The Soundcore Sport X10 are Anker’s latest earbuds and they are designed for working out. But are they worth buying over the Powerbeats Pro?
Anker’s newest earbuds are the Soundcore Sport X10, and while they are designed for working out, are they better than the Powerbeats Pro? Even though most earbuds are okay for working out, there are some that aren’t. An example is the Sennheiser TV Clear earbuds. These earbuds are actually designed for watching TV and lack water or sweat resistance, making them not the right option for wearing during exercises.
There are also earbuds that are targeted directly at fitness enthusiasts and the Amazfit PowerBuds Pro are a great example. While they look like regular earbuds, they have a built-in heart rate sensor that monitors the user’s heart rate during exercises. The earbuds are also capable of tracking speed, distance, and calories burned, and even provide real-time voice notifications of these metrics during a workout.
The Soundcore Sport X10 and the Powerbeats Pro look nothing alike, save for the fact that they both have permanent ear hooks to keep them in place and have a closed-fit design. In terms of size, the Soundcore Sport X10 earbuds are smaller than the Powerbeats Pro and also come in a smaller oval-shaped carrying case. In contrast, thePowerbeats Pro come with a bulkier and more squarish case. Anker’s Soundcore Sport X10 are available in Black, Oat White and Red, while the Powerbeats Pro can be purchased in Black, Ivory, Navy, Pink, Red, Blue and Yellow. There are also some limited edition Powerbeats Pro models available including a special NBA edition.
Anker’s Earbuds Are Cheaper
While both earbuds are designed for working out, they offer a different experience. The Soundcore Sport X10’s ear hooks are designed to rotate up to 210-degrees, providing users with a wide adjustment level to maximize comfort. In comparison, the Powerbeats Pro’s hooks are not rotatable. Having water and sweat resistance is a necessity for this type of earbuds, and this is an area where Anker beats out Beats. The Soundcore Sport X10 earbuds are rated IPX7 and utilize a special SweatGuard technology inspired by the structure of a submarine, according to Anker. The Powerbeats Pro earbuds have a lower IPX4 rating, meaning they might not survive a splash or an accidental dunk in water. Furthermore, even though Anker doesn’t say if the carrying case has any water resistance, Apple clearly states that the Powerbeats Pro’s case doesn’t.
Both earbuds feature button controls on each bud, but the Powerbeats Pro also include dedicated volume controls. Although neither set of earbuds come with active noise cancellation, Anker says the Soundocre Sport X10 are loaded with six microphones to facilitate noise cancellation during calls. The earbuds also have a Wind Noise Reduction feature and Bluetooth 5.2. The Powerbeats Pro earbuds utilize Bluetooth 5.0 and make use of an Apple H1 chip to help provide a stronger connection and additional features when paired to an Apple device, such as Fast Pair and hands-free Hey Siri. In addition, the Powerbeats Pro have dual beam-forming mics and a motion and speech accelerometer for speech detection and background noise cancelation. There is also support for Find My, allowing users to locate the earbuds when they go missing.
The Powerbeats Pro’s battery is rated to last up to 9 hours on a single charge and this number increases to 24 hours with the case. The Soundcore Sport X10 provide up to 8 hours on a single charge, but a total of 32 hours (extra three full charges) is available with the case. Neither charging case has wireless charging, and the Sport X10 case relies on a USB-C port while the Powerbeats Pro case has a Lightning port. Both sets of earbuds also come with a companion app and are compatible with both Android and iOS devices. Anker says the Soundcore app has breathing exercises and allows users to choose from 22 different EQ presets for the best listening experience possible. In terms of pricing, the Powerbeats Pro is the more expensive model. At launch, they originally sold for $249 but can currently be purchased for $199. In contrast, the Soundcore Sport X10 retail for just $79.99.
