We've tested over 20 pairs of Beats headphones. They're a popular brand that makes stylish and comfortable headphones. The brand was acquired by Apple in 2014, which means that some models come with features meant for users of the Apple ecosystem. While they were known for their excessively bass-heavy sound signature in the past, some newer models sound more well-balanced.
Updates
- 06/11/2025Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 reviewed
- 12/05/2024Beats Studio Pro Wireless updated
- 07/24/2024Beats Solo Buds reviewed
- 07/15/2024Beats Studio Buds + True Wireless updated
- 05/31/2024Beats Solo 4 reviewed
Quick Look
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one, so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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Best Beats Headphones
Sports And Fitness7.1Travel7.6Office Work6.9Audio Reproduction Accuracy7.6Noise Isolation7.9Microphone (In Development)5.2Frequency Response Consistency6.8Noise Isolation - Full Range8.3Recording Quality4.9Battery8.7Portability6.1See all our test resultsPeaks/Dips8.1The best headphones by Beats we've tested are the Beats Studio Pro Wireless. These well-built over-ears come in a variety of sleek and subdued colors to suit your style, like deep brown and navy. They also have an active noise cancelling (ANC) system; while it's not as powerful as flagships from competitors like Bose or Sony, it can still reduce an impressive amount of ambient sound, like office chatter. They occasionally sell at a compelling discount, which can make the slightly less powerful ANC a compromise worth considering. With their ANC on, they last over 28 hours continuously, and you can even use them wired in a pinch, although you can only receive audio, so you won't be able to use the mic.
Their somewhat excited sound profile makes them versatile enough for most audio content with ample thump and sparkle, though they can be prone to some inconsistencies in how the bass sounds on different people, so it's worth taking the time to ensure an even over-ear seal. They also have a built-in DAC (digital-to-analog converter), which allows you to stream lossless audio from your device when paired with their USB-C cable. You can also access a few EQ presets that are only available when using the USB-C connection. While these cans don't have an H2 chip for seamless pairing with Apple devices, they still support Spatial Audio for virtual surround sound.
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Best Beats Earbuds
Noise Isolation8.3Recording Quality6.1Battery6.0Portability9.5See all our test resultsPeaks/Dips7.9The best Beats earbuds we've tested are the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless. These portable buds are the sportier sibling of the Beats Studio Buds + True Wireless, but even if you're not looking for earbuds for the gym, they offer a few extra features that make them a great choice for everyday use. They have an H1 chip, so you can easily pair them with iPhones and MacBooks, and they have Apple's virtual surround sound feature, Spatial Audio (although it only works with iOS devices). Their ANC system also offers better overall performance than the Studio Buds +, helping to attenuate a wide range of noise, including rumbly bus and plane engines.
They have an even amount of bass to give your music the right amount of boom. Vocals and lead instruments are present and bright, but can sound a bit harsh. Unfortunately, they don't have sound customization features, but overall, their sound is well-balanced enough for various genres, and their continuous battery life is on the shorter side at just over five hours (though you get three extra charges in the case). They have a fairly comfortable fit, but if you have small ears, you might find their one-size-fits-most stability fins, which successfully keep the buds in place, apply too much pressure. If that's the case, the Studio Buds + might be a better choice.
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Best Beats Sports Headphones
Sports And Fitness8.1Travel8.5Office Work7.7Audio Reproduction Accuracy7.9Noise Isolation9.2Microphone (In Development)5.8Frequency Response Consistency8.9Noise Isolation - Full Range9.2Recording Quality4.8Battery7.1Portability9.2See all our test resultsPeaks/Dips7.7The Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 replaced the previous Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless, which were commonplace in gyms for several years, with the central upgrade of onboard ANC added to the successor. The Powerbeats Pro 2's ANC is remarkably effective and filters out noises across the audible spectrum, ranging from heavy-footed runners on the treadmill, nearby chit-chat, and the clanging of dropped freeweights at the gym. Fortunately, the main ingredients that made the first generation successful for sports remain, such as a secure fit, thanks to over-ear hooks, and a long (for ANC earbuds), continuous battery life of about seven hours. Unlike the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless, the Powerbeats Pro 2's over-ear hook design doesn't apply pressure to your ear with a one-size-fits-most stability fin, but also results in a chunkier design. Still, for workouts, particularly longer endurance activities such as marathons, the trade-off is worth it for comfort and fewer recharges.
