This review is for Beats Studio Wireless over the ear, I know audiophiles are known for not liking wireless and Beats. When Beats was first introduced audiophiles dumped on them right away because they weren't tuned neutral. They were also known for being bass heavy that sounded muddy and took over the mids, the bass was actually really loose and unpleasant. Every one deserves a 2nd chance, I am sure everyone here has purchased a par of cans that they weren't happy with but still purchased another product from the same company. I don't consider myself an audiophile but a headphone enthusiast, I am 38 years old with 2 kids that love there Beats know matter how they sound. Being in a club for example the audiophile club, you want to fit in and you do what all the other cool kids are doing right. So to fit into the crowd most members have there mind made up from the start. I have even seen post saying "I would never buy my kids Beats not in my house" that's some serious stuff kind of amusing. I bet that same person has never even heard them before. So here I am with my 2nd chance, I would like to say thank you to Erin from Beats for supplying me with a demo unit for review. I am not an employee or am I being compensated for this review. All pictures were taken by me and is based on my honest opinion.
We all know how Beats was started so I won't go into that, but they are marketing geniuses and you can't go any were in the city without seeing someone wearing a pair. At one point Beats made up 70% of all headphone sales in the US. That is just mind blowing for how many companies there are, Beats is now owned by Apple and what better company could take them to the next level besides Apple.
Beats Studio Wireless can be purchased for $379.95 from there website.
http://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/studio-wireless/black/900-00107.html
SPECIFICATIONS
Wireless Bluetooth
Adaptive Noise Canceling
ACCESSORIES
RemoteTalk cable
3.5 Audio Cable
USB 2.0 Charging cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B)
USB Power adapter
Hard Shell carrying case
Cleaning cloth
Carabiner clip
Quick Start Guide
Warranty card
PACKAGING and ACCESSORIES
The Beats Studio Wireless I received were the gloss black, they came in a very nice box with a hi-res photo printed on a matte black sleeve. Ounce you remove the sleeve there is a heavy duty red box, after removing the lid you are greeted with the headphones hard case with there logo front and center. Underneath the cardboard shell there is the manual and a small box containing the cords. Beats really leaves you with a very memorable first impression. To get to all the accessories Beats includes fabric tabs to easily pull them out, they even include a finger whole to lift out the first piece of cardboard. Beats has some of the nicest packaging that I have ever, I would even feel safe throwing them off my roof that's how well there packaged.
Included in the box is a wide range of cables the cables only come in the color red, but it really doesn't matter since these are intended for wireless use. The first cable is the charging cable that plugs into the provided wall part, It's nice to see they didn't switch over to Apples proprietary plug. They also include a cable with and without a mic for wired use, they are rated for 20 hours plugged in and 12 hours wireless. Included is a hard shell case for storage, it's about time companies used hard shell cases I can't stand soft pouches. What good is a soft pouch if you throw them in a book bag, thanks for the hard shell. You can even clip them to a bag with the included carabiner, overall they go over the top with packaging and first impressions. They also do a great job with the include accessories, they could have included a soft pouch and one cable but they go the extra mile.
BUILD and FIT
First off we all know there stylish or we wouldn't see them all over the place, some people don't even listen to them and use them as a necklace. There build is sleeker then the older model Studio's, and seem to feel sturdier. They are mostly an all plastic design with no screws or rivets that are visible, that gives them a real clean look. For adjustment both ear pieces slide up and down for the right length, I think this is the only place that metal is incorporated. I found these to be very comfortable for long periods, they are very light due to the all plastic design. The ear pads form to your ears with plenty of room inside the cups. This is one of the problems I have with these non-removable ear pads, one of the first things to be worn out. For storage they fold into each other and fit nicely into the hard case, the hard case is big enough that you don't have to slide them back up. The hinges fell a lot sturdier then there older models, which is good due to a lot of broken headphones.
For charging there is a USB connection under the ear cup. There is a row of lights near the power button that they call the Fuel Gauge to show how much power is left. On the other ear is were the controls are for controlling music and phone calls, these are rated for up to 30 feet in wireless mode. What else gives them a sleek design there are no markings for music operations like play and pause. The one side is a big button with the logo that can be pushed side to side and up and down for music and phone controls. All the cables are coated with a nonstick rubber coating, the plug for using wired is gold plated and is set at a right angle. The cable with the mic is your typical 3 button function for music and phone operation, the housing follows the all plastic design. Strain reliefs feels above average the cables feel and look very sturdy. One of the problems with these if you like the high gloss finish is there fingerprints for magnets.
