Review: Beats Studio Pro Are Here, And They Make AirPods Max Impossible To Recommend (for Now)

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• Compatible with Beats Studio Pro, it features a power on/off USB-C port, allowing users to listen or take calls while charging the headphones with a USB-C cable

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• 3.5mm headphone jack for wired listening.
• Up to 40 hours of listening with noise reduction on/off.
• Up to 24 hours of listening with active noise cancellation/transparency.
• Beats Studio Pro delivers personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking.
  • Custom Spatial Audio lets you scan your ears with your iPhone to create a unique audio file.
• USB audio support via built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter) High-resolution audio playback at 24-bit/48kHz sampling rate 6
• • upgraded MEMS microphones with better signal-to-noise ratio,
  more sensitive than
  • pack
  • -voice. MICROPHONE DESIGN FRONT
  • AND REAR MICROPHONES ON EACH EAR HEAD (Used for ANC/Transparency and Voice Transmission)
• Combined with advanced digital processing, acoustic engineering delivers balanced sound with an overall ratio of less than 0.02%.

The Beats Studio Pro

• in larger sizes

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At first glance, you might not realize it's the new Beats Studio Pro. They stay true to the overall Beats design language that the company has been using for years. You'll notice that compared to the Beats Studio 3, the Beats logo has been removed from the top bar.

You'll see the Beats "b" logo next to each earbud. On the left ear, it serves as a multi-function button.

• Press "b" once to play, hang up, or answer the phone.
• Press "b" twice to advance.
• Press "b" three times to go back.
• Long press "b" to activate the voice assistant.
• Press "b" to control up/down. Volume up/down

On the bottom edge of the right earcup is another multifunction button and status indicators that show the remaining battery power.

• Press the multifunction button once to display the remaining battery power. Double-click
• the multi-function button to switch listening modes / EQ profiles.
• Press and hold for one second to turn on or off.
• Press and hold for three seconds to enter Bluetooth pairing mode

. Lightweight and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. At 260g, it's much lighter than the AirPods Max (385g). The trade-off, of course, is that the Beats Studio Pro is made almost entirely of plastic.

The Beats Studio Pro also has a foldable design, similar to almost any headphone except the AirPods Max. This means that they will take up much less space in your backpack than the AirPods Max. The case that comes with the Beats Studio Pro is also more traditional than the famous AirPods Max "case".

The Beats Studio Pro carrying case has built-in pockets for a USB-C to USB-C cable and a 3.5mm headphone cable. Yes, both cables are included at no extra cost.

Overall, the plastic design doesn't bother me much, but as a long-time user of the AirPods Max, they definitely feel more solid and durable. It's a trade-off that most people, myself included, are probably willing to accept. I wouldn't throw them in a backpack without using the case as an extra layer of protection.

When it comes to headphone design, there's a balance to be struck. For some people, the AirPods Max take too much from a design perspective to make it work, and the Beats Studio Pro might take it too far in the other direction. Beats clearly didn't try to reinvent the wheel, and that's perfectly fine.

After several hours of listening, the Beats Studio Pro remains quite comfortable. Two things I've noticed in particular are that the earcups are a little tight and the top of the band can be a little uncomfortable when it presses against the top of your head.

Another joke. My wife, a dedicated AirPods Max user, put them on and her first comment was, "Wow, they're so bright!"

sound quality

Beats Studio Pro offers three listening options: Bluetooth, USB-C and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Beats deserves credit for this versatility alone. Oh, and did I mention these two cables are included?

ANC and Transparency mode are disabled when listening via a USB-C cable. However, with USB-C you can choose between three different sound profiles:

• the Beats Signature profile offers the most balanced tone for any music genre.
• The entertainment profile increases certain parts of the frequency curve to improve the quality of watching movies or games.
• The Talk profile improves the frequency response of your voice, perfect for taking calls or listening to podcasts.

When listening via USB-C, Beats Studio Pro offers high-fidelity, lossless audio playback.

With a built-in digital-to-analog converter (DAC), Beats Studio Pro can also play high-resolution, lossless audio formats at sample rates up to 24-bit/48kHz. Enjoy clear sound quality when streaming from compatible apps or services, such as Apple Music, Tidal or Amazon Music HD.

I'll leave it to the experts to decide whether this type of lossless audio playback sounds much better. I didn't notice any difference in my tests. Anyway, it's a good opportunity to express the difference (or what they might say). After all, none of the Apple AirPods products technically support lossless playback.

ANC and Clear modes are supported when listening via Bluetooth or the 3.5mm headphone jack. And both of these features work as you'd expect. I found that both performed as well on the Beats Studio Pro as on the AirPods Max.

Beats Studio Pro also introduces what the company calls "playback correction" in the final step of the ANC process;

Beats Studio Pro includes playback debugging as a final process at the end of the ANC signal chain. It's basically a second filter driven by a feedback microphone, designed to detect and remove audio artifacts that ANC or transparency processing might inadvertently introduce. The original audio is analyzed 48,000 times per second for real-time correction, ensuring the audio is reproduced flawlessly, no matter what listening mode you're in.

Another advantage of Beats Studio Pro is that it supports the full range of Apple Spatial Audio features. It includes custom spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, making Beats Studio Pro the first pair of over-ear headphones to support these features alongside AirPods Max.

For most people, myself included, this is far more important than lossless audio support. I don't see a difference between Bluetooth and USB-C audio, but I can tell when a song, movie, or TV show is playing with Dolby Atmos or not.