For the data-driven athlete, these earbuds also include heart monitors, which you can sync to a variety of popular fitness apps (on iOS or Android). However, the reliability of the monitors isn't consistently accurate for all owners. Still, the IPX4 rating means they'll keep up with your workout. Their up-to-date H2 chip ensures you can seamlessly switch between Apple devices on the same iCloud account, too. Lastly, their balanced sound profile is tuned with a smooth bass to feel the beat, and while the treble is clear, it's lacking a bit of sparkle. Like most products by the brand, the app is otherwise spare when it comes to customization, so you can't change the EQ. If you like to multitask by taking calls while you exercise, the microphone unfortunately sounds quite muffled too.
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Best On-Ears Beats
Noise Isolation - Full Range4.9Recording Quality4.7Battery8.5Portability6.4See all our test resultsPeaks/Dips8.9Beats have a long-standing history of making on-ear headphones, gaining popularity for their colorful designs, signature 'b' logo, and slightly more compact enclosures. The best Beats headphones that fit on-ears we've tested are the Beats Solo 4. These lightweight cans distill the essential ingredients that make a solid set of on-ears: they stay put well, fold down smaller to fit in your bag, and have a decent amount of cushioning without making them too bulky. In our testing, their battery lasted for 48 hours of continuous playback, and their tuning is balanced and very smooth, free of drastic or intense peaks and dips. The bass delivers thump and boom on kicks and deep synths, while the mid-range and treble sound natural and clear, which suits a variety of media and music genres very well.
Plus, they're very flexible when it comes to connectivity with Bluetooth, analog, and USB-C available, making it easy to listen to virtually any sound source. Unlike the Beats Studio Pro Wireless, these cans don't have ANC, and they rely on passive isolation only. The lack of ANC means you'll hear much more of your environment, which can cause fatigue on long commutes, but if you don't have a use for the feature, then you won't pay extra for something you don't need either. They also don't include an Apple H1/H2 chip for seamless switching between Apple hardware on the same iCloud account, and their app is quite sparse.
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Best Budget Beats Headphones
Noise Isolation - Full Range6.7Recording Quality5.7Battery8.2Portability9.5See all our test resultsPeaks/Dips8.2If you're looking for the best Beats on a budget, check out the Beats Solo Buds. These pint-sized true wireless earbuds cover the basics by being incredibly portable and pretty stable-fitting in your ears, thanks to four ear tip sizes in a compact and cheerful monochromatic style. However, they lack the extra security of the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2's over-ear hooks or the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless silicone stabilizer fins, making them a little more suited for casual use rather than the gym. They're tuned with a full bass, which doesn't overpower the slightly scooped mid-range. The high-mids and low-treble can sound a little harsh compared to the rest of the warmer top-end, but the sound profile is generally smooth, without major peaks or dips.
Despite the absence of ANC onboard, with a good fit, they do an alright job of passively isolating you from external noises, including taming a bit of low-pitched boomy and mid-rangey sounds, which passive isolation tends to struggle with blocking out, even if it's no substitute for the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2's incredible ANC. Their continuous battery life is quite long for true wireless buds, at 18.5 hours. However, unlike the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 and the Beats Fit Pro True Wireless, the carrying case is solely for protection and charging the earbuds via the USB-C port, but it doesn't hold any charge on its own.
For budget Beats to enjoy your music with, they're a solid entry by the brand, but their microphone is pretty disappointing. If you take many calls, the Beats Flex Wireless are worth considering, given their improved mic clarity. Still, their battery life is shorter at 11 hours, and the neckband design is less modern.
Compared To Other Brands
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Comfortable designs.
Most of the better Beats by Dre headphones are comfortable and suitable for use over long periods. While their over-ear designs are the most comfortable entries in their lineup, their on-ear and in-ear headphones tend to be more comfortable than similarly designed models by other brands.
