Beats Studio Pro Review: WORTH IT in 2024?

Odi Productions May 13, 2024

8744 People Read

Beats Studio Pro wireless headphones on desk

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 Pro review for those who are wondering whether they are WORTH IT in 2024. These were originally released on July 19th, 2023, and are the flagship product in the current Beats headphones lineup.

For this review, I have put hundreds of hours into testing my own personal pair of Beats Studio Pro, so I'm very familiar with how they sound and operate on a daily basis. In addition, I have thoroughly reviewed its predecessor the Beats Studio 3 Wireless, and Beats Solo 3 Wireless.

You may also be interested in my direct comparison of the Beats Studio 3 vs Studio Pro afterwards.

I'll be sharing my critical opinion with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, and tech journalist.

Let's dive right in!

Should you buy Beats Studio Pro?

Beats Studio Pro Wireless earcup held in hand

Buy if

You want a great value for wireless headphones with a fun sound for modern music and decent noise cancelling
You want one of the most comfortable and stylish headphones with a long 40 hours of battery life
You want the latest features like Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, along with working flawlessly in the Apple ecosystem

DON'T Buy if

You listen primarily to acoustic and classical music, instead of modern genres like Pop, Hip-Hop, EDM
You prefer a more natural and realistic presentation of music and voices

Beats Studio Pro Wireless Pros and Cons

Beats Studio Pro in black on desk

Pros

Fun sound for modern genres
Great comfort and style
Good noise cancelling
40 hours battery life
Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos

Cons

Excels mostly for modern genres
Fairly closed soundstage
Not very realistic timbre
Noise cancelling is below Bose/Sony

Beats Studio Pro Price

At the time of this writing, the Beats Studio Pro are priced at $349.99 retail, but available on Amazon below for an average of $249 and even as low as $179.95 brand new.

Want to save up to an additional $22? Order the Renewed Version below which is currently around $158.

Order here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂

Beats Studio Pro Comfort: 4.0 / 5

Beats Studio Pro weight of 268.6 grams on scale

At first glance, the newer Beats Studio Pro looks near identical to its predecessor, the Studio 3 Wireless released 6 years earlier.

So it makes sense that the comfort is nearly identical, which is above average overall.

On my trusty scale, the Studio Pro weighed in at a fairly light 268.6 grams, about 6.8 grams heavier than the Studio 3.

Just for reference, the Apple AirPods Max weighed in at 387.8 grams on the same scale, which is 44% heavier than the Beats Studio Pro!

Compared with the Studio 3, the headband material seems identical and there is just a very slight top-of-head pressure.

The biggest difference seems to be in the earpad material and cushions, which seems to be improved.

When I first received the Studio Pro, the clamping force felt a bit strong, but it has now loosened up over testing and is very comfy.

Like all other over-ear headphones, these will make your ears warm after 1-2 hours, pretty much the only thing keeping these from a perfect comfort score.

Are Beats Studio Pro good for working out in the gym?

I'm a big fan of the Beats Studio Pro when used for working out in a gym environment and outside as well. The fun sound signature and noise cancelling is perfect for lifting weights or doing cardio. I like the over-ear design as well which feels secure on the head.

Prior to the Studio Pro, I had used the Studio 3 extensively in the gym so I already had high hopes.

It's actually a good thing in this scenario that the noise cancelling isn't world-class like Bose or Sony, because it is good to at least hear a little bit of outside ambient noise and be aware of your surroundings.

Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 / 5

Beats Studio Pro folded and collapsed

Features

Being a newer headphone just released in 2023 and under parent company Apple, the Beats Studio Pro is feature-packed.

In addition to being Bluetooth wireless and noise cancelling with transparency mode, these include Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support.

With built-in microphones, the Studio Pro can also take phone calls and be used for Zoom meetings.

If you're an Apple ecosystem user then you're in luck, these seamlessly switch between multiple devices just like any AirPods product.

Even if you aren't an Apple user, these should work flawlessly with any Bluetooth device such as Android and Windows, although it should be noted that it's easier to manage the Studio Pro natively with iOS.

Beats Studio Pro headphones inside included soft shell carrying case

Also included is a soft shell carrying case which is actually a step down from the hardshell case included with the Studio 3, most likely to save costs.

Luckily, I can fit the Studio Pro into the Studio 3's hardshell case.

There are also 2 cables included, first being a standard 3.5mm cable, and the second a USB-C to USB-C cable for lossless audio.

Looks

I had already dubbed the Studio 3 the best-looking pair of headphones, and now the Studio Pro surpasses it with some very subtle changes.

The biggest difference is that the Studio Pro removed the "Beats" branding on the top headband of the Studio 3, along with any markings or model name on the side of the headband.

Being a fan of the more minimalist aesthetic, I wholly welcome this reduction in loud branding.

I picked up my pair in the gorgeous matte black color, which is understated yet stylish. The only issue with this color is that it is a huge fingerprint and smudge magnet, compared to the grey on my Studio 3.

Beats Studio Pro Battery Life

The Studio Pro boasts a rather impressive 40 hours of total battery life, which is above average for its category of wireless noise cancelling headphones.

In my testing, the long battery life claims are as advertised, with rarely needing to charge the Studio Pro more than once per week or two.

Beats Studio Pro Noise Cancelling performance

I would rate the Beats Studio Pro noise cancelling performance as slightly above average, compared to today's standards. It's on par with the Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds and previous generation Sony WH-1000XM4.

