In a busy month for technology, Beats has added a new headphone to its ever-expanding line-up: the Beats 360.
Promising Beats’ best-ever ANC, sound and headphone comfort, it’s fair to say the Beats 360 sound amazing. But how do the headphones compare to the four-star Beats Studio Pro?
Before reviewing the Beats 360, we compared its specs with the Beats Studio Pro and identified the differences between the on-ear headphones below.
Check out our best headphones guide for more options.
Price and availability
Beats 360 is available to order now with an RRP of £299.95. The headphones are available in four colors – Sky, Cloud, Pink and Black – and come with color-coordinated ear cups and headband cushions.
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You can also purchase ear cups and headband cushions in different colors separately with the cushion sets. At the time of writing, you can buy the pillow sets direct from Apple for just £9.95. Just note that this price will eventually rise to £49.95.
Following the launch of the Beats 360, the Beats Studio Pro is now cheaper than before, with a new RRP of £249.95.
Beats 360 promises 1.75 times better ANC
Beats explains that the 360 benefits from “1.75 times better” ANC than the Studio Pro. Billed as the brand’s most powerful ANC technology to date, Beats explains the 360 acoustic system and when combined with the technology, the 360 delivers a “powerful, immersive listening experience.”
The Beats 360 also has a Transparency mode that allows outside noises to enter the headphones.
But how does it compare to Studio Pro. During our time with the headphones, we found the Studio Pro to offer very strong noise canceling performance and effectively removed ambient and noisy public transport sounds. Although we noticed that the Studio Pro struggled to suppress wind, we were impressed with the natural-sounding Transparency mode.
With that in mind, we expect Beats 360 to offer even stronger ANC performance for the Studio Pro. We’ll be sure to update this after reviewing the headphones.
Beats 360 has interchangeable ear and headband cushions
Like the Beats 360, the Beats Studio Pro comes in four colors including black, taupe, navy and sandstone. However, not only does the Beats 360 come standard with more striking color options (Sky, Cloud, Pink, and Black), but you can also swap out the earcups and headband cushions.
So, while the Beats 360 comes with color-matched cushions as standard, you can choose to buy a set of knitted cushions in six colors – black, cloud, pink, sky, navy and volt (this is bright yellow), or you can go for the UltraPlush sets in either black or cloud. The latter is the same leatherette as the Studio Pro.
Beats 360 is IPX4 rated
Not only does Beats claim that the 360 headphones offer the best ANC, sound and comfort ever, but the boxes are the first headphones from the brand to be IPX4 rated. This means that the headphones can withstand splashes of water, rain and sweat without damaging the product.
Beats 360 introduces a wireless design
Beats 360 has a wireless design that frees up space in the headband for a lighter and more comfortable pair of headphones. This means that each earcup has a separate chip and separate battery antenna, with a connecting cable between them just for charging, resulting in a lighter pair of headphones.
That’s not to say the Studio Pro isn’t a comfortable pair of headphones. However, while we generally found the Studio Pro to be comfortable, our reviewer noted that the ear pads were a little too small for his ears. With this in mind, it is advisable to check the size before purchasing.
Beats Studio Pro offers a longer battery life
We were impressed with the Beats Studio Pro’s battery life. Although Beats claims a pretty solid 40 hours of battery life with ANC turned off, in our tests we found that the Studio Pro can actually provide 40 hours with ANC on. -tin – that is, Beats underestimated the power of the headphones.
By comparison, the Beats 360 promises up to 32 hours of battery life, and a five-minute charge gives you an hour of audio playback. We’ll have to wait until we review the headphones to see how well they perform.
Early judgment
With improved ANC, a comfortable and lightweight design, and an IPX4 rating, the Beats 360 look like a brilliant pair of headphones that will probably suit most users. However, if you’re wearing the Studio Pro pair, we’d argue that there might not be a reason to upgrade just yet.
On the other hand, if you’re torn between the two and want a more affordable pair of Beats that still offers a solid listening experience, the Studio Pair is a great choice thanks to a recent price drop.
We will update this after reviewing the Beats 360.
