Using the pre-installed M-sized ear tip worked best to create the perfect seal in my ears, as validated by the Ear fit test on iOS. Starting with the aptly named Wake Me Up by The Weeknd, it was instantly evident that the Powerbeats Pro 2 bear the bass-led signature of the brand. When the Thriller-esque bass line drops at about 1:47, these earbuds come alive with a full bodied low-frequency response that makes your head nod to the groove. Unfortunately though, the the highs don’t have the same level of control and start sounding shrill and tizzy at the slightest provocation of the volume level. The ‘V’ shaped EQ curve that’s built into the earbuds doesn’t leave much room for a balanced sound and the midrange suffers big time due to this, sounding hollow and lacking any body. From electronic to rock, every genre of music suffered this fate and while sound is largely a subjective matter, there is no getting away from the fact that these are bright sounding earbuds. If you like a forward sounding presentation with an extra dollop of sizzle at the top-end, you would find these entertaining. The articulate bass does make them a fun listen when you’re working out, running or doing anything that warrants an extra dose of energy infused into your system. And that’s where it scores. Their fit is relentlessly secure, no matter how hard you try to knock them off and never feels uncomfortable while staying in place. Ergonomically, Beats have nailed it.
Of the iOS built-in EQ presets, Latin provided the best correction and levelled out the sound profile to be a lot more forgiving. Phone calls and ANC, thanks to the six-mic set-up are both brilliantly executed and in fact, better than the AirPods Pro. Strangely though, even with the H2 chip on-board, unlike the Apple AirPods Pro 2, the Powerbeats Pro 2 cannot be used as a medical grade hearing aid.