Of course, there will be people who will dismiss the sound quality of the Beats Studio Pro based solely on previous Beats products and preconceptions.

I'm far from an audiophile, but I know how I like to listen to music and the different aspects of songs that I like to hear as clearly and vividly as possible. However, I was impressed with Studio Pro's sound quality and support for active noise cancellation, surround sound, and transparency mode.

Apple and Android integration

turned me off if you've heard it before. Beats Studio Pro uses a specially designed Beats headphone processor, rather than an Apple chip like AirPods. As I've made clear in all of my recent Beats reviews, the company is opting for a chip specifically designed to offer better Android integration. Maybe this is the right decision, but it continues to frustrate Apple users.

Here's an overview of the integration with iPhone, iPad and Mac:

• One-touch pairing - Easy one-touch setup
• with iCloud - Instantly connect to all devices in your iCloud account with
• iPhone / Apple Watch - Automatically transfer audio to Apple Watch. When iPhone is out of Siri's hands-free range
• . Say "Hey Siri" to activate Find My Voice Assistant
• . Locate your lost headphones on a map based on the last known location they were contacted.
• Edit: set product name
• to bluetooth update list. Receive new software and feature updates automatically.

Android integration.

• One-touch pairing - Connect to your Android device through the Google ecosystem Quick Pair One-touch
• pairing - automatically connect to all registered Android or Chrome devices. to your Google Audio Switch account
• . Seamless audio transfer between Android devices, Chromebooks and other compatible devices.
• Find my device Find your lost headphones easily with Google. find two devices
• download the beats app to activate additional features; Find My Beats, listening mode and battery widgets, control settings and over-the-air updates

for Apple users, you'll notice a few things missing. The first is automatic device switching, an Apple feature that automatically switches playback between multiple devices when audio starts playing on each of them. Beats has iPhone/Apple Watch connectivity well integrated with the Beats Studio Pro, but it's far from a fully automatic adapter for the device.

However, the biggest limitation is that Beats Studio Pro doesn't automatically pause playback when you record. This means that you have to remove the headphones, then manually turn off the device and turn off the headphones.

I've voiced my frustration many times, but Beats can't seem to find a way to include this feature. I found the lack of auto-pause particularly annoying when connected to my Mac, where I was using a Beats Studio Pro demo and notification sounds played through the headphones until I turned them off or on.

Also, why do Android users get the My Beats app while iPhone users don't? It doesn't seem fair.

Dr. Dre, if you're reading this, please hear me out. Just use the Apple chip. Or use both discs. I have to point out these limitations in every Beats review, and I get tired of writing about them. This one is particularly concerning because the previous generation Beats Studio 3 used Apple's W2 chip.

Review 9to5Mac

Apple's wide range of headphones and Beats offers users choice at almost any price point. It allows users to choose what to buy based on a combination of factors including features, design and price. It also indicates the level of competition between Apple and Beats, which is rare, as the former owns the latter. Apple knows what AirPods can offer to compete with Beats and vice versa.

Finally, here's a list of Beats and Apple's current headphones:

The positioning of the headphones is different, and there's a clear argument that Apple was on autopilot due to Beats' lack of direct competition.

AirPods Max are incredibly long in the mouth at the moment. Released in December 2020, Apple still sells it for $549, although it is aging and uses the latest generation H1 chipset. This means the AirPods Max won't get the cool new AirPods features that Apple announced at WWDC, including Adaptive Audio, one-word Siri activation, personalized voice, and conversational awareness.

Beats Studio Pro also lacks these features, as they use a custom Beats chip instead of one developed by Apple. However, the Beats Studio Pro costs $200 less and offers its own advantages over the AirPods Max.

• They are much lighter than the AirPods Max.
• They offer longer battery life.
• Beats Studio Pro has a USB-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack (both cables are included).
• They have a more compact folding design and better storage.
• The Beats Studio Pro is $200 cheaper at $349.99, compared to $549 for the AirPods Max.

When you look at the breakdown of features offered by the Beats Studio Pro and the AirPods Max, it's clear, at least to me, which are the best options. I'd happily replace the automatic device switch with a USB-C port and save $200. In fact, I turn off automatic device startup everywhere, because this feature is more annoying than useful.

That doesn't mean you won't make other compromises when you choose Beats Studio Pro. For example, the build quality is not very good and there is no auto power on or play/pause on the device. But there are advantages that the Beats Studio Pro offers over the AirPods Max, many of which address the most common complaints about the AirPods Max.

It was already very difficult to recommend and justify the AirPods Max due to the high price and lack of new features. However, with the introduction of the Beats Studio Pro, AirPods Max can no longer be offered. As a loyal AirPods Max user since launch, sorry to say...but it's true.

And to be very clear. That doesn't mean you can only choose between AirPods Max and Beats Studio Pro. There are great headphones from Sony, Bose and many others. This year I only focused on two Apple headphones. Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max are also the only options with full surround sound and transparency mode.

As I've written before, Beats has been hitting it out of the park with their headphone line since they bought Apple. I'm excited to see the same performance come to headphones with the new Beats Studio Pro.

The ball is in Apple's court to decide if it wants to compete with the Beats Studio Pro. Until now, Beats hasn't had a direct competitor to the AirPods Max, but the new Beats Studio Pro fills that void, and they're winning the battle.

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You probably shouldn't buy Beats Studio Pro headphones... Here's why