Today, however, you can easily find this headset for less than $200 USD, making it a much more appealing, albeit outdated, option. ‡Siri may not be available in all languages or in all areas, and features may vary by area. The Studio3 comes with the sturdiest case of all the models we tested and folds down quite small. The headphones are slightly on the heavy side at 9.1 ounces, but overall they are very portable. Like other versions of the Beats headphones, these fold up neatly, so they’re easy to take to work or on vacay without taking up too much room in your purse or backpack.
The cable features an inline remote control of the three-button variety, as well as a mic for calls. The cable’s mic and the wireless mic both deliver solid intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 6s, we were able to understand every word recorded using both. The wireless mic has some artifacts, but not nearly as much fuzz or distortion as we often hear with Bluetooth headphone mics; the cable’s mic is clearer, but both are better than average. These headphones have a battery life of up to 22 consecutive hours , and their ergonomic design ensures that you won’t end up with your ears feeling squashed. With the ANC switched on, you’ll get an impressive 22 hours of continuous playback.
The headphone can not be used in noise cancellation mode with Bluetooth turned off and the audio cable disconnected. Fast Fuel gives you up to 3 hours of battery with just 10 minutes of time, letting you charge up without slow down. Bose QuietComfort 35 II, and rated them the best noise-canceling headphones we’ve ever tested. They cost roughly the same as the Studio3 Wireless, at $349, and offer far superior noise-canceling and sound quality. Their battery life is also similar, lasting 18 hours at moderate volume. The design is a more durable plastic build, with greater flexibility and comfortable earcups that rotate 90 degrees.
I went through 3 sets of Studio 2s before just giving up. This is the only set of headphones I’ve had this issue with. Sometimes, the best productivity hack is just a device you enjoy working on. He doesn’t get as much time to practice and play as he used to, but still manages (just about!) to fulfill all his session requests. According to Joseph, it just gets harder as you get older; you rely on what you learned decades ago and can play without thinking. Thankfully that’s what most producers still want from him.
The Studio3 Wireless is an update to Beats’ flagship Bluetooth, noise-canceling over-ear headphone line. It is clear that Beats isn’t keen on touching the company’s identifiable design. The simple but effective circular form and round ear cups that highlight that iconic “b” symbol just work. It’s somewhat of a fashion statement, beats studio3 but a subtle one. You will get digital access to reviews and ratings for over 8,500 products and services to help you make better choices for life’s big moments and the everyday ones in between. For charging the headphones, you can either use a USB wall adapter or you can simply use the USB port of your computer.
The Sennheiser can connect to two devices simultaneously and can be used passively, which you can’t do with the Beats. The beats studio3 Wireless and the Sony WH-XB910N Wireless are similarly performing headphones. However, the Sony have a better noise isolation performance, their sound profile is customizable using their companion app’s graphic EQ and presets, and they support multi-device pairing. The Beats Studio3 Wireless are better headphones than the Beats Solo Wireless. The Studio3 are over-ear headphones that are more comfortable and have a good-performing ANC feature.
At $349.95, the Studio3 headphones are essentially the same price, so how do they compare? Beats won’t be dethroning Bose in the ANC category, but the headphones deliver a solid audio experience and better-than-average noise cancellation. Add in Apple’s W1 chip, and you get a pair of headphones that might appeal to iPhone users who value ease over noise cancellation.
Even though I’m a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually beats flex review led me to writing about audio gear. I use the Bose QC35 on video calls a lot and enjoy the lack of wires. My main issue is that the Bose product has very poor microphone quality so I usually use something else for a mic.