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- Table of Contents
- Top
- Main Differences
- Design
- Sound
- Isolation
- Microphone
- Active Features
- Connectivity
- Comments
Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless vs Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless
Side-by-Side Comparison
Products
Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless
Apple AirPods (2nd generation)
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1
Updated Jan 15, 2024 03:11 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comTested using Methodology v1.5
Updated Apr 19, 2024 06:39 PM
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
TypeIn-ear
EnclosureClosed-Back
WirelessYes
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
TypeEarbuds
EnclosureOpen-Back
WirelessTruly Wireless
TransducerDynamic
Noise CancellingNo
MicYes
Variants
- Powerbeats3 Wireless (Asphalt Grey)
- Powerbeats3 Wireless (Break Blue)
- Powerbeats3 Wireless (Brick Red)
- Powerbeats3 Wireless (Defiant Black-Red)
- Powerbeats3 Wireless (White)
- AirPods (2nd generation) (With charging case)
- AirPods (2nd generation) (With wireless charging case)
Our Verdict
Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless
The Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless are better headphones than the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. The Beats closed-back design will isolate more ambient noise than the open Apple, although the Beats' fit doesn't isolate very well. However, the Beats are noticeably more stable due to their ear-hook design, which is great for sports. They also have a more neutral but bass-rich sound profile and perform more consistently across different users. You also get volume controls on the Beats' in-line remote, which the Apple don't have. On the other hand, the Apple have a great charging case and feel slightly better made than the Beats. While you get more battery life with the Beats, you can't charge them anywhere like you can with the Apple's case.
Check Price
Asphalt Grey
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWith charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBreak Blue
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWith wireless charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBrick Red
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comDefiant Black-Red
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWhite
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comNotice:
Two or more of the products selected have been tested with different test methodologies, so some of the results below aren't directly comparable.
Learn how our test benches and scoring system work, and read more about the latest changes to our
headphones test methodology.
Read more
Main Differences forMixed Usage
Mixed Usage
Threshold
Mixed Usage
7.0
Full Comparison
Design
Style
Design Picture 2
Type
In-ear
Earbuds
Enclosure
Closed-Back
Open-Back
Wireless
Yes
Truly Wireless
Transducer
Dynamic
Dynamic
Comfort
7.0
7.5
Comfort Picture
Weight
0.06 lbs
0.02 lbs
Clamping Force
0 lbs
0 lbs
Controls
7.4
4.3
Controls Picture
OS Compatibility
N/A
Not OS specific
Ease Of Use
Good
Subpar
Feedback
Decent
Subpar
Call/Music Control
Yes
Yes
Volume Control
Yes
No
Microphone Control
No
No
Channel Mixing
N/A
No
Noise Cancelling Control
N/A
No
Talk-Through
N/A
No
Additional Controls
No
Voice Assistant
Breathability
9.2
9.2
Breathability After Picture
Avg.Temp.Difference
0.8 °C
0.8 °C
Portability
9.0
9.6
Portability Picture
L
2"
1.7" (4.3 cm)
W
2"
1.0" (2.5 cm)
H
1"
0.6" (1.5 cm)
Volume
4 in³
1.00 in³ (16.39 cm³)
Transmitter Required
N/A
No
Case
6.5
8.5
Case Picture
Type
Pouch
Hard case
L
N/A
2.1" (5.3 cm)
W
N/A
1.7" (4.3 cm)
H
N/A
0.7" (1.8 cm)
Volume
N/A
2.50 in³ (40.97 cm³)
Build Quality
7.5
8.0
Build Quality Picture
Stability
8.0
6.5
Stability Picture
Headshots 1
Angled Picture
Side Picture
Headshots 2
Front Picture
Rear Picture
Top
Top Picture
In The Box
In The Box Picture
Sound
Sound Profile
Frequency Response
Frequency Response
Bass Amount
1.75 dB
-8.65 dB
Treble Amount
-3.41 dB
0.39 dB
Frequency Response Consistency
9.0
5.6
Consistency L
Consistency R
Avg. Std. Deviation
0.21 dB
1.13 dB
Raw Frequency Response
Raw FR L
Raw FR L
Raw FR R
Raw FR R
Bass Accuracy
8.4
5.8
Std. Err.
2.27 dB
6.68 dB
Low-Frequency Extension
10.15 Hz
70.25 Hz
Low-Bass
3.41 dB
-13.78 dB
Mid-Bass
2.2 dB
-1.58 dB
High-Bass
1.89 dB
2.09 dB
Mid Accuracy
8.6
8.4
Std. Err.
1.86 dB
2.17 dB
Low-Mid
-0.66 dB
1.31 dB
Mid-Mid
-0.82 dB
0.07 dB
High-Mid
2.71 dB
3.01 dB
Treble Accuracy
8.1
7.4
Treble
Treble
Std. Err.
3.32 dB
3.89 dB
Low-Treble
-0.87 dB
3.83 dB
Mid-Treble
-2.31 dB
3.78 dB
High-Treble
-7.4 dB
-2.62 dB
Peaks/Dips
7.6
7.2
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks/Dips Graph
Peaks
1.58 dB
1.97 dB
Dips
1.16 dB
1.12 dB
Imaging
9.3
8.5
Phase Response
Phase Response Mismatch
Weighted Group Delay
0.16
0.28
Weighted Phase Mismatch
1.17
2.28
Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
0.42
1.37
Weighted Frequency Mismatch
0.96
1.28
Passive Soundstage
1.4
2.9
PRTF
PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Size (Avg.)
