Beats Studio Wireless  Headphones Review

Review updated Mar 29, 2018 at 12:44pm
Test bench update Nov 21, 2019 at 11:23am
Tested using Methodology v1.3.1 
Beats Studio Wireless

Track

0.0
Mixed Usage 
0.0
Neutral Sound 
0.0
Commute/Travel 
0.0
Sports/Fitness 
0.0
Office 
0.0
Wireless Gaming 
0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Call 

Track

 0
The Beats Studio Wireless are decent mixed usage headphones with a well-crafted, and stylish over-ear design. They deliver an above-average sound and don't leak much. They're comfortable, stable enough to jog with, and have a sturdy, durable design. Unfortunately, their noise canceling is weak and doesn't fare as well as some of the other noise-canceling headphones we've tested.

Our Verdict

0.0
Mixed Usage 

The Beats Studio Wireless are an above-average pair of mixed usage headphones. They're sleek yet durable. They're comfortable and relatively compact for an over-ear model. They make decent sports headphones, and their sound is also good enough for recording and casual listening. However, they don't isolate enough for noisy commutes and loud environments.

Pros
  • Comfortable and stable fit.
  • Slick and sturdy wireless design.
  • Low leakage.
Cons
  • Poor noise isolation.
0.0
Neutral Sound 

Above-average for neutral listening. They have a good audio reproduction that's balanced and punchy enough for most listeners. However, they lack a little soundstage due to their comparatively small and closed ear cups.

0.0
Commute/Travel 

Decent for commuting. They have a sleek wireless design that's not too cumbersome to use or carry around. However, the weak noise canceling alone is not sufficient for the ambient noise of a bus or train ride.

0.0
Sports/Fitness 

Above-average for sports use. The Beats Studio Wireless have comfortable and stable wireless design with a decent control scheme. However, although relatively compact for an over-ear model, they're still full-sized headphones that will sway and get steamy during intense workouts.

0.0
Office 

Suitable for office use. They will let some of the chatter, seep into your audio, but they don't leak much. So you can listen at higher volumes and mask some of the ambient noise.

0.0
Wireless Gaming 

Below-average for gaming. The Beats Studio Wireless are comfortable, have a great range, and easy to use controls but the latency will be a deal breaker for most. They also have no customizable options and a mediocre at best microphone.

0.0
Wired Gaming 
0.0
Phone Call 
  • 0.0
    Mixed Usage
  • 0.0
    Neutral Sound
  • 0.0
    Commute/Travel
  • 0.0
    Sports/Fitness
  • 0.0
    Office
  • 0.0
    Wireless Gaming
  • 0.0
    Wired Gaming
  • 0.0
    Phone Call
  • Changelog

    1.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
    2.  Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
    3.  Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
    4.  Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here

    Popular Headphones Comparisons

    Comparison picture

    The Beats Studio are well-designed and comfortable over wireless headphones. They have a slick build quality that feels decently durable and is stable enough for running but won't be ideal for more intense sports. They also have an above average frequency response that delivers a good amount of bass without being overpowering like some of the older Beats models. Unfortunately, their noise cancellation is fairly weak compared to some of the more recent headphones available on the marker and they have no app support for added customization options. See our recommendations for the best over-ear headphones for working out, the best wireless headphones, and the best noise cancelling headphones.

    Beats Studio3 Wireless

    Track

    The Beats Studio3 Wireless are somewhat better headphones than the Beats Studio Wireless. They have the same stylish and polished design, but the Studio3 have a better control scheme and improved noise cancellation. They sound quite similar, but the Studio3 sound slightly better overall. The Studio3 also have a much better battery than the Studio Wireless and feature the W1 chip for improved ease of use with Apple devices. The Studio have better latency and microphone noise handling performance. They’re both decent headphones for most uses, but the more intuitive pairing process and control scheme of the Studio3 gives them an edge.

    Beats Studio Pro Wireless

    Track

    The Beats Studio Pro Wireless are better than the Beats Studio Wireless. The Studio Pro's ANC feature is more effective, and they have a longer continuous battery life. They have a virtual surround sound feature and support USB-C audio. However, the Studio Wireless have a more comfortable fit for most people.

    Plantronics Backbeat Pro Wireless 2014

    Track

    The Plantronics Backbeat Pro Wireless 2014 are slightly better headphones than the Beats Studio Wireless. The Plantronics have a better control scheme than the Beats. They also have a longer battery life and a better wireless range. On the other hand, the Beats have a more balanced sound quality but do not pack as much bass. The Beats also have a more comfortable and sleek-looking design, and that's a bit more stable for physical activity.

    Skullcandy Crusher Wireless 2016

    Track

    The Beats Studio Wireless are a slightly better headset than the Skullcandy Crusher Wireless 2016. The Beats have a sleeker, more comfortable design that most will prefer over the Skullcandy. The Beats are also noise-cancelling headphones that are a bit more suitable for commuting, and they leak a lot less, so you can use them in quieter environments too. Lastly, they have a more balanced sound and a longer wireless range than the Skullcandy. On the other hand, the Skullcandy have an adjustable sound even without EQ. They also have longer battery life and a slightly better latency performance with non-iOS devices.

    Show more 
    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!
    How We Test Headphones: Over 800 And Counting!

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    You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.

