The Beats Studio3 Wireless are over-ear headphones that come in various colorways. They have the same stylish and polished design as the previous Beats Studio Wireless but with an improved noise cancellation (ANC) system that automatically adapts to you and your environment. They also have a W1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices.
Our Verdict
The Beats Studio3 are okay for neutral sound. Their warm sound profile delivers extra warmth and boom to mixes. However, the extra bass muddies tracks and the recessed treble hurts the detail of vocals and instruments. They're also prone to inconsistencies in bass delivery depending on their seal on your head and lack sound customization features to help you adjust their sound to suit your tastes, too.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Bass delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
The Beats Studio3 are decent for commuting. These headphones are comfortable enough for long listening sessions, well-built, and come with a carrying case to help protect them when you're on the go. They also have noise cancelling but do a better job blocking out passenger chatter than the rumble of bus engines. On the upside, they last 23 hours continuously, making them a solid choice for long trips.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- ANC has some trouble blocking out bass-range noise.
The Beats Studio3 are decent for sports. They're comfortable and stable enough to exercise with. They're also wireless with a great range, so you can leave your phone on a bench while you run or have a fixed Bluetooth source. However, they can make your ears a bit warm and sweaty throughout your workout. They also lack an IP rating for water resistance, though this is to be expected for over-ear headphones.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Bass delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
The Beats Studio3 are satisfactory for office use. These comfortable over-ears are equipped with an ANC system to help cut down chatty coworkers and the high-pitched hum of AC units. With their ANC on, they also last around 23 hours continuously, so you don't need to recharge them often. Thanks to their low audio leakage, you can crank up your audio to high volumes without others around you hearing it. However, if you need to make calls, their integrated mic offers a sub-par performance, and it can be hard to hear you clearly if your office is noisy.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- ANC can cut down mid to treble-range noise well.
- Bass delivery varies significantly across users. Sensitive to glasses.
- Sub-par overall mic performance.
The Beats Studio3 only connects wirelessly via Bluetooth and therefore aren't compatible with PlayStation or Xbox consoles. They're compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs, but their latency is a bit too high for gaming. That said, their latency is lower on iOS and Android devices, which is handy for mobile gaming.
The Beats Studio3 are satisfactory for wired gaming. They're comfortable for long gaming sessions thanks to their lightweight frame and padded ear cups. The sound profile also leans towards more bass, making effects like footsteps in FPS games easier to hear. However, their microphone offers a sub-par overall performance and only works on PC and PlayStation consoles. Xbox users can only receive audio, which is a little disappointing.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Mic doesn't work on Xbox consoles.
The Beats Studio3 are passable for phone calls. Their integrated mic has a just okay recording quality, so your voice sounds thin and lacks detail. Unfortunately, if you're taking calls in even moderately noisy environments like an office, the person on the other line may have difficulties hearing you too. On the upside, these headphones have an ANC system that can help block out some noise while on a call.
- ANC can cut down mid to treble-range noise well.
- Low audio leakage.
- Sub-par overall mic performance.
- ANC has some trouble blocking out bass-range noise.
Changelog
- Updated Aug 30, 2023: Added a note that the Beats Studio Pro Wireless offer the same app support for both iOS and Android.
- Updated Jun 14, 2023: We've updated the text of this review to maintain its accuracy. There hasn't been a change in our results, though.
- Updated May 11, 2022: Some users have experienced a clicking noise in the left ear cup after updating the headphones to firmware update 2.4.4. However, we didn't experience this issue with our unit, and the scoring of 'Noise Isolation' hasn't changed.
- Updated Oct 29, 2021: Updated review for accuracy and clarity.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Beats Studio3 come in four color variants: 'Matte Black', 'Blue', 'Red', and 'White'. They also come in a few special edition colors: 'A-COLD-WALL* Cement', 'Defiant Black-Red', 'Midnight Black', which have a tan inner headband with gold accents, and 'Shadow Grey', which have a beige inner headband and gold accents. Since these differences are only in color, we expect each to perform similarly to our unit. If you come across a pair that are different from ours, please let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Beats Studio3 are the updated version of the Beats Studio Wireless' design and are the manufacturer's only over-ear model. These premium cans have better isolation than their predecessor, thanks to their adaptive noise cancelling, and have a comfortable fit. However, their dynamic audio reproduction tends to sound inconsistent, and their noise isolation falls short compared to their competitors, like the Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless.
See our recommendations for the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, the best over-ear headphones for working out, and the best closed-back headphones.
The Beats Solo 4 are from a newer generation than the Beats Studio3 Wireless and benefit from a few technological upgrades in the intervening years, such as USB-C audio, twice the battery life, and Apple Spatial Audio compatibility, to name a few. The Solo 4 also output a more consistent sound with a more balanced, slightly bright sound profile. On the other hand, the Studio3 Wireless fit over-ears (which some find more comfortable than the on-ear fit of the Solo 4), and they have a warmer tuning that's more akin to earlier Beats, which sounds muddier and duller than the Solo 4. The Studio3 Wireless are also the only pair with ANC, and although it's not super effective, it cuts low-pitched noises more than the Solo 4 isolates.
The Beats Studio3 Wireless are better headphones than the Beats Solo3 2019. The Studio3 are over-ear headphones that are more comfortable and have a good-performing ANC feature. However, the Solo3 2019 deliver audio more consistently and have a better battery performance. Some users may also prefer their bass-heavy sound profile.
The Bose QuietComfort 35 II/QC35 II Wireless 2018 are better headphones than the Beats Studio3 Wireless. The Bose are very comfortable, and their sound profile is well-balanced. Their ANC feature noticeably blocks more background noise than the Beats. On the other hand, the Beats will be slightly better suited for bass-heavy genres, and they leak less than the Bose. They also have an in-line microphone for calls, which the Bose are lacking. The battery life of the Beats is about three hours longer than the Bose, but they don't have a power-saving feature.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless are better over-ear headphones than the Beats Studio3 Wireless. While both headphones are comfortable, the Sony are better built and their ANC does a significantly better job of cutting down ambient noise around you. They also have a longer-lasting continuous battery life, and their companion app offers a graphic EQ and presets to help adjust their sound to your liking. However, the Beats have a W1 chip, so you can seamlessly pair them with other Apple devices.
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Test Results
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