2021's seen the release of a few excellent headphones, but the Beats Fit Pro may just be the perfect package some folks are still searching for — myself included. The true wireless earbud market has been moving at a rapid pace for a while now. Ever since Apple popularized the niche with AirPods in 2016, every consecutive year has gotten more heated. Earbuds get better, cheaper, and more plentiful.
This is fully evident looking back at the past year. Beats launched the $149 Studio Buds in June, offering things like noise cancellation, solid battery life, and good audio quality — all while delivering seamless connectivity on iOS and Android devices. There's also been the Galaxy Buds 2, OnePlus Buds Pro, Pixel Buds A-Series, and AirPods 3. All of these are worth recommending for their own reasons. However, that's not to say there's isn't any room left at the table.
Enter the Beats Fit Pro. On paper, the Fit Pro sound like a near-perfect package. They have a sporty design that isn't too outlandish, a compact form factor, ANC, long endurance, and have all of the same iOS integrations you get with AirPods. The kicker? They retail for just $199 — a hefty $50 less than AirPods Pro and just $20 more than AirPods 3. Do the Beats Fit Pro stick the landing? While there are a couple of things I'd like changed in the eventual successor, the current implementation is so good I'm leaving all those other earbuds behind.
Everything I Love About The Beats Fit Pro
Fit/comfort is one of the first things anyone notices with a new pair of earbuds. As the name implies, this is an area where the Fit Pro really hold their own. The Beats Fit Pro form a traditional in-ear seal just like AirPods Pro. However, the magic lies with the 'secure-fit wingtip' on either bud. After putting the earbud in your ear, you're supposed to slightly twist it back and tuck the wingtip underneath the upper part of your ear. It sounds confusing on paper, but it's honestly pretty natural after the first couple of times. Not to mention, the wingtip itself is very flexible and should form to virtually any ear shape.
Personally, I've found the Beats Fit Pro to be extremely comfortable. They go in easy, are extremely secure even during intense workouts/runs, and cause little-to-no irritation even after hours of listening. Some reviews have complained that the wingtip causes discomfort after a while, but that's not something I've personally experienced. The Fit Pro feel good, refuse to fall out of my ears, and that's about as good as it gets. Another design element that's really stuck out is the playback button on either earbud. Typically, physical buttons on earbuds aren't good. They're usually difficult to press, shove the earbud deeper in your ear, and are an all-around bad idea. That's not the case with the Fit Pro. These buttons are shockingly easy to press and do so with a very satisfying click.
Well-designed earbuds aren't worth anything if the listening experience is bad. Thankfully, this is another area where the Fit Pro excel. Similar to the Beats Studio Buds, the sound profile here is nice and balanced. Audio is clear, punchy when it needs to be, and never sounds distorted or muffled at higher volumes. This is made even better when using Spatial Audio. Similar to AirPods, Spatial Audio on the Fit Pro gives supported songs a much wider soundstage. The Fit Pro even support the new Dynamic Head Tracking mode enabled in Apple Music with iOS 15 — allowing audio to instantly react to how you move your head. The effect can take a little getting used to, but with the right song or podcast, it gives them a completely different feeling that can't be achieved with any Galaxy Buds or Pixel Buds.
And all of this only gets better when you factor in active noise-canceling and transparency mode. Overall, I've been impressed with both of these things. ANC on the Fit Pro is among the best out there for earbuds in this form factor. It doesn't completely silence everything around you, but whether you need to dull the roar of a running dishwasher, passing cars, or a TV playing in the background, the Fit Pro handle these things like a champ. The transparency mode is also really good. Surrounding sounds are natural, and your voice doesn't have a weird robotic effect when talking. This is how I listen to the Fit Pro while at home, and it hasn't disappointed me once.
Let's quickly wrap up the rest of the positives. Regarding battery life, Beats claims the Fit Pro last up to 6 hours of continuous listening (with ANC or transparency enabled) and up to 24 hours when factoring in the charging case. This was very representative of my own testing, with the Fit Pro usually having a little over 50 percent battery after three hours of listening. Finally, the included Apple H1 chip works exactly as you'd expect. Using the Beats Fit Pro with an Apple device unlocks a host of special features — including one-touch pairing, automatic device switching, hands-free 'Hey Siri' commands, Find My tracking, and audio sharing with other AirPods/Beats users.
How The Beats Fit Pro Could Be Better
While the Beats Fit Pro nail almost everything, there are a couple of things that could be improved for gen two — the biggest of which is wireless charging. The case for the Beats Fit Pro charges with a USB-C cable... and that's it. Qi wireless charging should absolutely be a standard feature with earbuds this expensive. Some users might not care about it, but this has been my single biggest issue using the Fit Pro.
Speaking of the case, the whole thing just feels a bit cheap. It's made of hard plastic, the lid moves way too much when it's open, and the design looks really bland (especially on the Sage Gray model). These things don't matter too much in daily use, but this isn't a case reminiscent of $199 earbuds.
Lastly, Beats can do a lot better with its water-resistant rating. The Fit Pro ship with IPX4 protection that keeps them safe from sweat and light splashes of water. That's fine in a bubble, but in a world where other earbuds have IP57 and IPX7 ratings, Beats has plenty of room to improve.
Should You Buy The Beats Fit Pro?
To be honest, most of those things didn't really bother me while using the Beats Fit Pro. Minus the lack of wireless charging, the Fit Pro have been an outstanding addition to my gadget setup. They seamlessly connect to my Mac mini and iPhone, they sound great, and I can rely on them whether I'm at the gym or home office. For my workflow and what I need out of wireless earbuds, that's basically perfect.
Does that mean everyone else should rush out and buy Beats Fit Pro for themselves? That ultimately comes down to each individual person. For someone who has an Android phone, a tighter budget, and/or absolutely needs wireless charging, there are other earbuds out there that'll probably be a better fit. But for the person who's invested in the Apple ecosystem, wants earbuds they can wear for any activity, and has $199 to spend, it's hard to recommend anything other than Beats Fit Pro right now. If you fall into the niche of people the Fit Pro are marketed towards, buy these and don't look back.
Source: Beats