Every time a pair of earphones arrives on our desk as it happened a few days ago with the Beats Studio Buds earphones, we cross our fingers: as there are thousands of products in this category, the risk is to repeat what has already been said dozens of times. At the end of this review, we have to say that Beats Studio Buds have dispelled many of these fears; the new “cheap” full wireless earphones of the Apple brand not only have several peculiarities that deserve to be highlighted but also represent a serious and rational alternative, presenting themselves with their own precise identity, to the three main full wireless earphones of Apple AirPods, AirPods Pro, and PowerBeats Pro. How and why? You will find the answer at the bottom. Let’s see what we’re talking about first.
- 1 Beats Studio Buds, how they are made
- 2 Beats Studio Buds: how they work
- 2.1 Android friends
- 3 Ergonomics
- 4 Noise cancellation
- 5 Beats Studio Buds: How They Sound
- 5.1 Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos
- 5.2 Call Quality
- 6 Autonomy
- 7 Conclusions
- 7.1 Pro
- 7.2 Against
- 8 Price and availability
Beats Studio Buds, how they are made
There are two things that immediately stand out when handling Beats Studio Buds for the first time: the size and weight, very small, and the design. Having such small and light earphones in front of you (5.1 grams, less, for example even than the Airpods Pro weighing 5.4 grams) is a pleasant surprise given the experience with other products of the brand. Just think of the Powerbeats Pro weighing 20 grams each and emerging from a case the size of a bathroom tile and thicker like a commented edition of the Divine Comedy.
Dimensions of the actual earphones aside, the case of the Beats Studio Buds is instead a bit bulkier than that of the Airpods Pro, but nothing dramatically larger. A choice in line with the declared conscious use of materials and the desire to reduce the impact on the environment (the packaging box is made of 92% recycled materials or materials derived from sustainable forests). The matte plastic certainly appears less valuable than that of the AirPods, but in line with that of other Beats products.
Beats Studio Buds are available in three colors
An important aspect appreciated by those who have the PowerBeats Pro is that the case is not only pocketable but has adequately retained the two earphones; this allows reliable charging, which is not the case with the aforementioned PowerBeats Pro which sometimes do not connect correctly. In addition, the two earphones placed on the table, thanks to the magnets, attract each other. Help not to lose them.
The comparison with the PowerBeats Pro is also useful for describing the design of the Beats Studio Buds, available in three colors (white, red and black) that are somewhat reminiscent of that of the Beats sports earphones without the support and the ear hook. A small plastic grip facilitates the operation of removing the earphones from the case and inserting them correctly into the earphone cable.
From a technical point of view, we are talking about full wireless earphones, with Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, support for AAC and SBC codecs (no AptX), and physical buttons.
Internally the Beats Studio Buds have 8.2mm, dual-element drivers, with rigid pistons coupled to two twin acoustic chambers. A slit helps reduce air pressure on the inside of the ear. The water protection is in the IPX4 category, the same as many other Cupertino products (PowerBeats Pro and AirPods Pro for example), modest but sufficient if you are afraid of ruining the earphones due to sweat or rain But beware of the case: it has no water resistance.
Beats Studio Buds are small and well built
Beats Studio Buds: how they work
There is a fundamental element that affects the operation of Beats Studio Buds: they do not use the proprietary Apple H1 processor (that of all the latest models of Apple and Beats headphones and earphones) nor the older W1 (found on the original AirPods and also in the recent and cheap Beats Flex). This places the new Beats earphones in a peculiar position, reducing some functions. The two main limitations compared to other Apple products is that they do not have audio sharing and they do not sync with iCloud, so they are not immediately recognized on all devices connected to the same account.
In addition, due to the lack of a gyroscope, they do not have spatial audio for films and they do not activate or switch off in contact with the ear because the infrared sensor is missing. While we have features like Hey Siri and automatic pairing when opening the case, all of this puts the Beats Studio Buds at a disadvantage compared to virtually all Apple-made earbuds.
Android Friends
On the other hand, the choice not to use the proprietary processor makes these earphones the most “Android Friendly” Apple accessories in history. Their functions are in fact almost identical with both Google mobile phones and iPhones. For example, pairing, for the first time, takes place in the same way: just open the charging case. There is also compatibility with Find My Device ), as well as Apple’s Find My. If you lose them you will find them again by identifying their last known position and you can even play a sound. Even the charging connector (USB-C instead of Lightning) is a clear signal of … friendship towards the Android world.
The differences in use between Android and iPhone are essentially concentrated in the integration with the operating system; Beats Studio Buds are configurable from the Bluetooth preferences and Control Center. If you have an Android, you need a specific application. What you can’t get is “Hey Google” support, but that would have been too much for an Apple product …
The USB-C connector of the Beats Studio Buds is a “friendship signal” towards the Android world
Ergonomics
When it comes to convenience and use, the Beats Studio Buds have a lot to offer. The main strength is in the design that allows them to remain perfectly in position for hours without causing any discomfort also thanks to the assortment of rubber pads (inside the package there are three sizes). This is not true of many other competitors, including the AirPods Pro. While it is indeed true that Apple earphones are much more stable and comfortable than previous AirPods it is also true that after some time they tend to come off and require putting back in place, which doesn’t happen with Beats Studio Buds. In addition, the new Beats earphones protrude slightly from the ear; you can’t sleep on them, but they can be worn when using a winter headset, a more complicated scenario for AirPods and impossible with PowerBeats Pro.
Always talking about ergonomics, the idea of managing the reproduction with actual “buttons” instead of touch controls is excellent. In fact, one of the main frustrations when using AirPods Pro and AirPods is gone: the total dependence on touch controls which is in fact an elegant system but also capable of making these iconic white “headphones” more difficult to use in many situations.