    Test Results

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    RATINGS
    Category:
    All
    Design
    Style
    TypeLockedOver-ear
    EnclosureLockedClosed-Back
    WirelessLockedYes
    TransducerLockedDynamic

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    0.0
    Comfort
    WeightLockedLock lbs
    Clamping Force
    LockedLock lbs

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    0.0
    Controls
    OS Compatibility
    LockedLocked
    Ease Of UseLockedLocked
    FeedbackLockedLocked
    Call/Music ControlLockedLocked
    Volume ControlLockedLocked
    Microphone ControlLockedLocked
    Channel Mixing
    LockedN/A
    Noise Cancelling ControlLockedLocked
    Talk-Through
    LockedLocked
    Additional ButtonsLockedLocked

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    0.0
    Breathability
    Avg.Temp.DifferenceLockedLock °C

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    0.0
    Portability
    LLockedLock"
    WLockedLock"
    HLockedLock"
    VolumeLockedLock in³
    Transmitter RequiredLockedN/A

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    0.0
    Case
    TypeLockedLocked
    LLockedLock"
    WLockedLock"
    HLockedLock"
    VolumeLockedLock in³

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    0.0
    Build Quality

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    0.0
    Stability

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    Headshots 1
    Headshots 2
    Top
    In The Box

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    Sound
    Sound Profile
    Bass Amount
    LockedLock dB
    Treble Amount
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Frequency Response Consistency
    Avg. Std. Deviation
    LockedLock dB

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    Raw Frequency Response
    0.0
    Bass Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Frequency Extension
    LockedLock Hz
    Low-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Bass
    LockedLock dB
    High-Bass
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Mid Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Mid
    LockedLock dB
    High-Mid
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Treble Accuracy
    Std. Err.
    LockedLock dB
    Low-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    Mid-Treble
    LockedLock dB
    High-Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Peaks/Dips
    Peaks
    LockedLock dB
    Dips
    LockedLock dB
    0.0
    Imaging
    Weighted Group Delay
    LockedLock
    Weighted Amplitude Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Frequency Mismatch
    LockedLock
    Weighted Phase Mismatch
    LockedLock

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    0.0
    Soundstage
    PRTF Accuracy (Std. Dev.)
    LockedLock dB
    PRTF Size (Avg.)
    LockedLock dB
    PRTF Distance
    LockedLock dB
    Openness
    Locked
    0.0
    Acoustic Space Excitation
    Locked
    0.0

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    0.0
    Weighted Harmonic Distortion
    WHD @ 90
    LockedLock
    WHD @ 100
    LockedLock
    Isolation
    0.0
    Noise Isolation
    Isolation Audio
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    Overall Attenuation
    LockedLock dB
    Noise CancellingLockedYes
    Bass
    LockedLock dB
    Mid
    LockedLock dB
    Treble
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Leakage
    Leakage Audio
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    Overall Leakage @ 1ft
    LockedLock dB

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    Microphone
    Microphone Style
    Integrated
    LockedLocked
    In-line
    LockedLocked
    Boom
    LockedLocked
    Detachable Boom
    LockedN/A
    MicLockedYes

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    0.0
    Recording Quality
    Recorded Speech
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    LFE
    LockedLock Hz
    FR Std. Dev.
    LockedLock dB
    HFE
    LockedLock Hz
    Weighted THD
    LockedLock
    Gain
    LockedLock dB

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    0.0
    Noise Handling
    Speech + Pink Noise
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    Speech + Subway Noise
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    SpNR
    LockedLock dB

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    Active Features
    0.0
    Battery
    Battery Type
    LockedLocked
    Continuous Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Additional Charges
    LockedLock
    Total Battery Life
    LockedLock hrs
    Charge Time
    LockedLock hrs
    Power Saving Feature
    LockedLocked
    Audio While Charging
    LockedLocked
    Passive Playback
    LockedLocked
    Charging PortLockedLocked

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    0.0
    App Support
    App NameLockedN/A
    iOSLockedN/A
    AndroidLockedN/A
    macOSLockedN/A
    WindowsLockedN/A
    Equalizer
    LockedN/A
    ANC Control
    LockedN/A
    Mic ControlLockedN/A
    Room effects
    LockedN/A
    Playback Control
    LockedN/A
    Button MappingLockedN/A
    Surround SoundLockedN/A

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    Connectivity
    0.0
    Bluetooth
    Bluetooth Version
    LockedLocked
    Multi-Device Pairing
    LockedLocked
    NFC Pairing
    LockedLocked
    Line of Sight Range
    LockedLock ft
    Default Latency
    LockedLock ms
    aptX Latency
    LockedN/A
    aptX(LL) Latency
    LockedN/A

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    0.0
    Non-Bluetooth Wireless
    Non-BT Line of Sight Range
    LockedN/A
    Non-BT Latency
    LockedN/A
    0.0
    Wired
    Analog Audio
    LockedLocked
    USB Audio
    LockedLocked
    DetachableLockedLocked
    LengthLockedLock ft
    ConnectionLockedLocked
    Wired Latency
    LockedLock ms

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    PC / PS4 Compatibility
    PC / PS4 Analog
    LockedLocked
    PC / PS4 Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    PC / PS4 Non-BT Wireless
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Compatibility
    Xbox One Analog
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wired USB
    LockedLocked
    Xbox One Wireless
    LockedLocked
    0.0
    Base/Dock
    Type
    LockedN/A
    USB Input
    LockedN/A
    Line In
    LockedN/A
    Line Out
    LockedN/A
    Optical Input
    LockedN/A
    RCA Input
    LockedN/A
    Dock Charging
    LockedN/A
    Power Supply
    LockedN/A

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