I’m already getting internal revolt from some writers at BGR for having this opinion, but I think that a lot of people should get the new Beats Studio Pro headphones over the AirPods Max. Honestly, it all comes down to price and just how much you care about Apple-exclusive features, and just how much of an audio buff you happen to be.
The specifications of the upcoming Beats Studio Pro have reportedly leaked. According to documentation seen by 9to5Mac, the next generation of the headphones are set to get quite the upgrade in terms of both audio quality and features — the first of which is an apparent 80% improvement in audio fidelity. The Beats Studio 3’s have always been okay but heavy on the bass and not clear at high volumes, so it sounds like the new headphones may tackle at least the latter with custom 40 mm drivers that the company says deliver “near-zero distortion even at high volume.”
“Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) continuously monitors the noise around you in real-time, then creates a precisely-tuned filter to cancel it out. Easily switch to Transparency mode to let the sounds of your environment mix seamlessly with your music when you want to stay present and aware.”
The Beats Studio Pro will support a ton of the features that the AirPods Max support like Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, dynamic head tracking, and support for Personalized Spatial Audio.
This will be a better recommendation for most
I’ve owned both the Beats Studio 3 and the AirPods Max and can confidently say that the AirPods Max are measurably better than the Beats Studio 3. In both audio quality and Apple-specific features, they really can blow the Beats out of the water.
I really love my AirPods Max. They are easily the best-sounding headphones I have ever owned and have become my go-to headphones when working, flying, or kicking back with some music. For me, as a musician, the audio quality alone is enough for me to make the jump from the Beats to the Max.
However, all of those benefits still come at a huge price difference. While the Beats Studio 3 come in at $349, the AirPods Max cost almost twice as much at $549. Things get even further apart since Beats Studio 3 can commonly be had for less than $200 at a ton of third-party retailers. While the Beats Studio Pro headphones will likely be at their expected $349 price point at launch and for a bit, they’ll likely see better discounts than we’ll ever be able to expect from Apple’s self-branded headphones.
The Beats Studio Pro, at least according to the leaks, will even be getting some things that the AirPods Max don’t have. The report says that the headphones will get up to 40 hours of battery life compared to the Max’s 20, USB-C charging, and the ever-more elusive headphone jack.
We’ve been due for another option
With the Beats getting an audio upgrade, having a lot of the same features, and costing significantly less than the AirPods Max, I think they’re going to be a more attractive option for the general consumer who wants a stylish, recognizable set of over-the-ear headphones. For anyone who wants some iconic headphones but still doesn’t want to cough up $549 for the privilege, the Beats Studio Pro are going to be a go-to for a lot of people.
I’m just glad Apple is finally giving those people an updated option since Beats Studio 3 haven’t been updated in like 6 years. We’ve been long overdue! The new headphones are expected to launch next month.
