- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Updates
- Comparison
- Best Headphones
- Conclusion
- Discussions
We've currently tested 17 pairs of Beats headphones. They're a popular brand that makes stylish and comfortable headphones. While they used to be known for their excessively bass-heavy sound signature, their newer models tend to sound surprisingly well-balanced.
Updates
- 10/19/2021 Beats Flex Wireless updated
- 10/13/2021 Beats Studio Buds True Wireless updated
- 03/16/2021 Beats Solo Pro Wireless updated
- 12/07/2020 Beats Solo3 2019 Wireless reviewed
- 11/16/2020 Beats Studio3 Wireless updated
Best Beats Headphones
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Best Wireless Beats Headphones
Type On-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling YesMic YesTransducer DynamicThe best Beats headphones with a wireless design that we've tested are the Beats Solo Pro Wireless. These Bluetooth on-ear headphones have a fairly comfortable fit and a great build quality, with a premium look and a metal alloy headband. They have a long continuous battery life of roughly 24 hours, so they should easily last through a couple of 9-5 workdays or a long flight without recharging. Their ANC feature has a good overall performance and is especially effective at blocking out office-type noise like ambient chatter and humming A/C units. Their well-balanced, somewhat excited sound profile brings a bit of extra thump and rumble to mixes, while instruments and lead vocals are bright.
Unfortunately, their app doesn't offer any sound customization features, like an EQ or presets. They also don't have the most comfortable fit since their headband may not expand enough for larger heads, and they clamp onto your ears quite tightly. Like many on-ear headphones, their bulky size makes them inconvenient to carry around, although they do fold into a more compact format and come with a soft carrying case. Overall, these very well-built headphones offer good active noise cancelling and are even among the best on-ear headphones we've tested.
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Best Beats Earbuds
Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless Truly WirelessNoise Cancelling NoMic YesTransducer DynamicThe best Beats earbuds that we've tested are the Beats Powerbeats Pro Truly Wireless. These truly wireless headphones have a lightweight, comfortable design and are stable enough to stay in place during workouts, thanks to their built-in ear hooks. They come with a few differently-sized ear tips and have good onboard controls that are easy to use. They're also well-built and rated IPX4 for water resistance. Their sound profile is well-balanced, with an incredibly accurate bass response that ensures mixes have the right amount of thump, punch, and warmth. The battery provides more than 11 hours of continuous playback, more than enough for a 9-5 workday or several long workouts, and their case stores about one additional charge. While they don't support multi-device pairing, their H1 chip makes it easy to pair them with Apple devices.
However, their companion app lacks sound customization options like an EQ or presets. They also lack ANC and have a terrible passive noise isolation performance, so they aren't ideal if you want headphones that can block out background noise. However, you maybe prefer that they let you hear your surroundings if you use them to run outdoors. Overall, they have a versatile sound, and their comfortable, stable fit makes them a great choice for sports. They're even some of the best wireless earbuds for running and working out that we've tested.
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Best Budget Beats Headphones
Type In-earEnclosure Closed-BackWireless YesNoise Cancelling NoMic YesTransducer DynamicThe Beats Flex Wireless are the best Beats headphones at the budget level that we've tested. These colorful in-ears have a silicone neck cable design and are flexible enough to fit into most pockets. They also have a comfortable fit that doesn't go too deep into your ear. Fans of EDM and hip-hop can enjoy their bass-heavy sound profile, which delivers extra thump and boom. Thanks to their in-ear design, they don't leak too much audio at high volumes and can block out a decent amount of noise like office chatter around you. They last roughly 11 hours on a single charge, too, so you can get through long days at the office without recharging them, and their W1 chip makes it easy to seamlessly pair them with other devices in your Apple ecosystem.
Unfortunately, although they have a companion app, it doesn't offer features like an EQ or presets, so you can't adjust their sound profile to your liking. They also have high latency on PCs, which is disappointing if you like to stream video. That said, they have much lower latency on iOS and Android devices, although some apps compensate for latency differently.
Compared to other brands
- Comfortable designs. Most Beats headphones are comfortable to wear and are suitable for use over long periods. While their over-ear designs are the most comfortable, their on-ear and in-ear headphones tend to be more comfortable than similarly designed models.
- Decently well-balanced sound. While older Beats headphones tend to have a bass-heavy sound that lacks detail, recent models are better-balanced but still deliver the rumbly and punchy bass that fans have come to expect.
- Stylish and sturdy designs. Beats tend to shine compared to other headphone brands when it comes to design. They have sleek, premium-looking headphones that stand out with bold color schemes. While they may not all feel as durable as other brands on the market, their more recent models have a sturdy build quality that further emphasizes their premium price range.
- Expensive. Beats headphones tend to be rather pricey, especially compared to other brands. The quality of their more recent models that we’ve tested better matches their premium price point, but they still feel a bit expensive for what they have to offer.
- Noise cancelling not on par with the competition. Beats have a couple of models with active noise cancelling now. Though some of the newer ones perform well, they're still not quite on par with similarly priced noise cancelling headphones from Sony or Bose.
- No customization options. While most Beats have an extremely limited interface for Android and iOS, this interface doesn't offer any customization features.
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 improved their audio reproduction to better suit neutral listeners while retaining their powerful bass. However, their headphones are expensive for what they offer, especially since the more feature-packed models aren't on par with their competitors.
Lineup
Beats has a slightly unorthodox naming convention for their headphones, but they do offer a decent variety of models for different uses.
- Pro = Usually the highest-end product of the lineup.
- Powerbeats = In-ears with ear hooks that are designed for sports use.
- Beats Studio = Over-ear models.
- Beats Solo = On-ear models.
- Beats Earbuds/In-Ear = The names vary, but Beats offers a wide set of in-ear headphones that are ideal for casual use or sports.
Recent Updates
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Oct 04, 2021: Checked that picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock. There were no changes to recommendations.
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Aug 05, 2021: Checked that picks represent the best recommendations and that the products are in stock.
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Jun 08, 2021: Replaced the Beats EP with the Beats Flex Wireless and renamed the category to 'Best Budget Beats Headphones' as the Flex Wireless offer better overall performance.
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Apr 09, 2021: Verified that all main picks are still in stock and represent the best choice for their given category.
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 a lot better-balanced than what they’ve put out in the past. That said, their products are still a bit pricey for what they have to offer, especially their noise cancelling headphones that don’t deliver the same level of noise isolation that models from competing brands provide.
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