Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro 2: Which is Better in 2024?
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.
In this article, I'm going to share my HONEST Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro 2 comparison in detail, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.
I'll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling, and sound quality.
Then at the end, I'll share which is the better overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.
Also, if you're interested in learning more after, I have tested each product individually in my Beats Studio Buds review and AirPods Pro 2 review.
Beats Studio Buds vs Apple AirPods Pro 2 vs Price Compared
Overall, the Beats Studio Buds are $50 cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 at current market prices for brand new.
Beats Studio Buds Prices
Retail: $149.95
New: $99.95
Renewed: $71 (save up to $29)
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Prices
Retail: $249.00
New: $199.99
Renewed: $171 (save up to $29)
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE
(Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $29 on Beats Studio Buds with Renewed below:
Save up to $29 on Apple AirPods Pro 2 with Renewed below:
Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂
Comfort
Both the Beats Studio Buds and Apple AirPods Pro 2 are in-ear wireless earbuds, which means they need to be inserted into your ear canal, unlike regular AirPods.
If you're anything like me, perhaps the idea of inserting anything into your ear canal sounds uncomfortable, but to my surprise, I got used to it very quickly.
Let's start with the AirPods Pro 2nd generation, which comes with 4 different sizes of eartips to find the perfect fit for your ear size.
I found the AirPods Pro 2 to be pretty comfortable out of the box, but noticed they could get a little loose at times, and the hard part of the earbud would press against parts of my ear.
Then I replaced the stock eartips with aftermarket memory foam eartips and the comfort and ability to stay inserted improved a bit. Because of this modification, the AirPods Pro 2 doesn't receive a perfect score for the way it performs stock.
On the other hand, I found the Beats Studio Buds surprisingly more comfortable straight out of the box.
One distinct difference between these two is that the Beats Studio Buds are smaller with no stem attached, with not as much of a "bulb" behind the eartip like the AirPods Pro 2.
I find the AirPods Pro 2 earbud shape to press against the other parts of my ear, which can create soreness over long periods of time wearing them.
Overall, I could wear either earbuds for hours while barely noticing them, but I find the Beats Studio Buds more comfortable without any aftermarket memory foam tips needed like the AirPods Pro 2.
Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro 2: Which is better for working out?
Both the Beats Studio Buds and AirPods Pro 2nd gen are IPX4 water and sweat resistance rated, which naturally means they are built to withstand working out in the gym and running.
I find both wireless earbuds to work equally well in a gym setting, although the AirPods Pro 2 has superior noise cancelling for noisy environments.
Out of the box, I think the Beats Studio Buds are a bit more secure for staying inside the ear as opposed to the AirPods Pro 2, so that may be a factor if you do a lot of movement or plan to run with them.
Beats Studio Buds Comfort: 5 out of 5
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Comfort: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Beats Studio Buds
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
In case you weren't aware by now, the Beats brand is owned by Apple, so the Beats Studio Buds and AirPods Pro 2 share many of the same features and seamless compatibility with Apple devices.
(Don't worry Android and Windows users, both of these work well with non-Apple bluetooth devices as well.)
Both these wireless earbuds have Adaptive Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, and the ability to turn either completely OFF.
The AirPods Pro 2 has one big advantage over the lesser-priced Beats Studio Buds, and that is Spatial Audio.
If you haven't experienced Apple's Spatial Audio feature, imagine listening in surround sound to an expensive speaker or home theater system.
At first, I thought this was kinda gimmicky, but I've actually come around to loving this feature.
Aside from Spatial Audio, both the AirPods Pro 2 and Beats Studio Buds can take calls with built-in microphones, although the mic quality is nothing to write home about.
Looks
The AirPods Pro 2 have the iconic white stem, whereas the Beats Studio Buds is actually a much smaller and compact form-factor, only containing the eartip and the earbud.
It's hard to deny the strikingly distinct design of the AirPods Pro 2, but for those who prefer a more incognito look, the Beats Studio Buds can go unnoticed.
Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro 2 Battery Life Comparison
The Beats Studio Buds have 2 hours longer battery life on a single charge than the AirPods Pro 2, but 6 hours less total battery life counting the charging case and multiple recharges.
Beats Studio Buds Battery Life: Up to 8 hours on single charge, Up to 24 hours with charging case
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Battery Life: Up to 6 hours on single charge, Up to 30 hours with charging case
If I had to choose which is more important, I'd say the 2 hours longer battery life on a single charge of the Beats Studio Buds is an impressive advantage over the AirPods Pro 2.
That said, you'll get 6 more total hours with the AirPods Pro 2 if you count the multiple recharges with the charging case.
Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro 2 Noise Cancelling: Which is Better?
Both of these wireless earbuds have Adaptive Noise Cancelling and Transparency Mode, unlike Apple's regular line of AirPods.
Also, since these are both in-ear earbuds, they create a physical seal that passively isolates noise from entering your ears in the first place.
However, the AirPods Pro 2 clearly has superior noise cancelling to the Beats Studio Buds.
When testing the noise cancelling back-to-back, it was clear that the AirPods Pro 2 effectively blocked out more noise than the Beats Studio Buds.
Actually, I found the Beats Studio Buds to be one of the least effective Adaptive Noise Cancelling features when it comes to either earbuds or headphones.
At the end of the day, a little noise cancelling is better than none at all, but if this is a major priority for you, get the AirPods Pro 2 or a full-sized noise cancelling headphone from Sony or Bose instead.
Beats Studio Buds Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 3.5 out of 5
AirPods Pro 2 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: AirPods Pro 2
Beats Studio Buds vs AirPods Pro 2 Sound Quality Comparison
The Apple AirPods Pro 2nd generation are on another level when it comes to sound quality, versus the Beats Studio Buds.
As an audiophile and professional audio engineer, the AirPods Pro 2 have higher sound quality all around, from the tuning to soundstage, and everything in between.
To the Beats Studio Buds' credit, they sound perfectly fine for the money, considering they are a fair bit cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2.
But if you have the budget, and sound quality is one of your top priorities, then the AirPods Pro 2 wins hands-down.
The AirPods Pro 2 has a much more balanced and natural sound signature compared to the Beats Studio Buds.
Of course, the "consumer-friendly" sound of the Beats with the emphasized bass and treble is appealing on paper, but actually falls a bit flat during listening.
When it comes to the audiophile technicalities, this is where the gap really widens between these two.
The wide open soundstage of the AirPods Pro 2 seems to defy physics, whereas the Beats Studio Buds sounds closed-in and a bit claustrophobic.
Add in the AirPods Pro's Spatial Audio feature, which the Beats lack, and it's a different world regarding 3D-like soundstage and openness.
To put it very simply, many audiophiles approve of the AirPods Pro 2, while the Beats Studio Buds is firmly in consumer territory. That's not the worst thing, but it shows the levels we're talking here.
Beats Studio Buds Sound Quality: 7.0 out of 10
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Sound Quality: 8.1 out of 10
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 2
Value
At the time of this writing, the Beats Studio Buds are anywhere from $50 to $100 cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2nd gen.
So in some cases, the Beats Studio Buds could be half the price of the AirPods Pro.
Now this may seem like the Beats are a no-brainer when it comes to value, but consider this.
The AirPods Pro 2 has much superior sound quality, better noise cancelling, and very nifty Spatial Audio. The AirPods' comfort is also very close to the Beats, and equal when equipped with aftermarket memory foam eartips like I've done.
Now, is all that worth up to an extra $100?
For me, I do think the price difference is justified, as I put a heavy priority on sound quality, then noise cancelling effectiveness. I think the AirPods Pro 2 is on another level here, and is a really compelling package dollar-for-dollar.
Beats Studio Buds Value: 4.0 out of 5
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Value: 5 out of 5
Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 2
Beats Studio Buds Overall Rating: 7.8 / 10
Sound Quality: 7.0 / 10
Comfort: 5 / 5
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 3.5 / 5
Value: 4.0 / 5
Total: 19.5 / 25
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Overall Rating: 8.6 / 10
Sound Quality: 8.1 / 10
Comfort: 4.5 / 5
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 / 5
Value: 5 / 5
Total: 21.6 / 25
Overall Winner: Apple AirPods Pro 2
For my money's worth, I do think the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen are worth the extra $50 to $100 over the Beats Studio Buds.
Despite being more expensive, I think the AirPods Pro 2 are just a better overall value and an extremely complete package all around.
That said, there's no shame in the Beats Studio Buds as a cheaper AirPods alternative, and it scores quite well for its pricepoint.
I think the Beats Studio Buds sits slightly above Apple's regular line of AirPods 3rd generation, but firmly below the AirPods Pro 2 which is just on another level.
If you're interested in reading more about wireless earbuds, I've also done an AirPods 3rd generation review, while also comparing the AirPods Pro 2nd gen vs AirPods 3rd gen.
Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE
(Do NOT pay retail):
Save up to $29 on Beats Studio Buds with Renewed below:
Save up to $29 on Apple AirPods Pro 2 with Renewed below:
Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂
How We Tested and Our Methodology
RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.
We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.
After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.