You can’t help but look at these earphones. You may have already seen leaks about the new Beats Studio Buds Plus, which launches today for $169.99, but there’s actually something more eye-catching about its translucent design. Maybe it’s because I came of age in his late 90’s. At the time, translucent finishes like this were common on gamepads, home phones, and other devices. (I’m looking at you, iMac G3.) There’s definitely an element of nostalgia. But Beats has done it brilliantly. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself paying close attention to the internal details now visible. It’s the orange ring around the USB-C port. When rotated in the hand, light is reflected on the metal surface inside the case. And yes, there’s a clearly visible battery just below the ‘b’ logo.
Essentially, the Studio Buds Plus are an upgrade to the earbuds that debuted in 2021. While I admired the comfort, I was blown away by what else the Studio Buds offered. Beats is now trying to address these weaknesses with this “Plus” model. The sound is refined, there is stronger active noise cancellation, and the transparency mode sounds more natural. Battery life has also been extended.
Beats has stuck with the same exterior design for the most part, and that’s good news.Sure, that means there’s still no wireless charging in the carrying case – you can’t see the Qi charging coil when you peek from the back – but it’s again This means the Studio Buds Plus are extremely comfortable. It’s very discreet and lightweight, and each earbud has clicky physical buttons so you can take control. But I think the current AirPods Pro gestures are more versatile, as you can adjust the volume by sliding your finger up and down on the touch sensor. If you want to use Beats’ long press gestures for volume control, you’re giving up some convenient ways to toggle ANC or wake up Siri.
But even though the Studio Buds Plus look a lot like their predecessors, Beats is quick to point out that 95% of the internal components are new. The mic is three times bigger than his, with better sensitivity, better noise cancellation, transparency mode and voice call quality. The battery in the case has increased by 50% and the battery in each earbud has increased by 16%. The ventilation system has been reworked to improve air release, reduce pressure on the ears and increase freedom of movement from the transducers.
Taken individually, the changes don’t seem radical, but all of them combined make for a remarkably good pair of earphones. I enjoy listening to these products more than my old Studio Buds (still available for $149.99). Aside from its sleek design, the company is also making progress underneath the surface.
And these definitely look cool. This gets subjective, but I prefer the smoke translucent approach to the fully transparent case used by Nothing. With these, you don’t have to worry about fingerprint smudges or bunches of hairline scratches that build up on the case over time.
Beats cases can get oily from your fingers, but they’re often very nice looking. When you pull the earbuds out, you’ll notice a magnet under the plastic cradle. A closer look reveals some wires, but Beats keeps the inside of the case neat and tidy, and despite the translucent housing, the circular charging status LED doesn’t cast stray light anywhere inside the case. yeah.
Battery life is up to 6 hours with ANC enabled and 9 hours with it off. This case includes an additional 18 or 27 hours of juice according to the same criteria. The earbuds have his IPX4 water resistance rating, which makes them suitable for daily exercise and the occasional bad weather.
Four sizes of silicone eartips are included in the box. Like AirPods Pro, Beats now includes a tiny set. Sadly, the included USB-C cable doesn’t match the translucent theme of the actual product. It’s just a black cable. I’m embarrassed. I should have gone all the way, Beats.
Styling aside, it’s unlikely Apple will make Beats products any better than the company’s flagship second-generation AirPods Pro when it comes to overall sound quality and noise cancellation. The Studio Buds Plus aren’t far from the AirPods Pro in terms of sound signature. You can see these teams comparing notes. The beat is never harsh and obnoxious, with plenty of clarity in the mids and vocal frequencies and a satisfying amount of bass to keep the groove feeling. AirPods (and other premium selections from Samsung, Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser) have finer details and a wider, more immersive soundstage, but if tomorrow my Pro were to be in the sewer grate If it crashes and all you can hear is the Studio Buds Plus, you’re good to go.
Active noise cancellation lags behind the AirPods Pro by a few steps, and this contrast is more pronounced. Beats says the Studio Buds Plus are 1.6 times more powerful than the original Studio Buds, but they’ve never ranked near the top of their class from the start. ANC is more useful in environments such as crowded coffee shops, noisy Brooklyn parks, and when you’re on a train, but on average, it’s more comfortable in the general outside world than when you’re wearing Beats. I heard more cacophony. AirPods.
Apple’s flagships prove their worth even more in important tests like airplane cabin noise and subway squeaks, but at least Beats do well. The Studio Buds Plus’ transparency mode is perfectly decent and clear, but it’s not quite as convincing and “adaptive” as what Apple offers in his AirPods Pro, and it’s not capable of quickly turning down the volume of a sudden loud noise. you can’t.
This can be partially explained by Beats’ decision to use a separate chip for the Studio Buds Plus rather than Apple’s own silicon like the Beats Fit Pro. The original Studio Buds also used their own chips, and again there were some weird jumbles, but they weren’t. all — Apple ecosystem features that iPhone owners may expect. With basic features like one-step pairing, Control Center integration, and hands-free “Hey Siri” voice commands, Studio Buds Plus appear on Apple devices signed into your iCloud account. However, other perks like audio sharing, automatic device switching, personalized spatial audio, and eartip fit testing are left out. (No head-tracking spatial audio here either.)
So there are some compromises for Apple fans, but sticking with the existing solution will allow Beats to support it natively. android It’s better than previous AirPods and the aforementioned Beats Fit Pro. Studio Buds Plus are designed to work with Fast Pairing, Audio Switch and Google’s own Find My Device platform. All of this works out of the box, and you can install the Beats app for Android to adjust earbud settings and update firmware. Neither side can take advantage of all the features of the ecosystem, but at least both can take advantage of some software features.
Voice call performance is better than the regular Studio Buds, but even with the new and improved microphone hardware, the Buds Plus still struggled when our local coffee shop was at its busiest. rice field. It’s a torture test that many earbuds can’t handle, but in more casual situations people could hear me without any complaints.
Beats did a much better job with their second swing at the Studio Buds. The Plus edition is even more substantial than the first pair from two years ago. For just $20 more, the sound is richer and fuller, the ANC is better (although it could still be improved), and the translucent color option feels fresh and fun. It was easy to see these earbuds grabbing attention on his TikTok thanks to their unique look.
It is very popular every time I show it to someone. You can also buy black and ivory, but please. where’s the fun in that? The AirPods Pro are functionally better, and the Beats Fit Pro might be a better gym companion, but these definitely stand out for their style, and the rest of the package is better than the first. .
Photo: Chris Welch/The Verge
