If you’re looking for a sports headphone option, the Beats PowerBeats 2 have probably caught your eye. These headphones are somewhat pricey at nearly $200, but they have been highly marketed, and, thus, are quite popular. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll get for $200 from Beats.

Some Limitations

The PowerBeats 2 are sweat proof, but that doesn’t mean that these headphones are waterproof, so don’t take these in the water with you! Other limitations include:

These headphones come with various ear buds, but you may not get a tight fit if the buds do not cover your ears properly, and this can result in some bass loss.

You will get around 6 hours of playtime on one charge.

These headphones don’t shut off automatically when they are disconnected from a device.

The price. These headphones are really expensive, and maybe too expensive for some.

Of course, there are some definite advantages to the PowerBeats 2 headphones as well.

The Good Stuff

I’ve tested a lot of different sports headphones, and most of the ones I’ve tried out just don’t deliver either on fit or sound. The PowerBeats have excellent sound, and the fit is relatively good if you can find an earpiece that really fits snugly in your ear (though you do want to leave some room for outside sounds if you are running on a highway). It’s also nice that these headphones are sweat resistant, though; again, they aren’t waterproof by any means.

Sound-wise, the PowerBeats 2 do provide great sound all around if you’re keeping in mind that these are Bluetooth headphones. Beats seems to have toned down the bass a little bit with these, so that you can hear the treble a lot clear, which really seems to work. You can buy sports headphones with more bass for a lot less, but you will lose on the treble sound – the PowerBeats 2 combines both perfectly. With that said, the only thing that is probably holding most people back with these is the price.

Colors and Pricing

These Beats headphones come in three different colors including white, black, and red. The overall design is what you’d expect from over-the-ear headphones, and you do get those extra buds that are made to fit most ear types. The price is right around $200. With that price, I would love it if Beats could add some kind of automatic shut-off, and maybe make these headphones waterproof - these aren’t the headphones to take with you while participating in an obstacle course that involves water or mud, but they are decent for road running or the gym.

Should you buy these wireless headphones if you’re looking for a sports option? If you have $200 to toss, go for it. But, personally, I think that Beats needs to lower that price. There are comparable options on the market. Granted those other options don’t have the Beats name, but you are paying for it with this wireless option.