Beats Studio Pro Debut With Improved Sound Quality, Spatial Audio, USB-C, and More

[DEMinSoCAL]

Why is Apple so against 24/96 support? Millions of young Apple users / adults have the hearing, give us (and them) this basic standard in high-resolution audio.

My 20-year old couldn't care less about lossless or 24/96. She actually cares ZERO. I would say that the average age of an audiophile is well into their 30's, at a point in their lives where they can afford the equipment to reproduce it.

My question is -- does a $300 pair of headphones reproduce lossless music accurately enough to make a difference?

 

[davidf18]

The AirPods Max are "please, please, rob me" magnets. I would never wear these because they are inviting people to steal them right off your head. In NYC where I live, riders on electric bikes ride by and steal them.
But regardless, you don't want to advertise yourself as a target for theft.

Since Apple has 7 stores in Manhattan including one that never closes and at least 10 in NYC, you'd think Apple would understand to make a design that doesn't make you a target for theft.

These new Beats offers surround sound, don't make you a target, and undoubtedly have a good quality sound overall, spending $200 less than the Max.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

Not really.
When using a wire with the AirPods Max, you can transmit 24 bit 48 KHZ audio. Most would consider this lossless, but because there's two analog to digital and back to analog conversions, Apple can't label it as such.
However, it's still much higher quality than what you get through Bluetooth, and still higher quality than a traditional CD, which most already call lossless.

So if these come with "lossless" support than that means that the new generation of Apple Airpods Max 2 might come with "lossless" support as well

I'm not sure why we're putting "lossless" in quotes or defining it in terms of bitrate. Lossless is a factor of compression and conversion; if data is lost in that process, it's not lossless; if it's preserved, it is. Something is either lossless or it isn't, it isn't a matter of being "called" so. The repeated conversions required to play over wired with APM (digital to analog, then analog to digital, then digital to analog again) results in some data loss, therefore it isn't lossless. That doesn't mean it won't sound good and that the APM aren't capable of playing 24/48, but any higher resolution than 24/48 will be down-converted, and it isn't a lossless signal. CD quality is lossless if isn't compressed or converted in a way that results in data loss.

It sounds like the difference between these headphones and the current APM is that with USB-C, Beats will support lossless with its on-board DAC (digital from the source, then conversion to analog with the headphones)--one conversion as opposed to going through multiple conversions as APM does, so Beats will retain a lossless signal and APM won't. And the Beats also support a 3.5mm connection, in which case lossless is determined by the source and not the Beats themselves. That's something APM doesn't support and I wish it did, because that allows me to use them like any regular pair of headphones.

Can anyone actually hear the difference between the very minor "lossyness" of APM's wired connection and true lossless? I doubt it. Sound quality depends much more on the source and the quality of the headphones than whether something is truly lossless or not. But it would be nice if the next generation of APM allows a 3.5mm connection and lossless through USB-C as the Beats do. I'd be surprised if they didn't.

 

[daneoni]

I just gave away my previous gen to my nephew. They were too tight and the volume wasn't great.

The new ones don't seem tempting especially with no Apple chip and no meaningful redesign.

I guess Airpods Pro and Airpods Max 2 when they arive for me then.

 

[Student of Life]

Honestly not bad, im currently stuck with the APX which have been such a disappointment for me.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

In order to deliver as much parity as possible across Apple and Android ecosystems, Beats Studio Pro do not feature a dedicated Apple audio chip

Well, that’s a MASSIVE downgrade compared to previous generation. Apple chip is what set Beats apart from other brand name headphones (other than Apple’s own)

No automatic switching especially = no go. They had YEARS to figure that out to get that working with Beat’s audio chip and iCloud. At this point, it’s very inexcusable, especially considering lot of people owning Beats branded product likely own multiple Apple products.

 

[RemedyRabbit]

Does the lack of an Apple chip mean they’ll only automatically pair with 2 devices, like other Bluetooth headphones? Very disappointed if that’s the case.

I love my bose quietcomfort 35s but constantly having to open the bose app to switch connection between phone, ipad and laptop is a pain. It’s by far the lamest thing about wireless headphones.

 

[Websnapx2]

While it seems the specs have improved, there is no way they are getting my money again. Their build quality is terrible. I am one to baby all my tech, and expensive headphones are no different. Both versions of Studio wireless headphones I got (first and third gen) had headbands snap and/or the side housing break around the earcups, just from regular use. They malfunctioned in the cold often, too, but the build quality was depressing. They sounded very good initially, but once the band or the housing went, you never got a good seal around your ear so that went too.

