“Health” can imply various things for various individuals. In America, the affect of automakers has given us too many unwalkable cities. Many European cities are walkable and have sturdy public transportation. With the ability to have the correct instrument for the correct want could make all of the distinction on the earth, and that’s the place Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 come into play.
It’s been virtually six years for the reason that launch of the unique Powerbeats Professional. These grew to become Beats highest-selling in-ear headphones ever, and with good motive. The locked-in match and the sound high quality labored for lots of people! In 2025, they’ve taken issues to a brand new degree by including a couple of new options, together with coronary heart price screens—all for a similar value as 2019’s Powerbeats Professional.
Earlier makes an attempt at together with coronary heart price monitoring in earbuds haven’t been all that nice, so let’s dive in and see what Beats is bringing to the desk this time round!!
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2: Value and availability
Arriving on the identical value because the 2019 Powerbeats Professional, the Powerbeats Professional 2 launched on-line on February 11 from Apple.com, with in-store availability on February thirteenth for $249.99.
You may choose up a pair in one in all 4 colours: Jet Black, Fast Sand, Hyper Purple, and Electrical Orange. Beats has been pushing out new colorways in different merchandise as collabs with celebrities, so I’d count on to see these in another shade choices sooner or later.
| Class | Beats Powerbeats Professional 2 |
|---|---|
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Codec Assist | SBC, AAC |
| Noise Management | ANC, Transparency, Adaptive EQ |
| Battery life | As much as 45 hours of listening time with Adaptive EQ – 10 hours of earbud utilization with 35 further hours from the case As much as 36 hours of listening time with ANC/Transparency On 8 hours of earbud utilization with 28 further hours from the case Quick Gasoline: 5-minute cost = as much as 1.5 hour of playback (Adaptive EQ On) Complete system buds and case cost from 0%–100% in 2 hours |
| Charging | USB-C, Qi wirelessFast Gasoline: 5-minute cost = as much as 1.5 hour of playback (Adaptive EQ On) Complete system buds and case cost from 0%–100% in 2 hours |
| Microphone | 6 microphones whole Devoted voice microphone on every earbud Feed-forward and suggestions microphones on every earbud (utilized for each ANC/ Transparency, Adaptive EQ, and voice uplink) |
| Sturdiness | IPX4 |
| Sensors | Optical sensors (in-ear detect) – Optical sensors (coronary heart price monitoring) – Accelerometer – Gyroscope |
| Weight | 17.4 g (8.7 g per earbud); Case 69g |
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2: What I like
Let’s start with the function that’s possible going to face out most for a lot of customers, and that’s Apple and Beats’ first-ever earbuds geared up with coronary heart price screens. Sure, plural. Every earbud has an LED sensor that pulses over 100 instances per second, a photodiode, an optical lens, and an accelerometer. That’s the HRM equipment. The oldsters at Beats developed an algorithm that takes information from the readings in every earbud to create correct coronary heart price measurements. And, candy Christmas, are these readings correct!
To attach the earbuds together with your telephone or appropriate smartwatch, you’ll double-tap and maintain both earbud till you hear a chime that permits you to know they’re now discoverable as HRMs. I examined this with a Google Pixel 9 and the Polar Circulation, Strava, and Nike Run Membership apps. I additionally related to an Amazfit T-Rex 3. Google’s Pixel Watch 3, and Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 7 (and Watch Extremely, for that matter) don’t help connecting to third-party HRMs like chest straps. Regardless of that, I obtained the earbuds to connect with the Samsung Well being app as an HRM. I’m nonetheless engaged on getting the app to acknowledge them for his or her guided exercise movies.
Picture 1 of 5
Having used the earbuds for a couple of week, I’ve discovered the monitoring wonderful! To validate the monitoring high quality, throughout exercises with the earbuds, I additionally wore a Polar H10 chest strap recognized for being extremely correct because it receives electrical alerts immediately out of your coronary heart.
One of many downsides to many optical sensors is their lack of ability to maintain up throughout high-intensity interval coaching. Your heartbeat modifications quickly, and lots of screens will lag behind of their real-time readings by as a lot as 3-5 minutes, although it is often 30 seconds or so. In every state of affairs I put the earbuds by, they matched my Polar H10 beat-for-beat, solely often being behind by fractions of a second of their real-time readings.