SOUND (2nd chance)
So is it the same old Beats that audiophiles have come to known, not a chance most of use wouldn't even know that we were listening to Beats. Are the bass heavy that would satisfy bass heads, sorry if your a bass head you will be disappointed due to there more balanced and refined sound. The bass is punchy but well controlled and has very good mid-bass. Female vocals can be heard with great clarity, even for being blue tooth. Higher frequencies are were these can lack a little especially with rock and roll. Soundstage is about average and can be a bit shallow, but has better width and depth. I paired these with no problem to my Samsung Alpha, Lenovo Ultrabook, and IPhone 6. you can tell these are aimed at a younger generation, they sound there best with Rap, Hip-Hop, and Electronica. I did throw some Led Zepplin at them it sounded better then any other wireless headphone I have used, but had problems with instrument separation and sounded a little congested. But these are made for convenience in noisy environments and not for critical listening. This is the only headphone that I have used that the Active noise cancellation really work, I was honestly amazed at how well it work. I tested this with out music on to see how well they can remove background noise. I have a very unbalanced fan in my room with the light covers loose that rattle really bad. I am to lazy to get a chair and tighten the screws. With the headphones turned off I could hear the glass form the light cover rattle and the fan blades shaking the whole thing, Then powered on with no music it was dead silent, I must have done this 25 times just because I was so amazed how it canceled all the noise out.
Making phone calls was one of the Beats Studio's strong points. Phone calls sounded nice and clear and the person on the other end had no idea I was on a wireless headphone.
CONCLUSION
My second chance with Beats, I am glad I did sometimes if we don't give that chance you will never know what you could be missing. There are definitely things that could be improved but what headphone doesn't. I would really like to see removable ear pads at this price range and some metal instead of all plastic. I think they listened to some of us and made there house sound more balanced and less forgiving on the bass. The overall sound is very enjoyable and since I received these I haven't used any of my other headphones since. They do come at a hefty price tag but your going to pay extra for wireless and noise cancelling. Are these going replace my Grado's not a chance but they do have there place when convenience of wireless comes to play and at least I know they will sound good and I can enjoy them for long periods. I can't wait to see what they have to offer in the future now that Apple owns them. With the capitol they have and the resources of so many talented engineers they could design an End Game headphone someday. Thanks for reading I hope I helped anyone considering these.
We all know how Beats was started so I won't go into that, but they are marketing geniuses and you can't go any were in the city without seeing someone wearing a pair. At one point Beats made up 70% of all headphone sales in the US. That is just mind blowing for how many companies there are, Beats is now owned by Apple and what better company could take them to the next level besides Apple.
Beats Studio Wireless can be purchased for $379.95 from there website.
http://www.beatsbydre.com/headphones/studio-wireless/black/900-00107.html
SPECIFICATIONS
Wireless Bluetooth
Adaptive Noise Canceling
ACCESSORIES
RemoteTalk cable
3.5 Audio Cable
USB 2.0 Charging cable (USB-A to USB Micro-B)
USB Power adapter
Hard Shell carrying case
Cleaning cloth
Carabiner clip
Quick Start Guide
Warranty card
PACKAGING and ACCESSORIES
The Beats Studio Wireless I received were the gloss black, they came in a very nice box with a hi-res photo printed on a matte black sleeve. Ounce you remove the sleeve there is a heavy duty red box, after removing the lid you are greeted with the headphones hard case with there logo front and center. Underneath the cardboard shell there is the manual and a small box containing the cords. Beats really leaves you with a very memorable first impression. To get to all the accessories Beats includes fabric tabs to easily pull them out, they even include a finger whole to lift out the first piece of cardboard. Beats has some of the nicest packaging that I have ever, I would even feel safe throwing them off my roof that's how well there packaged.
