Not sure if you need a pair of earphones that lose the cord entirely? Beats is offering an option in its latest Powerbeats, back with the cord.
When Beats released its Powerbeats Pro last year, there was excitement: Beats had adopted the modern approach to “truly wireless” earphones by cutting the cord on its Powerbeats line of fitness-focused earphones.
And yet as good as they were — and they are quite good, as indicated in our Powerbeats Pro review — they may be out of reach for many.
At just under the $400 mark, the Beats Powerbeats Pro are not a pair of sporty earphones you’ll want to look at if you’re looking to save money. Once you go over the $250 mark, earphones aren’t what you’d call cheap, and some would argue veering close to $250 isn’t price friendly either.
The audio quality, truly wireless design, and excellent battery life helped Beats make up for the price, but it’s not going to make the case for everyone.
So Beats has been working on a bit of a compromise, reviving its regular Powerbeats line and returning the cord to the design, updating the hardware with what’s in the Powerbeats Pro, but just in a corded variety.
That’s coming this week to stores, with the $219.95 Beats Powerbeats, minus the “pro” in the name.
Skip out on the “pro” and you get a corded variety, as Beats links the two earpieces with a cord, unlike what how the Powerbeats Pro are both wireless and cordless. We’re told it’s much the same technology, though, with a similar (if not identical) audio profile, two beamforming microphones, and IPX4 sweat and water resistance.
The battery life is different, however, and thanks to the use of a cord, there’s no charging case like on the Pro model, with up to 15 hours per charge and a five minute fast charge getting an hour of playback battery life in.
Finding the Powerbeats in store might be tad difficult, though, as they’re listed from Apple’s online presence for the moment, at least until Apple shops re-open amidst coronavirus concerns.
You’ll find them for $219.95 online, with the Beats Powerbeats available in black, white, and red, and with four sizes of ear-tips in the box, including a dual-flange tip.
