Beats has been on a comeback tour in the years since it was purchased by Apple, recently culminating in the impressive Beats Studio Buds+ we reviewed last month. That model was a refresh of the original Beats Studio Buds, which were first released in 2021. Now, the company is giving the product that started it all the same treatment.
The Beats Studio Pro are the best over-ear headphones Beats has made, adding a few key features to the already-great Beats Studio 3 Wireless. Thanks to support for key features like active noise cancelation (ANC), spatial audio, lossless audio, and transparency mode, the Studio Pro are poised to become the most versatile pair of over-ears on the market today. It also helps that Beats is committed to making its headphones’ feature set available on both iOS and Android. This year, with both a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack in tow, Studio Pro are compatible with just about anything that can play music. It works just as well on a vintage iPod as it does on a flagship iPhone or Android phone, which is something no other headphone can claim.
Considering that the Studio Pro’s biggest competitor, the AirPods Max, pack outdated hardware and a lofty $550 retail price, the Beats Studio Pro are one of the best over-ears available. They just might be the easiest pair of headphones to recommend this year.
Beats Studio Pro
Beats Studio Pro are Apple’s newest over-ear headphones that feature a custom Beats chip. They support active noise cancelation and transparency mode, as well as spatial and lossless audio. With an included USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, Studio Pro works with both iOS and Android seamlessly.
- Brand
- Beats
- Battery Life
- Up to 40 hours with ANC/Transparency Mode off; up to 24 hours with ANC/Transparency on
- Material
- Plastic
- Bluetooth
- Bluetooth 5.3, Class 1 Bluetooth
- Noise Cancellation
- Fully-adaptive ANC and Transparency Mode
- Waterproof
- No
- Microphones
- 6
- Weight
- 260g
- Colors
- Black, Navy, Sandstone, Deep Brown
- Folding/Storage
- Collapsable
- Charging
- USB-C
- Multipoint
- Android only
- Compatbility
- iOS and Android
- Dimensions
- 181 x 178 x 78mm
- Carrying case
- Yes
- Retail price
- $350
Pros
- Supports spatial and lossless audio
- USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jack
- Supports ANC and transparency mode
Cons
- Only supports multipoint connectivity on Android
- Limited design changes from the previous generation
Pricing and availability
Beats Studio Pro were announced on June 19, 2023, and became available to order that same day. You can find them on Beats’ website, but you’ll be redirected to Apple’s online store if you decide to purchase them. Studio Pro will start shipping on June 20 and will be available in-store at Apple and third-party retailers. They’re priced at $350, which is the same as the Beats Studio 3 Wireless they’re replacing. The Studio Pro is available in Black, Deep Brown, Navy, and Sandstone colorways.
Design
The pros and cons of plastic materials
Photo: Brady Snyder
The first thing that I noticed after unboxing the Beats Studio Pro was their materials. There are some metallic elements on the Beats logo and on the headband, but the bulk of Studio Pro is plastic. I’ve been using the AirPods Max for nearly two full years, which feature an aluminum and fabric design. However, once you start using the Beats Studio Pro, you’ll realize that using plastics is a great choice. Studio Pro weighs just 260g, and they feel super lightweight on the head. I went hours using the headphones without feeling any sort of fatigue. I can’t say the same about using the 385g AirPods Max. The metal on the Beats logo and headband is also brushed now where it used to be polished. There’s also no text on the headband, where it used to read “wireless” on prior models
I did find myself wanting more from the Studio Pro’s design, even if the choice to use plastic was justified. That’s probably because the Beats Studio Pro look the same as their predecessor and the same as other products in the Studio lineup from the past decade. If you like the look of Beats, you’ll also like the look of the Beats Studio Pro. But if you’ve used Beats for a while, you might feel like this design is a bit worn out and could use a refresh.
Photo: Brady Snyder
Studio Pro are over-ear headphones, which means the ear cups will sit around your ears as opposed to on top of them. I wear glasses, and on-ear headphones are unwearable, so the over-ear Studio Pro fit great. The headband has a slider that locks in place as you extend the band to each groove, so your preference should stay put when you close them up. You can extend the headband about an inch on each side, which should fit most people’s head shapes. Then, you can collapse them to store them in the included carrying case or in a bag.
Controls and connectivity
Everything you could want or need
Photo: Brady Snyder
Before we even get to sound quality, Beats Studio Pro impress with their controls and connectivity. There’s a USB-C port, officially ending the days when Beats shipped its best headphones with a Lightning connector. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack that can be used with just about any device, provided you have the right adapters. The cool thing is that both ports can be used to transmit audio, so you can use a USB-C to USB-C cable to listen to music with your Android phone, iPad, or Mac. Unfortunately, you’ll need a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter for wired connectivity on your iPhone, at least for now.
