Design and features:The earphones have integrated microphones and volume, music player, and call connect/disconnect controls for paired Bluetooth devices. They support Apple's Siri digital voice assistant (which can be activated via touch or the "Hey Siri" wake phrase, or both depending on how the earphones are set up) when used with Apple devices and other unspecified compatible digital voice assistants when it is used with Bluetooth devices that have those capabilities and that, if needed, have the appropriate apps installed. Either earphone can also be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. Additional features include an automatic ear detection function that pauses music when at least one of the earphones are taken out of the ears and resumes when at least one is put back in. The Powerbeats Pro comes with four pairs of ear pieces in various sizes, a USB charging cable, and a charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries up to 1-2/3 times between its own charges.
Sound quality:We found the Powerbeats Pro delivers sound quality that falls in the Good range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound. The overall sound can be summarized as very bassy and somewhat hazy. Bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) goes deep, but is very prominent and boomy and has excessive impact. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) is fairly even, bit a somewhat grainy and hazy, a bit soft, and depending on the program material, can be overwhelmed by the bass. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is fairly extended but is a bit prominent and smeared (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer sound blurred). This model does a decent job of recovering the room ambience of a recording (the sense of the acoustic space in which the audio program that's being listened to was recorded). The sound also has a good sense of liveliness and is somewhat open--sound-wise it almost seems like you don't have anything plugging up your ears. This model would have scored in the Very Good range, but the excessively prominent bass dropped the score to Good.
Comfort and Fit:As typical of in-ear models they produce a sense of pressure in the ear canal opening might be uncomfortable for some.
Most users will find that this model stays in place with no problems for casual use and that they are very stable even during vigorous head movement, but it may take some fumbling to get them in place.
Some users might find pushing the control buttons that actuates a few of the functions drives the earphone further into the ear canal and causes ear discomfort.
