[Carnelian]

Not really a fan of the Studio3's sound. They sound decently balanced and make for an okay listening experience at ~ 50% volume, any louder than that to me gets fatiguing quickly. But the difference between the Studio3 and a headphone like my ATH-AD700 is night-and-day, and the ATH-AD700 is a fraction of the Studio3's cost. They're good-looking under-performers with mediocre build quality. They lack a sense of clarity and they're not even what I'd consider bassy headphones.

So ... you seem to reiterate this view every other day or so. You seem to be trying very hard to convince people of your stance on the Studio3s. Not sure what to make of that. But comparing an open back, wired headphone with a noise canceling, bluetooth, closed-back design is just apples and oranges. People will buy each of them for different reasons.

 

[MICHAELSD]

So ... you seem to reiterate this view every other day or so. You seem to be trying very hard to convince people of your stance on the Studio3s. Not sure what to make of that. But comparing an open back, wired headphone with a noise canceling, bluetooth, closed-back design is just apples and oranges. People will buy each of them for different reasons.

Honestly I’m trying to convince myself of reasons to keep the Studio3 but my top criteria is sound. I really do want to love the Studio3 since the design and W1 chip are such unique differentiators, I just don’t think the sound quality matches the price even taking into account that they’re wireless ANC headphones.

Yes, they’re very different headphones but I compared the M-100 to the ATH-AD700 and came away impressed. I’m not expecting a more spacious sound out of the Beats but I am expecting better bass definition which I just don’t get from the Studio3. The sound to me is muddy without a strong bass that could excuse some muddiness in the mids a la Solo3. I could compare the Studio3 to the Momentum and come away disappointed as well. I’d be happy paying $349 for them if their audio performance matched their price but I feel like these are better-suited at a $199 price point — which is typically how Beats operates anyway. They sell their products at full retail price for the first few weeks then within a few months the products drop to as low as half price on sale. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Studio3 at $249 on Cyber Monday as many retailers are instead clearing the Studio2 at $159 on Black Friday.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Funnily enough I'm considering buying the Studio2 at their $159 Black Friday clearance price just out of curiosity. Their RTings measurements are better without the lower mid bump that muddies the sound even if they're built like crap. But then it seems like I'm forgetting why I started buying Beats in the first place...

 

[MICHAELSD]

I will say wearing the Studio3 without my glasses leads to a better overall sound. I think a lack of a good seal contributes to the sub-bass rolloff as they do definitely sound better without plastic frames in the way. I’m willing to continue trying them. I might swap out my pair since build quality seems off and see if I have better luck.

Sound quality is quite good for wireless ANC headphones though, I was expecting too much. I can see how a drummer would enjoy the bump in the mid/upper bass and the headphones handle that well.

 

[MICHAELSD]

*edit* may try returning my pair to see if the creaky plastic means it's defective

 

[eliogolf93]

by the way, thank you michaelsd for your patience and posts about the studio 3! In a month I want to buy a bluetooth headphone for my apple ecosystem, and I guess I'll try the beats, bose, sony and maybe also the sennheiser momentum bluetooth!

 

[Maukey]

I will say wearing the Studio3 without my glasses leads to a better overall sound. I think a lack of a good seal contributes to the sub-bass rolloff as they do definitely sound better without plastic frames in the way. I’m willing to continue trying them. I might swap out my pair since build quality seems off and see if I have better luck.

Sound quality is quite good for wireless ANC headphones though, I was expecting too much. I can see how a drummer would enjoy the bump in the mid/upper bass and the headphones handle that well.

I actually agree 100% with this. I personally have 2 different pair of glasses, some Ray Bans that are on the thicker side, and some frameless, ultra thin glasses. I will say that the Beats and Bose suffer the worse when I wear the thicker frames. As a matter of fact, purchasing the Bose QC35s months back is what lead me to get an ultra thin pair of glasses in the first place. It's night and day difference for me. For the Bose it was more to do with the noise cancelling, for the Original Beats Studio Wireless, it effected sound quality the most. Thanks to the 1000X's optimizer, they are the least effected. I actually can't notice any discernible difference. I tested the Studio 3 as well, and the Bass/Sub Bass takes a huge hit with thick glasses. Almost makes them anemic. Their sub bass is already slightly lower in presence than the originals, Bose, and Sonys. Glasses makes it horrific.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I actually agree 100% with this. I personally have 2 different pair of glasses, some Ray Bans that are on the thicker side, and some frameless, ultra thin glasses. I will say that the Beats and Bose suffer the worse when I wear the thicker frames. As a matter of fact, purchasing the Bose QC35s months back is what lead me to get an ultra thin pair of glasses in the first place. It's night and day difference for me. For the Bose it was more to do with the noise cancelling, for the Original Beats Studio Wireless, it effected sound quality the most. Thanks to the 1000X's optimizer, they are the least effected. I actually can't notice any discernible difference. I tested the Studio 3 as well, and the Bass/Sub Bass takes a huge hit with thick glasses. Almost makes them anemic. Their sub bass is already slightly lower in presence than the originals, Bose, and Sonys. Glasses makes it horrific.

Thankfully the Solo3 don't suffer from this due to their on-ear form factor if they're adjusted properly, and Solo3 is a better headphone regardless. The Studio3 I can't even use at the gym since they fall of my head the second I try to use a bench. This may be subjective as maybe Studio3 just don't fit well to my head (they're fairly comfortable when sitting), but the Solo3 is incredibly stable. Mids sound more natural despite being scooped, bass is punchier and better-extended, and imaging is exceptionally good for a wireless on-ear headphone. For my usage the Solo3 is like the AirPods but much better-sounding. I wish I found the Studio3 to be better than the Solo3 but so far they haven't been. Studio3 has a more balanced sound but manages to be muddier despite not having a significant bass boost.

