Beats has created a new version of its Powerbeats headphones designed for running. Powerbeats2 Wireless are sweatproof running headphones that get music from you phone via Bluetooth. They will cost around the $200 mark. And we’ll tell you right now that’s more than they’re worth.
Like their predecessors, Powerbeats2 Wireless are buds with little tails that clamp on to your ears. This time around the tail is made of a pliable plastic that’s designed to conform to your movement as you’re taking a jog. And because they’re wireless, they’re connected by an adjustable rubbery lanyard that goes behind your head like the cloth string attached to a pair of reading glasses. One bud has the Bluetooth radio, the other has the rechargeable six-hour battery.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this lanyard design on a pair of Bluetooth buds. The Powerbeats2 Wireless aren’t cheapest running headphones we’ve ever seen, either. In our experience with a near-production model, they sound infinitely worse, and are less comfortable than the much cheaper Sennheiser runners we prefer, despite the pesky cables. The Sennheisers do crap out after a while from sweat, but the experience of using them is far superior to what you’re going to get from the Beats, which aren’t amazing — at any price. We’ll put them through a proper review soon, but for now, stick to the Sennheisers.
