71PROP STYLIST: JACQUELINE DRAPER
THE ONE Bloomberg Pursuits October 7, 2019Wireless headphones from Dr. Dre’s brand offer
nine hours of playing time for music lovers on
the move. Photograph by Heami LeeThe Beats Go On
Finding comfortable,
high-quality
headphones for an
active lifestyle has
long required some
sort of compromise,
whether in design,
function, or battery
life. The $250
PowerBeats Pro take
a step in the right
direction. Apple Inc.
acquired Beats by
Dr. Dre in 2014, and
these have similarities
to its own AirPods,
including speech
accelerometers to
filter external noise
and motion detection
that recognizes when
the buds are in your
ear so they start
playing right away. At
just 20 grams (0.7 oz.),
they’re lightweight
enough to wear for
hours—whether
you’re taking business
calls or training for a
marathon—without
causing the ear
soreness that can
come with long
listening sessions.THE COMPETITION- The Klipsch T5
True Wireless set
($200), released in
June, is a throwback
to ’70s-era style but
offers cutting-edge
sound. Its black
buds, emblazoned
with a copper-toned
signature logo, can
play eight hours on
a charge, and they’re
water- and sweat-
resistant.
THE CASE
PowerBeats have
found the sweet
spot between fit
and comfort—the
bud doesn’t jam
into your ear like
others do—and a
loop stretching over
the top of the ear
really keeps them in
place. (This can be a
problem if you wear
non-wire-rimmed
glasses.) Minor
adjustments allow
you to block out all
noise or let some
in if you’re biking
or running. The
nine-hour play time
is adequate for most
endeavors, but you
can get an additional
90 minutes of power
if you plop them into
the charging case for
just five minutes. On
the downside, they
have a wingspan of
2.2 inches, which
means the lithium-
ion case is a chunky
3-inch square box—
not small enough
to slip in a pocket.
They’re available in
black, ivory, navy,
and green. $250;
beatsbydre.com- Jaybird’s $180
Vista earbuds stay
snug—they lock
into your ear—but
if the fit is off, the
fan-blade shape
of the ear gels
can be annoying.
Battery life is not
bad, at six hours,
but the pocket-size
rechargeable case
offers 16 hours total.
On the plus side,
they weigh a mere
0.2 oz.- With the new
iOS 13, two sets of
Apple’s AirPods
($160 with charging
case; $200 with a
wireless charging
case) will be able
to connect to
a single phone.
Battery life runs to
about five hours, or
24 hours with the
quick-charging,
1.34-oz. case.
- With the new