Apple’s Beats Fit Pro true wireless fitness earphones are priced at €229.99 which is €50 less than the the company’s AirPods Pro.
I’ve been testing the sporty earbuds for a couple of weeks now and I’m impressed by the audio quality, the transparency mode, the active noise cancellation (ANC) and features such as Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.
They are available in four colours – Stone Purple, Sage Grey, White and Black – and my review unit was the latter.
Beats Fit Pro were released in the U.S in late 2021 but they have just landed in Ireland and the UK (among other countries).
A key selling point is their suitability for both Android (they use USB-C charging) and iOS (they seamlessly integrate with all Apple products thanks to the H1 chip and you can easily switch between devices).
Design, build, comfort
As they are dubbed fitness earphones by their very name, they come with a unique angled wingtip design that keeps them secure during even the most rigorous of runs or workouts.
There is a handy ear fit test to ensure you choose the most snug silicone tips in the box. This is so important with all earphones as how secure the fit is affects the quality of both audio and ANC. There are three different sizes of tips in the box, incidentally.
Beats Fit Pro are IPX4 rated for sweat and water resistance too.
These are great earphones for fitness but they are just as good a fit for home use too, including during working hours when Siri will read out my notifications and messages to me which means I don’t to pick up my phone every time someone pings a group chat.
They are not as comfortable to wear for an eight-hour shift as the 2021 AirPods or the AirPods Pro, but I never felt the urge to remove them over discomfort either.
ANC and audio
I rate the adaptive ANC as highly as the noise cancellation on AirPods Pro, and I’d regard the precise and punchy audio quality as similarly impressive. It’s a more bass-heavy soundstage than AirPods Pro but this approach is common with fitness earphones.
Rest assured, the dodgy audio of the early Beats headphones is a distant memory since Apple took over the company.
I have a reference playlist of tunes that I repeatedly use when testing headphones. There were no notable shortcomings on Beats Fit Pro during my tests.
The Transparency mode on these buds is excellent. This is an important feature that so few earphones and headphones get right. It works so well when you want to be aware of your surroundings and when you are making and taking calls.
Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking makes audio sound as if it is coming from a collection of speakers around you, resulting in a more immersive experience.
The earbuds track the movement of your head and adjust the sound so that it is always centred on the screen in front of you. It works wonderfully with movies and TV shows that have a Dolby soundtrack, and is fantastic with compatible tunes too. Check out the ever growing Spatial Audio library on Apple Music.
Controls
A button on each earbud makes control of playback and incoming calls on Fit Pro so easy. Simple taps can skip tracks, turn up the volume, pause music and summon your digital assistant.
The long press toggles through three listening modes by default, but you can change this to volume control within the Beats app or in your iOS Settings.
Apple users, incidentally, get hands free Siri voice control.
Battery life
Battery life is excellent with six hours from the buds when ANC is switched on. With the case, you get a total of 27 hours. And because the case uses a USB-C cable for charging, Android users don't need to splash out on an Apple Lightning lead.
There is fast charging support too. you place the earbuds in the case for just five minutes, you get a 60-minute playtime boost. A full recharge takes 90 minutes.
Other features
On the downside, Beats Fit Pro only support the AAC and SBC codecs and they have no wireless charging support.
And Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking only works on iOS devices and not when you use these buds with an Android phone or tablet.
Verdict
Beats Fit Pro are up there alongside Jabra Elite 4 Active, Klipsch T5 II True Wireless Sport and Beats By Dre’s own Powerbeats Pro as the best fitness earphones you can buy.
Pricing and availability
Beats Fit Pro cost €229.99 from apple.com/ie
Key specs
Dimensions: 30x 24 x 19mm (buds) / 62 x 62 x 28.5mm (case)
Weight: 5.6g (each bud)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, H1 chip
Codecs: AAC, SBC
Battery life: six hours ANC playback (27 hours with case)
Water resistance: IPX4 (splash resistant)
Case charging: USB-C