I've been using the Studio3 exclusively for over a week, and going back to the Solo3 feels like going back to an old friend. Such a better-sounding headphone in nearly every way.

 

[Maukey]

Thankfully the Solo3 don't suffer from this due to their on-ear form factor if they're adjusted properly, and Solo3 is a better headphone regardless. The Studio3 I can't even use at the gym since they fall of my head the second I try to use a bench. This may be subjective as maybe Studio3 just don't fit well to my head (they're fairly comfortable when sitting), but the Solo3 is incredibly stable. Mids sound more natural despite being scooped, bass is punchier and better-extended, and imaging is exceptionally good for a wireless on-ear headphone. For my usage the Solo3 is like the AirPods but much better-sounding. I wish I found the Studio3 to be better than the Solo3 but so far they haven't been. Studio3 has a more balanced sound but manages to be muddier despite not having a significant bass boost.

I've been using the Studio3 exclusively for over a week, and going back to the Solo3 feels like going back to an old friend. Such a better-sounding headphone in nearly every way.

The beauty of the headphone world, we all have different tastes, fit, and preferences. I owned the Solo 3 for a few months when they first came out, and while I thought they were good, I wasn't crazy about them like you are. The comfort wasn't great for me for long listening sessions unless I was active and not paying attention. I much preferred the comfort and sound quality of the Studio 2 Wireless to them. And since I prefer the sound quality of the Studio 3 to the Studio 2, well.....you get my point.

 

[MICHAELSD]

The beauty of the headphone world, we all have different tastes, fit, and preferences. I owned the Solo 3 for a few months when they first came out, and while I thought they were good, I wasn't crazy about them like you are. The comfort wasn't great for me for long listening sessions unless I was active and not paying attention. I much preferred the comfort and sound quality of the Studio 2 Wireless to them. And since I prefer the sound quality of the Studio 3 to the Studio 2, well.....you get my point.

Nearly everything is subjective in the headphone world. To my ears Solo3 sounds better but I can see why some would prefer the Studio, especially if they prefer the over-ear fit which is more comfortable, especially for long-term listening.

Perhaps the reason I'm so critical of the Studio3 is that I was hoping they'd be another wow moment for me (part of that with Solo3 was the W1 chip but I was also surprised that the fit and sound didn't totally suck) and better-sounding than the Solo3 which I love, but I didn't get that revelation I've had with other pairs that makes me feel like I need to keep them in my collection.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I’ve noticed a lot of reviews sharing similar thoughts to mine after I started posting my impressions in this thread... I wonder if they reference head-fi or if it’s just because the headphones are disappointing. This review basically takes the words out of my mouth .

Shadow Gray is gorgeous though, it almost makes me want to love Studio3 just so I can exchange for that color.

 

[MICHAELSD]

*deleted*

I tried playing with EQ again and these headphones would definitely sound better if the lower mids were tuned differently.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I’ve tried burning in for about 12 hours and (maybe placebo) but the sound overall is better.

The biggest difference I found to improve the sound is that these headphones really require a perfect fit and a tight seal. The bass has nice punchy weight and I don’t find the sound overall as muddled when I get the headphones to fit snugly. Unfortunately I really have to force the headphones to fit with a perfect seal. I adjust the length to about half what I normally use then pull the earcups to position them. I don’t really feel confident in this however as the headphones are already creaking, which they have been since I got them anyway. With a solid seal the headphones overall, not just the bass, sounds better. It’s not the most comfortable, and feels more like an on-ear, but it also seems more stable for exercising.

Without a tight fit sub-bass basically disappears but the sub-bass I’ve been missing is for the most part present when fitted tightly, I actually think for their purpose Beats could have made the clamping force stronger.

Long-term comfort is yet to be seen but I’ve basically gone from a 6 on each side to a 2 or 3. Feels a bit more like an on-ear since my ear doesn’t fully fit in the cup but the fit is much more secure.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Also of note:

I was testing a particularly bass-heavy track and the headphone’s signature definitely becomes more bassy with ANC on, which I find to be a positive as Beats does bass better than analytical.

 

[Maukey]

I’ve tried burning in for about 12 hours and (maybe placebo) but the sound overall is better.

The biggest difference I found to improve the sound is that these headphones really require a perfect fit and a tight seal. The bass has nice punchy weight and I don’t find the sound overall as muddled when I get the headphones to fit snugly. Unfortunately I really have to force the headphones to fit with a perfect seal. I adjust the length to about half what I normally use then pull the earcups to position them. I don’t really feel confident in this however as the headphones are already creaking, which they have been since I got them anyway. With a solid seal the headphones overall, not just the bass, sounds better. It’s not the most comfortable, and feels more like an on-ear, but it also seems more stable for exercising.

Without a tight fit sub-bass basically disappears but the sub-bass I’ve been missing is for the most part present when fitted tightly, I actually think for their purpose Beats could have made the clamping force stronger.

Long-term comfort is yet to be seen but I’ve basically gone from a 6 on each sides to a 2 or 3. Feels a bit more like an on-ear since my ear doesn’t fully fit in the cup but the fit is much more secure.

I thought it was just me! No lie, I ended up adjusting my Studio 3 to one notch extended. I also rotated the headband to the back of my head. When I did this, the sound became better and it fit more comfortably. Not that I wasn't happy with the sound before, but the sub bass became more audible and it appeared to my ears that the sound became more spacious. I agree with you in that the Studio 3s are the most picky headphones I've owned when it comes to how you wear them affecting sound quality.

On a side note, I sold my Bose QC35s and have been going with the 1000XM2 and the Studio 3. I'm not going to lie, a part of me is missing the QC35s. I'm back trying to decide if I'm going to swap anyone of these for the QC35 II. Decisions, decisions smh.