Odi Productions
In this article, I’m going to share my HONEST experience with the Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max and tell you which is better, 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 performance, and sound quality.
Then at the end, I’ll share which is the best overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.
I’ve also conducted a separate in-depth Beats Studio Pro Review and Apple AirPods Max Review, for those who are interested in reading more detailed thoughts about each headphone after. (Links open in a new tab.)
Key Takeaways
- Apple AirPods Max has better comfort, sound quality, active noise cancelling performance, build quality, and more premium materials.
- Beats Studio Pro has pretty much all the same features as the AirPods Max at a fraction of the price, and is a better value for the dollar.
- The Apple AirPods Max is typically $200-300 more expensive than the Beats Studio Pro, depending on sales.
Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max Price Compared
Overall, the Beats Studio Pro is anywhere from $200 to $300 cheaper than the Apple AirPods Max at current market prices for brand new. They can be much closer in price depending on current sales, and whether you’re buying new, renewed, or used.
Beats Studio Pro Prices
- Retail: $349.99
- New: $199
- Renewed: $160 (save up to $100!)
- Used: $165 (save up to $100!)
Apple AirPods Max Prices
- Retail: $549.00
- New: $480
- Renewed: $380 (save up to $100!)
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Comfort
On my scale, the Beats Studio Pro is 119.2 grams lighter than Apple AirPods Max:
- Beats Studio Pro weight: 268.6 grams
- Apple AirPods Max weight: 387.8 grams
Not only is the Beats Studio Pro lighter on paper, it feels much lighter wearing back to back.
That said, the first impression I get with the Beats is the overly-strong clamping force.
Combine the clamping force with very shallow earcup interior space, and these almost feel like on-ear headphones instead of over-ears. Very claustrophobic.
Although the weight difference is immediately felt, the AirPods Max actually feels lighter than the numbers suggest due to its suspension headband design. I feel very little top-of-head pressure when wearing the heavy AirPods Max.
Where the “APM” loses points on comfort is due to its clamping force that is felt around the ears. It’s not overly excessive, but its presence is certainly felt and where most of the added weight transfers to.
That said, I still find the AirPods Max fairly comfortable to wear for hours, and they seemed to have loosened up a bit after wearing them.
Between the two, I’d take the heavier AirPods Max with more comfortable headband than the clamping force of the Beats Studio Pro.
Beats Studio Pro Comfort: 3.5 out of 5
Apple AirPods Max Comfort: 4.0 out of 5
Winner: Apple AirPods Max
Features / Build Quality / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling
Features
Features is one area where the more affordable Beats Studio Pro actually competes well with the AirPods Max on paper.
Both headphones are really Apple products under the hood, so you’ll get the same level of native connectivity with Apple ecosystem devices.
Both headphones feature your typical modern features like built-in microphones for calls, Active Noise Cancelling, Transparency Mode, and Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos support.
One design flaw for the AirPods Max is the “smart case”, required to ensure the headphones enter low-power mode since the headphones don’t feature any concrete OFF button. This is pretty impractical on a daily basis and poor user experience, a rare misstep from Apple.
Build Quality
If you want to see where some of the price difference is justified, the build quality of the Apple AirPods Max is superior to the Beats Studio Pro in every way.
Where its added weight was a penalty for the comfort category, picking up and feeling the sheer heft of the APM inspires confidence in its materials.
And it should, since the APM is made with aluminum and stainless steel, seen throughout on both the shiny earcups and metal hinges.
I’ve owned my pair for years now, and as long as you take care of it, they still look brand new. The mesh material on the earpads also seems to age better than a lot of leather-like materials, as far as creases and such are concerned.
On the other hand, the mostly-plastic Beats Studio Pro feels quite cheap for a headphone retailing around $350.
They do seem to use metal at the hinges, and I do know from experience with the previous-generation Studio 3 Wireless that these headphones can last longer than initial impression may give.
Either way, the APM looks and feels like a much, much more premium and expensive headphone.
Looks
The Apple AirPods Max features arguably the most-striking and distinct design of any headphones to date, which you can easily see from a mile away.
The rectangular shape and satin metallic sheen of the earcups stands out when every other headphone is just plain black plastic ovals.
I actually wasn’t initially in love with the design of the APM when I first got them (I thought the earcups were about 20% too big), but as time goes on, the APM’s design has aged like a fine wine.
Judging by all the YouTube thumbnails, they’ve officially become a fashion statement for coders, productivity YouTubers, and even fitness channels.
The Beats Studio Pro is quite fashionable in its own right, with collaborations with Kim Kardashian introducing some svelte skin-tone colorways.
I love the variety of colors that the Beats Studio Pro is offered in, and it has a very sleek silhouette when worn on the head. The AirPods Max is more attention-grabbing, while the Studio Pro is more understated.
Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max Battery Life Compared
The Beats Studio Pro has 20 more hours of battery life on a single charge compared to the Apple AirPods Max:
- Beats Studio Pro Battery Life: Up to 40 hours
- Apple AirPods Max Battery Life: Up to 20 hours
In my testing, I found both of these manufacturer’s battery ratings to be accurate, but needing the use of the “smart case” for the AirPods Max adds additional hassle.
And if you forget to put it in there, I’ve had instances where the battery drained down overnight.
Now, that was a while ago, so I’m guessing Apple updated some firmware to be better about switching automatically to low-power mode.
Either way, the Beats Studio Pro has double the battery life of the AirPods Max, and is only surpassed by the insane 60-hour battery life of the class-leading Sennheiser Momentum 4.
Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max Noise Cancelling Performance: Which is better?
The Apple AirPods Max has superior active noise cancelling performance to the Beats Studio Pro, but the Studio Pro is really not bad considering its price.
I would say the APM is a tier below Bose QuietComfort Ultra and Sony XM5, with the Beats being maybe 1.5 to 2 tiers below.
The AirPods Max will be more effective and powerful at noise cancelling during a flight, whereas the Beats Studio Pro is more suited for everyday environments like an office, gym, or coffeeshop.
Both headphones feature 3 modes: Noise Cancelling, Transparency, and OFF.
Beats Studio Pro Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.0 out of 5
Apple AirPods Max Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 4.5 out of 5
Winner: Apple AirPods Max
Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max Sound Quality Comparison
If you assumed that the higher pricetag of the Apple AirPods Max would yield higher sound quality… well, then you’d be right.
The AirPods Max has a more sophisticated and audiophile sound overall, but I think the Beats Studio Pro would actually surprise a lot of people for its price.
The thing that sticks out to me the most about the Beats Studio Pro is its level of detail. Seriously, this headphone is super detailed and treble-forward.
However, the Beats is thin-sounding overall, with quite a weak bass response.
On the other hand, the APM has a more present and fuller sub-bass coupled with a punchier upper-bass that is more satisfying on the low-end than the Beats.
Basically, the AirPods Max has the more satisfying bass slam than the Beats.
Aside from bass, the AirPods Max also wins on the more audiophile technicalities like resolution, soundstage, layering, and dynamics.
Overall, although the Beats Studio Pro was better than I expected, the AirPods Max is in another league for sound quality and competes better with the likes of Bose, Sony, and Sennheiser.
Neither headphones feature a native EQ that could be used to improve the sound, although I think the APM doesn’t really need it as its stock tuning is excellently well-balanced and pleasing for all genres.
Beats Studio Pro Sound Quality: 7.9 out of 10
Apple AirPods Max Sound Quality: 8.6 out of 10
Winner: AirPods Max
Value
Value is one area where the Beats Studio Pro has a clear advantage over the $549 retail price of the Apple AirPods Max, but the same can be said of many headphones.
Now, the Beats Studio Pro does retail at a whopping $349.99, a price that I would personally never pay for these headphones.
But where things get exciting, is that the market price of the Beats can typically be found under $200, and sometimes $180 on sale.
Despite its flaws, $180 for a full-featured wireless ANC headphone makes the Studio Pro worth a serious look for value.
Meanwhile, the AirPods Max can fluctuate around $450-$500 brand new these days, and is just an exorbitant price no matter which way you slice it.
Renewed in excellent condition copies of the AirPods Max can be found for around $380, making it a bit easier to stomach.
Either way, APM doesn’t score too well on value, but is anchored by the points that it has the most premium materials, best build quality, and stock sound quality in its respective class.
Beats Studio Pro Value: 4.5 out of 5
Apple AirPods Max Value: 3.5 out of 5
Winner: Beats Studio Pro
Beats Studio Pro Overall Rating
- Surprisingly detailed sound
- Good noise cancelling
- 40 hour battery life
- Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos
- Bass response is lacking
- Clamping force discomfort
- Noise cancelling is average
- Cheap build quality
Apple AirPods Max Overall Rating
- Excellent sound quality
- Very good noise cancelling
- Switches easily between Apple devices
- Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support
- Expensive!
- Worse noise cancelling than Sony/Bose
- Heavy, less comfortable than Sony/Bose
Overall Winner: Apple AirPods Max
Some extremely strong alternatives in this class of noise cancelling headphones and price range are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sony WH-1000XM5, Sennheiser Momentum 4, and Bose QuietComfort (2023 model). I highly recommend you check those out next!
Lastly, if you’d like to save some money and keep supporting RecordingNOW.com’s 100% independent, unbiased reviews, do consider using some of our affiliate links below to shop and even just compare prices. We purchase all products we review with our own money to maintain the highest level of integrity, and your support goes into that plus a continuously improving site experience.
Order Here for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE (Do NOT pay retail):
Want to save up to an additional $100?
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Disclosure: These affiliate links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to keep this website 100% independent to ensure honest unfiltered reviews 🙂
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 all of 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. Noise cancelling performance is tested in the real-world, primarily on airplane flights, coffee shops, and walking around large metropolitan city environments.
ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, audio engineer, musician, tech journalist, and audiophile.
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