Sports Earbud Showdown: Powerbeats Pro 2 versus Sennheiser Momentum Sport
Sports Headphone Showdown: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 versus Sennheiser Momentum Sport - Making the Right Choice
Strap on your sneakers and get ready for an epic battle — the clash of the titans in the realm of sports earbuds: Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 and Sennheiser Momentum Sport. These power-packed audio devices are filled to the brim with advanced features to please even the most discerning athletes. Which one comes out on top when it's time to decide on your gym gear? Let's find out!
The Down ’n’ Dirty on Build Quality
The Powerbeats Pro 2 boasts a sleek, updated look, but they're not as robust as the Momentum Sport. Sporting a matte plastic design that's susceptible to smudges and scratches, Powerbeats gamble on basic splash resistance against the IP55-certified Momentum Sport, which is built to take on dust and water projections, plus a silicone-covered charging case for good measure. Advantage, Sennheiser!
Comfort: A Bit of a Belly Rub?
Beats make sure you stay put by sporting ear hooks that ensure excellent retention. Though comfortable after some initial fitting, they may not suit smaller ears perfectly. Sennheiser offers cushy semi-earbuds with a slightly more comfortable design, despite their spherical appearance potentially posing challenges for some ear shapes. The hooks of Beats provide excellent retention, but comfort is pretty good, giving them the second round.
Features: Beats Have Tricks Up Their Sleeve
Powerbeats Pro 2 offer seamless iOS compatibility, complete with Siri capabilities, spatial audio, and Find My functions, but they fall short on Android integration. Sennheiser, on the other hand, boasts a flexible touch control interface and even throws in a temperature sensor to beef up its feature list. They are also compatible with popular platforms like Polar Flow, Strava, and Garmin. Sennheiser scores here!
Connectivity: Sennheiser Widens the Horizon
Beats stick with the Apple H2 chip, favoring iPhone users, while excluding Android users from multipoint and fast-pairing features. Only SBC and AAC codecs are available. Sennheiser is the Connectivity Queen, offering Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint, Google Fast Pair, and support for a wide variety of codecs like SBC, AAC, AptX, AptX HD, and AptX Adaptive. Winner: Sennheiser!
Sound Performance: Sennheiser Swings in with the Cadence
Beats delivers a lively, sharp sound with an impressive level of detail, but the highs can be a bit overpowering at times. Sennheiser opts for a gentler sound, providing a comfortable audio experience over longer periods. The highs could use more finesse, and the bass could pack a stronger punch, but the overall sound is more balanced. Sennheiser triumphs in sound performance!
Isolation: Beats Beats Sennheiser to the Punch
The Powerbeats Pro 2 excel with passive isolation and actively lower the lows and highs significantly thanks to the Apple chip. Sennheiser doesn't bring quite the same punch in the noise reduction game. The transparency mode in the Powerbeats is also more convincing. Beats: 1 - Sennheiser: 0
Call Quality: Sennheiser Stays on the Line
Beats stumble while on a call, with overly aggressive noise reduction leading to muffled voices. Sennheiser manages good vocal capture in calm environments and handles noisy situations relatively well, though it struggles with a bit of saturation and whistling. Sennheiser snatches the call quality round.
Battery Life: Beats Gone Wild
The Powerbeats Pro 2 demonstrates jaw-dropping endurance, with over 9 hours of playtime on a single charge, plus an additional three charges from its case. Sennheiser manages around 6.5 hours, making Beats the Battery Life Monarch.
Repairability: A Step Back for Both
As common in the earbud market, neither Beats nor Sennheiser provide excellent repairability options. More effort is needed in this department, as companies like Fairphone have shown that repairable earbuds are possible. Call it a draw!
The Final Verdict
With a clear score, the Sennheiser Momentum Sport excels in all critical categories apart from battery life and isolation. The customizable fit, versatile features, better sound quality, and unbeatable battery life make the Powerbeats Pro 2 a fantastic selection for athletes seeking a premium listening experience. However, if you're looking for affordability, the Momentum Sport is the way to go during sales when it drops to around $200. Time to pick your gear!
- The Sennheiser Momentum Sport earbuds, with their IP55 certification, silicone-covered charging case, and robust build, have an edge over the Powerbeats Pro 2 in terms of durability.
- In terms of comfort, both Beats and Sennheiser offer comfortable designs, but the Powerbeats Pro 2's ear hooks provide excellent retention for most users, while Sennheiser's semi-earbuds offer a slightly more comfortable design for a wider range of ear shapes.
- When it comes to features, Sennheiser takes the lead because of its flexible touch control interface, temperature sensor, and compatibility with platforms like Polar Flow, Strava, and Garmin, while Beats offer seamless iOS compatibility and spatial audio but fall short on Android integration.
- Sennheiser boasts superior connectivity with Bluetooth 5.2, multipoint, Google Fast Pair, and support for a wide variety of codecs, while Beats rely only on the Apple H2 chip, excluding Android users from multipoint and fast-pairing features.
