A decent pair of headphones can make all the difference in your workout, piping in some quality jams while remaining firmly seated in your ear holes. There’s no shortage of options so finding the right pair for you can be a bit daunting. That’s why we’ve brought together two of our most popular pairs of headphones: the Bose SoundSport Wireless and PowerBeats 4 to see who comes on top.
Sound Quality
Both of these headphones offer exceptional sound quality, Neither of the headphones really edge out the other in terms of sound quality, although some might argue that the Powerbeats 4 have a slightly more bass-heavy output. Both headphones do come equipped with their own dedicated apps that allow you to fine-tune audio playback and both offer a solid user experience.
Battery Life
This is probably the most glaring difference between these 2 models, while the Bose Soundsport Wireless can handle up to 8 hours of continuous playback, the Powerbeats 4 have nearly double the battery life, allowing for up to a whopping 15 hours of playback before needing to be recharged making them the clear winner in this regard. Although this can likely be attributed to its slightly bulkier frame.
Another key difference between these headphones, however, is the different charging protocols. The SoundSport Wireless still relies on micro-USB charging, whereas the Powerbeats 4 use Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable, and while this will prove to be a slight nuisance to anyone not already in the Apple ecosystem, it does provide much faster charging, allowing you to top off your headphones much faster.
Features
One notable difference between these earbuds is the presence of Apple’s H1 chip in the Powerbeats which makes them slightly more intuitive for Apple users, allowing you to invoke Siri without needing to push a button.
They each have multifunction buttons on the cable that keeps the headphones tethered to each other, allowing you to control media playback, as well as accept incoming calls.
Both come packaged with a variety of eartips to ensure a snug fit but rely on different designs to make sure they don’t fly out of your ears when going for a brisk jog. The Bose earbuds use small hooks on the ear tips to keep them seated in your ears, whereas the Powerbeats have around the back earhook design, which feels slightly more secure.
Both headphones also feature an IPX4 resistance rating, allowing either pair to withstand even the sweatiest workouts, just don’t let them stay submerged in water (or anything else for that matter).
Design
The Bose Soundsport Wireless adheres to a more minimalist design, with very little actually visible while you’re wearing them. The Powerbeats silhouette is a little more pronounced with its larger blade-like body attached to the sizeable ear hooks. While certainly not heavy or obtrusive, the Powerbeats are far more noticeable while you’re wearing them.
Both of these earbuds are available in a trio of inoffensive colors, the Bose Soundsport is available in blue, white, or black, and the Powerbeats in black, white, or red. They each also come packaged with their own convenient carrying case.
Price
The Bose Soundsport wireless manages to edge out the Powerbeats 4 by a slim margin in this regard, available for $130 as opposed to the Powerbeats $150 price tag.
While they are clearly aimed at Apple-centric users, the Powerbeats 4 offer drastically superior battery life, and features that make them a must-have for Apple users that more than justify the $20 difference. Even die-hard Android users will find something to love with these headphones making them the clear winner in our matchup.
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