As any other recent Apple product in the segment, the 2023 Beats Studio Pro have all-new and improved interior components, aiming to offer next-level audio fidelity, fully-adaptive Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes, or Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. This design includes new UltraPlush leather cushions, and offers up to 40 hours of battery life (24 hours, with Active Noise Cancellation turned on) plus Fast Charge. In another stand-out feature, the Beats Studio Pro allow us the possibility to enjoy true lossless audio via USB-C connected to an appropriate source that streams lossless content. Something that will certainly appeal to those who really care about audio quality and will help promote Apple Music, which now streams everything in lossless (if not using Bluetooth).
Of course, Apple did not discard the fact that active noise cancellation also needed to be a major consideration, and the ANC implementation is at the level of the AirPods Max. At the touch of a button, two dynamic listening modes let users choose whether to keep the world out, or let it in. Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) continuously monitors the noise around the user in real-time, then creates a precisely-tuned filter to cancel it out (as the AirPods Pro also does). And users can easily switch to Transparency mode to let the sounds of the environment mix seamlessly with the music when they want to stay present and aware.
"Beats cemented its cultural legacy with the release of the original Studio headphone in 2008. With Beats Studio Pro, we’ve refined the design and completely reengineered the headphone to bring consumers our most impressive over-ear offering yet," says Oliver Schusser, Vice President of Beats and Apple Music. "Studio Pro keeps Beats’ promise of delivering music as the artist intended, continuing our storied heritage as a premium audio brand."
Subtle design updates maintain the essential of what makes these headphones familiar (and still popular), such as the flat, continuous headband that now folds perfectly for storage. Upgraded with seamless engineered leather, the brand new UltraPlush over-ear cushions provide all-day comfort and durability. And the premium metal sliders offer a wide range of adjustment to create a flexible fit.
"When Beats approached me to bring a new design language to the Studio Pro, my goal was to retain the integrity of the design while creating a more sophisticated look and feel that compliments all of the technological advancements," says Samuel Ross, Beats Principal Design Consultant (pictured below). "The result is the perfect blend of design culture, creative culture, and engineering coming together."
The headphones acoustic platform uses custom 40mm drivers, engineered for clarity, with near-zero distortion even at high volume – an improvement of up to 80% compared to its predecessor, as Apple is not afraid to admit (and no doubt someone will measure). And the frequency response is further optimized by the cutting-edge integrated digital processor, ensuring a powerful, yet balanced sound profile crafted to bring out the subtle details in modern music. And the frequency response remains consistent even with ANC and variable Transparency modes.
Of course, benefiting from Apple's leadership in the field of Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, the new Beats Studio Pro are also ready to deliver a surprisingly good experience in in theater-like mode and from any content mixed in Dolby Atmos. Users can even personalize Spatial Audio just for their ears using the iPhone, exactly as the AirPods Pro allow.
Upgraded voice-targeting microphones in the Beats Studio Pro are also ready to deliver high-quality call performance. The powerful microphones actively filter out background noise to enhance the clarity of the user's voice – up to 27% better than the existing Beats Studio Wireless.
An important message that is associated with any Beats-branded product is the compatibility with other Bluetooth and audio sources that are not from Apple. In this case, the Beats Studio Pro headphones are ready for both Apple and Android users. For Apple users, the Bluetooth 5.3 headphones support one-touch pairing with every device in an Apple iCloud account, Siri activation, Find My to locate the headphones, and over-the-air updates. With Android products, the headphones support Google Fast Pair (same same but for Google users), Audio Switch between Android, Chromebook, and other compatible devices, and Find My Device (Google's copy of Apple Find My). There's even the Beats app for Android that unlocks access to product customization, software updates, and new features.
The Beats Studio Pro headphones also offer multiple ways to connect with other Bluetooth devices, being a Class 1 Bluetooth product - like any other Apple headphones (how do they do it?), apart from connecting via USB-C for lossless audio and simultaneous charging. There's also a 3.5mm analog input for wired audio sources, which is unusual from Apple these days.
Interestingly, while using USB-C audio, users can select between three distinct sound profiles. The Beats Signature profile delivers the most tonally balanced tuning for all genres of music, the Entertainment profile offers a heightened experience for movies and games, and the Conversation profile is ideal for phone calls or podcasts. So, if anyone wants to listen to Classical music with these headphones, they can choose the conversation profile to ensure all of the bass boost is gone.
The ‘b’ letter in the earcups is not just decorative. It is a multi-function button that allows users to control music (pause/skip/back) and conduct calls. To control volume, users just need to press above or below the ‘b’ button. And this multi-function button also allows users to switch between listening and EQ modes, check battery life, pair your device and power the headphones on/off.
Another updated aspect in the new Beats Studio Pro headphones is the packaging, 100% fiber-based using recycled material and virgin wood from sustainably managed forests. The driver magnet is made of 100% recycled rare earth elements, while the solder of the main logic board is made of 100% recycled tin. Completely mercury-, berylium-, PVC-, and BFR-free.
The Beats Studio Pro are available to order in four colors, Black, Deep Brown, Navy and Sandstone, for $349.99 (US) from apple.com, starting with the US, Canada, France and Germany - other countries to follow soon.
www.beatsbydre.com
