[MICHAELSD]

I don't think everyone is getting rid of their Beats Studio3 inventory. Best Buy has them at a pretty normal price of $309.99, just $40 off of MSRP. It may be that just generic retailers (like Target) are getting rid of them, but retailers who specialize in electronics (e.g., Best Buys) aren't?

That’s about right. Electronics retailers will continue to carry it but it isn’t doing well in general retailers. Wouldn’t be surprised if Target re-releases it in November at $149.

 

[MICHAELSD]

One of the things that have kept me owning the Studio 3 is I've always considered them the better commuter/traveling headphone, and the better gym headphone of the few I own because of it's overall features. W1/AAC support (I have all Apple Devices), decent noise cancelling, and comfort. The thing is, as of late, I tend to grab my BeatsX or Airpods when leaving now. The only time I grab headphones is when going out of town. Getting rid of the Studios would just provide my BeatsX more opportunities.

I sympathize with that since I’ve wanted to try the Studio3 in the gym again with this new unit even though my first wouldn’t stay on my head at all but every time I end up taking my AirPods instead. AirPods are just so convenient for portable use that it seems to obsolete taking over-ear or traditional IEM out of the house except when you absolutely need more isolation.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I actually had the Matte Black Crossfade II Wireless and sold it because I wanted to Rose Gold. I was lucky, I sold it for $240 on Ebay right before the sale. Grabbed the Rose Gold off Amazon for $249. The H.ear On 2 I'm not in the return window unfortunately.

It's funny you say that about the Beats. I actually have been leaning toward that exact decision. The more I listen to the HD1 the more I'm loving them. They're not going any where. They just have such a musical sound. Almost as detailed as my Crossfade II, but has a much warmer, natural sound. The HD1 actually has better bass than the Crossfade II. It's deeper and punchier. I would classify the Crossfade II as the more balance headphone, especially when wired.

The Crossfade II and HD1 are the closest competition. They both have the same codec support and the M-100 and Momentum were usually the most compared against each other. HD1 has better battery life, assumedly better electronics, and larger, comfier earpads imo. Was also surprised by the bass performance of the HD1. It’s punchy with impactful sub-bass. Made the M-100 feel bloated by comparison. That upper mid bump brings out the clarity in the vocals as well.

HD1 is definitely an underdog in the ANC wireless space.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Studio3 is markedly improved but I’ll still probably return and stick to Solo3. I do think the mids after the firmware update are cleaner on the Studio3 but there’s just something weird about the signature I can’t put my finger on. Solo3 has more bass and a more natural sound. Also the clearance has me concerned that it’ll lose value quickly. Looking forward to Beats 2018 still.

Tough decision because the mid-bass is nice and punchy now, mids aren’t as muddy, and Shadow Gray is a very nice colorway.

 

[MICHAELSD]

If they don’t screw up Solo4 I’m very much here for it. Solo3 is one of my favorite headphones ever and objective measurements back that up.

 

[Maukey]

The Crossfade II and HD1 are the closest competition. They both have the same codec support and the M-100 and Momentum were usually the most compared against each other. HD1 has better battery life, assumedly better electronics, and larger, comfier earpads imo. Was also surprised by the bass performance of the HD1. It’s punchy with impactful sub-bass. Made the M-100 feel bloated by comparison. That upper mid bump brings out the clarity in the vocals as well.

HD1 is definitely an underdog in the ANC wireless space.

Not everywhere. Check out this recent comparison of MOST of the bluetooth headphones out today from TheWireCutter. Definitely was one of the reasons I purchased the HD1s.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-bluetooth-headphones/

They also have one comparing all noise cancelling headphones.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/

Make sure you read the entire article all the way to the bottom where they list every headphone and their opinion.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Not everywhere. Check out this recent comparison of MOST of the bluetooth headphones out today from TheWireCutter. Definitely was one of the reasons I purchased the HD1s.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-bluetooth-headphones/

They also have one comparing all noise cancelling headphones.

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-noise-cancelling-headphones/

Make sure you read the entire article all the way to the bottom where they list every headphone and their opinion.

Audiophile critics definitely give the HD1 attention like that site and WhatHifi, but beyond that the decision for the average consumer is usually between the QC35 or 10000XM2, with the Studio3 sometimes thrown in for good measure. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the HD1 since I feel it could be so much better if it just had AAC codec support.

Not gonna lie: my favorite wireless headphone is the Solo3. I preferred it to my M-100 after extended listening and even ended up getting rid of the M-100 since the Solo3 killed it in comfort despite being on-ear.

