Buyer beware of this Powerbeats Pro 2 sound quality issue

We recently tested and reviewed the new Powerbeats Pro 2 in our SoundGuys lab. While I find these earbuds are packed full of features for athletes and workout enthusiasts, there is one strange issue you should note if you plan on reaching for the Powerbeats Pro 2 for your next workout.

The Powerbeats Pro 2 have a sound quality issue

Our measurements show that the Powerbeats Pro 2 sound quality depends on whether or not you have active noise canceling (ANC) enabled. With ANC turned on, our testing rates the sound quality very high, but it drops off when you turn off ANC.

We use the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics to assess sound quality on a scale from 1-5, based on how most people prefer headphones to sound. With ANC turned on, the Powerbeats Pro 2 attain an impressive 4.6 Overall sound quality score. When we turned off ANC though, we found the sound quality score dropped to only 3.8.

If you are someone who doesn’t like to use ANC all the time, there is a higher chance that you won’t like the way the Powerbeats Pro 2 sound.

The devil is in the data

To understand why the sound quality scores lower with ANC turned off, we can turn to our frequency response measurements in the chart below.  The blue line is the sound of the Powerbeats Pro 2 with ANC on, the dotted yellow line is the sound of the Powerbeats Pro 2 with ANC off, and the pink line is our industry validated SoundGuys preference curve.

When ANC is on, the frequency response of the Powerbeats Pro 2 matches up with our curve pretty well, with the exception of a drastic fall off in upper treble frequencies above 8kHz. On the other hand, when ANC is turned off, we see an underemphasis in low-mid frequencies up to 500Hz. This results in basslines, piano, guitar, and male vocals sounding comparatively quieter.

These aren’t the first earbuds we’ve tested that sound different with ANC on compared to when ANC is turned off, but it is rare to see such an issue in premium earbuds that cost this much money. If you are going to fork over hundreds of dollars on earbuds, you shouldn’t expect to see issues like this.

Additionally, the Powerbeats Pro 2 don’t have native equalizer support. Whether you use the Beats app on Android, or the iOS Settings app, there is no simple way to customize the way the Powerbeats Pro 2 sound, since they use the Apple Adaptive EQ system instead. At least with a custom EQ you could attempt to remedy the difference in frequency response when ANC is on compared to when it is off.

Not the only issue with the Powerbeats Pro 2

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only strange issue we’ve identified with the Powerbeats Pro 2. We’ve also outlined a major flaw with the heart rate monitor of the Powerbeats Pro 2 that renders their headline feature nearly useless. With that in mind, most iPhone owners might be better off with the AirPods Pro 2 instead of the Powerbeats Pro 2.

Are you disappointed by the Powerbeats Pro 2 launch? Let us know in the comments below.