The Beats 360 is probably one of the worst-kept secrets of recent years, with many celebrities, influencers and athletes spotted wearing the headphones over the summer.
With the promise of Beats’ best ever ANC, 1.75 times more powerful than the Beats Studio Pro, acoustically designed and replaceable ear cups, and an IPX4 rating, the Beats 360 look like an impressive pair of headphones. However, with a price tag of £299.95, is it really worth the splurge?
Fortunately, I was able to spend some time with the headphones before today’s release. While our detailed review will come at a later date, here are my first impressions of the headphones and whether I think the boxes are set to be among our best headphones.
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Beats 360 looks the part
Simply put, I think the Beats 360 looks great. I usually don’t really like the look of bulky headphones, and outside of airplanes, I tend to feel self-conscious wearing a pair. However, the Beats 360 has a slim design that doesn’t look or feel overly overwhelming.
Instead, the lightweight headband sits comfortably but not too obviously on the top of the head, while the cushions hug your ears without sticking out awkwardly—a problem I had with my Soundcore Space One.
Sure, if it’s true do it If you want more attractive headphones, it’s worth noting that the Beats 360 is not only available in four basic colors, Sky, Black, Cloud and Pink, but the headband and ear cushions are also interchangeable. This means you can choose to pair the headphones with matching ear cups, subtler shades or even a particularly bright yellow if you really want to stand out.
The beauty of interchangeable cushions is not only that you can customize your headphones, it also means that you can swap them out depending on your plans for the day.
Essentially, the Beats 360 is designed to be watched for days full of meetings, errands, and even workouts, with the goal of replacing the pads accordingly. This is a great trick because when you think about it, you don’t really want to keep sweaty earbuds in place after a workout, but you might still be listening to music or needing to take a few calls.
Changing the earcups and headbands is also easy and requires a slight twist or pull. Beats is also running an introductory offer where you can buy a pair of earbuds separately for just £9.95 – a huge saving on the usual price of £49.95.
Beats has promised a major upgrade on ANC
As soon as I put the headphones on, I immediately noticed the noise canceling ability. Before I even hit play on one of the sample songs (It’s All Coming Back to Me, by none other than Celine Dion as context), the chatter, the music playing over the speakers, and the general buzz of the event all immediately went silent.
I have to disclaim that I was indoors, so I have no idea how the headphones will compete on public transport or on a plane, but Beats claims the 360 has the best and most advanced ANC to date.
Based on my experience, I would certainly expect the headphones to perform well in office chatter and in a busy gym.
When I pressed play, the music came through clearly and sounded immersive. Even Celine Dion’s ballad retains its detail while offering a powerful sound. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to listen to low-frequency or bass-heavy tracks, but Beats promises that the 360’s triple-layer diaphragms and dual neodymium magnets in each driver produce powerful bass and “unbelievable precision.”
I’m an iPhone user, so the fact that Beats fits so nicely into Apple’s ecosystem is great, as features like One-Touch Pairing and Automatch Switching make using the headphones a little easier. However, it’s good to know that the Beats 360 can also be paired with Android phones, and it also allows Android users to access Fast Pair and Google Find Hub.
Can it beat the likes of Sony and Bose?
My first impression of the Beats 360 is that not only do the headphones look good, but they also offer excellent noise cancellation. I really appreciate the sleek design, which doesn’t look bulky or stand out when in use – although you can opt for more attractive ear cups to up the ante.
While it’s true that I didn’t get to spend too much time with the headphones, the ANC still proved impressive. Indeed, £299.95 is more than I’d be happy to spend on a pair of headphones, but given how versatile, comfortable and great-sounding the 360 are, it’s definitely an attractive investment – definitely more so than the much more expensive AirPods Max, which I still don’t quite get.
Battery life and audio are also things I’d like to know, but we’ll have our full review here.
