Beats Studio Pro are almost here
they could arrive in July with major (mostly internal) improvements!
🍭 short and sweet
Beats Studio Pros are rumored to release sometime in July
There will be a slew of upgrades and new features, including much better sound quality, the addition of a transparency mode, and a custom chipset
The overall design will be almost exactly the same, but they will include upgraded earpads and a metal (possibly free-sliding) adjustment system
I’ve always seen Beats as more of a tech fashion company rather than just a tech company. All of their products have focused more on looks rather than performance.
If there’s one product that I felt exemplified this, it was the Studio 3, Beats’ “flagship” noise cancelling headphones. Their performance was terrible compared to the competition, they felt cheap, and they were not comfortable.
But hey, where else are you gonna find a set of noise-cancelling headphones that come in camo?
All that being said, they’ve stuck around for way too long and feel incredibly outdated compared to the competition. They’ve been with us since late 2017, and so far, we haven’t gotten any updates.
But recently, a whole slew of information about a brand new version, the Studio Pros, was leaked. Not only does it look like Beats will be shifting their focus towards performance this year, but they could be here as soon as this month!
USB-C, transparency mode, and more!
Nowadays, having some kind of pass-through mode on noise-cancelling headphones is basically a given, so this will be a much-welcomed addition.
sound
Supposedly, one of the biggest upgrades will be to sound quality. They are planned to release with new custom speakers as well as a built-in DSP, which will be responsible for processing the audio. According to the leaked spec sheet, Apple is shooting for an “80% improvement” over the Studio3.
When used with Apple products, they will also support spatial audio with personalization and head tracking.
In addition, Beats will have three EQ modes that users can switch between:
Signature - balanced sound for music
Entertainment - extra bass and top-end for movies and games
Conversation - extra mids for phone calls and podcasts
It would have been nice to have a full equalizer to adjust sound quality with these three modes as presets, but it’s definitely better than having nothing, which is what the Studio 3s had.
They’ll also supposedly have better mics that will be “27% better” at picking up your voice and rejecting outside noise.
transparency mode
But another major upgrade Beats is bringing is the addition of a transparency mode so users can hear their surroundings (which, for some reason, was not on the Studio 3). Nowadays, having some kind of pass-through mode on noise-cancelling headphones is basically a given, so this will be a much-welcomed addition.
battery and charging
This will be done while also allowing for an extra two hours of battery with noise-cancelling or transparency turned on, with the total being 24 hours. Fast charging is being upgraded to allow 4 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge rather than 3 hours of playback.
And this, thankfully, will be done over USB-C rather than micro-USB. Apple will be including a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box along with a 3.5mm cable.
chipset
And like some of Beats’ recent products, all of this will be handled by a custom Beats chip rather than an H-series chip like AirPods products. I know that some people were disappointed by this in the Studio Buds Plus, but it makes sense for Apple to do this since they want Beats products to be compatible not just with Apple products but also with Android products.
same design, new colors
According to the leaked spec sheet, Apple makes it sound like that [the new] metal sliders could trade the ratcheting system for a free-sliding system similar to the AirPods Max.
Unfortunately, with all of the new upgrades, the overall design looks to be mostly staying the same.
From the leaked images, the Beats Studio Pros appear to have the exact same look and use the same materials as the Studio 3.
As someone who has used the Studio 3 in the past, I have found the overall quality to be mixed. Some colors felt nicer in the hand than others, but I still did not like their build and comfort overall, and the buttons also felt a bit cheap to press.
That being said, there will be some slight upgrades to the build. The Studio Pros will have new metal sliders, and according to the leaked spec sheet, Apple makes it sound like that these metal sliders could trade the ratcheting system for a free-sliding system similar to the AirPods Max:
“…The premium metal sliders offer a wide range of adjustment to create a flexible fit for all-day listening.”
The phrases “wide range of adjustment” and “flexible fit” heavily imply free-sliding earcups, but unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until they come out.
The earpads are also getting an upgrade with a seamless, more rounded design that also appears deeper. The main focuses appear to be better comfort and durability:
“The UltraPlush over-ear cushions have been upgraded with seamless engineered leather, delivering all-day comfort and exceptional durability.”
In addition to this, they will end up coming in four new colors: Black, Navy, Sandstone, and Deep Brown.
Interestingly, these aren’t the loud colors or fun patterns that we’ve come to expect from the Studio 3, but that may come over time.
Overall, I think that the Studio Pros are going to be a very exciting upgrade, and for people who currently own the Studio3, I think that they could definitely end up being a product worth upgrading to if these upgrades make it to the Pros.
This week’s question…
Do you own a set of Beats headphones? If yes, what would it take for you to upgrade to the Beats Studio Pros? If no, would you switch to a set of Studio Pros from the headphones you currently use?
Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
Anyway, just wanted to share that with you guys. Thanks for joining me, and I’ll see you all around! Adios! 👋
→ Austin from nexgen