In one in all my 30-minute stair climber machine exercises, the Polar H10 measured a mean coronary heart price of 136 BPM, with a max of 151 BPM. The Professional 2’s measurements agreed with the max however had a mean of 137 BPM. The sauce was my HR information, although. Every graph that confirmed the modifications in my coronary heart price was virtually equivalent concerning the peaks and valleys.
Throughout an hour-long interval exercise the subsequent day, the info was once more reliably in settlement between the earbuds and my chest strap. There was a slight deviation as a consequence of how I enter every exercise kind and their length, nevertheless it was inside an appropriate vary, and the guts price graphs had been in settlement as my beats per minute peaked and dipped based mostly on my exercise ranges. Even with me dealing with every exercise in a different way on the apps I used to be utilizing that day, there was only a 2BPM distinction within the common and a 1BPM distinction in my most coronary heart price.
I’m at the moment working my approach again as much as longer runs within the 45-minute to one-hour length, so we’ll see how the monitoring information holds up beneath these circumstances, however throughout my hour-long, high-RPE weight coaching, the Powerbeats Professional 2’s held their very own towards my Polar H10 chest strap.
Design and Sound
With that out of the way in which, let’s again up a bit. These Bluetooth 5.3, IPX4, and Apple H2-equipped Powerbeats Professional 2 nonetheless include loads of Android help by the Beats app. You’ll get one-touch pairing, button customization, firmware updates, Find My Beats, and the flexibility to alter listening modes.
This 12 months, you get extra ear ideas, with mediums on by default and 4 extra choices within the field, starting from XL to XS.
The Powerbeats Professional 2 controls are nonetheless amongst my favorites in a sea of gym-ready exercise earbuds for his or her responsiveness as a result of they’re mechanical, not touch-based. And in 2025, they nonetheless have bodily quantity rockers on the bridge of every earbud. What’s modified, although, is the ear hooks.
The Powerbeats had been already among the most comfy earbuds I’ve worn, however now, with thinner, extra ergonomic hooks made with nickel-titanium wiring on the within, the buds really feel lighter and much more comfy, they usually match nice with glasses and a motorbike helmet on.
The housings of the earbuds have been redesigned; they’re smaller, and but they match a whole lot of tech into them. Along with the sensors for coronary heart price monitoring, there are additionally optical sensors for in-ear detection. Moreover, the acoustic chambers have additionally been redesigned. They’ve upgraded the amplifier, and the Apple H2 chip does a strong job of digital sign processing.
That digital sign processing performed out nicely in how I loved my music. These are earbuds, in spite of everything. The Powerbeats Professional 2 have an total balanced sound that does lean a bit to the nice and cozy aspect of issues, with strong bass and sub-bass replica, clear highs, and heat mids that give a pleasant presence to vocals, even in mixes that bury them. Working example, one of many take a look at tracks I usually use that is without doubt one of the muddiest, bass-heavy hip hop tracks, Methodology Man’s “Biscuits,” is reproduced with the vocals and different backing vocal nuances clearly outlined.
I additionally listened to Paul Simon’s “Diamonds on the Souls of Her Sneakers” and “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” from the Get Out OST. I take advantage of these tracks for soundstage, and although the Professional 2’s have a very good soundstage, it isn’t the deepest or most expansive.
Although I’ve said that they lean towards heat, it’s tracks like “Moanin’” (each Artwork Blakey and Charles Mingus variations) that present simply how a lot readability the Professional 2’s have. Instrumentation within the stereo subject is definitely identifiable and delightfully layered. Artwork Blakey’s model has horns that shrill when listening with analytical headphones, however the readability of the Powerbeats Professional 2 is brilliant with out being fatiguing. The heat makes the upright bassline in Mingus’ model entertaining and fascinating.
For fitness center headphones, the Powerbeats Professional 2 are extremely succesful and can assist drive your exercises with ease. For on a regular basis carry, they’re simply pretty much as good. Listening to “Blue Eye Samurai” episode two, the Takio drums are impactful and resonant, whereas the Spatial Audio performance of the Powerbeats Professional 2 actually brings the anime’s sound design in that mountaintop struggle scene to life.
Again to that digital sign course of for a quick second. It and the amplifier do a strong job of making certain that bass response and different frequencies sound as satisfying at decrease volumes as at excessive volumes.
Battery killing options?
Now, one would suppose that with all of this new hotness constructed into the Powebeats Professional 2, the impact on battery life could be sizeable, nevertheless it isn’t. These numbers are affected by the amount at which you’ll be taking part in your music, however Apple says you’ll rise up to 10 hours of playback on a cost, with as much as 45 whole hours whenever you rely in case recharges with solely Adaptive EQ mode energetic.
