I’m not the type of person that when it comes to reviewing, that headphones with ‘most’ win out. I think it should always be about the quality of said products rather than the quantity of what they offer.
But there are times when feature sound does count. It’s a way of upgrading the headphones from on iteration to another, in offering a new experience than what came before; a way of tapping into new trends or even catching up with them.
But having reviewed the Powerbeats Fit, a pair of headphones that are a significant step up from the Fit Pro they replace; I’m struck by how little the feature count and experience has advanced since Beats revamped its headphones.
The same old
When it comes to its features, Beats has become stagnant. What was something of a virtue, offering a degree of parity between iOS and Android devices with its features, has turned into a sand trap. It feels like Beats is stuck, kicking up sand, not really elevating the experience beyond what was introduced several years ago now.
Yes, Beats can argue they’ve added a few new features with their headphones. The Powerbeats Pro 2 have a heart-rate monitor (added before the AirPods Pro series got it), but for the most part, the feature updates have been incremental.
Better battery life. Better noise-cancellation. Some additional customisation options – bt nothing seismic, nothing that feels as if alters the experience of wearing a pair of Beats headphones and challenges other brands in terms of value. It’s as if Beats is in its silo, content to keep doing its thing and not worry about what other brands are doing and concentrate on the experience it offers.
It’s admirable, but after a while, and it’s been a while; I’m feeling a degree of indifference with Beats headphones. I can count on the sound quality being clear and detailed, the noise-cancelling being very good, the comfort levels being fine – but in none of these areas are Beats troubling the class leaders. They’re a solid brand – four stars but, so far at least – nothing more than that.
Where can Beats headphones go?
Given the script that Beats are sticking too, there’s not much room for freestyling and improvisation. I don’t expect Beats to suddenly surprise me with a feature that no one has done before, or do something in a way that’s been really attempted.
The Powerbeats Fit aren’t helped by sticking with Apple’s H1 chip, which goes back to 2019. It’s no spring chicken in that sense.
The Powerbeats Pro 2 has the H2 chip, but aside from the heart-rate monitor, what else is significantly different between it and Fit aside from noise-cancelling strength and better sound. The consistency across the Beats line-up means you know what you’re going to get, and if you’re not interested in what they offer, then that makes the rest of line-up less appealing.
At the risk of sounding hoarse, I’d love for Beats (and Apple in general) to reduce their grip over their control of the headphones’ noise-cancelling and transparency modes. To bring in the ability to create custom EQs, to add higher-quality Bluetooth codecs – even the addition of Spotify Tap would be useful (or an Apple Music related feature). There’s nothing new about the features, but they’d shake up the Beats formula just a little.
At the moment, the Beats headphones risk feeling outdated. The vibe the brand offered in its early years feels as if it’s been nullified. The experience of using your headphones feels as if it’s becoming as important as the sound, the noise-cancelling – and Beats headphones are starting to feel a little dull rather than fresh and exciting.