It’s not the most spacious sound, but the imaging and distortion are excellent. There’s no quality degradation when listening wirelessly. To top it off, the bass is punchy with a natural mid-range and a non-fatiguing treble. Maybe it’s just me but between this and the Audeze Sine there’s just something special I like about on-ear headphones.

I’ve been listening to the Studio3 for the past month (only a few times) and went back to the Solo3 and I still feel it blows it away. Despite being on-ear the soundstage may even be deeper. It just does everything so well. This is Beats’ crown jewel.

 

[MICHAELSD]

By the way, I just wear my glasses over my Solo3 (totally possible without an awkward fit since the headphones are small enough that glasses can still fit over the ear naturally) and the comfort is totally fine, preferable to the Studio3 for me even, with adequate isolation and an extremely stable fit.

 

[Maukey]

The Crossfade II and HD1 are the closest competition. They both have the same codec support and the M-100 and Momentum were usually the most compared against each other. HD1 has better battery life, assumedly better electronics, and larger, comfier earpads imo. Was also surprised by the bass performance of the HD1. It’s punchy with impactful sub-bass. Made the M-100 feel bloated by comparison. That upper mid bump brings out the clarity in the vocals as well.

HD1 is definitely an underdog in the ANC wireless space.

This is what I've discovered in my use cases. Most of the time I desire to use my Crossfade II and HD1 plugged into my MacBook Pro when sitting at my desk working. Ultimately this has lead in my decision to return my Crossfade II. Printing the return label from Amazon as we speak. The only things I preferred about the Crossfade II over the HD1 was the carrying case and build quality, neither of which are a big deal seeing as though these are more beneficial if you're going to be commuting with a headphone a lot. I consider them both more at home headphones for me. I may commute with them on occasion, but not regularly. Now I just have to decide if I'm going to get rid of one of my remaining 3.

 

[hifi80sman]

If they don’t screw up Solo4 I’m very much here for it. Solo3 is one of my favorite headphones ever and objective measurements back that up.

The Solo4 is going to look & sound like the Solo3, which in turn looked and sounded like the Solo2, but the Solo4 will have the W2 chip, so you can go 1,000 feet away with a battery life of 100 hours! Still no companion app. Rumor has it the W2 chip will actually help you get your W-2s faster and do your taxes for you.

At some point, distance and battery life become negligible (diminishing returns), so Apple (Beats) should take a page out of what everyone else is doing with companion apps that allow customization. Now that there is more competition, the luster of "Beats" has worn off, and the funny thing is, I've been seeing quite a few people at the gym rocking Bluetooth Chi-Fi stuff. Dodocool? Yeah! As Dodocool's slogan says, "Cool Your Life". How Chi-Fi is that?! LOL!

 

[georgelai57]

What third party ear pads would fit the Studio3? Thanks

 

[MICHAELSD]

There’s a rumor that Beats is clearing out the Studio3 because Apple will debut their in-house over-ear headphones at WWDC on Monday.

 

[hifi80sman]

What third party ear pads would fit the Studio3? Thanks

They use a peel and stick adhesive attachement, but there are tons of 3rd party ear pads designed for the Studio3 on Amazon. Just search studio 3 ear pads.

They don't attach via lip/groove like many other headphones, if that's what you're wondering.

 

[hifi80sman]

There’s a rumor that Beats is clearing out the Studio3 because Apple will debut their in-house over-ear headphones at WWDC on Monday.

That definitely makes sense, as they have a predictable marketing cycle/strategy. The Studio2s were discounted prior to release of the Studio3s, so likely more of the same. It wouldn't be surprising if they did some formal market research to evaluate the public's perception regarding association between Beats and Apple. If the results showed the public viewed Beats as synonymous with Apple, this may change their overall market strategy moving forward.

 

[MICHAELSD]

That definitely makes sense, as they have a predictable marketing cycle/strategy. The Studio2s were discounted prior to release of the Studio3s, so likely more of the same. It wouldn't be surprising if they did some formal market research to evaluate the public's perception regarding association between Beats and Apple. If the results showed the public viewed Beats as synonymous with Apple, this may change their overall market strategy moving forward.

They debuted HomePod at WWDC last year but it’s a bit of an odd choice if they do the same for their new over-ear headphones. Introducing new headphones a few months before releasing them cannibalizes the sales of Beats and maybe even AirPods to an extent. I do believe these brands are synonymous with each other. It could explain the Studio3 clearance.