N/A
N/A
PRTF Distance
N/A
N/A
Openness
4.7
9.6
Acoustic Space Excitation
2.2
3.2
Virtual Soundstage
0.0
Virtual Soundstage
Head Modeling
No
Speaker Modeling
No
Room Ambience
No
Head Tracking
No
Virtual Surround
No
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
7.8
7.8
Weighted Harmonic Distortion
WHD @ 90
0.319
0.358
WHD @ 100
0.106
0.104
Test Settings
Firmware
1A673
Power
On
Connection
Bluetooth 4.0
Codec
SBC, 16-bit, 44.1kHz
EQ
No EQ
ANC
No ANC
Tip/Pad
Default
Microphone
Integrated
Isolation
Noise Isolation
5.1
1.0
Noise Isolation
Isolation Audio
Overall Attenuation
-11.9 dB
-1.95 dB
Noise Cancelling
No
No
Bass
-0.63 dB
0.32 dB
Mid
-11.61 dB
0.98 dB
Treble
-24.52 dB
-6.94 dB
Leakage
8.2
7.2
Leakage Audio
Overall Leakage @ 1ft
32.11 dB
38.25 dB
Microphone
Microphone Style
Integrated
No
Yes
In-Line
Yes
No
Boom
No
No
Detachable Boom
N/A
No
Mic
Yes
Yes
Recording Quality
6.5
6.4
Microphone Frequency Response
Recorded Speech
LFE
276.97 Hz
261.43 Hz
FR Std. Dev.
3.31 dB
3.34 dB
HFE
3,368.2 Hz
3,319.91 Hz
Weighted THD
12.189
27.169
Gain
36.29 dB
38.23 dB
Noise Handling
4.8
6.9
SpNR
5.68 dB
13.93 dB
Noise Gate
Always On
Speech + Pink Noise Handling
7.5
Speech + Pink Noise Audio Sample
Speech + Subway Noise Handling
6.0
Speech + Subway Noise Audio Sample
Active Features
Battery
6.3
6.6
Battery Type
Rechargable
Rechargable
Continuous Battery Life
11.7 hrs
4.1 hrs
Additional Charges
0
5.0
Total Battery Life
11.7 hrs
24.6 hrs
Charge Time
1.2 hrs
0.5 hrs
Power-Saving Feature
No
Standby mode
Audio While Charging
No
Yes
Passive Playback
No
No
Charging Port
micro-USB
Lightning
App Support
5.0
5.0
App Picture
App Name
N/A
No App
iOS
Yes
Yes
Android
N/A
No
macOS
N/A
Yes
Windows
N/A
No
Equalizer
N/A
No
ANC Control
N/A
No
Mic Control
N/A
No
Room Effects
N/A
No
Playback Control
N/A
No
Button Mapping
N/A
Yes
Surround Sound
N/A
Surround Support
No
Connectivity
Bluetooth
7.3
6.8
Bluetooth Version
4.2 + W1 chip
5.0+H1 chip
Multi-Device Pairing
No
No
NFC Pairing
No
No
Line Of Sight Range
226 ft
149.00 ft (45.42 m)
PC Latency (SBC)
182 ms
176 ms
PC Latency (aptX)
N/A
N/A
PC Latency (aptX HD)
N/A
PC Latency (aptX-LL)
N/A
N/A
iOS Latency
80 ms
Android Latency
165 ms
Non-Bluetooth Wireless
0.0
0.0
Non-BT Line Of Sight Range
N/A
N/A
Non-BT Latency
N/A
N/A
Wired
0.0
0.0
Cable Picture
Analog Audio
N/A
No
USB Audio
N/A
No
Detachable
N/A
No
Length
N/A
N/A
Connection
N/A
No Wired Option
Wired Latency
N/A
Analog/USB Audio Latency
N/A
PC Compatibility
Analog
No
Wired USB
No
Non-BT Wireless
No
PC / PS4 Compatibility
PC / PS4 Analog
No
No
PC / PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PlayStation Compatibility
PS4 Analog
No
No
PS4 Wired USB
No
No
PS4 Non-BT Wireless
No
No
PS5 Analog
No
PS5 Wired USB
No
PS5 Non-BT Wireless
No
Xbox Compatibility
Xbox One Analog
No
No
Xbox One Wired USB
No
No
Xbox One Non-BT Wireless
No
No
Xbox Series X|S Analog
No
Xbox Series X|S Wired USB
No
Xbox Series X|S Non-BT Wireless
No
Base/Dock
0.0
2.2
Type
N/A
Charging Case
USB Input
N/A
No
Line In
N/A
No
Line Out
N/A
No
Optical Input
N/A
No
RCA Input
N/A
No
Dock Charging
N/A
Yes
Power Supply
N/A
Lightning
Check Price
Asphalt Grey
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWith charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBreak Blue
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWith wireless charging case
AirPods (2nd generation)
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comBrick Red
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comDefiant Black-Red
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.comWhite
Powerbeats3 Wireless
SEE PRICE
Amazon.com
Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless
Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless
Comments
Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless vs Apple AirPods (2nd generation): Main Discussion
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