technology. Following the well-loved Powerbeats Pro series, these earbuds stand out due to their capability to monitor your heart rate as you stay active. Over eight days, I put these earbuds through various activities, including weightlifting, jogging, office work, and commuting. Curious about the performance? Let's delve into the details.

Key Features

These workout-specific earbuds come equipped with an impressive suite of features besides enhanced sound. Improvements include a compact carrying case, wireless power options, an adaptive audio equalizer, and modes for spatial audio along with noise management. Owned by Apple, the Powerbeats Pro 2 employs the same processing chip as the AirPods Pro 2.

The innovative H2 chip allows the earbuds to excel in noise reduction, sound enhancement, Bluetooth stability, spatial sound experience, and energy efficiency.

Heart Rate Monitoring

Research corroborates that the ear can be an optimal location for monitoring heart activity. While Beats isn't being the pioneer in this capacity, Apple successfully integrates this feature with their ecosystem, enhancing usability.

These earbuds are crafted for high-intensity activities, with over-ear wings that provide stability during movement. Despite some discomfort over prolonged wear, the substantial 45-hour battery life compensates well.

Using the Earbuds

The Powerbeats Pro 2 sync with a variety of fitness applications like Open, Peloton, Runna, and others to record your heart rhythm. While Apple Watches take priority if used concurrently, these earbuds are ideal for those without one.

In practical usage, they performed well on a congested urban run, maintaining a comfortable fixation, while the heart rate visibly tracked via the Nike Run Club app.

The earbuds also did well during weight sessions with Ladder, visibly displaying my pulse at the top of the interface while I followed the trainer's cues.

However, the sound profile isn't tailored for leisurely listening due to its emphasis on fitness-centric functionalities, leading to a less vibrant audio output.

Spatial sound aims to enrich the listening experience but probably won't envelop you completely. Colleague feedback likened the experience to audio from phone speakers, with nominal differences between suppression and ambient modes.

Conclusion

The Powerbeats Pro 2 left a positive impression with its fitness logging abilities, user-friendly configuration for exercise, and outstanding energy capacity. For iOS users, it integrates seamlessly with Apple's ecosystem, offering substantial value for workout tech aficionados.

However, if versatile use is important—from corporate settings to workouts—you might find the audio and cancellation features lacking. Other earbud options might be worth exploring for broader applicability.