[MICHAELSD]

Then again, I don’t think Beats was aiming for high-end sound which is a shame since I know they have the potential to release a great bass-driven over-ear. If past Beats headphones are any indication, in a few weeks the Studio3 will be on-sale for $249-$299. In that price range they will be a solid value for over-ear wireless ANC headphones with very good consumer-level sound. At $249 I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them but I’d rather pay more for better sound.

If you don’t need ANC, I’d still wholeheartedly recommend the Solo3 especially since it constantly goes on-sale between $150-$200 which is an excellent value.

What we were expecting out of Studio3 I speculate we may get next year if they redesign the Beats Pro as that headphone will be competing in the $400-$500 segment where the Momentum and B&W PX exist. Regardless, I was still hoping Beats would come in swinging with sound quality that rivaled even the higher-end wireless headphones on the market but Studio3 seems like it was purposefully made just decent enough to be on-par with the QC35 and MDR-1000x. A billion-dollar company could have done better and actually innovated beyond just the W1 chip.

 

[RamGuy]

They are slowly growing on me, but they are far from great and I also feel that cause some slight fatigue on my ears. Beats Solo3 Wireless is not on my list as I can't stand on-ear headphones, they get uncomfortable way too quick for me.

There are other great alternatives, the B&W P7 Wireless and the new PX looks awesome. But the lack of Apple W1 makes them have the very same "bottlenecks" as all other wireless headphones have just like my BeoPlay H7 and H9 as they will be fiddly to move between devices and they wont have the same great, consistent and really awesome range on the wireless/bluetooth.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Unfortunately Studio3 exists solely in the consumer space where consumers who have never owned any headphones other than Beats or Bose will buy them and be absolutely thrilled with the brand and the relatively detailed sound despite the flaws. I’m just bummed Beats didn’t create a headphone that’s a must-buy for consumers and audiophiles. There is a large niche in the audiophile community that exists for quality bass-boosted headphones. It really feels like Beats purposefully held back to release the bare minimum, just good enough to compete with Bose and Sony rather than significantly better, so they have room to grow with future releases.

If it weren’t for the lackluster bass then I could overlook the sculpted mids and treble as they bring out particular details and instruments, but I expect better quality bass out of Beats headphones. I don’t mind the bass boost being as restrained as it is as the sound is nicely balanced, but the quality is simply not there. I’d be happy keeping the Studio3 if they had a delectable signature like the Solo3 but frankly I’d have no problem returning them tomorrow.

Nonetheless I’ll continue testing the Studio3, while wishing the sound was better. I would’ve paid more for Beats W1 headphones that rivaled the sound quality of the best wireless headphones on the market.

 

[329161]

I really was sceptical of the early hype in this thread because I didn't think Apple would've plowed more effort into improving the sq over its other existing models , and I wasn't really that wowed by the Solo 3 wireless.
Also, with bt headphones, sq will generally be inferior to similarly priced wired headphones because most of the production cost goes into the internal electronics, and generally they'll skimp on other areas such as the actual drivers, which is arguably the most important part of a headphone.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I really was sceptical of the early hype in this thread because I didn't think Apple would've plowed more effort into improving the sq over its other existing models , and I wasn't really that wowed by the Solo 3 wireless.
Also, with bt headphones, sq will generally be inferior to similarly priced wired headphones because most of the production cost goes into the internal electronics, and generally they'll skimp on other areas such as the actual drivers, which is arguably the most important part of a headphone.

Apple still has a huge opportunity to release the best wireless over-ear headphones on the market with the W1 chip as no other wireless tech matches it. It’s too bad they didn’t while they’re still years ahead of the competition. The drivers on the Studio3 sound noticeably cheap. Seems like more of a business play to compete against the QC35 and MDR-1000x, and to only compete against those two headphones.

But maybe next year they’ll refresh the Beats Pro as their flagship audiophile wireless headphone.

 

[RamGuy]

It did some direct comparison between Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay H7 (Rev2.0), BeoPlay H9, Bose QC35 and Beats Studio3 Wireless today. I was surprised how easy this proved out to be as I could have all connected to my iPhone 7 Plus at once and simply toggle between them all within Apple Music without any effort. But of course, the BeoPlay H9 as usual has it quirks when it comes to bluetooth and pairing so it suddenly decided it didn't want to play along anymore so I was forced to re-pair the damn thing in the middle of testing... Which again is the biggest downside with B&O, their headphones just seems notorious when it comes to inconsistent pairing and you can simply forget to easily jump between several devices with them even though they support "Multi-Device" according to Bang & Olufsen....

I got somewhat baffled when I compared the BeoPlay H7 and H9 because I thought they sounded almost identical so I have kept using the H9's as of late due to it sporting ANC, not a very good ANC but it helps. Well, they sound very similar but the vocals are way more muddied on the H9's. When going back and forth I feel the vocals drown on the H9's. I will most certainly use the H7 over the H9's in the future.

