Beats Studio Pro

The Beats Studio Pro bring exceptional ANC and solid sound to a travel-friendly design. A cheap-feeling build and subpar call quality keep them from perfection. Worth buying if you can snag them under $300, but skip at full price.

Look, Beats took their sweet time updating the over-ear lineup, but the Studio Pro finally feels like a proper modern pair of headphones. The ANC is genuinely top-shelf, spatial audio with head tracking is a party trick that actually works, and the 40-hour battery means you'll forget to charge them for days. They fold up nicely and drop into the included case, which makes them easy travel buddies. But there's a catch: they lean hard on plastic that feels a step down from what Sony or Bose are putting out. At 258 grams they're light and comfy, sure, but they don't scream 'premium' the way a $350 headphone should.

That tension between great tech and ho-hum build defines the Studio Pro. For Apple folks, the H1-free chipset still plays nice with iCloud pairing and quick switching, though you lose auto-pause and some of the seamless magic you'd get with AirPods Max. Android users get a solid companion app now, and multipoint works across platforms. The sound is fun and bass-forward, but with enough clarity that podcasts and acoustic tracks don't get buried. It's a solid all-rounder, just one that cuts a few corners where it matters most to picky listeners.

ANC and connectivity sit at the very top of our charts, and it's easy to hear why: these headphones hush jet engines and open-plan offices better than almost anything we've tested. Transparency mode feels natural too, not like you're listening through a tin can. Sound quality lands in the 94th percentile, which in plain English means it punches hard for a wireless closed-back, though purists might wish the bass was a touch more controlled. The mic, battery, and comfort all hover around the 80th percentile, perfectly fine but not remarkable, while build quality falls to a disappointing 35th, dragging the overall score down. Call quality is the weakest link; in our tests, it was just okay for quiet rooms but struggled with wind and background noise.

Pricing is a rollercoaster: we've seen these as low as $229 and as high as $470 across different stores. At the deep-discount end, the Studio Pro is a steal if you want killer ANC and Apple-friendly features without paying AirPods Max money. But push anywhere near $400, and you're entering territory where the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra feel more complete. If you're shopping, keep an eye on prices and jump when they dip; full retail is a hard sell.

Stacked against the Sony WH-1000XM6, the Beats match or slightly beat them on sheer noise cancelling power, but Sony pulls ahead in build quality, call clarity, and codec support for Android. Bose QuietComfort Ultra are more comfortable for all-day wear and have a more neutral sound out of the box, though they cost more. Sennheiser MOMENTUM 4 offer richer, more detailed audio and a premium fabric build, but their ANC is a notch below. The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 sound better to our ears but lack the spatial audio tricks. Overall, the Studio Pro is a strong contender if you prioritize ANC and bass, but it's not the most well-rounded pick.

Skip the Studio Pro if you take a lot of calls on the go or care about premium materials. The mic quality outdoors is weak, and the plasticky build feels out of place next to Sony's XM6 or Bose's Ultra models. If voice pickups and a high-end feel are priorities, these won't satisfy.

Grab the Beats Studio Pro if you live in Apple's world, want best-in-class noise cancelling, and don't mind a bass-forward sound signature. They're perfect for commuters and travelers who value battery life and foldability. Just hunt for a sale, because at full price the plastic build stings a bit.