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Decently well-balanced sound.While older Beats headphones tend to have a bass-heavy sound that lacks detail, recent models are better balanced. However, they still deliver the rumbly and punchy bass that fans have come to expect.
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Stylish and sturdy designs.
Beats tend to shine compared to other headphone brands in their design. They have sleek, premium-looking products that stand out with bold color schemes. While they may not all feel as durable as other brands, their more recent models have a sturdy build quality that further emphasizes their premium price range.
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Well-matched drivers.
Our recent Beats units have tight stereo L/R matching, resulting in a stable stereo image that sounds the same in both ears, and suggesting solid quality control.
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Expensive.Beats headphones tend to be rather pricey, especially compared to other brands. The quality of the more recent models we've tested better matches their premium price point. However, they still feel a bit expensive for what they offer.
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Noise cancelling not on par with the competition.
Beats have a couple of models with active noise cancelling. Although more recent releases perform well, most of the range is still not on par with similarly priced headphones from Sony or Bose. Check out our article on the best noise cancelling headphones for more info.
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No customization options.Most Beats have an extremely limited interface for Android and iOS that doesn't offer customization features.
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Unsatisfactory microphone systems.
If you take a lot of calls, a weakness of most of the current Beats line-up is that the mics' recording quality tends to sound unclear, and they often pick up noises in the background.
Beats vs Apple
Since Apple owns Beats, some of their headphones have the same features for iOS users, like an H1/H2 chip and Spatial Audio. The brands still have distinct styles and product lines, but both make sturdy, well-built headphones. Apple noise cancelling headphones tend to have an edge over Beats', making it the better brand if noise cancellation is important and you're in the ecosystem. However, Beats has a wider range of styles and prices, like sports earbuds and budget options. If you want to check out Apple's lineup, check out our list of the best Apple headphones.
Beats vs Sony
Sony makes a wider variety of headphones than Beats, including gaming headsets. Their headphones are more likely to have very strong noise cancelling, especially over-ear models, and many have companion apps that include sound customization features. That said, Apple users might prefer Beats' iOS-specific features. Beats headphones are consistently well-built, whereas some Sony models can have a plasticky, cheaper-feeling build. If you're looking for more options, check out our recommendations for the best Sony headphones.
Overall, Beats make sleek and modern-looking headphones that feel like fashion accessories. Although older models have a mediocre-at-best sound quality, more recent releases have a balanced sound that doesn't completely sacrifice bass. However, their headphones are expensive for what they offer, especially since the more feature-packed models aren't on par with those of their competitors.
Lineup
Beats have a slightly unorthodox naming convention for their headphones, but they offer various models for different uses. Their product names can give you an idea of the style and features of a certain pair of headphones.
- Solo = Mostly on-ear headphones and basic true wireless earbuds.
- Studio = Includes over-ear and earbud models with ANC.
- Powerbeats = In-ears with ear hooks that are designed for sports use.
- Fit = Earbuds with a more conventional design (without ear-hooks) meant for sports.
- Flex = Wireless earbuds with a neck cable design.
- urBeats = A discontinued line of wired earbuds.
Recent Updates
Nov 03, 2025:
This article has been updated to change the budget pick to the Beats Solo Buds and to mention the Beats Flex Wireless.
Aug 05, 2025:
This article has been updated to replace the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless with the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 and to add the Beats Solo 4 as the 'Best On-Ears.' Text adjustments and formatting changes have been made throughout for clarity and consistency.
Mar 17, 2025:
We've updated the article to mention the Beats PowerBeats Pro 2.
Dec 16, 2024:
We've checked this article for clarity and product availability, but our recommendations have remained the same.
Sep 24, 2024: We made only minor changes to the text for clarity and consistency but haven't changed our picks.
Conclusion
Beats have made great improvements to their lineup. They're still a fashion-forward brand that focuses on bold color schemes and sleek modern designs, but their recent models sound much better balanced than what they've put out in the past. Their products are still a bit pricey for what they offer, especially their noise cancelling headphones, which don't deliver the same level of noise isolation that models from competing brands provide.