Beats is expanding its lineup of truly wireless earbuds today with the new Beats Studio Buds. After several weeks of rumors, the new Beats Studio Buds are available to order starting today in the US and Canada for $149.99 with Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency Mode, USB-C charging, and more.
Head below for all of the details on Beats Studio Buds.
Beats Studio Buds details
- Available in three colors: black, white, and red
- “Hey Siri” support
- Fast pairing support on iOS and Android
- Find My app integration
- Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode
- 5 hours of battery life with ANC or Transparency enabled, 8 hours without either enabled. 24 hours of combined playback with the charging case, which features a USB-C port.
- Available to order today for $149.99
Beats Studio Buds feature an in-ear design similar to AirPods Pro, but without a stem that sticks out from the bottom. This makes them incredibly compact, particularly when compared to the Powerbeats Pro. Beats says that the Beats Studio Buds represent its tiniest and most subtle form factor to date,” with each bud weighing in at 5.1 grams.
“In building a product this small, every minute detail was considered, analyzed and selected to optimize for sound quality, comfort and durability,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Beats and Apple Music. “Studio Buds is our tiniest, most subtle form factor to date, yet keeps Beats’ promise of delivering an immersive sound experience in a beautiful design.”
In the box with Beats Studio Buds, you get three different sizes of soft silicon eartips. This allows you to personalize the fit to make them as comfortable as possible.
Even though there is no stem, Beats Studio Buds feature physical playback controls on both earbuds. Rather than capacitive touch controls like Apple’s AirPods, the Beats Studio Buds use a physical button on the ends of both buds for controls. Here are the details on the controls:
- Press once for play, pause, or answer a phone call
- Press twice to skip forward
- Press three times to skip back
- Long Press to cycle between ANC ON (default), Transparency Mode, and ANC OFF
ANC and Transparency
Much like AirPods Pro, Beats Studio buds feature support for Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency mode. ANC blocks unwanted external noise, including wind noise, using real-time adaptive gain control. Transparency mode, on the other hand, uses external microphones to mix the sounds of your surroundings back into the music.
Sound quality
I’m no expert on sound quality, but here is how Beats explains the hardware inside the Beats Studio Buds:
Studio Buds were designed and engineered to prioritize high-quality audio playback and overall comfort—no matter if you’re listening to music, streaming a movie or chatting with a friend. The ergonomically tilted acoustic nozzle features a laser cut micro-vent to ensure pressure relief on the eardrum
Its powerful, balanced sound is driven by the proprietary 8.2mm, dual-element diaphragm driver, which features a central rigid piston with a flexible outer surround. Coupled with a two-chamber acoustic design, Studio Buds achieves outstanding stereo separation and low harmonic distortion across the frequency curve so you hear every note.
For Apple Music users, Beats Studio Buds also pack support for the recently launched Spatial Audio feature. This Dolby Atmos technology brings immersive 3D sound to thousands of songs on Apple Music.
Beats Studio Buds feature six different microphones, including a dedicated voice microphone on each earbud. To power ANC and Transparency, there are feed-forward and feedback microphones on each bud as well. For phone and voice calls, five microphones are used when two buds are in use and ANC or Transparency os enabled, three microphones are used when ANC and Transparency are disabled, and three microphones are used for calls with single-side bud use.
As far as connectivity is concerned, Beats confirmed to 9to5Mac that the Beats Studio Buds do not feature Apple’s H1 or W1 chip. Instead, they are using a proprietary Beats chipset for connectivity. In my testing, this had no effect on performance and Beats Studio Buds performed just as well as AirPods, but without automatic device switching and iCloud sync for pairing.
Find My
Beats Studio Buds also feature support for Apple’s Find My application, but there is no U1 chip so this is not full integration with the Find My integration. Instead, you can use the Find My app on iOS, as well as the Find My Device app on Android, to locate your lost Studio Buds via their last known location when paired via Bluetooth. You can also play a sound on them when they are nearby.
Availability and pricing
Beats Studio Buds are available to order today for $149.99 from Apple’s website in the US and Canada as well as on Amazon. Unlike AirPods, Beats Studio Buds are available in three different colors: white, black, and red.
At $149.99, Beats Studio Buds are $100 cheaper than both AirPods Pro and Powerbeats Pro. This makes them a notable addition to the Beats and Apple headphones lineup, particularly for those who want an in-ear design that is still truly wireless.