With sound management modes, they are saying you’ll rise up to eight hours, with 36 from the case. Quick Gasoline charging will get you 1.5 hours of playback with 5 minutes of charging.
In my very own testing, an hour and quarter-hour of streaming music over Bluetooth with ANC activated and HR monitoring burned by between 12% and 15% of the earbuds’ battery on numerous outings. I have not been capable of kill the battery with ANC on, however based mostly on my assessments and the quantity of drain I have been seeing, you will get slightly over eight hours with ANC or Transparency mode activated.
With music taking part in at roughly 75% from a Google Pixel 9, I burned by steady playback in slightly over 10 hours.
Regardless of the brand new case being 33% smaller (side-by-side, the distinction is placing), Beats was capable of (lastly) embody Qi wi-fi charging along with USB-C charging.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2: What may use enchancment
Although the Powerbeats Professional 2 are IPX4 water-proof, that’s just about the baseline resistance for fitness center earbuds. That mentioned, I haven’t seen or heard of too many individuals returning AirPods for wrecking them with profuse exercise sweating- each are made by and durability-tested by Apple. Simply wipe your Powerbeats Professional 2 down and dry them earlier than putting them again within the case. This may save the earbuds and the charging pins within the case from corroding.
Let’s speak name high quality. In a quiet room, the microphones sound nice. Linked to a Pixel 9 and making calls, issues obtained a tad muddy in loud city areas with a whole lot of background site visitors noise. The earbuds did a wonderful job canceling that background noise, although. Regardless that it was a bit muddy, my voice was nonetheless audible, and on each name I made, the oldsters on the opposite finish mentioned I sounded clear.
Since Beats are marketed to each iOS and Android customers, it might be good to see hi-res Bluetooth codecs supported. The Powerbeats Professional 2 helps solely SBC and AAC codecs, which is okay however may very well be higher.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2: Competitors
The competitors on this house is comparatively nonexistent. There have been earlier efforts to deliver PPG sensors and coronary heart price monitoring to earbuds, however they haven’t been all that profitable, as Android Central’s Wearables editor, Michael Hicks, discovered when he put two pair to the take a look at in 2024. I’d like to see how these fare with him as a result of he is a extra hardcore runner than I’m.
At the moment, the one actual competitors Powerbeats Professional 2 has is the Sennheiser Momentum Sport, however as you may examine in this text from Mr. Hicks, they didn’t fairly go away him feeling too assured of their skill to maintain up together with his wants for his degree of working.
There are some nice choices in case you’re searching for non-HRM fitness-focused earbuds. My subsequent private favourite is the Beats Match Professional. They’re locked in with the one wing ideas I like, they usually sound nice. If you do not need something blocking your ears, I actually benefit from the Nothing Ear Open. Their degree of open-ear bass response is a market segment-defining function.
Beats Powerbeats Professional 2: Do you have to purchase them?
You should purchase it if…
- You need a wonderful pair of fitness center and on a regular basis carry earbuds
- You field or have interaction in different workouts the place having the monitor in your ears could be advantageous
- You want chest strap accuracy in your coronary heart price monitor
You shouldn’t purchase it if…
- You already personal a pair of earbuds you’re proud of and simply desire a chest strap for round $100
- You don’t like ear hook type earbuds
- You want higher than IPX4 water resistance.
It is a product that could be very helpful within the fitness center. In case you’re into boxing or every other exercise, like kettlebell exercises, that makes sporting a smartwatch difficult, I can not advocate the Powerbeats Professional 2 sufficient.
I have been approach past impressed with the extent of coronary heart price monitoring accuracy, and the sound high quality on Android and iOS is superb. Films come alive with Spatial Audio and there is greater than sufficient bass response to fulfill drum and bass listeners with out sacrificing readability for these into extra classical instrumentation. And with all of this tech, you’d suppose battery life could be horrible, nevertheless it’s superb.
For his or her degree of coronary heart price monitoring accuracy, the ear hooks, their sound profile, and the function set, they’re at the moment my favourite premium exercise earbuds.
The best way to your coronary heart!
Beats observe as much as the unique Powerbeats Professional improves on these earbuds in each approach. Audio high quality is far improved and extra balanced, but with deeper bass and now you have got extremely correct coronary heart price screens to associate with the brand new ANC and Transparency modes.
