While Apple has been refining the Beats brand since it took over in 2014, the Apple AirPods Pro is still the most popular option, especially for iPhone users. In fact, the Apple AirPods Pro and Beats Studio Buds actually compete against each other, and they are competing hard. Both are true wireless earbuds with active noise-canceling (ANC) and a selection of ear tips. They’re both priced higher than most consumer earbuds, but they’re pretty close in price to each other. Let’s take a look at them face to face to see if you should go with the Beats Studio Buds or the AirPods Pro.
Our Verdict: apple airpods pro review , beats studio buds review
About vs: This article comes from the audio experts at our sister site soundguys, Check out their in-depth look at the Apple AirPods Pro vs. Beats Studio Buds.
Apple AirPods Pro vs Beats Studio Buds
design
Sam Smart / Android Authority
The Beats Studio Buds come in six different colors, the original red, white and black, as well as three new colors, Ocean Blue, Sunset Pink and Moon Grey, as of April 2022. They only weigh five grams, making them so light that you forget to wear them. They don’t even have a stem, which makes them smaller than the AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro are only available in white, like the original AirPods. However, unlike the original AirPods, the Pro model seals the ears using in-ear silicone tips for better isolation and sound quality. The earbuds have short stems, although they are quite long and tend to get stuck in the mask.
related: Headphone Buying Guide
The Beats Studio Buds and AirPods Pro both have an IPX4 water-resistance rating, so they’re both perfect for workouts. Both come with multiple sets of silicone ear tips so you can make sure they fit snugly in your ears.
control
Sam Smart / Android Authority
The AirPods Pro have small indentations on the stem of the earbuds for control. Different squeezes accommodate music playback, Siri, and noise cancellation. You can also control the earbuds using Siri Voice Control. There’s also automatic ear detection, so your music will pause when you take out the earbuds and when they come back on, though the feature only works on Apple devices. If you want to customize the controls on your AirPods Pro, you’ll also need an iOS device.
related: Best AirPods Alternatives
The Beats Studio Buds have a clickable button on the side of each earbud for controls, though the volume isn’t adjustable with the button. They also don’t have ear detection, but you can control playback on Apple devices with Siri Voice Control. You can customize the Studio Buds’ onboard controls on any device.
software features
AirPods Pro has better integration with Apple devices. They have an H1 chip, so they automatically connect to all of your iCloud-connected devices. Once connected, you can control the earbuds from the Control Center or from the Settings app. From here, you can turn on spatial audio, automatically switch between devices, perform ear-tip fit tests, and more.
On Android or Windows devices, AirPods Pro work like other Bluetooth headphones. You’ll have to manually put the earbuds into pairing mode to connect to your device, and once connected, you can customize relatively few functions. Thankfully, the ANC and Transparency modes work fine, as they are controlled by a hard press of the stem.
you might like: Best Noise Canceling True Wireless Earbuds
Beats Studio Buds work much better on Android devices. Using the Beats app, you can toggle between listening modes and customize the controls. The earbuds pair seamlessly with Android devices using Google Fast Pair, and you can find the case and battery information for individual earbuds in your Android device’s Bluetooth settings. As of April 2022, the Beats app also has a Find My Beats feature.
Initially, the Beats Studio Buds didn’t integrate with Apple devices, but a firmware update added iCloud to the earbuds. Once they’re paired with an Apple device, all of your iCloud-connected devices will recognize the Beats Studio Buds just like they would the AirPods Pro.
Read more: Spatial audio and surround sound in headphones
microphone quality
Neither microphone is great, but they’re both good for phone calls. The AirPods Pro emphasize volumes better than the Beats Studio Buds, so you’ll sound smarter speaking into the AirPods Pro microphone. Listen to both microphone samples below and see for yourself:
Apple AirPods Pro Microphone Demo:
Beats Studio Buds Microphone Demo:
bluetooth connectivity
Sam Smart / Android Authority
The AirPods Pro and Beats Studio Buds both support the standard SBC Bluetooth codec, as well as AAC for consistently high-quality performance on Apple devices. Don’t support high-quality Bluetooth codecs like aptX or LDAC, which isn’t great for Android listeners, as AAC performance varies greatly across Android devices.