Press release
Introducing Beats Studio Buds: Booming sound in a tiny package
Beats Studio Buds feature high-quality sound, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency, and fast pairing to iOS and Android devices
Culver City—June 14, 2021—Beats today announces Beats Studio Buds, powerful true wireless earbuds that deliver a high-quality audio experience in a sleek, lightweight and comfortable design. Sweat- and water-resistant earbuds with an IPX4 rating1 and up to 24 hours of battery life,2 Studio Buds brings quality Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency and for the first time ever, convenient one-touch pairing to both iOS and Android users.
Studio Buds are available to order starting today in three classic Beats colors, Black, White and Beats Red, for $149.99.
“In building a product this small, every minute detail was considered, analyzed and selected to optimize for sound quality, comfort and durability,” said Oliver Schusser, vice president of Beats and Apple Music. “Studio Buds is our tiniest, most subtle form factor to date, yet keeps Beats’ promise of delivering an immersive sound experience in a beautiful design.”
Premium Audio Design and Performance
Studio Buds were designed and engineered to prioritize high-quality audio playback and overall comfort—no matter if you’re listening to music, streaming a movie or chatting with a friend. The ergonomically tilted acoustic nozzle features a laser cut micro-vent to ensure pressure relief on the eardrum. And with three soft silicone eartip options and a lightweight (5.1g per earbud) design, Studio Buds are incredibly comfortable for all-day use.
Its powerful, balanced sound is driven by the proprietary 8.2mm, dual-element diaphragm driver, which features a central rigid piston with a flexible outer surround. Coupled with a two-chamber acoustic design, Studio Buds achieves outstanding stereo separation and low harmonic distortion across the frequency curve so you hear every note. Additionally for Apple Music users, Studio Buds automatically plays Spatial Audio for available tracks mixed in Dolby Atmos so you can enjoy true multidimensional sound and clarity.3
With two listening modes, you are in total control of your sound experience. Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) blocks unwanted external noise, including wind noise, using real-time adaptive gain control. To ensure clear playback after ANC is applied, Studio Buds employ an algorithm that monitors the source file while simultaneously correcting and cleaning audio-compromising artifacts at up to 48,000 times per second.
Easily switch to Transparency mode with a long-press of the ‘b’ button when you need to hear the world around you. External-facing microphones mix the sounds of your surroundings back in with your music for a natural listening experience.
During phone calls, the dual-beam forming microphones target your voice and filter out wind and obstructing external noise for elevated clarity.
Connection and Controls
Studio Buds offer simple one-touch pairing to both Apple4 and Android5 devices.
Class 1 Bluetooth® technology offers extended range and exceptional cross-body performance, meaning reliable connectivity and fewer dropouts. Each earbud independently connects to your device, so you can choose to use one or both.
The multi-function ‘b’ button on each earbud allows you to answer/end calls, play/pause content, skip songs, and toggle between ANC and Transparency listening modes.
Both Android and iOS users can switch listening modes, check battery levels or receive firmware updates directly on their device. Studio Buds are conveniently voice assistant enabled, and iOS users can also activate Siri hands-free by saying “Hey Siri.”6
Battery Life
The earbuds have up to 8 hours of listening time7 with two additional charges provided by its pocket- sized carrying case, giving you up to 24 hours of combined playback. With ANC or Transparency mode turned on, you’ll get up to 5 hours of listening time, and up to 15 hours combined with the case. If you need a little extra juice, 5-minute Fast Fuel charging gives up to 1 hour of playback8 when battery is low.
Locate your lost Beats
Studio Buds is the first Beats product to support both FindMy in iOS and Find My Device on Android. Easily locate your lost earbuds using their last known location (when paired via Bluetooth) or by playing a sound when they are nearby.
Sustainable Packaging
With the smallest and most sustainable approach to date, Beats Studio Buds packaging is made from 92% plant-based material sourced from recycled fiber and/or sustainable forests.
Pricing and Availability
Beats Studio Buds are available to order starting today for $149.99 (US) from apple.com in the US and Canada, with shipping beginning June 24.
About Beats
Beats is a leading audio brand founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Through its family of premium consumer headphones, earphones and speakers, Beats has introduced an entirely new generation to the possibilities of premium sound entertainment. The brand’s continued success helps bring the energy, emotion and excitement of playback in the recording studio back to the listening experience for music lovers worldwide. Beats was acquired by Apple Inc. in July 2014.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments