The Beats Studio Buds are finally here, after weeks of high-profile leaks and rumours, and they just might be the best Beats headphones yet. We've spent some time getting to know them, and while we can't give a final verdict on their performance until we've done more testing, we've been very impressed with the Studio Buds so far. They're so impressive that we think they could be a great competitor to Apple's AirPods Pro, especially since the Studio Buds are so much cheaper than Apple's popular noise-canceling headphones. If you're wondering whether you should buy the AirPods Pro or the new Studio Buds, especially with Prime Day 2021 on the horizon, it can be hard to make the right choice. This is where we come in. We've taken a look at the specs for both earbuds, and with our knowledge of the AirPods Pro and our first thoughts on the Studio Buds, we've put together this handy guide to all the differences between these wireless earbuds from Apple.
Beats Studio Buds vs Apple AirPods Pro: price and availability
The Beats Studio Buds are available to pre-order now, with an official release date to be confirmed. So far, Apple has said they'll be available to buy "this summer," which could mean anytime in late August. They'll cost $149.99 / £129.99 / AU$199.95, which is much cheaper than Apple's AirPods Pro. AirPods Pro launched in 2019 for $249 / £249 / AU$399, although discounts are sometimes available. In fact, Prime Day 2021 is coming soon, so we may see some great AirPods Pro deals in the near future; In any case, it's worth buying a pair until June 21, when it arrives. The best Beats Studio Buds and Apple AirPods Pro deals right now
Beats Studio Buds vs Apple AirPods Pro: design
The Beats Studio Buds are very different from the brand's previous true wireless earbuds, the Powerbeats Pro, which ditch large, sport-friendly earhooks in favor of a sleeker design. Available in red, white and black, these compact headphones come with silicone ear tips and a lightweight construction, as well as an angled acoustic mouthpiece with vents to relieve pressure on the eardrum. They come in an egg-shaped charging case, which has a USB-C port at the bottom and a status light at the front; there's no wireless charging support, though we didn't necessarily expect that at this price. The headphones have a raised control panel, so you can grab something when you take them out of the case. Overall, they're quite different from the Apple AirPods Pro, which feature protruding stems (though not quite as long as the 2019 AirPods) and an all-white, Apple-like design. Unlike the Studio Buds, the AirPods Pro Charging Case supports wireless charging, so you can place it in a charging dock when you're running low. The AirPods Pro also use capacitive touch sensors that let you control your music playback, while the Studio Buds have a physical button, which you prefer largely based on personal taste. However, there are similarities between the two models. For example, the Studio Buds and AirPods Pro come with silicone ear tips and an IPX4 water resistance rating, which means you can wear them while you work out.
The Beats Studio Buds in white. (Image credit: Beats)
We've only spent a little time with the Beats Studio Buds, but so far we've been blown away by what we've heard. Featuring 8.2mm dual-element diaphragm drivers along with a two-chamber acoustic design, they deliver lively sound that lifts both lows and highs in the mix, for a result that's astonishing unlike before. Beats headphones that left you speechless. low. AirPods Pro also deliver a lively performance, with rich vocals, warm bass, and clear midrange. While they're not an audiophile headphone patch like the Cambridge Audio Melomania 1 in terms of detail or clarity, they're a joy to listen to. Both Studio Buds and AirPods Pro support Apple's Spatial Audio technology. So when you play tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos, you should be able to enjoy surround, cinematic sound through your headphones, although this particular feature is currently only available to Apple Music users. . Unfortunately, neither model can handle lossless audio from Apple Music, with its Bluetooth compression making high-resolution audio inaccessible.
Apple AirPods Pro. (Image credit: Avenir)
Beats Studio Buds vs Apple AirPods Pro: noise cancellation
The Beats Studio Buds and Apple AirPods Pro feature active noise cancellation, which means they should be able to block out annoying ambient sounds when you want to enjoy your music in peace. During our time with them, we found that the Studio Buds' ANC worked moderately well, though they weren't as efficient as models like the Sony WF-1000XM4 and Bose QuietComfort headphones. We think they'll work well as office companions, but they may have a hard time blocking out airplane cabin noise. The Apple AirPods Pro also work well in this regard. If you're in an office and there's music playing, a small amount may still bleed, but when walking down the street, the AirPod Pros virtually eliminate all motorcycle noise and any constant noise (like a fan or steady wind). it is very well locked. Both models also feature a transparency mode, which allows you to hear your surroundings through external microphones that mix the sound of your surroundings with your music.
(Image credit: Beats)
Beats Studio Buds vs Apple AirPods Pro: battery life
Beats says the Studio Buds offer eight hours of playback, with an additional 16 hours in the charging case, though that number drops to five hours onboard and 10 hours in the case with ANC or Transparency mode enabled. It's not the best battery life we've seen for noise-cancelling headphones: the new Sony WF-1000XM4 offers eight hours onboard and another 12 hours from the charging case, for example. The AirPods Pro don't fare much better. Its charging case will give you more than 24 hours of listening when fully charged, and each full charge of the AirPods Pro will give you five hours of listening time (that is, with noise cancellation or transparency; you'll get four and a half hours with). on ), or three and a half hours of use if you're using AirPods Pro as a hands-free microphone for calls.
(Image credit: Avenir)
Beats Studio Buds vs Apple AirPods Pro: connectivity
As a brand owned by Apple, you can expect the new Beats headphones to be optimized for use with Apple products only. However, these are the first Beats headphones to support one-touch pairing for iOS and Android users. That's because they use a proprietary Beats headphone chip, as opposed to the H1 chip found inside the AirPods Pro. That's good news for Android users, but it means the Studio Buds don't support syncing. iCloud devices or multipoint pairing like AirPods Pro. According to Beats, the Buds use Bluetooth 5.2 and support Find My on iOS and Find My Device on Android. The AirPods Pro, on the other hand, use the slightly older Bluetooth 5 wireless transmission standard, but there are some cool features for Apple users, like making sure your earphones fit properly on the way to your door. Bluetooth settings. An update in 2020 also brought new auto-switching functionality, meaning AirPods can now "magically switch between devices", automatically detecting which device you're using - useful if you're already part of Apple's ecosystem. A more recent update means that AirPods will also be able to announce notifications with Siri, thanks to an update that came with iOS 15, which takes advantage of the headphones' ability to announce your messages. No need to take your phone out of your pocket to analyze every ring, buzz and alert.
Wear
Without fully testing the Beats Studio Buds, we're hesitant to say whether you should buy them over the AirPods Pro, but there are some cases where you're better off opting for one model over the other. For example, if you're an Android user, the Studio Buds are the only pair to offer one-touch pairing; only works for iOS users with AirPods Pro. We also recommend the Studio Buds if you hate the protruding earring look of the AirPods Pro. But, if iCloud device syncing or multipoint pairing is a deal breaker for you, you'll want to go with AirPods Pro. In terms of sound quality and noise cancellation, the Studio Buds and AirPods Pro seem to be pretty balanced, although we'll need to do more testing before we can make a final verdict. The biggest difference between the two models is price: the Beats Studio Buds are $100 / £120 / AU$200 cheaper than the AirPods Pro, though they share many of the same features. But, if price is a major consideration for you, keep in mind that Prime Day 2021 will likely see some great AirPods Pro deals, and while they might not be small enough to knock the Studio Buds down, they can. money. Since they're so new, it's unlikely the Studio Buds will get huge discounts this year.