![]() ![]() Sony’s XM4 and XM5 go further, adding options like Speak to Chat, which pauses when you speak, and Quick Attention to quickly engage transparency mode when you hold your hand on the right earcup. It’s not a huge deal for regular use, but for air travel auto-pause is extremely helpful in holding your place in a film or podcast as you jostle around the tiny cabin or try and order that micro ginger ale. It’s standard even in Apple’s baseline AirPods as well as most models in the Studio Pro’s class, with Bose’s QC45 standing as one of the few exceptions. The lack of auto-pause is the biggest miss, and something I really can’t account for at this price. One point worth noting: Like the Studio3, the Studio Pro offer Class 1 Bluetooth connection for a seriously impressive wireless range.īattery life is decent at 24 hours with ANC (40 hours without), though again it’s a bit below most competitors. That’s great if you’re all Android, but you don’t get the more versatile multipoint pairing I expect from a pair of phone-agnostic $350 headphones, which allows you to connect to and switch between any two Bluetooth devices, brand be damned. Similarly, the Studio Pro provide Google Android features, including the same easy pairing and device finding through a separate Beats app for Android, as well as the ability to auto-switch between Android devices and Chromebooks. They don’t offer the plush comfort of Sony’s XM4/XM5 models or Sennheiser’s Momentum 4, but the newly designed earpads offer good padding cloaked in soft “engineered” leather, and I was able to wear the cans for multiple hours with minimal complaints. When it comes to the fit, the Studio Pro are tight and remarkably stable, almost like a helmet. The exception is the right-side power/ambient sound key, underlined by a slick array of status LEDs, though it can also be a bit hard to locate. It’s not that I mind real buttons, but the execution just isn’t as elegant as the price suggests. In that regard, the Studio Pro feel like a hipper version of Bose’s dressed-down QC45 headphones ( 7/10, WIRED Review). It’s not nearly as smooth as the touch controls on Sony’s class-leading WH-1000XM4 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends) and XM5 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends), or other flagship models. That includes the three-button playback controls which are intuitive, but make a loud clank when clicked. I love the style and the ultra-compact case, but the plastic exterior doesn’t always feel premium. ![]() The latest model comes in four stylish colors, including the groovy Chocolate model I reviewed, as well as Navy, Sandstone, and Matte Black. As with the second-gen AirPods Pro ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends), the majority of upgrades are under the skin, which could be good or bad depending on how you feel about their predecessors. The new Beats look a lot like the old Beats-that is, the Studio3 headphones ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends). Tack on solid sound and crystalline calling performance and the Studio Pro could be worth the splurge, especially if you love the classic Beats style. On the bright side, Apple has leveraged its excellent ambient sound design for fantastic noise-canceling and (new for the series) transparency mode. That can be tough in this very competitive market. In playing both sides, the Studio Pro skip some features-including staples at this price, like sensors for auto-pause. That’s great if you’re the indecisive type, though I’m not sure how many people really switch phones often enough to make this more appealing than agnostic brands like Sony, which offer more features geared toward what you do, not which device you use. The new Beats Studio Pro headphones follow suit, providing features like one-touch pairing, device syncing, and a headphones finder no matter what kind of phone you keep in your pocket. The wildly popular Apple offshoot has been nudging its latest offerings toward the middle of the aisle, offering ecosystem extras keyed in to both Apple and Android devices. They say you can’t please everyone, but that hasn’t stopped Beats from giving it a go. ![]()
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