[MICHAELSD]

I do love the Shadow Grey. It's a tough call for me.

Shadow Gray at $50 less and no hassle of returns lol. Even if that new case is pretty nice.

I do wish I had the 60-day return period I was supposed to since I’d kick myself if Apple debuts their new headphones at WWDC. Really don’t hate this unit but didn’t have enough time to test.

 

[MICHAELSD]

P.s. Now entirely out-of-stock at Walmart and Target.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I do think Beats made some improvements and it’s certainly possible my first unit had a defective lack of clamping force since the second unit was much more stable and sealed better which provided better bass impact and isolation, but I do stand by my original review. With some minor improvements they could be definitively better than the 1000XM2 and the QC35 and they are for certain buyers, though it’s clear this unit is being phased out and we may see rock-bottom pricing at Black Friday (likely $149.99 like the Studio 2.0 last year) if Apple releases their own premium over-ear headphones this year.

The Beats brand has potential with some of the best aesthetic and technology if their next line of headphones don’t disappoint in sound quality. Either go for bass boosted fun (Solo3) or practically neutral (BeatsX), the middle ground is a compromise.

 

[trellus]

I’m sure Apple’s rumored headphone will also be strong on the bass, when necessary. I predict it’ll adjust its signature based on the track like the HomePod. Studio3 does have a unique bass boost though.

I’m surprised they already have the Defiant color on sale under MSRP.

I’m not surprised - if anything, it’s a slick way to keep the price closer to MSRP since the older Studio3 have been slipping in price. Not hard to make new colors and then have a “sale” on it to make it look like a deal.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I’m not surprised - if anything, it’s a slick way to keep the price closer to MSRP since the older Studio3 have been slipping in price. Not hard to make new colors and then have a “sale” on it to make it look like a deal.

Looks like they’re clearing out Studio3 in favor of the Defiant color. Wal-Mart removed the Studio3 from their stock and only has the Defiant model. Doesn’t really mean anything since Beats adds new colors up until the release of the next generation. I believe they were releasing new variants of the Studio 2.0 just a few weeks before Studio3 came out.

Shadow Gray was beautiful, I do have to give it credit. I wore it to the gym once and for the most part it stayed stable and had gotten quite a few looks. Tone down low mids 3 decibels and even the entire mid-range in general an extra decibel or two and it would be a fun gym headphone.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Not to discredit it as a gym headphone as is. With a unit that has the proper clamping force, the sound is still uniquely powerful in its own right for the gym even if the overemphasis of the fundamentals takes away from the clarity of the mids. It does have a unique sound signature that no other headphone sounds like, and I get why @Maukey loves it. It’s clear Beats purposely tuned it for an in-your-face “balanced” sound.

 

[Maukey]

Not to discredit it as a gym headphone as is. With a unit that has the proper clamping force, the sound is still uniquely powerful in its own right for the gym even if the overemphasis of the fundamentals takes away from the clarity of the mids. It does have a unique sound signature that no other headphone sounds like, and I get why @Maukey loves it. It’s clear Beats purposely tuned it for an in-your-face “balanced” sound.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm now down to only my Studio 3 and HD1. Sold the H.ear On 2 today. The Studio 3 isn't going anywhere for me. The exciting sound, ease of use with all my apple products, comfort, and fit are all just perfect for me. The only thing I'm deciding now is if I'm going to stay with the HD1, or swap them out for the QC35 II or PX, both of which I've had before LOL. My only issue with the HD1 is the volume when in bluetooth, lack of AAC, and comfort. It's not that it's uncomfortable, I just have to get the positioning just right and sometimes I have a hard time doing it. Both the QC35 II and the PX were more comfortable for me for long term wear.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Couldn't have said it better myself. I'm now down to only my Studio 3 and HD1. Sold the H.ear On 2 today. The Studio 3 isn't going anywhere for me. The exciting sound, ease of use with all my apple products, comfort, and fit are all just perfect for me. The only thing I'm deciding now is if I'm going to stay with the HD1, or swap them out for the QC35 II or PX, both of which I've had before LOL. My only issue with the HD1 is the volume when in bluetooth, lack of AAC, and comfort. It's not that it's uncomfortable, I just have to get the positioning just right and sometimes I have a hard time doing it. Both the QC35 II and the PX were more comfortable for me for long term wear.

The question now is do you really need another ANC headphone if you love the Studio3 so much?

I would say right now keep an eye on Mobius. There will be a lot of new wireless headphones by the end of the year. Apple’s rumored Pod headphone should blow away everything in the ANC category.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Stoked for Monday in case Apple debuts their over-ear Pod headphones or even an update to Beats Pro. Lots of rumors for what Apple will do this year but it’s clears they intend to release a new high-end over-ear headphone in some form.

 

[neil74]

Interested to see if Apple are going to make any changes with file format and bluetooth codecs this year. All the the time we are still on 256 kbps files and AAC bluetooth then surely we are in the realms of diminishing returns here?

 

[MICHAELSD]

Interested to see if Apple are going to make any changes with file format and bluetooth codecs this year. All the the time we are still on 256 kbps files and AAC bluetooth then surely we are in the realms of diminishing returns here?

If Apple found it would make a difference to these unannounced headphones, then I’m sure they will make it happen this year. I do notice a difference between AAC and lossless even if AAC is 95%+ of the way there. Once that gap closes it will be a true revolution in the audiophile space.

Not to mention that they could charge more for “high-fidelity” Apple Music, as well as a new line of high-fidelity Apple/Beats products. It will happen eventually.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Last year Apple introduced HomePod at WWDC and the sudden steep discounts on Studio3 are curious. While new headphone probably wouldn’t ship for a few months there’s a good chance we’ll see Pod over-ears introduced today.

 

[MacedonianHero]

Stoked for Monday in case Apple debuts their over-ear Pod headphones or even an update to Beats Pro. Lots of rumors for what Apple will do this year but it’s clears they intend to release a new high-end over-ear headphone in some form.

Did I miss something? I didn't see any debut?

 

[MICHAELSD]

Did I miss something? I didn't see any debut?

No news so it will most likely be at the September event.

I do miss the Shadow Gray Studio3, which was markedly improved over my initial pair and I will admit has better bass definition than the Solo3 as well as more detail in the mids even if the Solo3 is more natural and has a better-sounding overall response. I think Beats still struggles with inconsistency in manufacturing and build quality issues as I even had to have my Solo3 replaced under warranty due to battery issues. At the least the customer service is excellent and they do stand behind their product.

Edit: More or less returned because the headphones felt like they had an expiration date and Target misled me into getting and paying for it with a RedCard whereas if I had used a different credit card I would have gotten a year of extra warranty coverage. So I’ll keep my eyes out for a sale and potentially use the Studio3 as a gym pair if I get bored of the Solo3 or AirPods. Shadow Gray is nice enough that I could overlook some flaws for the gorgeous color scheme. If the FR lacked glaring faults and manufacturing was more consistent (they’re working on that) I was more than prepared to pay full price for Studio3 but I think at ~ $200-$249 it is worth it for the unique upfront sound and design if you manage to get a perfect pair.

 

[Maukey]

No news so it will most likely be at the September event.

I do miss the Shadow Gray Studio3, which was markedly improved over my initial pair and I will admit has better bass definition than the Solo3 as well as more detail in the mids even if the Solo3 is more natural and has a better-sounding overall response. I think Beats still struggles with inconsistency in manufacturing and build quality issues as I even had to have my Solo3 replaced under warranty due to battery issues. At the least the customer service is excellent and they do stand behind their product.

Edit: More or less returned because the headphones felt like they had an expiration date and Target misled me into getting and paying for it with a RedCard whereas if I had used a different credit card I would have gotten a year of extra warranty coverage. So I’ll keep my eyes out for a sale and potentially use the Studio3 as a gym pair if I get bored of the Solo3 or AirPods. Shadow Gray is nice enough that I could overlook some flaws for the gorgeous color scheme. If the FR lacked glaring faults and manufacturing was more consistent (they’re working on that) I was more than prepared to pay full price for Studio3 but I think at ~ $200-$249 it is worth it for the unique upfront sound and design if you manage to get a perfect pair.

Returned my Shadow Grey. Waiting on the price of the Decade Edition to come down. For the time being it's my HD1, and newly acquired QC35 II. Wanted to give the Bose a spin again. There was a time where I really liked them. They're super comfortable, and have a nice, accurate sound. For the last day and a half I've been using nothing but the QC35 II. Mainly because I've been binge watching Netflix shows on my iPad and I can easily wear the QC35 II all day. Can't say that about any other headphone I've owned.