The new Powerbeats price $150.
David Carnoy/CNET
When Beats launched the really wi-fi Powerbeats Pro final yr, it was a type of dream product for Beats headphones followers. Except for the draw back of its cumbersome charging case, the Powerbeats Pro had been basically AirPods on steroids, with richer, extra dynamic sound and higher battery life — and so they stayed in your ears extra securely, significantly throughout athletic actions. 

LikeBetter constructed than Powerbeats3 Wireless, with higher sound qualityThicker, rounded wire between budsCharge by way of Lightning (cable included)Better battery life than Powerbeats Pro — as much as 15 hoursSame options because the 2019 AirPodsPhone name high quality is great

Don’t LikeLoads of superb true wi-fi earbuds on this worth rangeMay not match some ears completely (tight seal is essential to getting optimum sound)

Now Beats has gone retro on us and introduced again the usual “wired/wireless” Powerbeats. (Yes, the identify of the 2020 mannequin is simply “Powerbeats,” however almost everybody is asking these fourth-generation fashions the “Powerbeats 4.”) These are principally the Powerbeats Pro, however there is a wire between the buds, that are nonetheless wirelessly linked to the cellphone. At $150 (£130, AU$220), or $100 lower than the listing worth of the Powerbeats Pro, they seem to be a stable sports activities headphone and a good improve over their in style predecessor, the Powerbeats 3 Wireless. Their solely situation is that they seem to be a bit behind the occasions, which makes you query whether or not they’re well worth the worth Beats is asking for them.
If you look intently, you may see they’re barely larger than the Powerbeats Pro. I received the white model, however in addition they are available black and crimson, and you may in all probability see extra colours sooner or later. I think they’re slightly larger as a result of as an alternative of charging wirelessly in a charging case just like the Powerbeats Pro, these cost by way of an included Lightning cable, which implies Beats needed to put a Lighting port in the correct earbud. That takes up a specific amount of room.

Read extra: Best true wi-fi earbuds of 2020 Aside from the lower cost, one of many Powerbeats’ predominant promoting factors over the Powerbeats Pro is best battery life — 15 hours versus 9 hours for the Powerbeats Pro. Some folks additionally like to have the ability to go away their buds dangling round their neck when not utilizing them — it’s handy. And I did like that these match right into a compact nylon carrying pouch as an alternative of a cumbersome charging case. I might have appreciated to have seen Beats embody that very same low cost pouch with the Powerbeats Pro.     As it did with the Powerbeats Pro, Beats has improved the general Powerbeats design in order that they match extra ears higher. But I nonetheless had a tough time getting a decent seal with the included eartips — I had to make use of my very own additional massive foam ideas that had been included with a set of Shure true wi-fi earbuds I used to be testing. But they need to match most individuals’s ears effectively and in case you do get a decent seal, they sound fairly good.

These are actually higher constructed than the Powerbeats 3. Their wire is rounder and thicker than the Powerbeats 3’s wire, making it extra sturdy and lowering the snag issue (it does not catch as a lot in your garments or pores and skin). As far because the design goes, these are a major improve. That stated, the Powerbeats Pro do come throughout as barely extra premium and provide that additional sense of freedom you get from a real wi-fi mannequin. Read extra: Best wi-fi noise-canceling headphones for beneath $100 The new Powerbeats are slightly larger than the really wi-fi Powerbeats Pro. 
David Carnoy/CNET
You get principally the identical options because the Powerbeats Pro. These are IPX4 sweat-resistant and splashproof. They have the similar piston drivers and digital sign processing that Beats says ship the identical balanced audio because the Powerbeats Pro, with “pure sound reproduction, enhanced clarity, low total harmonic distortion and dynamic range.” The similar Apple H1 chip that makes it easy to pair and swap between all of your iCloud-linked Apple units is on board. These even have the identical twin beamforming microphones and a speech-detecting accelerometer that Beats says targets your voice and filters out exterior noise for “enhanced call quality and improved voice pick-up” whereas utilizing your voice assistant. And sure, these have hands-free Siri, so when you have an iOS machine, you’ll be able to simply say, “Hey, Siri,” to activate Apple’s voice assistant. (There’s no equal characteristic accessible on Android.)  Aside from the Lightning port, there are a few different small design variations from the true wi-fi variations. These have an influence/Bluetooth button on the left bud as a result of it’s a must to bodily flip them on. (The Powerbeats Pro earbuds robotically activate whenever you take them out of their charging case.) The proper bud has the amount management rocker and the “b” button.  The headphones in crimson.
Beats by Dre
Like the Powerbeats Pro, these are undoubtedly dynamic-sounding headphones, with highly effective bass, natural-sounding mids and good readability. Not surprisingly, they’ve an thrilling sound profile that is geared to immediately’s pop and hip-hop music. I swapped forwards and backwards between these and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Plus and located that the Powerbeats have extra power within the bass and extra ahead sounding mids (vocals). The Galaxy Buds Plus is a bit more laid-back and nuanced. I most popular its sound (and undoubtedly most popular the dearth of wires) however, as I stated, in case you get a very good match with the Beats, you will not be upset by the sound.  A decent seal is essential to getting optimum sound.
David Carnoy/CNET
I additionally thought headset efficiency was good. The noise discount is pretty efficient and callers stated they might hear my voice effectively, even in noisy environments. As far as I might inform, the headset efficiency was on par with that of the Powerbeats Pro, which additionally works effectively for making calls. Maybe not fairly nearly as good because the AirPods Pro, however nonetheless effectively above common. If these got here out a few years in the past, I’d be much more passionate about them. Now, as I stated, they seem to be a tougher promote regardless of the very fact their listing worth is $50 lower than what the Powerbeats 3 price after they got here out. (Yes, folks had been paying $200 for these, though they’re promoting for lower than $90 immediately.) While they’re undoubtedly a very good improve over the Powerbeats 3 and a stable wi-fi sports activities headphone, the issue for me anyway is that when you go really wi-fi it is laborious to return, and there are many glorious true wi-fi earbuds on this worth vary. Those aforementioned Galaxy Buds Plus, for instance. Heck, you’ll be able to even choose up a Geek Squad-recertified Powerbeats Pro from Best Buy for $140. And remember that the road worth of the usual AirPods is principally $140.