The heart-rate monitor is a first for any Apple-designed earbuds and the feature is based on technology that's already used in the Apple Watch.

The newly announced Powerbeats Pro 2 seem a bit different, though. Of course, these new buds do all the things you'd expect from a pair of $250 headphones: They have active noise cancelling and transparency mode—the latter of which pumps in sounds from the world around you so you can hear what's going on with your earbuds in.

The PowerBeats Pro 2 build on the successful formula of the original model with a helping of features that make them ideally suited to the gym and all manner of outdoor activities. Broadly, anyone looking for workout headphones needs stability and comfort, excellent battery life, and of course, some decent sound quality.