[ad_1]
The latest Beats in-ear headphones are officially here and they come with an impressive set of features that are $100 less than the AirPods Pro. But even though it comes with active noise cancellation, transparency mode, Hey Siri support, and more, there are some tradeoffs. Let’s look at Beats Studio Buds versus AirPods and AirPods Pro to see how they all stack up.
Below, we have a side-by-side comparison of Apple’s most popular wireless earbuds – AirPods/Pro – and the new Beats Studio Buds when it comes to design, battery life, features, and sound quality. And for more details, be sure to check out our full review:
Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods and AirPods Pro Design
The first thing many will notice is the compact, stemless design of the Beats Studio Buds. You also get a snug, in-ear fit with three included ear tip sizes like the AirPods Pro.
One of the advantages over AirPods / AirPods Pro is the option to choose black or red with the new Beats instead of just white. However, you do not get a wireless charging case and you will have to power that up using the included USB-C cable.
Beats Studio Buds AirPods Pro AirPods Fully Wireless ✅ Fits in ear with 3 tip sizes ✅ ❌ “Universal Fit” ❌ Colors White, Black, Red White Wireless Charging Case ❌ ✅ Optional battery life
Another feature on AirPods is the Beats Studio Buds which have up to eight hours of battery life without active noise cancellation or transparency mode. If you use any of these features, you can still get the full five hours. With the Beats Studio Buds charging case, you get up to 24 hours of total playback, and you get the same fast charge as your AirPods.
Beats Studio Buds AirPods Pro AirPods Buds Up to 8 hours Up to 5 hours Up to 5 hours Charging case 16 hours 19+ hours 19+ hours Total with case 24 hours + 24 hours + 24 hours 15 minutes. Charging = 3 hours of playback 3 hours of playback 3 hours of playback features
Instead of using Apple’s W1 or H1 chip, Beats Studio Buds use a custom chip that provides many of the AirPods’ features but skips some.
Specifically, you don’t get automatic device switching (between iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.) and the new Beats also skips the ear detection and auto pause/play functionality.
Beats Studio Buds AirPods Pro AirPods Ear Detection, Pause/Auto Play ❌ ✅ ✅ Sweat and Water Resistant ✅ ✅ Track with Find My ✅ ✅ Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) ✅ ✅ ❌ Transparency Mode ✅ ✅ ❌ One Moment-Touch Pairing ✅ ✅ ✅ Automatic device switching ❌ ✅ ✅ Support “Hey Siri” ✅ ✅ ✅ Bluetooth 5.0 ✅ ✅ ✅ Price
While the Beats Studio Buds share many features of the AirPods Pro, they bring down their price. Although it’s $100 less when looking at the MSRP, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that AirPods and AirPods Pro often sell for less than the suggested price.
Sound quality and performance
After reviewing the Beats Studio Buds, my colleague Chance found the sound quality to be “very nice” but slightly less rich compared to the AirPods Pro or Powerbeats Pro.
In practical terms, Beats Studio Buds look pretty nice, especially at a modest $150. In my testing, the Beats Studio Buds didn’t sound as rich and full as the Powerbeats Pro or AirPods Pro. That’s not necessarily surprising given the $100 price difference and more compact design, but it’s something worth noting. The sound quality is similar, if not identical, to entry-level AirPods…
I tend to prefer the Transparency mode over active noise cancellation in most situations, such as outdoors and outside the gym, but that’s a very personal preference and not because ANC is bad in Beats Studio Buds. In fact, active noise cancellation is particularly impressive due to the in-ear design.
Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Summary
If you like the stem-free design, black and red option, and in-ear fit with ANC, Beats Studio Buds are a great way to get most of the features of your AirPods/AirPods Pro at a reasonable price. But that’s as long as you don’t mind losing the wireless charging case, automatic device switching, and automatic ear detection on/off and on.
The Beats Studio Buds are available for pre-order now directly from Apple as well as Amazon with deliveries beginning June 25.
FTC: We use affiliate links to earn income. More.
Check out 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
[ad_2]
Picture Credit!