Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Review: The Athlete's Choice

In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT. I’ll also be comparing the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro 3 and 2, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Sony WF-1000XM6, Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2nd Gen, and more!

I’m going to do my best to share whether these wireless earbuds are worth it, and ideally who these are perfect for. I’ve owned these for a while now and have quite a few thoughts.

I’ll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.

Let’s dive right in!

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Review in Short

Holding Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 earbud in hand

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 is the most secure-fitting earbuds we’ve tested to date with surprisingly above-average noise cancelling, and a decently fun consumer-friendly sound for those workouts and runs. Competes in the wireless noise cancelling earbuds class with the likes of AirPods Pro 3, Sony WF-1000XM6, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, Sony Linkbuds Fit, AirPods Pro 2nd Gen, and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen.

Pros and Cons

8.2

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

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PROS

Best secure fit for workouts
Above average noise cancelling
Fun sound
iOS and Android app support

CONS

Sound quality can be improved
There’s better noise cancelling

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 - Wireless Noise Cancelling Workout Earbuds with Secure- Fit Earhooks, Up to 45-Hour Battery with Charging Case, Sweat & Water Resistant, Heart Rate Monitoring - Jet Black

$249.00

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03/26/2026 03:19 am GMT

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Comfort + Features

Comfort

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 comes with 5 sizes of soft silicone eartips.

Now the REAL benefit of the Powerbeats Pro 2 is its nickel-titanium alloy “hooks”, that securely keep them in place while running or performing athletic movements. If you’ve ever struggled with other earbuds constantly falling out or losing their physical seal and needing readjustment, these hooks are a game-changer.

You can count on the Powerbeats Pro 2 to stay in place, which is a nice peace-of-mind compared to always fiddling around with other earbuds in the gym or out running.

Due to this design, the Powerbeats Pro 2 is the most secure-fitting earbuds tested to date.

Features

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 was originally released in February 2025, so it has many modern wireless earbud features:

Apple H2 Chip
IPX4 water resistance rating (resistant to sweat and splashes of water)
Heart Rate Sensors
Built-in microphones for taking calls
USB-C and Qi Wireless charging case
Spatial Audio with Head-Tracking
Bluetooth 5.3
Multi-point connection
Adaptive Noise Cancelling
Transparency Mode
Native apps for both iOS and Android

It’s really important to emphasize that unlike AirPods, the Beats lineup of earbuds does have native Android app support. This can be a game-changer for getting the most out of the earbuds vs AirPods which are more limited on Android.

Microphone Quality

Frankly, the microphone quality is not class-leading like the AirPods Pro 3 or Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, but there are advantages to the Powerbeats Pro 2’s design.

The Powerbeat Pro 2’s mic excels against wind noise, which makes sense considering its intended use case for runners and working out.

So overall, the mic is very serviceable in real-world environments, but not the highest quality compared to the best-in-class.

Battery Life

With ANC on: 8 hours of battery life on a single charge / 36 hours total with charging case
With ANC off: 10 hours on a single charge / 45 hours total with charging case
Fast Charge: 20 minutes = 2 hours of playback

This battery life is one of the longest tested when including the multiple recharges from the charging case. It is important to note that the Powerbeats Pro 2 also has the largest charging case we’ve tested to date, to accommodate the size of the hook attachments.

Comfort + Features Score: 10 out of 10

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Noise Cancelling Performance

Beats Powerbeats pro 2 vs Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation side by side comparison

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2’s noise cancelling performance is actually better than I initially expected.

First off, the secure-fitting design ensures that the physical seal remains in place, leading to strong passive noise isolation without ANC even being turned on.

Next, turning on ANC does a solid job of blocking out a wide range of frequencies.

Overall, I would say the Powerbeats Pro 2 is above average for the class, but below the elite tier of AirPods Pro 3, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen, and Sony WF-1000XM6.

The transparency mode is also quite effective and natural, important for outdoor workouts and city environments.

Noise Cancelling Score: 8.0 out of 10

Sound Quality

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 inside charging case

Similar to noise cancelling, I didn’t have the highest expectations for sound quality on the Powerbeats Pro 2.

And similar to noise cancelling, I would say the sound quality is actually better than I expected.

(Keep in mind that I’ve reviewed 25+ wireless earbuds to date, including some pretty expensive audiophile products.)

Starting with the sound profile, it’s predictably V-shaped consumer-friendly, focusing on bass and treble.

Now, this is actually a good thing considering the environments in which these are meant to be used in.

Whether you’re out on a run or in the gym pushing for PR’s, what you need is energy and motivation, not some flat frequency response for critical listening.

In this sense, I think the Powerbeats Pro 2 executes and achieves its goal perfectly fine.

It has a decent bass response with the high frequencies cutting through the mix.

One feature that does make these sound better is Spatial Audio including head-tracking, which I found to be quite enjoyable for consuming YouTube and media like TV shows on the treadmill.

Now let me be clear, these aren’t audiophile-level, or even at the top of the “mainstream” competitors like Sony WF-1000XM6, Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, or AirPods Pro 3 to name a few.

But I’d put their sound quality right below the previous-generation AirPods Pro 2, which is actually quite a satisfying earbud to listen to.

Sound Quality Score: 7.7 out of 10

Value

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 vs AirPods Pro 3 charging cases compared

The Powerbeats Pro 2 retails for $249 USD but can be sometimes found on sale for as low as $199.95.

The real appeal of the Powerbeats Pro 2 is its ear-hook design, which puts it in another class entirely versus the typical earbuds like AirPods Pro 3.

Then when you factor in that these effectively are AirPods in terms of seamless Apple ecosystem connectivity, then it creates a unique value proposition.

Simply put, if you’re looking at these with the intent to run or workout with them, they’re the perfect tool for the job.

The only thing working against the Powerbeats Pro 2’s value today is that the AirPods Pro 3 is also frequently on sale for the same $199, and has better sound quality, noise cancelling, and mic quality.

Value Score: 8.5 out of 10

Overall Scoring Breakdown

Comfort + Features (15% of score): 10 / 10

Noise Cancelling (25% of score): 8.0 / 10

Sound Quality (50% of score): 7.7 / 10

Value (10% of score): 8.5 / 10

Total: 8.2 out of 10

8.2Expert Score

Excellent

The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 is the most secure-fitting earbuds we’ve tested to date with surprisingly above-average noise cancelling, and a decently fun consumer-friendly sound for those workouts and runs.

Is the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Worth it?

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 next to charging case

Simply put, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 surprised me in a good way.

First, with its awesome secure fit due to the earhook design, staying in place during movements and working out. Not having to constantly readjust earbuds is a game-changer in the gym.

Second, the noise cancelling performance and sound quality is pleasantly above average. Better than I expected, to say the least.

Because of its unique design and use case, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 is a solid recommend from me for those who intend to workout with them.

They’ve now become one of my personal favorite go-to options in the gym, and I’ve tested many, many earbuds and headphones during my workouts.

Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 - Wireless Noise Cancelling Workout Earbuds with Secure- Fit Earhooks, Up to 45-Hour Battery with Charging Case, Sweat & Water Resistant, Heart Rate Monitoring - Jet Black

$249.00

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

03/26/2026 03:19 am GMT

Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂

How We Tested and Our Methodology

RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.

We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.

After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.

ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.