The Beats Studio3 Wireless isn't any worse in terms of vocal clarity, so my impressions from yesterday was completely wrong. But they lack any kind of dynamic and soundstage. They just sound dull and cheap in comparison. The bass doesn't have any power to it, and it doesn't extended very far on the high's either. They fit perfectly into the "No highs, no lows? Must be Bose" mantra people have kept saying over the years. If it weren't for that awkward tonality you get with the Bose QC35 I would say they sound better as well. You actually get slightly better dynamic and better soundstage on the Bose as well.


And in terms of comfort I have to say the BeoPlay H7 and H9 is hands-down the best of all of these. The Bose QC35 are good as well, and even though the Beats Studio3 Wireless are not all that bad they have a much tighter clamping on them making them somewhat uncomfortable over time but that might change over time as headphones tend to be tighter the first few weeks you use them and gets better over time. And as someone has mentioned before, the earpads are all that large or deep so people with larger ears might be in trouble.

 

[whsbuss]

Then again, I don’t think Beats was aiming for high-end sound which is a shame since I know they have the potential to release a great bass-driven over-ear. If past Beats headphones are any indication, in a few weeks the Studio3 will be on-sale for $249-$299. In that price range they will be a solid value for over-ear wireless ANC headphones with very good consumer-level sound. At $249 I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them but I’d rather pay more for better sound.

If you don’t need ANC, I’d still wholeheartedly recommend the Solo3 especially since it constantly goes on-sale between $150-$200 which is an excellent value.

What we were expecting out of Studio3 I speculate we may get next year if they redesign the Beats Pro as that headphone will be competing in the $400-$500 segment where the Momentum and B&W PX exist. Regardless, I was still hoping Beats would come in swinging with sound quality that rivaled even the higher-end wireless headphones on the market but Studio3 seems like it was purposefully made just decent enough to be on-par with the QC35 and MDR-1000x. A billion-dollar company could have done better and actually innovated beyond just the W1 chip.

249-299 really? I highly doubt that. Maybe, just maybe $320 on black friday

 

[RamGuy]

I just decided to ask to get mine returned. The sound quality is just not good enough. I was willing to settle for somewhat inferior quality compared to my BeoPlay H7's in order to get all the advantages the W1-chip has to offer. But this just isn't good enough for me. I will give the B&W PX a go and see how they sound.

 

[daanodinot]

I was quite a bit surprised by the lack of bass in the Studio 3's as compared to my B&O H6. I knew they wouldn't have the same sound stage and depth to the sound, but I figured they would have the same if not more low/sub bass. Surprisingly, the H6 have quite a bit more in this regard. Enough so I've wondered if I have a defective pair.

Another thing I've noticed as I've worn them all morning is that my ears touch the inside of the headphone, which has never happened with other sets (B&O H6, ATH-M50, a few others I've tried). It's not uncomfortable, it's just different and something I've noticed a few times throughout the day so far.

That's so disappointing. I love my H6, but I just wish they were wireless. Seriously: I would pay a LOT of money for a H6 with W1 chip. If only Apple licensed W1.

 

[richpjr]

Apple still has a huge opportunity to release the best wireless over-ear headphones on the market with the W1 chip as no other wireless tech matches it. It’s too bad they didn’t while they’re still years ahead of the competition. The drivers on the Studio3 sound noticeably cheap. Seems like more of a business play to compete against the QC35 and MDR-1000x, and to only compete against those two headphones.

But maybe next year they’ll refresh the Beats Pro as their flagship audiophile wireless headphone.

If I had to guess, it will probably be a couple of years before we see the next version. The headphones are "good enough" for most people and the ease of use working with Apple products seems to be as important, if not more so, than sound quality.

 

[buddhabone]

I still like them, they sound good to me, better than the Solo 3s in terms of clarity and in mids and highs. When a song calls for deep bass its there for me.

W1 chip is easy to use for me on my iPhone 7 plus, battery life is spectacular.

 

[MICHAELSD]

249-299 really? I highly doubt that. Maybe, just maybe $320 on black friday

Solo3 was $219 on Amazon last year shortly after release and went as low as $199 on Cyber Monday.

For $249-$299 they’re a good value as the sound is pretty mid-level. Beats really isn’t overpriced if you buy them on-sale but I would’ve rather Beats released headphones with a $500 MSRP with significantly better sound quality.

 

[MICHAELSD]

TechRadar’s review (almost suspiciously ) echoes our impressions on the sound.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/beats-studio-3-wireless-noise-cancelling-headphones

 

[h1a8]

Where can I buy the studio 3 from?

 

[MacedonianHero]

Ummm...really anywhere. Bestbuy, The Apple Store...anywhere they sell Beats headphones pretty much.