I bought a pair of AirPods Max and never looked back. Amazing sound, amazing build quality, and it's transparency mode is world-class.

 

[Samu25]

That's currently what I'm doing, but I'm starting to really wonder when the gen 2 will be coming out. I've been waiting a while now, and am close to biting the bullet and just getting the gen 1.

I was in the same boat as you. Then i found out you can actually rent/lease AirPods Max (and other devices) with a service called Grover.
So I decided to rent them for 3 months. Cost me about 90€, so 1€ per day, which is worth it imo.

Three months from now, the APM 2nd Gen should be out hopefully… If not, I’ll just continue the subscription until they release. Not willing to spend 600€ on headphones that will be outdated soon! 😅

My APM from Grover actually arrived just today, they are brand new, mint packaging. Really happy with them ☺️
Maybe Grover or a similar service is available where you live?

 

[SanderEvers]

Love Apple’s strategy of updating all of their Beats headphones to USB-C before their own branded ones.

Very cool that people are still buying $550 AirPods Max which will require a different charger than their new phones in 2 months.

They don't require a different charger. You can just use an USB-C charger, with an USB-C to lightning cable. You'll need 2 cables with an USB-C iPhone. But I think Apple will release an AirPod Max headphone with USB-C soon after / same time as their USB-C iPhone.

 

[mrat93]

Annoying? Yes. A big deal? Not to me. My AirPods Max charge next to the couch, lightning cable readily available. Phone charges somewhere else and always over MagSafe anyway.

Annoying and a deliberate move to sell more Lightning AirPods before they’re made less-convenient for every new iPhone owner come September.

You’re right. It’s not a big deal. I just can’t wait to stow away all but one Lightning cable in two months, and I wish Apple made it easier to do so sooner, and not at the expense of millions of customers who would have opted for USB-C if they had the choice for AirPods.

 

[mrat93]

They don't require a different charger. You can just use an USB-C charger, with an USB-C to lightning cable. You'll need 2 cables with an USB-C iPhone. But I think Apple will release an AirPod Max headphone with USB-C soon after / same time as their USB-C iPhone.

Yes, that’s what I’m referring to — two cables. And my point is that it’s silly that AirPods are the LAST of their headphones which are getting a USB-C model.

 

[Octavius8]

They seem better than the Max in all regards.
How about sound quality comparison?.
So sad the Max and iPhones don’t support usb-c audio (and charging at the same time). The max were always very limited.

 

[Mooey]

Trash product. Spend your money elsewhere

 

[Dylan33x]

So beats now has lossless support before apple?

Yeah but only through the USB C to USB C cable. Which the AirPods Max supports Via Lightning to 3.5mm

Which is interesting and due to my rudimentary understanding of DACs (theres one built in to the studio Pro) I’m a bit confused. Wouldn’t it still be lossless over 3.5mm? And in order to connect to my non USB-C iPhone, will it still be lossless using the USBC to 3.5mm adapter?

 

[Dylan33x]

Does it come with H2?

No. Has most of the features except no audio sharing, and no auto device switch. Also may not have as reliable of a connection as the H1/H2, but that’s to be seen

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

That's currently what I'm doing, but I'm starting to really wonder when the gen 2 will be coming out. I've been waiting a while now, and am close to biting the bullet and just getting the gen 1.

I’m in the same boat. I’ll definitely be waiting for the second gen. Especially since I have the second gen AirPods Pro. I hope the new AirPods Max comes along with the 3rd gen APP, both with a brand new H3 chip. Patience is a virtue.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

Yeah but only through the USB C to USB C cable. Which the AirPods Max supports Via Lightning to 3.5mm

Which is interesting and due to my rudimentary understanding of DACs (theres one built in to the studio Pro) I’m a bit confused. Wouldn’t it still be lossless over 3.5mm? And in order to connect to my non USB-C iPhone, will it still be lossless using the USBC to 3.5mm adapter?

As far as I know, the 3.5mm cable works by bypassing the internal DAC, effectively allowing you to use the Beats as if they were regular analog headphones, so losslessness would be determined by the source you're connected to. The Beats have two input ports, in other words: USB-C port connected to the internal DAC and a 3.5mm jack connected directly to the headphone drivers.

The APM doesn't allow this as it has only one port: Lightning. Connecting 3.5mm to Lightning results in an analog-to-digital conversion, then a digital-to-analog conversion. The Beats allow you to play lossless audio through the 3.5mm cable (from a lossless source) and through USB-C with its internal DAC.

 

[topdrawer]

no thank you. never buying beats again. the previous gen is the worse cans i've ever owned.

