The Studio Buds + is an improved version of the Studio Buds, offering better voice pickup, improved noise reduction, and longer battery life. They also come with a few extra features.
Pros
- Wide sound stage
- Lightweight, comfortable earphones
- Effective noise reduction
- Good battery life
Cons
- Lack of treble finesse
Overview
Two years after the release of the first Studio Buds, Beats has extended its range of headphones with Studio Buds +, an improved version of the first that promises better voice pickup, noise reduction, and longer battery life.
Regarding build quality, comfort, audio performance, and much of the user experience, the Studio Buds + are identical to the Studio Buds. That’s why we’re inviting you to look at the review of the latter to get a better idea of the Studio Buds + because we’re only going to focus on the differences between the two models.
Build quality & Comfort
As far as the design is concerned, we found traces of glue visible at the joints. This only applies to the transparent finish, which doesn’t match the Nothing Ear (2) build quality, another pair of earphones with transparent shells. As for the button, it’s a little different; it’s now recessed rather than superimposed on the main shell of the earphone. There is also a slight gap in the hinge of the casing. Finally, Studio Buds + comes with four sets of different-sized ear tips, compared with three for Studio Buds.
User experience
While the user experience is very similar between the two models, Studio Buds + differs from the ‘regular’ Buds in a few respects. Firstly, these headphones can now control playback volume, but only by sacrificing the controls for changing listening modes. We would have preferred the implementation of an additional gesture to control both at the same time.
Studio Buds + can be registered to a Gmail or iCloud account. In the first case, and therefore only with Android or Chromebook devices, they can switch automatically from one device to another in complete ‘transparency.’ Unfortunately, this feature is not available between Apple devices, as Studio Buds + lack the H1 chip found in AirPods and Beats Fit Pro.
Moreover, we measured a latency of 177 ms compared with 285 ms on the first Studio Buds. Moreover, unlike Studio Buds, we didn’t notice any connection problems during our tests.
Audio
The era of Beats-style bass bloat is well and truly over, and the Studio Buds prove it once again. The American manufacturer’s truly wireless headphones still have a certain appetite for bass. Still, they are, above all, generous in the upper midrange and treble, unfortunately, in an excessive manner: a behavior that is not restful for the ears.
The Studio Buds’ sound signature is, in fact, flattering at the lowest frequencies: the bass is deep, and the sensation of impact and depth is clearly reinforced, giving them a particularly immersive feel. The resonance of the drums on large percussion instruments, as well as the bass and synth lines, come through more significantly. Bass lovers and the most fastidious may still detect a slight lack of precision, which can sometimes impair legibility in this zone and make it harder to identify certain instruments from one another on demanding tracks. But there’s nothing to prevent this.
The choice of listening mode impacts bass reproduction and overall sound quality. These are boosted when active noise reduction is deactivated, giving the sound a much rounder and warmer appearance… but this has its limits when the content is already generous in this zone (the slight problem of precision mentioned above then becomes a little more problematic). Unfortunately, there is no integrated equalizer to compensate for this. When the active noise reduction is engaged, the bass is a little wiser, and listening is more pleasant…
Battery life
The Studio Buds + stayed awake for between 6 and 9 hours, depending on whether or not noise reduction was activated. This score fully aligns with the manufacturer’s promises and represents a 1-hour improvement on the Studio Buds. The box offers around three extra charges.
Conclusion
Although they’re very similar to the Studio Buds, the Studio Buds + manage to come out on top with improved voice pickup, much better noise reduction, and longer battery life. The Studio Buds + is, therefore, a much better choice but still needs to improve with particularly tough competition, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro, Huawei’s FreeBuds Pro 2, and even Apple’s first AirPods Pro.
Beats Studio Buds + (2023) – True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds, Enhanced Apple & Android Compatibility, Built-in Microphone, Sweat-Resistant Bluetooth Headphones, Spatial Audio – Black/Gold
Price History
Statistics
| Current Price | - | |
| Highest Price | £11,856,119.00 | February 9, 2024 |
| Lowest Price | £107.72 | February 8, 2024 |
Last price changes
| £126.93 | March 15, 2024 |
| £121.15 | March 13, 2024 |
| £179.00 | March 11, 2024 |
| £115.58 | March 5, 2024 |
| £11,856,119.00 | March 4, 2024 |
Beats Studio Buds + | True Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds, Enhanced Apple & Android Compatibility, Built-in Microphone, Sweat Resistant Bluetooth Headphones, Spatial Audio - Transparent
Price History
Statistics
| Current Price | - | |
| Highest Price | $12,995,130.00 | February 9, 2024 |
| Lowest Price | $83.19 | January 19, 2024 |
Last price changes
| $99.46 | March 16, 2024 |
| $102.72 | March 13, 2024 |
| $129.95 | March 5, 2024 |
| $12,995,130.00 | March 4, 2024 |
| $12,995,130.00 | March 2, 2024 |
