Beats Studio Buds +

The Beats Studio Buds + nail the basics: 36-hour battery life that's among the best we've seen, ANC that's genuinely strong, and native support for both Apple and Android. Sound quality is good but not audiophile-grade, and the mics are just okay. At USD 100 to USD 150, they're a great deal, especially on Amazon where the price is lowest. Buy them for commuting, travel, and workouts, not for critical music listening.

Battery life is the headline here. 36 hours total with the case lands these in the 99th percentile of every true wireless earbud we've tracked. That's not just good, it's best-in-class territory. You can realistically go a week of commutes without touching a charger. Fast charging is there too, so a quick top-up before heading out actually does something meaningful.

The ANC got a serious upgrade over the original Studio Buds. Beats claims up to 1.6x more noise cancelling power, and our data backs up the improvement. These sit in the 90th percentile for ANC, which means they're not quite at Sony or Bose flagship levels, but they're close enough that most people won't notice the difference on a train or plane. The personalized ANC adapts to your ear shape, which helps since fit varies a lot with in-ear buds. Sound quality is solid at the 76th percentile. The custom two-layer transducer pushes clean bass without muddying the mids, and the three acoustic vents help with comfort during long sessions. Spatial audio support is a nice bonus, though it's more of a party trick than a reason to buy.

The Sony WF-1000XM6 is the obvious rival. Sony's ANC is still the benchmark, and their sound quality is more refined than what Beats offers here. But the Sonys cost more, and if you're an iPhone user, the integration isn't as seamless. The Studio Buds + trade a bit of audio polish for better cross-platform flexibility and longer battery life.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation is the other big name in this space. If you're deep in the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Pro offer better spatial audio, better mics, and tighter integration. But they're also more expensive and useless if you ever switch to Android. The Nothing Buds 2 and Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro are worth a look too. The Nothing Buds 2 undercut the Beats on price with a more distinctive design, while the Galaxy Buds3 Pro are the pick for Samsung phone owners who want that same native integration. The Technics EAH-AZ100 is the dark horse here, with genuinely excellent sound quality, but it's harder to find and pricier.

Pricing on these is all over the place depending on where you look. In the US, we're seeing listings between USD 100 and USD 150 across two vendors. That's a USD 50 spread, which is significant. Amazon has the better deal right now, so if you're buying in the US, that's where you should look first. The Canadian listing sits at CAD 230, which is a different conversation entirely given currency differences.

At the low end of that US range, these are an absolute steal. You're getting top-tier battery life, strong ANC, and cross-platform compatibility for less than what most flagship earbuds cost. At the high end, they're still competitive but the value proposition gets murkier. Once you're pushing USD 150, you start bumping into territory where the Sony WF-1000XM6 and AirPods Pro 3rd Gen live, and those beat the Beats on sound quality and mic performance.

The Beats Studio Buds + are the rare pair of earbuds that don't force you to pick a team. Apple users get one-touch pairing and Find My support. Android folks get Google Fast Pair and audio switching. That's genuinely unusual in this price range, and it makes these a solid pick for mixed-device households or anyone who refuses to be locked into one ecosystem.

Beats went back and fixed the stuff people complained about on the original Studio Buds. The ANC is noticeably stronger, the transparency mode actually sounds natural now, and the battery life is frankly absurd. We're talking 36 hours total with the case, which puts these near the top of our entire database for true wireless earbuds.

But here's the thing. These are not audiophile earbuds. The sound is punchy and fun, but if you're chasing detail and nuance, there are better options. The Studio Buds + are for commuters, gym-goers, and people who want reliable everyday earbuds that just work without fussing over an app for 20 minutes.

If you're an audiophile or someone who really cares about sound quality, these aren't for you. The sound signature is bass-forward and energetic, which is fun for pop and hip-hop, but it lacks the detail and soundstage you'd get from the Technics EAH-AZ100 or Sony WF-1000XM6. You'd be paying for battery life and convenience you might not care about while sacrificing the thing you actually want.

Also skip these if call quality is your top priority. The mics sit at the 67th percentile, which is fine for casual calls but not great for someone who spends hours on Zoom or takes important calls in noisy environments. The AirPods Pro 3rd Generation or Galaxy Buds3 Pro have noticeably better mic performance. And if you're already deep in the Apple ecosystem with multiple devices, the AirPods Pro's tighter integration and better spatial audio might be worth the extra money.

For commuters and travelers, these are an easy recommendation. The battery life alone makes them worth it. You can throw them in a bag, forget about charging for days, and the ANC is strong enough to handle most noisy environments. The IPX4 rating means you don't have to baby them at the gym either.

For music-first listeners, I'd steer you elsewhere. The sound is fun and energetic, but it's not resolving. If you're the type who notices compression artifacts or wants to hear every layer in a mix, the Sony WF-1000XM6 or Technics EAH-AZ100 will serve you better. The Beats are about convenience and reliability, not critical listening.