Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max
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Apple has released Beats Studio Pro headphones with active noise cancellation and other features. Here's a comparison with AirPods Max that haven't been updated since 2020.
Inspired by the Beats Studio3 headphones, the Beats Studio Pro headphones come with leather ear cushions and metal sliders, introduced by Apple on July 19th. Inside each earcup is a custom-designed 40mm driver that delivers exceptional sound quality with minimal distortion, even at high volume levels.
In addition, the new integrated digital processor ensures a well-balanced sound profile. Both headphones promise an unparalleled listening experience, but the new Beats Studio Pro comes with some advantages.
Here's how the new Beats Studio Pro differ from the outdated AirPods Max released by Apple in 2020. ICE
Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max – Design
The world of premium headphones depends not only on aesthetics, but also on sound quality, and on both. The Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max are testament to this philosophy. However, their design philosophy diverges, reflecting their unique brand personality.
Beats Studio Pro embodies Beats' signature design language for a contemporary urban aesthetic. The branding is unmistakable, with the iconic Beats logo on the ear pads.
These headphones are 7.1 inches high and 7.0 inches long, and 3.1 inches wide and 9.17 ounces in weight. AirPods Max are larger at 7.37 inches high, 6.64 and 3.28 inches wide and deep, and weigh 13.6 ounces.
AirPods Max embody the ideal of minimalism in Apple design. Oval-shaped ear cushions and an inverted U-shaped knitted mesh headband demonstrate the company's focus on comfort.
Beats Studio Pro can be folded into a compact form
The seamless integration of the digital crown and the absence of visible screws or connections make the AirPods Max feel like one piece. The use of high-quality materials, such as anodized aluminum for the ear cups, ensures durability while maintaining a lightweight profile.
Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max Main Features
Beats Studio Pro is a testament to the evolution of audio technology. At its core is the Beats Custom Acoustic Platform, which promises to deliver an immersive listening experience, ensuring every beat and note is crisp.
The ear cups are equipped with a unique 40mm driver, which is known for minimizing distortion even when the volume is turned up, resulting in superior sound quality. Similarly, AirPods Max have 40mm drivers for deep bass, precise mids, and clear treble.
One of the standout features of each earbud is Active Noise Canceling, which, combined with Transparency Mode, gives users the ability to either drown out the world or stay connected. Each device has a dedicated side button to switch between two listening modes.
The Beats Studio Pro headphones feature powerful microphones that actively filter out background noise, making your voice clearer. Apple is more specific with the AirPods Max, saying they have nine microphones in total.
AirPods Max features a Lightning port for charging
Eight of them are used for Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to provide an immersive listening experience by reducing outside noise. In addition, three microphones are used for voice capture, ensuring clear voice transmission during calls or voice commands.
Two of these microphones are used in conjunction with the ANC function, and one additional microphone is for voice reception.
While both earbuds are designed with advanced microphone technology for clear voice transmission and effective noise cancellation, AirPods Max boasts a wider array of microphones primarily designed for the ANC feature. On the other hand, Beats Studio Pro emphasizes increased voice clarity, making it a strong contender for voice calls and communication.
A more recent AirPods feature is Personalized Spatial Audio, which takes advantage of the iPhone's TrueDepth camera to create a personal profile for the user, which is used by Spatial Audio for future reference. Just like it works with AirPods Max, it works with Beats Studio Pro too.
Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max Battery Life
Battery life plays a vital role in headphones, and there are some key differences between the Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max. Each promises impressive battery life, but offers different durations and features that can affect their longevity.
Beats Studio Pro boasts long battery life, allowing users to enjoy their favorite tunes without frequent interruptions. When fully charged, these headphones provide up to 40 hours of listening time without enabling ANC or transparency mode.
However, even if you use advanced features such as active noise cancellation or transparency mode, Beats Studio Pro promises up to 24 hours of listening time. In contrast, AirPods Max provide up to 20 hours of listening time with ANC or Transparency enabled.
Apple isn't clear on AirPods Max battery life when none of these features are enabled. Some tests claim that the headphones can last approximately 21 hours in “normal” mode.
It's worth noting that AirPods Max have an impressive standby mode in a case. A review from AppleInsider shows that it has several stages of low power mode and can potentially last around 72 hours.
Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max Connectivity
Beats Studio Pro offers a wide range of connectivity options. Class 1 Bluetooth connectivity is at the forefront, delivering exceptional wireless connectivity over long distances without sacrificing sound quality.
AirPods Max have Bluetooth 5.0 and Beats Studio Pro have Bluetooth 5.3, though most people probably won't notice much of a difference between the two. Bluetooth 5.3 focuses on improving energy efficiency and reducing interference on connections.
In addition, Beats Studio Pro offers USB-C audio, which supports high-quality lossless audio and allows you to listen and charge at the same time. On the other hand, AirPods Max has a Lightning port for charging and supports an optional Lightning to 3.5mm audio cable, while Beats Studio Pro has a 3.5mm analog input port.
Beats Studio Pro has USB-C for charging and audio
AirPods Max uses Apple's proprietary H1 chip to provide a stable and high-quality Bluetooth connection, especially with Apple devices. This chip also makes it easy to quickly pair and switch devices, making the user experience smooth and hassle-free.
Beats uses its own proprietary chip to achieve the same goal, but in a way that makes it very convenient for Android users. This means that while you have one-touch pairing and Find My support for iOS, there's also Google Fast Pair, Audio Switch, and Find My Device for the other side of the fence.
Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max Pricing
Beats Studio Pro is $349.99 and the older AirPods Max is $549. AirPods Max are available in space grey, pink, green, silver and sky blue, while Beats Studio Pro are available in sandstone, navy blue, taupe and black.
Apple offers the ability to personalize AirPods Max with free engraving, which can include emoji, text, and numbers.
Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max – what to buy
In the premium headphone space, the choice often comes down to more than sound quality. While Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max offer top-notch sound, there are good reasons to choose Beats Studio Pro.
First, price plays an important role. The $349 Beats Studio Pro offers a more affordable alternative to the AirPods Max, which costs $549. With Beats Studio Pro, users get a superior listening experience without the premium price of AirPods Max.
Some users may find $349 a bit too much for a headphone purchase, but it's still $200 less than the Apple equivalent.
Versatility is another strength of Beats Studio Pro. These headphones integrate with Apple and Android devices with improved compatibility and provide a seamless listening experience across multiple platforms, making them the ideal choice for users working in a multi-device environment.
AirPods Max can connect to Android devices via Bluetooth. However, some features exclusive to Apple devices, such as seamless switching and spatial audio, may not be available when using AirPods Max with Android.
AirPods Max also only support the Bluetooth AAC codec, which may cause audio lag and sync issues on third-party devices.
Finally, Beats Studio Pro's battery life is commendable. Offering up to 40 hours of listening time on a full charge, users are rarely forced to look for a charger.
This extended battery life, especially when using advanced features, could be a game-changer for avid music listeners or travelers compared to AirPods Max's 20-hour battery life.
For the price, battery life, and good listening experience, it's hard to justify buying AirPods Max over Beats Studio Pro for most potential buyers.
Where to buy
AirPods Max can be purchased from Apple for $549 or Amazon, where they can sometimes be found for sale.
Interested buyers can purchase the Beats Studio Pro headphones through Apple for $349.99 or Amazon.
