Beats Powerbeats 3 Headphones Review

Beats Powerbeats 3 Pros & Cons

Powerbeats 3 – Specs

• Impedance: 50
• Driver Size: 10mm
• Frequency Response: 20 HZ
• Sensitivity: 96 dB
• Cable length: 130 CM
• Cable Connections: MMCX
• Weight(including cable): 29g

Packaging

The Beats Powerbeats 3 packaging is quite nice, rather typical of Apple products. The clear window proudly displays the product. I bright red sticker also boldly states the improved battery life (112 hours vs 8 hour s on the previous model).

Once you remove the layer holding the Powerbeats 3, you’re greeted with the set of ear tips. Removing yet another layer reveals the black silicon case, USB cable, and various leaflets and guides.

Powerbeats 3 – What’s in the box?

• Powerbeats 3
• Black silicon case
• 8 x silicon ear tips (22 already attached)) Usb cable
• User guide and warranty info

Read Also: PowerBeats 2 Wireless Headphones Preview

Powerbeats 3 – Accessories

Beats/Apple really didn’t include a great deal of extras with the Powerbeats 3; pretty much the bare minimum. Although the silico n case is an appreciated extra.

The ear tips come in various sizes and shapes. You get 3 pairs of single-flange tips (S, M, and L) as well as what seem to be a rather small double-flange pair.

Powerbeats 3 – Design

The Powerbeats 3 are rather bulky.. In a world where technology is constantly getting slimmer and lighter,,it seems odd then that these should be so bulky. The employ an over-ear design by using some rather large hooks to keep the ear pieces in the ear.

It does feature a nifty cable tightening mechanism, though, if you’d prefer a tighter fit around the head or neck.. The finish seems durable and is supposedly water/sweat resistant. The flat cable is also a nice addition as these tend t o tangle less than tradi ti onal round cables.

There are also 5 color options, namely flash blue, siren red, shock yellow, and your more traditional 2 colors, black and white.

Powerbeats 3 – Sound

Let me first mention the tips. Tips can make a big difference to a person’s experience with IEMs. Of course, comfort is one side of the coin, but getting a proper seal can make a huge difference to the sound, especially on the low end.

Unfortunately, none of the tips provided with the Powerbeats 3 gave me a proper seal. This isn’t uncommon, as you’ll find numerous reviews online stating the same issue. Having said that, the low end was surprisingly present and punchy, but there was very little isolation provided.

It is quite possible that seal and sound quality could be improved by using different tips, but I think it’s only fair to judge the product with the included tips. If different tips do provide for a better seal and sound quality, however, what does that say about the manufacturer? Are they more concerned about pushing products out the door at ridiculous prices, rather than to properly test the fit, comfort, and sound quality?

Perhaps. As expected, the Powerbeats 3 offers a rather extreme V-shape sound signature, with an emphasis on the lower frequencies, which is rather common for mainstream consumer headphones. Mids are rather recessed, and not a huge deal can be said for detail retrieval. However, as with all sport-orientated headphones/IEMs, critical listening sessions are not the intended purpose, so I can forgive the Powerbeats 3 for lacking there.

There is noticeable distortion in the vocal range and higher frequencies, But I am unsure whether this is due to the Bluetooth connection, or distortion from the drivers. So, whilst the Powerbeats 3 do a decent job of the low end (for a sports-orientated set of in-ears), it’s quite clear that this is the only part of the spectrum that Apple/Beats paid any real attention to.

Powerbeats 3 – Value

Right at the beginning, Beats produced some very poor sounding, over-hyped and incredibly over-priced products. Then, when Apple took over, the sound quality got a boost. And then, for some reason, things seem to have taken another dive.

It seems then, that today you’re still paying for the Beats and Apple names, rather than for the product. As such, whilst sound quality may or may not have been improved, I still feel that the Powerbe ats 3 are still a relatively low value product, especially considering the $2200 price-point.

Sure, you do get Bluetooth wireless connectivity, but it doesn’t employ AptX technology to accommodate the vast majority of devices out there, along with noticeably distorted vocals and highs. It doesn’t offer the most secure fit either, and as such is rather pointless for high intensity activities.

You could get a set of sports Bluetooth earbuds for half the price or less from MEE Audio, which will b e a better sounding set, a smaller form factor, along with a more comfortable and secure fit too. A much better buy in my opinion.