Included in the box is a wide range of cables the cables only come in the color red, but it really doesn't matter since these are intended for wireless use. The first cable is the charging cable that plugs into the provided wall part, It's nice to see they didn't switch over to Apples proprietary plug. They also include a cable with and without a mic for wired use, they are rated for 20 hours plugged in and 12 hours wireless. Included is a hard shell case for storage, it's about time companies used hard shell cases I can't stand soft pouches. What good is a soft pouch if you throw them in a book bag, thanks for the hard shell. You can even clip them to a bag with the included carabiner, overall they go over the top with packaging and first impressions. They also do a great job with the include accessories, they could have included a soft pouch and one cable but they go the extra mile.
BUILD and FIT
First off we all know there stylish or we wouldn't see them all over the place, some people don't even listen to them and use them as a necklace. There build is sleeker then the older model Studio's, and seem to feel sturdier. They are mostly an all plastic design with no screws or rivets that are visible, that gives them a real clean look. For adjustment both ear pieces slide up and down for the right length, I think this is the only place that metal is incorporated. I found these to be very comfortable for long periods, they are very light due to the all plastic design. The ear pads form to your ears with plenty of room inside the cups. This is one of the problems I have with these non-removable ear pads, one of the first things to be worn out. For storage they fold into each other and fit nicely into the hard case, the hard case is big enough that you don't have to slide them back up. The hinges fell a lot sturdier then there older models, which is good due to a lot of broken headphones.
For charging there is a USB connection under the ear cup. There is a row of lights near the power button that they call the Fuel Gauge to show how much power is left. On the other ear is were the controls are for controlling music and phone calls, these are rated for up to 30 feet in wireless mode. What else gives them a sleek design there are no markings for music operations like play and pause. The one side is a big button with the logo that can be pushed side to side and up and down for music and phone controls. All the cables are coated with a nonstick rubber coating, the plug for using wired is gold plated and is set at a right angle. The cable with the mic is your typical 3 button function for music and phone operation, the housing follows the all plastic design. Strain reliefs feels above average the cables feel and look very sturdy. One of the problems with these if you like the high gloss finish is there fingerprints for magnets.
SOUND (2nd chance)
So is it the same old Beats that audiophiles have come to known, not a chance most of use wouldn't even know that we were listening to Beats. Are the bass heavy that would satisfy bass heads, sorry if your a bass head you will be disappointed due to there more balanced and refined sound. The bass is punchy but well controlled and has very good mid-bass. Female vocals can be heard with great clarity, even for being blue tooth. Higher frequencies are were these can lack a little especially with rock and roll. Soundstage is about average and can be a bit shallow, but has better width and depth. I paired these with no problem to my Samsung Alpha, Lenovo Ultrabook, and IPhone 6. you can tell these are aimed at a younger generation, they sound there best with Rap, Hip-Hop, and Electronica. I did throw some Led Zepplin at them it sounded better then any other wireless headphone I have used, but had problems with instrument separation and sounded a little congested. But these are made for convenience in noisy environments and not for critical listening. This is the only headphone that I have used that the Active noise cancellation really work, I was honestly amazed at how well it work. I tested this with out music on to see how well they can remove background noise. I have a very unbalanced fan in my room with the light covers loose that rattle really bad. I am to lazy to get a chair and tighten the screws. With the headphones turned off I could hear the glass form the light cover rattle and the fan blades shaking the whole thing, Then powered on with no music it was dead silent, I must have done this 25 times just because I was so amazed how it canceled all the noise out.
Making phone calls was one of the Beats Studio's strong points. Phone calls sounded nice and clear and the person on the other end had no idea I was on a wireless headphone.
CONCLUSION
My second chance with Beats, I am glad I did sometimes if we don't give that chance you will never know what you could be missing. There are definitely things that could be improved but what headphone doesn't. I would really like to see removable ear pads at this price range and some metal instead of all plastic. I think they listened to some of us and made there house sound more balanced and less forgiving on the bass. The overall sound is very enjoyable and since I received these I haven't used any of my other headphones since. They do come at a hefty price tag but your going to pay extra for wireless and noise cancelling. Are these going replace my Grado's not a chance but they do have there place when convenience of wireless comes to play and at least I know they will sound good and I can enjoy them for long periods. I can't wait to see what they have to offer in the future now that Apple owns them. With the capitol they have and the resources of so many talented engineers they could design an End Game headphone someday. Thanks for reading I hope I helped anyone considering these.