In this article, we’ll review the Beats Studio Buds, priced at just $69, which is notably cheaper than Airpods Pro and the Powerbeats true wireless earbuds.

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Design and Comfortability

When it comes to design, the Beats Studio Buds offer a choice of three colors: black, white, or a vibrant red model, and I must say, the red option is quite eye-catching. These earbuds weigh just five grams each, making them super light and compact compared to many rivals. Unlike AirPods, there are no awkward stems protruding from your ears.

I found them to be extremely comfortable for all-day wear, thanks in part to the silicone tips that securely fit into your ear canals with a twist method of insertion. Even during active movements, I had no issues with them coming loose or feeling like they might fall out.

Additionally, the Beats Studio Buds are rated IPX4 water and sweat-resistant, making them a great choice for summertime outings or gym sessions. It’s worth noting that they don’t offer the same excellent ear hook support you’d find in the Powerbeats Pro, so keep that in mind if you plan to use them extensively during workouts.

Beats App Support

For Android users, the Beats app offers full customization and functionality, allowing you to fine-tune your experience. However, if you’re an iPhone user, you’ll find that most of these features are already integrated into iOS.

Pairing the Studio Buds with my Android smartphone was a quick and simple process, taking just a few seconds in the Bluetooth menu. The Beats app also automatically detected the earbuds. While the app is relatively straightforward compared to some other true wireless earbud apps, it includes all the features you’d expect. You can easily check the remaining battery life for each bud individually, switch between transparency mode and active noise cancellation (ANC), or turn both off. Additionally, you have the option to rename your Beats Buds, giving you a personalized touch to your experience.

Audio Quality and Mic

I must say that the audio quality on the Beats Studio Buds is a significant improvement. Unlike some other earbuds I’ve tried, these offer a rather nice sound profile. The bass isn’t as overwhelming as you might find on some rival true wireless earbuds. So, if you’re into heavy rock or dance music, you might notice that it lacks a bit of that punch you get from the competition. However, audio preferences can be highly subjective, and I personally enjoyed the audio experience they delivered.

Unfortunately, if you’re the type of person who likes to fine-tune the audio to match your specific preferences, you won’t find that option with the Beats Studio Buds. The Beats app doesn’t offer any equalizer tools or presets for sound customization. You’re essentially limited to the default sound profile.

As an Apple product, the Studio Buds don’t support LDAC or Qualcomm aptX, but during my usage, I didn’t encounter any syncing issues while watching videos with the Studio Buds.

It’s also worth mentioning that these earbuds support Apple’s spatial audio feature, which can enhance your listening experience, especially if you use Apple Music.

If you make phone calls with your smartphone, the microphones on the Beats Studio Buds perform reasonably well. Your voice comes through clearly, although it may sound slightly tinny or distant, but it’s generally acceptable for most communication needs.

Controls and Customization

The Beats Studio Buds offer some customization options for touch controls. To activate the touch controls, you simply need to tap the top ends of the earbuds. They provide tactile feedback with a clicking sensation, so you know when you’ve tapped correctly. The touch controls work the same way on both earbuds:

A single tap will play or pause your music.
A double tap will skip forward to the next track.
A triple tap will skip back to the previous track.

However, it’s worth noting that there’s no option to customize these simple tap controls. Additionally, you can’t perform a double tap on the right earbud to skip forward and on the left earbud to skip back, which could be more intuitive for some users. But since the earbuds can be used independently, the current setup makes sense in that context.

You can also long-press either the left or the right earbud to toggle between noise control (ANC) and activating your smartphone’s voice assistant.

While the touch controls work well for most functions, it’s important to mention that there’s no direct volume control on the earbuds themselves. You’ll need to adjust the volume through your phone or by using your smartphone’s voice assistant, which can be summoned with a long press.

Additionally, the Beats Studio Buds can’t automatically detect whether they’re in your ears or not. So if you remove one of the earbuds to chat with someone, for instance, the audio will continue playing in the other earbud. You’ll need to tap the earbud to pause it manually. It’s a minor inconvenience but worth noting.

Active Noise Cancelation

The active noise cancellation (ANC) on the Beats Studio Buds performs quite well. While it may not reach the top-tier levels seen in products like the Sony WF series, it is effective in reducing ambient noise when you’re out and about, such as on a busy street or during your daily commute. It helps to minimize the rumble of passing traffic and creates a quieter listening environment.

However, it’s worth noting that when it’s slightly windy, you might experience some wind noise feedback with ANC activated, which can be a bit annoying. This is something you won’t encounter with some competing earbuds like the Edifier Neo Buds Pro, which are actually priced lower than the Studio Buds.

On the positive side, the transparency mode works very well. You can easily switch it on if you need to listen to announcements or have a quick conversation with so meone, and it provides a clear and natural sound, allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings.

Battery Life

The battery life of the Beats Studio Buds is quite commendable. With ANC turned off, you can expect around 7 to 8 hours of continuous audio listening on a single charge before they need to be placed back in the case.

However, if you activate the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature, the battery life will be slightly reduced to approximately 5 to 6 hours of use, which is still quite respectable. Many earbuds with ANC in this price range typically offer around 4 to 6 hours of usage.

While the Studio Buds may not quite match the battery performance of some higher-end options like the Sony WF series, they offer solid battery life, especially considering their more affordable price point.

Recharging the Beats Studio Buds is a hassle-free process – just place them back into the matching color carrying case. The case, while a bit taller and wider compared to some competitors, remains reasonably compact and boasts a rounded design that easily fits into most pockets.

Keeping the buds in the case for just five minutes can provide you with approximately an additional hour of playback time, or around 40 to 50 minutes if you have ANC enabled.

However, it’s worth noting that the case can only provide two full recharges for the buds before it needs recharging itself. This may not be as impressive as some competitors that offer at least three full recharges, especially given the size of the case. Unfortunately, the case doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a standard feature for many true wireless earbuds. Instead, it features a USB Type-C port for charging, so all you need to do is plug it in before embarking on long trips, and you should be good to go.

Final Thought

The Beats Studio Buds offer solid audio quality, impressive noise cancellation, and commendable battery life. While there’s room for improvement in terms of customization and control through the app, this is a relatively minor drawback. Notably, the Beats Studio Buds perform excellently with Android devices, holding their own against most other true wireless earbuds in terms of overall performance.

81%

81%

Worth ANC Earbuds

The Beats Studio Buds deliver solid audio quality, impressive noise cancellation, and good battery life, making them a strong choice, especially for Android users.