Home Wireless Earbuds Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Powerbeats Pro

A Review By Comparison of the Apple Airpods Pro (2Nd Gen) Vs. Powerbeats Pro

Last updated on Apr 12, 2023   7 min read
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Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

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Reasons why you might like the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Overall Score 6.4 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)
  • Battery Life of 6 hours
  • Number Of Microphones of 6 only
  • Has Ambient Sound Mode
VS
Powerbeats Pro

Powerbeats Pro

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Reasons why you might like the Powerbeats Pro

Overall Score 4.5 Represents average audio ecosystem compatibility score.

  • Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating of IPX4
  • Battery Life of 9 hours
  • Number Of Microphones of 2 only

A summary of the review by feature comparison

Category Features Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) Powerbeats Pro
DESIGN ingress protection (ip) rating IPX4 IPX4
weight 10.6g 20.3g
has no wires or cables
wingtips included
sweat resistance
is dust proof and water-resistant
has stereo speakers
SOUND QUALITY has active noise cancellation (noise control)
has passive noise reduction
driver unit size 11mm 12mm
lowest frequency 20Hz 10Hz
highest frequency 20000Hz
POWER battery life 6hours 9hours
battery life of charging case 24hours 24hours
charge time 1hours 0.7hours
battery power 49.7mAh
has wireless charging
has a battery level indicator
CONNECTIVITY bluetooth version v5.3 v5
maximum bluetooth range 10meters 10meters
has aac
MICROPHONE number of microphones 6only 2only
has a noise-canceling microphone
EXTRAS has ambient sound mode
has in/on-ear detection
has find earbuds feature
supports fast charging
multipoint count 2only
has a mute function
control panel placed on a device
has voice prompts
travel bag is included
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A breakdown of the review per specifications

Design

Ingress Protection (Ip) Rating

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) IPX4
Powerbeats Pro IPX4

IP ratings is the rating of protection offered by an enclosure, against dust and liquids. In the format of IPXX, 'X' represents a number The first value refers to protection against solids such as dust, followed by the one that refers to resistance against liquids (water).

Scoring IPX4, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s rating for solids indicates that no data available to specify a protection rating, and of liquids that they can withstand low pressure spray similar to that of a shower head when tilted at 180° for 10 minutes.

Compared to the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), Powerbeats Pro have a rating of IPX4 meaning that we are not yet certain of their rating with solids (dust) and that of liquids is that, they both have the same rating against liquids

Weight

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 10.6g
Powerbeats Pro 20.3g

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a weight of 10.6g . We consider a lower weight better for the reason that lighter devices are more comfortable to move with.

The Powerbeats Pro, at 20.3g are heavier than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) with a difference of 9.7g

Has No Wires Or Cables

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

For a device to be true wireless it must have no wires linking any part of the device together, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) are true wireless for this case since they don't have cables. This is a key distinction since wireless earbuds have cables connecting the 2 earbuds together.

Powerbeats Pro also is true wireless since it doesn't have cables connecting the two earbuds .

Wingtips Included

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Powerbeats Pro have wingtips, these are reserved for workout earbuds and are usually an optional add-on to each silicone ear tip for a more secure fit.

Sweat Resistance

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have sweat resistance

Powerbeats Pro's resistance to sweat makes both devices good for use during long-distance running, marathons, cardio sweat workouts , etc

Is Dust Proof And Water-Resistant

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Powerbeats Pro are both dustproof and water-resistant.

Has Stereo Speakers

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers, devices with stereo speakers deliver sound from separate channels on both left and right sides, creating a richer sound and a better listening experience.

Both Powerbeats Pro and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have stereo speakers

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
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Sound Quality

Has Active Noise Cancellation (Noise Control)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

ANC uses more advanced technology to reduce unwanted ambient sounds. ANC works when, it studies the sound pattern outside and inside the earbud and after inverts the soundwaves to cancel it out. Simply put, it's like taking +1 (sound from your surrounding) then adding -1 (counter sound by the device) to make zero therefore "diluting" the noise.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have ANC allowing you to listen at lower levels of volume, causing less ear fatigue as you don't need to crank up the device volume to outcompete background sounds.

Has Passive Noise Reduction

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) stay well in place, this creates an acoustic covering that reduces background sounds and also prevents the device music from leaking out .

Both of these devices have passive noise reduction this means that they reduce ambient noise instead of actively using technology to cancel it out.

Driver Unit Size

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 11mm
Powerbeats Pro 12mm

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) driver unit is 11mm in diameter, bigger drivers are more powerful, and can produce better bass. A driver unit is basically a mini speaker that produces sound in the device, its size dictates the sound produced by the device.

Powerbeats Pro driver unit is 12mm in diameter, making them have a larger driver unit than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 1mm , many people have a misconception that driver units of a bigger size automatically produce better sound quality.

However, large drivers find it difficult to produce high frequencies so yeah, larger drivers can generate louder sound, but this does not indicate that they produce better quality sound.