We don’t like the fact that the Beats Studio Buds lacks the volume control system altogether. The key (which respond well to pressure) only allows you to turn the music on and off, switch between tracks and activate or deactivate noise reduction. There are some customization possibilities but, at least for now (Beats in some statements has made it known that it could be introduced in the future with a significant update) not that of adjusting the audio. This is not just a limitation of the Beats Studio Buds, but the fact remains that to turn the music up or down you are forced to resort to the socially awkward “Hey Siri” or to take the phone out of your pocket or purse.
Beats Studio Buds are very comfortable to wear
Noise Canceling
If there is a point where Beats Studio Buds clearly lose to different competitors in the same price range and even below it is noise cancellation. If we pretend to use them to reduce noise, the result is decent only on noises with a deeper and more constant tone, as in the case of the roar of a street. On the medium and above all acute tones, the main work, on the other hand, must be done by the rubber pads with the seal of the earphone cable.
The cause is perhaps in the technology used, different and simplified compared to that adopted for other Apple devices with ANC; for example, the filter on the sounds is fixed and not adaptive and there are no various modes, but only on and off. Another problem could arise from the simpler engineering of the microphones and the reduced electronics.
The box has minimal dimensions
Be that as it may, without wanting to push the unequal comparison with Bose QuietComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds, the absolute benchmark in terms of noise cancellation, the Beats Studio Buds lose their heads not only with the AirPods Pro but also with cheaper earphones. For example, Anker’s Liberty Air 2 Pro which in addition to the rest also has various selectable noise reduction modes are much more efficient in terms of insulation in a noisy office or on public transport.
Also, the transparency mode, the system that allows you to listen to the environment around us while we put on the earphones, is only sufficient. It lacks the naturalness of sound that characterizes the AirPods Pro.
Beats Studio Buds: how they sound
If we go beyond the purely technical and functional aspect and go on to examine the quality of sound reproduction, starting from the assumption that we are dealing with 150 euro earphones, designed essentially for leisure time, we can say that Beats Studio Buds sound good.
Beats as it had already done with the Powerbeats Pro has moderated the bass making them less predominant than other products of the brand; This can be seen in tracks such as Beat Dominator’s Bass Can You Hear Me, The Knife’s Silent Shout, or Nas’ It Ain’T Hard To Tell where the deep tones aren’t pumped up and don’t overpower the mids and highs. The balance is ultimately good and the music is reproduced in a “democratic” way as it results from listening to Wilderness by Explosion in The Sky or Cajun Interlude by Adrian Legg. Definitely pleasant comparable to the type of product, separation, and definition. If we want to make a comparison the Beats Studio Buds sound much better than the original AirPods, similar to the AirPods Pro or only slightly worse than the PowerBeats Pro, distinguishing themselves from products in the same price range for a high definition of music.
Spatial audio with Dolby Atmos
Beats Studio Buds offer spatial audio support with Dolby Atmos. It is not, let’s be precise, the same technology that we find on AirPods or AirPods Max that simulate the presence of a series of speakers placed in a room thanks to the accelerometer. As mentioned, the new Beats earphones do not have this component so they offer the spatial audio I know it when listening to songs only on Apple Music and not when used with Apple TV or Disney +. Activation of the music mode is automatic with an appreciable result. The sound becomes wider and more enveloping with greater reverb and greater brilliance of the music. Nothing revolutionary, mind you, but certainly a contribution to making the sound of the Beats earphones more engaging. Too bad that, as mentioned, the spatial audio with Dolby Atmos is only compatible with Apple Music songs (and not all).
Call quality
The call quality is good although perhaps not on par with that of the AirPods Pro or PowerBeats Pro. The six microphones do a decent job of blocking out ambient noise and giving clarity to the conversation. , particularly if there are other voices around us. Some difficulties seem to arise when the sound to be canceled in the call is that of the traffic. The size of the earbuds may dictate this limit.
Autonomy
The Beats Studio Buds do not have wireless charging (a fairly significant waiver in the current scenario of the Apple world) nor Lightning charging instead of which we find a more adequate USB-C connector for earphones openly open to the Android world. From specifications, the earphones would be able to reach 8 hours of autonomy (five if the noise reduction is activated) which can become 24 if we consider the two recharges available in the case. Put to the test of facts the Beats Studio Buds approach these data (we listened to music with ANC active for about 4 and a half hours), we are not faced with something spectacular, but all in all adequate and very similar if not identical to that of the AirPods Pro. Note that with five minutes in the case thanks to the Fast Fuel function you get an hour of playback.
Conclusions
Those who have followed us this far will have understood that if you are looking for perfection you will not find it in the Beats Studio Buds. There are earphones that sound as good if not better (like the PowerBeats), others have a superior iconic status (like the AirPods Pro) and if we talk about noise reduction, without mentioning the unattainable Beats QuietComfort, there are many competitors able to put the Beats Studio Buds in difficulty. But if the new Beats headphones don’t dominate in any sector, they rank above average in many areas.
They are well built, they are comfortable, even if they lack some functions of the devices of the same brand, they have good integration with iOS and in addition, they offer almost the same experience on Android. They give satisfaction in the musical field and have sufficient autonomy. Their real strength is that all this is offered at a cost of 149.99 euros, a price that appears more than adequate for what you take home. In particular, much more adequate than that of the AirPods, which at this point run the risk of being the first market victim of the Beats Studio Buds.
Pro
- Very comfortable and stable
- Music quality
- Similar integration between iOS and Android
- Cheap price for a Beats product
Cons
- Noise reduction is just enough
- Lack of volume control
- H1 chip missing makes a difference
- Wireless charging is missing
Price and availability
Beats Studio Buds are on sale in all Apple stores, the Apple Store, and even Amazon. The base price is € 149.99 for all three colors.