 

[MonkeySpank158]

how do these compare against the AP Max? Id love to see a comparison article.

 

[Dylan33x]

I'm not sure why we're putting "lossless" in quotes or defining it in terms of bitrate. Lossless is a factor of compression and conversion; if data is lost in that process, it's not lossless; if it's preserved, it is. Something is either lossless or it isn't, it isn't a matter of being "called" so. The repeated conversions required to play over wired with APM (digital to analog, then analog to digital, then digital to analog again) results in some data loss, therefore it isn't lossless. That doesn't mean it won't sound good and that the APM aren't capable of playing 24/48, but any higher resolution than 24/48 will be down-converted, and it isn't a lossless signal. CD quality is lossless if isn't compressed or converted in a way that results in data loss.

It sounds like the difference between these headphones and the current APM is that with USB-C, Beats will support lossless with its on-board DAC (digital from the source, then conversion to analog with the headphones)--one conversion as opposed to going through multiple conversions as APM does, so Beats will retain a lossless signal and APM won't. And the Beats also support a 3.5mm connection, in which case lossless is determined by the source and not the Beats themselves. That's something APM doesn't support and I wish it did, because that allows me to use them like any regular pair of headphones.

Can anyone actually hear the difference between the very minor "lossyness" of APM's wired connection and true lossless? I doubt it. Sound quality depends much more on the source and the quality of the headphones than whether something is truly lossless or not. But it would be nice if the next generation of APM allows a 3.5mm connection and lossless through USB-C as the Beats do. I'd be surprised if they didn't.

Thank you for breaking that down. Can you help provide some clarity for me? If I’m listening to said studio pros through say, ipad mini 5 with 3.5 jack to the SP 3.5mm- it would be processed through the built in DAC on the iPad mini and then sent straight to the SPs?

And if I’m listening on iPhone, the lightning to 3.5 adapter’s built in (cheap) DAC would convert it to analog and then it would go straight to the SPs?


Also, which I assume we won’t know till testing, so I’m not asking you per se - what would happen if I use a lightning to USB C cable to my iPhone?

*DISCLAIMER to everyone - I know there may very well be no noticeable difference in audio quality in actuality. That is not my question*

 

[steevn]

Over ear headphones don’t fit into what I need anymore, but I think it’s great they have kept the same design while making improvements.

I’m sure most people write them off immediately because of the Beats name(and obviously sound quality for the price in the past), but there’s no denying their original design was essentially perfect and still works today.

 

[Herrpod]

They seem better than the Max in all regards.
How about sound quality comparison?.
So sad the Max and iPhones don’t support usb-c audio (and charging at the same time). The max were always very limited.

What? They have worse noise cancelling, much much worse transparency, don’t have an Apple chip in them for quick pairing, don’t pause when removed from your ears, are cheap plastic, can’t replace the ear pads etc etc. In some regards they’re better, but in most they’re a huge step down.

 

[Dylan33x]

As far as I know, the 3.5mm cable works by bypassing the internal DAC, effectively allowing you to use the Beats as if they were regular analog headphones, so losslessness would be determined by the source you're connected to. The Beats have two input ports, in other words: USB-C port connected to the internal DAC and a 3.5mm jack connected directly to the headphone drivers.

The APM doesn't allow this as it has only one port: Lightning. Connecting 3.5mm to Lightning results in an analog-to-digital conversion, then a digital-to-analog conversion. The Beats allow you to play lossless audio through the 3.5mm cable (from a lossless source) and through USB-C with its internal DAC.

Thank you very much for those answers.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

Thank you for breaking that down. Can you help provide some clarity for me? If I’m listening to said studio pros through say, ipad mini 5 with 3.5 jack to the SP 3.5mm- it would be processed through the built in DAC on the iPad mini and then sent straight to the SPs?

And if I’m listening on iPhone, the lightning to 3.5 adapter’s built in (cheap) DAC would convert it to analog and then it would go straight to the SPs?


Also, which I assume we won’t know till testing, so I’m not asking you per se - what would happen if I use a lightning to USB C cable to my iPhone?

*DISCLAIMER to everyone - I know there may very well be no noticeable difference in audio quality in actuality. That is not my question*

As I understand it, without having tested the headphones:

Both 3.5 to 3.5 and Lightning/3.5 to 3.5 bypass the internal digital chips. The analog signal comes from the source (in your examples, the iPad’s internal DAC and the DAC on the Lightning/3.5 adapter) and goes straight to the headphones.

The Lightning/USB-C adapter should work, there’s no audio chip in it, it’s just digital to digital. I guess it depends on how the adapter works. That one could only be verified with testing.