Lowest Frequency

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 20Hz
Powerbeats Pro 10Hz

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s lowest frequency is at 20Hz, low-frequency response inidcates how well an audio component produces low frequencies that can be heard, and if it makes any changes to the signal while at it.

Powerbeats Pro's lowest frequency is at 10Hz, this means that Powerbeats Pro can produce a juicier bass than the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Highest Frequency

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 20000Hz
Powerbeats Pro

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s highest frequency is at 20000Hz, high-frequency response shows how well an audio component makes high human frequencies and if it adjustments to the signal while at it.

Power

Battery Life

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 6hours
Powerbeats Pro 9hours

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery life is 6 hours, these last longer than 5 hours of listening which is considered average before recharge. A device's battery life is given by the manufacturer, and with longer battery life, you get to use it for longer and have to charge the device less often.

Powerbeats Pro's battery life is more than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 3 hours . Every time you recharge your device, they get a little less playing time. The effect is not noticeable at first, but over a few years, your wireless earbuds will have shorter listening time.

Battery Life Of Charging Case

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 24hours
Powerbeats Pro 24hours

The battery life of the charging case is given by the manufacturer, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s case has a full charge of 24 hours. A charging case with more battery hours allows you to recharge your earbuds on the go multiple times before having to recharge the case itself.

Powerbeats Pro's charging case has a battery life of 24 hours, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Charge Time

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 1hours
Powerbeats Pro 0.7hours

It requires 1 hours to fully charge the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery. It is highly adivsable to fully charge the battery before using the earbuds for the first time.

Powerbeats Pro takes 0.7 hours to fully charge the battery, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 0.3 hours

Battery Power

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 49.7mAh
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)'s battery power is 49.7mAh, battery power, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store.

Has Wireless Charging

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), the device supports wireless charging. To charge the device, you just place down on a compatible charging pad.

Has A Battery Level Indicator

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a battery level indicator, an indicator shows you when the earbuds has a low battery. Its lights display the charging status of your device and charging case.

Powerbeats Pro too have a battery level indicator, these enable you to determine the charging state of your device, whether fully charged, or having a low battery.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
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Connectivity

Bluetooth Version

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) v5.3
Powerbeats Pro v5

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have Bluetooth version of 5.3, Bluetooth is a wireless technology standard that enables data movement between devices placed in close proximity, using short-wavelength, ultra-high frequency radio waves.

Powerbeats Pro has a Bluetooth version of 5, older than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) . Newer versions provide faster data transfers.

Maximum Bluetooth Range

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 10meters
Powerbeats Pro 10meters

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a 10meters distance to connect via Bluetooth.

Powerbeats Pro have a maximum range of 10meters, equal to that of the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

Has Aac

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support AAC, a codec that is used for Bluetooth audio. It supports 24-bit audio at 250kbps. Since it uses psychoacoustic modeling, it can provide better results than other codecs at a similar bit rate.

Since its the highest quality codec that any Bluetooth-supporting Apple product supports, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) will work well with your iPad. If you are planning on using these with Android , ensure that they also support aptX HD, LDAC, or LHDC as well.

The Powerbeats Pro support AAC as well. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves higher sound quality than MP3 encoders at the same bit rate.

Microphone

Number Of Microphones

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 6only
Powerbeats Pro 2only

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have 6 microphones.

While the Powerbeats Pro microphones are 2, less than that of Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) by 4 . More microphones result in better sound quality and enable the earbuds to filter out noise.

Has A Noise-Canceling Microphone

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) use a noise-canceling microphone, these microphones are intended to reduce noise from the desired sound.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
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Extras

Has Ambient Sound Mode

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support ambient sound mode, which uses microphones to pass through ambient noises so that they can still be heard even when wearing the earbuds

Has In/On-Ear Detection

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support in/on-ear detection, the sensors in the device can detect when removed from your ears .

Has Find Earbuds Feature

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

If misplaced in a room, or can't easily find them in your bag, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support the find earbuds feature.

Supports Fast Charging

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) support fast charging. Commonly, technologies like MediaTek’s Pump Express, are used to lower the time it takes to charge the earbuds.

The Powerbeats Pro support fast charging. This kind is similar to regular charging, only that the battery fills up much faster. Say, with Quick Charge 3.0, the battery is charged to 50% in just 30 minutes.

Multipoint Count

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) 2only
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a multipoint of 2 connections, the multipoint feature allows you connect to more than one Bluetooth device and switch between them. Say, you can seemlessly switch calls from one device to another without having to manually disconnect and reconnect.

Has A Mute Function

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have a mute function, they support the feature to mute/unmute a conversation directly from the device.

Control Panel Placed On A Device

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

With the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen), so you can easily access the volume control, pause, play, mute, etc whichever functions are supported on the earbuds.

The Powerbeats Pro too have a control panel on them.

Has Voice Prompts

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) have voice prompts. Automatically receive information via audio messages, like if there is a problem with the connection.

Travel Bag Is Included

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
Powerbeats Pro

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) come with a special pouch. Carrying earbuds without a case, or placing them in your bag without a casing may easily damage them.

Powerbeats Pro too have a travel bag included, which is useful for safe transportation.

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