Those who are looking to upgrade their earbuds could do much worse than picking up a pair of Beats Studio Buds +. We reckon they’re the best Beats option for most people. In addition, they give Apple fans who don’t necessarily love the stems of AirPods but would prefer to stick with the company’s products a solid option for true wireless earbuds. Now’s a good time to snap up the Studio Buds + as they’ve dropped back down to $130, which is 24 percent off of the usual $170. That matches a record low price we saw during last year’s Black Friday period.
We gave the Beats Studio Buds + a score of 84 in our review last May. The improved audio and active noise cancellation compared with the previous model are major plus points, as is longer battery life. We felt that the onboard controls were more reliable while the transparent color option is eyecatching. On the downside, there’s still room for improvement in terms of sound and the ambient audio isn’t as natural as it is on AirPods. The lack of wireless charging may been seen as a letdown too.
As you might imagine, given that Apple is a Beats brand, the Studio Buds + play nicely with the parent company’s ecosystem. There’s one-touch pairing with iOS, hands-free Siri support and iCloud device pairing. You can control the likes of ANC and transparency mode though your iPhone’s Bluetooth menu and change the press-and-hold action if you wish. The earbuds are compatible with Android devices too, of course.
If you prefer overear headphones, it’s worth noting that the price of the Beats Studio Pro headset has also dropped as part of a broader sale on Beats gear. The headphones are down to $200, which is $150 off the usual price. Audio upgrades and the inclusion of a transparency mode helped the Beats Studio Pro earn a score of 81 in our review, but comfort may be an issue, as is the lack of multipoint connection for Apple devices.
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