Beats Studio Buds review, the alternative with ANC for AirPods

Beats Studio Buds review

We immediately dispel all doubts regarding the new Beats Studio Buds earphones by saying what is missing: the case does not have wireless charging, the automatic ear recognition sensor is missing, so when you remove them the music playback will not stop, and you will not be able to adjust the volume directly from the earphones.

They are perfectly integrated into the Apple ecosystem, no surprise considering that the company is owned by Apple, but they also represent a valid alternative for all Android users, thanks to the use of the USB connector Type-C for charging (not Lightning), as well as offer a fast connection system for both operating systems: just open the case and next to a smartphone, press the button and accept, with a click, the connection request.






The main features of these earphones are the very compact in-ear design, the presence of a physical button on the back of the earphone, and of course the presence of active noise cancellation.


The choice to use a physical button is a winner, as it greatly limits the possibility of sending incorrect clicks while handling them. place them in the ear. The button is soft, precise, and you don't need a lot of force to activate it, a further advantage considering that with each click we will push the headset into the ear, an action that could become annoying.

Unfortunately, the input of the buttons is identical on both earphones and the only action that can be changed is a long press, combining it with Siri activation (the assistant can also be activated with voice command).


Active noise cancellation is not one of the main features for which we would recommend these earphones. We have adopted the larger rubber pads (three sizes included in the package), to try to obtain a good passive insulation, without which the ANC would be almost useless, succeeding. Despite this, the intervention of the ANC is limited.

If we had to give some figures, we can say that the passive isolation allows to attenuate the environmental noise by about 25%, and the ANC adds a further 25 %, only on the lowest frequencies. Vocals or any other sounds above about 1000Hz are attenuated very little. It is not a result to be totally thrown away, but it is below the market average. You will have to combine this performance with the reproduction of noise masking audio tracks if you want to eliminate the noises around you.

The audio quality, on the other hand, is not bad, if not perfect. The yield of the medium frequencies is a little more attenuated than desirable, a behavior that results in slightly subdued voices, while the upper part of the spectrum is excellent, as are the low frequencies, which never become too vibrant or covering. Decent dynamic range.

We have not delved into the listening test beyond the main tracks we use, as it is clear that we are faced with a pair of earphones with satisfactory performance for most people, which they easily adapt to multiple musical genres, without however setting any new records. The same can be said for the microphones, we made many phone calls and videocalls without detecting any problems, but without anyone being enthusiastic about a particularly good audio.

Beats talks about 5 hours of autonomy, a value at which we we are very close during our test, with ANC enabled. Again this is an average value; there are many other models that can do better. The total autonomy, thanks to the battery included in the case, is approximately 22-24 hours. With 5 minutes of charging you will get an hour of autonomy.

Verdict

The Beats Studio Buds are positioned in a difficult market segment, considering the price of 150 euros, which does not allow you to compare them with the current top of the range and not even with the AirPods Pro. However at that price there are products like Huawei's FreeBuds Pro or the Jabra Elite 75t, or even the Galaxy Buds, which are able to offer similar and even better performance in terms of sound insulation or ANC (in the models that offer it. ).

The Beats Studio Buds should be seen as an alternative to the AirPods, the regular, non-Pro version. Because at the same price, indeed less, they offer similar integration with the Apple world, superior audio performance and active noise cancellation, albeit not top of the class.

If ANC is your most important function or you are an Android user, you should consider other models or choose these Beats Studio Buds only if you can find them at a lower price, around a hundred euros or a little more, perhaps in some offers.

Update

Starting from May 2022, the "Find my Beats ”, and the widgets within the Android app, at f in order to complete the many features that optimize the listening experience for both iOS and Android users. The latter will be able to take advantage of the convenient features already available for iOS users, such as locating earphones, obtaining information on battery life and controlling listening modes directly from their device. These updates affect all products compatible with the Beats app, including the Studio Buds.

These are available for purchase in Black, White, and their new variants Moon Gray, Sunset Pink, and Ocean Blue.