In September, Apple introduced the new Beats 360 headphones, the first overears from Beats since the Beats Studio Pro in 2023. That said, the older Beats Studio Pro still remain on sale at a lower price point – so it begs the question, which Beats headphones are more worthwhile?
One of the biggest differences between the two will be the price. The Beats Studio Pro, since they’re older, are regularly available on discount. Currently, you can pick up Beats Studio Pro for $199-249 on Amazon, compared to Beats 360, which aren’t discounted from their $349 launch pricing.
Beats Studio Pro advantages
Despite being older and cheaper, the Beats Studio Pro have a couple advantages over the Beats 360. On top of the fact that they’re $100-150 cheaper, you may very well still want to consider them.
The biggest advantages, in my view, have to do with the form factor. The Beats Studio Pro can fold down into a much more compact size, whereas Beats 360 don’t fold at all. This means it’s easier to carry around the Beats Studio Pro.
Beats Studio Pro also offer a headphone jack, whereas Beats 360 don’t have any sort of wired audio at all, even over USB-C. This means Beats Studio Pro are easier to use in environments where bluetooth audio isn’t convenient, such as with a game console or on an airplane.
One of my favorite things about the Beats 360 is that they offerUltraPlush cushionsyou can swap into, but those cost extra. Beats Studio Pro by default come with UltraPlush cushions, so you can have a more comfortable experience out of the box.
Beats 360 advantages
Of course, Beats 360 are newer, so by default they do a number of things better. That includes:
- IPX4 sweat resistance
- Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking
- 12dB louder audio
- 1.75x better noise cancellation
- Clearer transparency mode
- Automatic device switching with iCloud
- Adaptive EQ
- Customizable design
Out of everything on this list, I’d say clearer transparency, stronger noise cancellation, and automatic device switching make the biggest difference. In my testing, its hard to hear with the transparency mode on theBeats Studio Pro, so I end up taking the headphones off to have conversation. With Beats 360, that isn’t the case.
As for noise cancellation and automatic device switching, I feel that if you’re buying Beats for the sake of having Apple headphones, you should buy the ones that offer true automatic device switching – and those are the Beats 360. Noise cancellation is more of a personal preference, but if you value having the best noise cancellation, the Beats 360 are noticeably better.
Lastly, the Beats 360 do have the customizable design going for them. While customization is more aesthetically pleasing, it also has an advantage longer term – when the earcups start wearing down over the years, you can quickly replace them on the Beats 360.
Verdict
While it’s hard to overlook the fact that Beats Studio Pro come in at a much lower price point, I’d generally say that if you want a great pair of headphones that offer an Apple experience, you probably shouldn’t buy the Beats Studio Pro. The Beats Studio Pro are a fine pair of headphones for the price, but you certainly aren’t getting all of the same ecosystem creature comforts that Beats 360 offer.
That said, Beats 360simply do not offer a headphone jack or a foldable design, and if those things matter to you, then Beats Studio Pro might still be the way to go.Beats Studio Pro also offer a ton of different color options that aren’t available on Beats 360, while costing $150 less.
- Buy Beats Studio Pro on Amazon: $199 for Black, Deep Brown, and Sandstone; $216 for Navy; $249 for Khaki, Light Blue, and Sand Gray
- Buy Beats 360 on Amazon: $349 for Black and Cloud. Also available on Apple.com in Pink and Sky
Some of my favorite Apple accessory recommendations:
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