Read more: bluetooth codecs 101
The AirPods Pro use Bluetooth 5.0, while the Beats Studio Buds use Bluetooth 5.2. The new version of Bluetooth is more efficient, so you’ll see minor improvements in connection strength and battery life. This also means that the Studio Buds may get LC3 codec support in the future, while the AirPods Pro model will not.
battery life
Sam Smart / Android Authority
The Apple AirPods Pro and Beats Studio Buds offer very similar battery life. in our sister site soundguys’ Testing continuous playback at 75dB (SPL) with ANC turned on, the AirPods Pro lasted five hours, six minutes while the Beats lasted four hours, 24 minutes.
Read more: Let’s talk about true wireless earbuds and their battery life
You can get up to 24 hours of total listening time with the AirPods Pro Charging Case, while the Beats Studio Buds Charging Case offers an additional two full charges. The AirPods Pro case charges via the Lightning connector, and the Beats Studio Buds charges via USB-C. The AirPods Pro supports wireless charging, while the Beats Studio Buds Case can only charge using a wire.
noise Cancelling
The AirPods Pro have slightly better active noise-canceling performance. Low-frequency droning sounds like aircraft or trains are about half as loud as they would be without earbuds and ANC. It’s not the best, but it’s enough to significantly reduce the annoying sounds on your commute.
The Beats Studio Buds only make the low frequencies about one-quarter quieter. It’s not great, but it’s better than nothing. Between the two earbuds, you’ll notice a big difference in turning ANC on and off with the Apple AirPods Pro compared to the Beats Studio Buds.
However, the ear tips on the Beats Studio Buds offer slightly better isolation than those on the AirPods Pro, which block out higher frequencies like the clang of pots and pans better. If you decide to keep ANC off to preserve battery life, the Beats Studio Buds will passively block out more sound.
sound quality
Sam Smart / Android Authority
This frequency response chart shows a comparison of the Apple AirPods Pro (cyan line) and Beats Studio Buds (dotted yellow line) soundguys Consumer curve (pink line), which is a typical ideal frequency response for consumers.
As expected from Beats at this point, the Studio Buds amplify the sub-bass and treble notes more than the AirPods Pro. While many people prefer this kind of sound, the sub-bass and treble notes are much louder than the bass and have low mid-sounds, making vocals difficult to hear. Many vocal performances will be clearer on the AirPods Pro than on the Beats Studio Buds.
Neither of them come with a customizable EQ, so unless you use third-party EQ options, you’re stuck with how the earbuds work out of the box. If you like hip-hop or EDM, you’ll probably like how the Beats Studio Buds sound. If you prefer acoustic or vocal-oriented music, you’ll love the AirPods Pro’s more neutral sound.
Apple AirPods Pro vs. Beats Studio Buds: Verdict
Sam Smart / Android Authority
If you have an Android phone, the choice here is obvious. The Beats Studio Buds will work better with your phone and they are more affordable than the Apple AirPods Pro. Due to the price and limited functionality on Android phones, we don’t recommend the AirPods Pro for Android users.
beats studio buds
The latest true wireless earbuds from Beats offer a great fit, good sound, and active noise cancellation along with the choice for Android users.
For iPhone owners, the choice is more complicated. If you want high-end features like wireless charging, spatial audio, and seamless switching between Apple devices, the AirPods Pro is worth the money. Now that the AirPods Pro often goes on sale for less than $200, it’s easier for those seeking a premium experience to justify the expense.
apple airpods pro
Grab the ultimate pair of Apple headphones and enjoy the added power of the Pro name. With the superior charging case and silicone ear tips, you can listen comfortably and comfortably all day long.
If you don’t care about all the bells and whistles, Apple users can save a few bucks by going for the Beats Studio Buds. The Beats earbuds cater to those who care about design and portability, and you still get great features like noise-canceling and an IPX4 rating. No matter which one you choose, you’ll be better off buying AirPods (3rd generation).
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