It is a step below the world-class noise cancelling of Bose headphones and the newer Sony WH-1000XM5, and only slight below the AirPods Max and Sennheiser Momentum 4.

For this reason of noise cancelling, the Studio Pro just barely misses a perfect score in this segment, because all the features and battery life is there.

Unlike the top competitors in this segment, there isn't any customization to the noise cancelling and mix between outside noise. There is just a single setting, and it is supposed to adapt to your surroundings.

Like many modern noise cancelling headphones, these also feature a transparency mode which is decent enough for hearing your surroundings.

Do Beats Studio Pro have good sound quality?

Holding Beats Studio Pro wireless headphones in hand

The Beats Studio Pro improves significantly upon the Studio 3's sound quality, and exactly in the areas that I criticized in my review of the Studio 3: Poor sub-bass response, weak dynamics, audible distortion, and overall "boring" sound signature.

The Studio 3 was actually not a bad sounding headphone by any means, it's surprisingly balanced with good treble and detail. But it wasn't true to the Beats brand of being a fun headphone primarily made for jamming out to modern music.

The Studio Pro goes back to its roots by adopting a much more "fun" and consumer-friendly sound signature, with the sub-bass response being turned up and even more emphasis on the treble.

I'll say it, the Studio Pro is definitely a FUN headphone to listen to when you are not trying to perform critical listening or striving for accuracy.

This is a very treble-forward sound that works wonders for modern music with female vocals, but can work against it for other instruments and the mids.

There is very good layering and audible details like Ariana Grande's ad-lib singing for example, but it's clear that it is somewhat artificial and "in your face".

The bass is fun albeit unfocused and emphasizes the sub-bass over the upper bass which is a request that I had with the Studio 3, and I think this bass presentation simply makes more sense for most genres.

I'm also very glad the audible distortion I could hear when turning up the Studio 3's volume is mostly gone, with "near-zero distortion even at high volume – an improvement of up to 80% compared to Beats Studio3", according to Apple.

Another area that is greatly improved is the weak dynamics of the Studio 3. Snare drums have much more pop in them, which translates to the music being more engaging and immersive, instead of flat. However, I still think the dynamics could improve even more.

Now for the downsides, the Studio Pro has a narrow and intimate soundstage, and is lacking information for vocals and instruments in the mids.

Again, this works for certain modern genres where an "in your face" sound is welcomed, but it is undesirable for more acoustic and classical genres where natural presentation and realistic timbre are a priority.

Even just going from female vocal to male vocal music, the Studio Pro starts to show less versatility as the voices and instruments in the mid range are thin-sounding.

This applies further to movies, gaming, and podcasts, where it's better to have a greater sense of space and natural voices than to be closed-in and artificial-sounding with the forward treble.

Honestly, I find the Studio Pro's sound a bit claustrophobic compared to the Sennheiser Momentum 4, and definitely the AirPods Pro 2 for example.

So to sum everything up, yes the Studio Pro has quite good sound quality with a fun sound signature that excels primarily for modern genres, but less so for other genres.

Beats Studio 3 Wireless Sound Quality: 7.8 / 10

Is the Beats Studio Pro worth it?

Holding the Beats Studio Pro headband

At the time of this writing, the average market price of a new pair of Beats Studio Pro is about $249, presenting a very attractive package and value for the money when you consider that it competes with headphones like the AirPods Max costing twice as much.

During limited time sales, the new price of the Studio Pro can even drop to as low as $179.95, which is just insane and a must-buy in my opinion.

At the sub-$200 price range, I would give these a perfect 5 out of 5 for value, but for now we are judging it based on the average market price of $249, which is half of the AirPods Max's $500+ pricetag today.

I can assure you that the AirPods Max is nowhere near twice the headphone the Studio Pro is, not to mention it has virtually all the same features like Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos.

There are really no glaring weaknesses to the Studio Pro which has great comfort, style, latest features, and 40 hour battery life.

If you're looking for real competitors at around the $250 price range, I'd give a serious look to the AirPods Pro 2 earbuds and Sony WH-1000XM4.

For about an extra $50, I personally would still reach for the Sennheiser Momentum 4 which has superior sound quality, battery life, and slightly better noise cancelling. The only drawback to the Sennheisers are that they are not as Apple-ecosystem friendly as either Beats or AirPods products.

Value: 4.0 / 5

Scoring Breakdown

Comfort: 4.0 / 5

Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 / 5

Sound Quality: 7.8 / 10

Value: 4.0 / 5

Total: 18 / 25

Our Rating: 8.1 / 10

Pressing on Beats Studio Pro earpad cushion material

At the time of this writing, the Beats Studio Pro are priced at $349.99 retail, but available on Amazon below for an average of $249 and even as low as $179.95 brand new.

Want to save up to an additional $22? Order the Renewed Version below which is currently around $158.

Order here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):

Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Beats Studio Pro better than Beats Studio 3?

Yes, the Beats Studio Pro is the successor to the Beats Studio 3 Wireless released in 2017, and has improved sound quality, noise cancelling, and more features like Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos. The Beats Studio Pro is the current flagship model in the entire Beats headphone lineup.

What are the best Beats headphones to buy?

As far as the Beats headphone lineup is concerned, the Beats Studio Pro is the best model to date, surpassing both the Studio 3 and Solo 3 in sound quality, noise cancelling, features, and more. Aside from headphones, some may prefer Beats' line of wireless earbuds such as the Beats Fit Pro or Powerbeats Pro instead.

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.