How to choose between the AirPods Pro and Beats Fit Pro

Some iPhone owners buy Apple’s AirPods Pro without a second thought and without seriously researching their competitors. Considering how good they are, it’s not the worst. But you may have compared it to the AirPods Pro. another I bought a pair of Apple earbuds, the Beats Fit Pro, and can’t decide which one is the right choice.

As the name suggests, the Beats-branded Fit Pro is intended for exercise and gym use. But friends and colleagues (such as Deputy Editor-in-Chief his Dan Seifert) use it more casually because of its secure, stable fit.Many earbuds on the market incorporate wingtips as part of their design, but Beats really nailed the execution on his Fit Pro: The wing tips are flexible, allowing the earbuds to can hold Comfortable It stays in your ear for long periods of time at a time.

Both earbud sets offer active noise cancellation, water and sweat resistance, and a host of Apple-exclusive features such as hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands, audio sharing, automatic device switching, and head-tracking spatial audio. Features. Beats does a great job supporting both mobile platforms, but these things obviously fall out the window when you’re using an Android phone.

I thought the Beats Fit Pro sounded better. original AirPods Pro, but the 2nd generation model turned this upside down. Apple has significantly improved audio performance across the frequency range. They are more dynamic, have refined bass, have better instrument separation, and other benefits. The second generation of his AirPods Pro offers a great listening experience in almost every way and has the best wireless earbuds.

The new AirPods Pro offer significantly better active noise cancellation compared to the first generation pair and the Beats Fit Pro. Apple advertises up to 2x effectiveness, but that depends on your specific use case and environment. I’ve used it on several flights and have no complaints. These significantly outperform their predecessors when it comes to quieting the world around you.

Aside from stronger ANC, the AirPods Pro also have an improved “adaptive” transparency mode that reduces the volume of sudden noises such as sirens or nearby construction when you’re outdoors and want to maintain a sense of your surroundings. Designed to be lowered.

The Beats Fit Pro earbuds deliver up to 7 hours of continuous playback, slightly more than the AirPods Pro’s 6 hours (with ANC enabled in both cases). But the AirPods charging case has more features than the larger Beats cases. It also supports wireless charging, which the Fit Pro does not.

Whether you’re about to start an intense workout or have trouble with other buds slowly falling out of your ears, you don’t need to top off with Beats Fit Pro wingtips. They don’t wrap around your ears, so they’re more eyeglass-friendly than the Powerbeats Pro. Also, the flexible material greatly prevents pain that can occur when other wing tips are pressed against the ear folds.

Apple confirms that the AirPods Pro include 4 sets of ear tips (currently an extra small set is included). But if you want the tightest fit of the AirPods Pro, you’ll likely be replacing those silicone tips with foam replacements anyway.

You might think Beats would pick this up, but that’s not exactly the case.Both pairs of earbuds are rated IPX4 for water resistance. That means it should be able to handle a lot of sweat and splashes (such as rain) without a problem. Do not submerge them.

However, while Apple extends the same durability to its second-generation AirPods Pro carrying case, Beats makes no claims about its Fit Pro case offering water resistance. This may not matter at all, but if your activity exposes the case to the elements, it’s worth keeping in mind.

AirPods win here thanks to the new volume control on the second-gen set. With them, you can adjust the volume by swiping the touchpad on either stem, but you’ll have to use Siri (or your phone directly) to change anything on the Beats Fit Pro. You can reassign the Beats long press action to cover volume, but it fails to switch between ANC and transparency modes. However, AirPods Pro controls are more comprehensive.

AirPods Pro and Beats Fit Pro have many Apple software tricks. Both feature spatial audio, automatic device switching, one-tap setup, syncing across iCloud devices, and audio sharing.

But the 2nd generation AirPods Pro extend their lead in accurate Find My location tracking thanks to the U1 chip built into the case. It can be easily tracked like an AirTag, and the case’s built-in speaker helps locate it. You can also listen live from Beats Fit Pro, but it also supports more accessibility features like Conversation Boost.

Do AirPods Pro technically work on an android phone? I agree. But you better be fine with how Apple’s buds work out of the box.

Beats goes one step further with a dedicated Android app for adjusting settings, updating firmware, and checking the battery life of both earbuds and case. Android is an afterthought for the AirPods team, but Beats is at least trying to extend the olive branch to deliver a great experience.

At regular retail prices, Apple’s AirPods Pro cost $249, while the Beats Fit Pro costs $199.99. Both models sell for less than usual, but you can usually find Beats for less than AirPods. We think the AirPods justify that extra cash with better sound, ANC, and wireless charging, but those improvements won’t be a problem for anyone who needs a reliable set of earbuds while training for the gym or marathon. maybe.

In terms of pure sound quality and noise cancellation, the AirPods Pro are often the better buy. While they may look just like the original pair, Apple made some key enhancements with the second-generation model.

But this doesn’t wipe out the Beats Fit Pro. All the features and fancy tricks in the world don’t matter if your ears don’t fit your AirPods snugly. Beats Bud wingtips stay in place even during the most demanding activities. Sound and ANC are a step back from Apple’s new flagship earbuds, but the Fit Pro earbuds are more than enough to keep you motivated during the final stages of an intense workout.

And, at the very least, there are actually several varieties when it comes to colors.