Beats Studio Buds put Apple’s entry-level AirPods to shame

It’s typically a good thing when a new device makes another similar, older product completely obsolete, as we saw recently with Amazon’s much-improved second-generation Echo Buds. And the same holds true for the new Beats Studio Buds. Apple may not put its branding on these products (despite owning the company for years), but after using the Studio Buds, it’s tough to see much use for the entry-level AirPods anymore.

With a $149 price tag, the newest Beats earbuds pack quite a punch. Strong sound delivery is one thing, but the value is increased significantly by the presence of active noise cancelation, comfort that can withstand the rigors of exercise, and a fairly durable battery. And unlike the slightly more expensive AirPods, Android users get full feature parity.

The non-Pro version of Apple’s AirPods have put in years of honorable service, but without a deep discount, I can’t see any reason to get them when Beats Studio Buds exist.

Simple-to-use workout companion

Pairing couldn’t be easier, no matter which phone you use.
Credit: molly flores / mashable

The new Beats Studio Buds aren’t the most visually distinctive wireless earbuds in the world, but that’s alright. They come in three colors (white, black, and red), with a traditional silicone ear tip sitting inside the ear canal and a long oval-shaped outer panel with the brand’s signature lowercase “b” logo on each earbud. The non-logo end of the panel hides a button for typical on-device controls: One press to pause and play, two to skip ahead, three to rewind, and a long-press to activate or deactivate ANC. You can change the long-press on either earbud so it awakens Siri instead, if you want.

Setup is remarkably easy, whether you have an iPhone or an Android device. Quick-pairing works on both operating systems, so you just need to open the lid of the oval charging case with Bluetooth enabled on your phone for a pairing prompt to pop up on screen. The one minor inconvenience for Android users is that they need to install the Beats app from the Play Store to get firmware updates and customize long-press button controls. iPhone users can simply do this from the Bluetooth menu in Settings.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much else in the way of customization here. While some other wireless earbuds let you adjust a sound equalizer, for example, Beats Studio Buds limit you to switching ANC on or off, and changing long-press commands in the settings menu. One other nice bit of device agnosticism, though, is that the new Beats Studio Buds support Find My on iOS and Find My Device on Android. If you lose these buds, you can see their GPS location or play a sound in case they get stuck in the couch cushions.

The degree to which Beats Studio Buds accommodate Android users is impressive. It’s frustrating when you can’t access basic features for a pair of earbuds because of which phone you own (looking at you, Pixel Buds A), so it’s kind of baffling that Apple allows its Beats subsidiary to do this but not AirPods. That said, Apple devotees do get the benefit of spatial audio for compatible songs on the Apple Music streaming service. There aren’t many earbuds that work with Apple’s new Dolby Atmos-powered audio trick yet, so this could be a selling point for sure.

There are a few different options for different-sized ears.
Credit: molly flores

You won’t have to deal with a physical ear loop or anything here, but in my experience, the Studio Buds do a fine job of staying snug in the ears. They might shake loose during an intense gymnastics routine, but if you’re going on walks, jogging, or lifting weights, I don’t think you’ll need to worry about them falling out. They’re incredibly comfortable no matter the circumstances, as I was able to wear them for several hours while barely noticing they were there. You’ll find a couple different sizes of silicone ear tips included in the box, but the default size was perfect for me.

There are a couple of things I should note before I move onto performance analysis. The Beats Studio Buds case charges via USB-C, but there isn’t an option for wireless charging. Bizarrely, the earbuds don’t have any kind of sensor for pausing or playing music when taking them in or out of your ears. Placing them back in their case deactivates them, but you’ll always need to pause music manually otherwise. That’s far from a deal-breaker as far as I’m concerned, but it’s an odd compromise for earbuds that aren’t exactly in the “budget” category.

Bassy and long-lasting (without ANC)

Earbuds with the word “Beats” in their name need to deliver in the bass department. It would be embarrassing if they didn’t. The good news is there will be no humiliation here, as Beats Studio Buds deliver punchy bass to go along with crystal-clear sound in all other circumstances. The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” was solid testing material in this case, with kickin’ drums and high-pitched synths coming in like an aural punch to the face.

That’s a compliment.

That song, coincidentally, supports spatial audio in Apple Music. If you pay for Apple Music or can at least get a free trial, it’s well worth checking out that particular feature. It’s pretty damn immersive, delivering the illusion that the song is surrounding your entire head rather than just blasting into your ears. Even something more low-key like Taylor Swift’s “Willow” gets an added dimension with spatial audio. I wasn’t a huge fan of that album, to be honest, but the new richness spatial audio provides is neat.

That little speaker grill hits hard.
Credit: molly flores / mashable

Less impressive are the active noise cancelation and transparency modes, sadly. ANC makes some difference, but I wouldn’t call it dramatic. I’ve tested it out on walks in a bustling Brooklyn neighborhood, on a subway platform, and sitting directly next to a noisy window air conditioner. Even when switching it to transparency mode (intended to amplify outside noise rather than shut it out) or turning it off entirely, the audio profile doesn’t change that much.

To be clear, that doesn’t mean you’ll be inundated with environmental sounds while listening on the Studio Buds. The silicone ear tips create a nice physical seal, so even with ANC turned off, you can ignore all but the loudest of noises around you. I’d rather have mediocre ANC than no ANC at all, as is the case on those AirPods I keep bringing up. Those don’t even passively block much noise, so again, the choice is easy in my eyes.

Battery life here is a positive, with the caveat that it puts its best foot forward without ANC turned on. Beats rates the Studio Buds for eight hours of listening time on a single charge with no noise canceling — nearly twice what you’d get out of the $250 AirPods Pro. I had no problem making it through a whole work day on a charge, so I can’t dispute that rating. Enabling ANC or transparency mode drops the estimate down to five hours, which is acceptable, but pretty average overall. You’ll get two more full charges out of a fully juiced-up charging case either way.

Beats Studio Buds are really best enjoyed with Apple Music’s spatial audio, but even without that, you’ll get a fantastic supply of bass. Try not to rip up your eardrums in the process, though.

Competitively priced

The red ones are handsome.
Credit: molly flores / mashable

In the realm of wireless earbuds that cost $100 to $200, Beats Studio Buds stand up strong among the competition in terms of value. This is how a few other options in that price range stack up next to them:

Apple AirPods: ($159 without wireless charging, $199 with wireless charging) with no noise cancelation of any kind, a worse battery, and less comfortable fit

Amazon Echo Buds: ($119) with pretty good sound, better ANC, inferior battery life, an over-reliance on Alexa, and no Apple Music spatial audio

Beats Powerbeats: ($149) with ear loops and a wire connecting them for superior exercise utility, but less overall battery life and no noise cancelation

For my money, the Studio Buds sound better than all three of those, even if its noise cancelation isn’t quite as good as the new Echo Buds. That crunchy bass and solid battery life both put them over the top for me, as well. Those who want top-notch noise cancelation should instead turn to the AirPods Pro or Bose QC Earbuds, but if you’re willing to compromise in that department, the Studio Buds are nice for the price.

Good for any device

As much as I liked the Beats Studio Buds, there are obviously some areas where improvement would be welcome. Ideally, the next iteration would offer a stronger distinction between the different sound modes, as well as automatic pausing when removed from your ears. More fully-featured customization options would be sweet, too.

I still would recommend these over most other earbuds in the same general price neighborhood, though. I’m a sucker for strong bass, and with the additional support of spatial audio, these earbuds create a hell of a listening experience for an agreeable price. Add top-notch comfort and nearly identical feature sets across iOS and Android, and you’ve got a good excuse to never use regular AirPods again.