As much as companies try to convince us that gestures and voice control are the best way to adjust your music, there’s nothing better than physical buttons. Like on previous models, the Beats logo serves as a play/pause button, and you can double or triple-press it to go forward or back. Buttons above and below the logo can adjust the volume up or down. There’s also what Beats calls a system button on the right earcup, which turns the earbuds on and off, and double pressing the button cycles through ANC and transparency modes.
Sound quality
They might even rival AirPods Max
Photo: Brady Snyder
The Beats Studio Pro are the most balanced pair of Beats headphones I’ve ever tested. Bass really isn’t all that heavy, so I’d say that the AirPods Max have more overpowering bass. Considering Beats’ history with bass-heavy sound signatures, that’s both a surprise and a compliment. In fact, I think that the Studio Pro’s mids and highs are more impressive. Instruments like brass, piano, and cymbals sound clear and full, whereas past Beats headphones might have drowned out these sounds with extra bass.
Though I’m not a huge fan of head-tracked spatial audio, which Apple says will make it sound like the instruments are coming from different directions, I found that the fixed spatial audio was at its best on the Beats Studio Pro. The headphones also support Personalized Spatial Audio, which allows you to scan your ears with your iPhone to create a custom spatial audio profile. Since every ear is shaped differently, using this feature could make the feature sound even better.
For the audiophiles out there, let’s talk about the hardware. It features a custom 40mm active driver and a diaphragm that has a two-layer design that combines a rigid inner core with a flexible outer core, which aims to adapt to different sounds along the frequency spectrum. Essentially, this diaphragm design might be the reason Studio Pro has such excellent balance across the soundstage. There’s also an array of micro-vents and acoustic vents to add airflow and minimize distortion, and Beats says that Studio Pro can deliver less than 0.02% total distortion.
Up until this point, the listening experience on the Beats Studio Pro about lines up with that of the new Beats Studio Buds+. However, I criticized the latter for having poor ANC and a nearly unusable transparency mode. Luckily, the Beats Studio Pro blows those earbuds out of the water and provide a great ANC experience. That shouldn’t be a surprise since the over-ears create a better physical seal around your ear and house more microphones and other tech. But what might be a surprise is that the ANC on the Beats Studio Pro rival the AirPods Max.
AirPods Max offered best-in-class ANC when they were first released, but myself and others found that the AirPods Pro 2 actually outperformed AirPods Max in this regard. The Beats Studio Pro at least get close to the AirPods Max in terms of ANC, if not match them. Working in a very loud coffee shop with music playing through overhead speakers, I could listen to Studio Pro with music playing at about 40% volume and ANC on without hearing any external noise. Transparency mode was equally as good, allowing me to have full conversations and place orders without taking off the headphones.
Battery life and software
Good with ANC on, great with ANC off
As mentioned earlier, Beats typically offer feature parity between iOS and Android devices. That’s true of the Beats Studio Pro — with one notable exception. Multipoint connectivity and automatic switching are surprisingly Android-exclusive features at launch, but it’s possible that Beats will bring them to iOS in the future. Otherwise, features are available on both platforms, provided that you download the Beats app on Android. iPhone users do get the same set of features we’ve seen on previous Beats headphones, including quick pairing, and they’ll find the Beats customization options and battery right in their Settings app.
You won’t have to check up on the battery all too often, though, because it’s excellent here. Beats says you’ll get up to 40 hours of listening with ANC or transparency mode off and up to 24 hours with them enabled. That’s been in line with my testing, and a few hours of use a day will last you about a week. When you do run out of power, a 10-minute charge will get you four hours of additional listening time.
Should you buy Beats Studio Pro?
Photo: Brady Snyder
You should buy Beats Studio Pro if:
- You want a pair of over-ear headphones with good ANC and transparency mode
- You need compatibility with both iOS and Android devices
- You want spatial audio support and subscribe to Apple Music
You should not buy Beats Studio Pro if:
- You already have Beats Studio 3 Wireless and don’t need transparency mode
- You’re on a budget
Beats have found a winner with the Beats Studio Pro, refreshing a longtime product line with great internals and a fantastic software experience. Offering Android-exclusive features shows just how far Beats has come following the Apple acquisition and the brand’s commitment to supporting Android users. Plus, the available buttons, USB-C port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack give you everything you need to connect with just about any device. Considering that the sound quality is also good, it’s hard to find a knock on the Beats Studio Pro at their competitive $350 price point.
Beats Studio Pro
Great over-ear headphones
Beats Studio Pro are Apple’s newest over-ear headphones that feature a custom Beats chip. They support active noise cancelation and transparency mode, as well as spatial and lossless audio. With an included USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, Studio Pro works with both iOS and Android seamlessly.