These days, the best true wireless earbuds deliver sound quality that’s just as good as their wired counterparts. They also boast vast improvement in battery life, design, and fit. The best ones can even be taken to the gym as they offer sweat-resistance. A couple of true wireless earbuds that tick all these boxes and more are the Apple AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro, and they’re both on sale on Best Buy and Verizon with up to $50 off. These would make ideal gifts for your dad this Father’s Day, and if you order today they will arrive before the big day.
Powerbeats Pro — $200, was $250
The Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones have a lot going for them, starting with a thin and unobtrusive design that’s perfect for working out. With an IPX4 rating, they are protected against sweat and the occasional splash of water. Their secure and comfortable fit is courtesy of ear hooks and four pairs of detachable ear tips in varying sizes. Unfortunately, these earphones don’t offer passive noise isolation, so you’ll be able to hear everything around you. This can be a good thing though, especially if you’re jogging in high-traffic areas.
These wireless earphones boast intuitive touch controls and Class 1 Bluetooth technology that offers an extended range and fewer dropouts. Apple’s H1 Chip is also responsible for quick and easy pairing and allows iOS users to instantly pull up Siri. Although the AirPods prove better when it comes to seamless connection, the Powerbeats Pro offer better sound quality, with punchy bass and impressive instrumental separation, detail, and dynamics. Vocal clarity for calls is likewise guaranteed, supported by a speech-detecting accelerometer and multiple microphones that target voices and filter out external noise.
For each full charge in the charging case, these earphones can provide up to nine hours of music playback. Furthermore, the case is capable of juicing them up an additional two charges, for a total of 24 hours of use. Even five minutes of quick charging can fuel the Powerbeats Pro for at least 1.5 hours. With built-in motion accelerometers, these earphones automatically enter sleep mode when not in use to help you conserve power.
For those who lead an active lifestyle and don’t want to part with their favorite tunes, the Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones are for you. They usually come with a $250 price tag but take advantage of Amazon’s $50 discount and get them for $200.
AirPods Pro — $220, was $250
We weren’t all that impressed with the standard AirPods. There are just several other true wireless earbuds out there that offer better value for your hard-earned money. So when Apple announced it was going to release the souped-up AirPod Pro, we were naturally skeptical. Would the company be able to deliver this time and improve on all the areas that the AirPods failed at? The answer is a resounding yes. The AirPods Pro are shockingly good and a huge win for Apple. Their sound quality has improved tremendously, their noise-canceling is spectacular, and they’re extremely comfortable to use even for a long period. The only problem we foresee is their questionable long-term battery life. Right now, you can score the AirPods Pro at Verizon for $220 instead of $250.
Love it or hate it, the AirPods’ golf-tee design is iconic, so Apple didn’t stray too far away from it when designing the AirPods Pro. They just now sport a shorter stem, which brings us to this major concern: Battery life. While the AirPods Pro offer the same battery performance as the standard AirPods (roughly 4.5 to 5 hours of listening time and/or 3.5 hours of call time per charge), we fear that their smaller batteries might not last in the long run. Unlike the Airpods, the AirPods Pro come with three sets of silicone eartips that snap on with a satisfying click instead of sliding onto a little nubbin as so many other in-ear buds require. This change not only offers a more secure and comfortable fit but also contributes to a better bass response.
The AirPods Pro inherit the original AirPods’ controls which means they’re ridiculously easy to operate and, as expected, Siri is always listening and ready to obey your every command. As with most true wireless buds with active noise-canceling, you have the option to either shut noise out or let it all in. Apple calls the latter feature “Transparency Mode,” and activating this allows sounds from the outside world to arrive in a very natural way, almost as if you’ve taken the buds themselves out. Noise-canceling is decidedly top-notch and almost on par with what over-ear ANC headphones offer. Last but certainly not least, the AirPods Pro deliver a pretty impressive sonic performance. Their sound signature is terrific, rich in subtle details with some zesty treble, rounded-up by a full-bodied bass.
We tip our hats to the Apple AirPods Pro. These are absolutely the best true wireless earbuds that you can get if you’re an iOS user. Get them for $220 at Verizon today.
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