88 MACWORLD JANUARY 2022
PLAYLIST REVIEW: BEATS FIT PROsound a little bit better—with
plenty of oomph where it’s
warranted and slightly
improved clarity. The one
exception is with the voice
quality when making calls or
videoconferencing. The Fit
Pro use multiple
beamforming mics just like
the AirPods Pro, and voice
quality is good (with
impressive wind noise
attenuation), but just a bit
worse than AirPods Pro.
Noise-canceling quality is
roughly on par with that of the AirPods Pro,
which is to say it’s good and supremely
useful, but not the best you can find in any
wireless earbuds. Transparency mode is
open and natural sounding, as it is on
AirPods Pro—Apple’s products lead the
market with this feature.
BOTTOM LINE
If you’re keeping score it’s:
AirPods Pro 1, Beats Fit Pro 5.
AirPods Pro have wireless
charging, but Beats Fit Pro fit
better, sound better, last longer
on a single charge, cost $50
less, and come in several
colors. Oh, and the awkward
“pinch the stem” controls are
replaced by real physical
buttons that are easier to use...so that’s six
in the win column for Beats.
The benefits of the AirPods Pro (wireless
charging, a slightly more compact and sturdy
case, slightly better voice quality) don’t make
up for the several ways the Beats Fit Pro are
better, and definitely don’t justify the price
premium.
Most people who want
AirPods Pro will probably like
these more, even if they
weren’t cheaper. In fact, with
the 3rd-gen AirPods priced at
$179, we think you should
definitely splurge and pay $20
more for these—you’ll get
much better fit, sound, active
noise canceling, and you don’t
have to get them in white. ■mmmmm
Beats Fit Pro
PROS- Fantastic fit.
- Good battery life.
- USB-C charging.
CONS - Mediocre call quality.
- No wireless charging.
PRICE
$199
COMPANY
Beats
Some will be thankful for the USB-C charging port, while
others may prefer Lightning.