Solo3 vs. Studio3 vs. PowerBeats Pro

[Brien]

Anyone who has tried all three able to comment on sound quality/comfort/battery life between these options? I’m not expecting hardcore audiophile sound but want something better than the AirPods. Use will be 90% office/deskjob and 10% working out, FWIW.

 

[Gamer-Dad]

I have AirPods, PowerBeats Pro and Studio3's.

Sound wise, the Studio's drown out the most ambient noises and have the best seal, albeit with a heftier weight, and for me a lot more sweat while working out. Not really a fan of them for the gym. Sound is really good, though a bit heavy on the base.

I've used AirPods at the gym since they were first introduced. Never had a problem with them falling out or getting ruined by sweating... They don't drown out the ambient noises of the gym, but its also nice when someone talks to you and you can hear them without stopping the music. Nice lightweight and for me very comfortable. My 2nd favorites for the gym.

My PowerBeats Pro are my goto headphones for the gym and most things other than yard work (thats what I use my Studio's for now). THey fit great, are pretty light, and seal out most ambient noises. Sound is almost as good as the Studio's, but less base heavy.

As for all 3, the Studio's and PowerBeats Pro run neck and neck with battery. The AirPods of course will need to be charged more, but I could get a full week of gym with only charging the case on Sunday (3 hours 4 times a week, 1.5 hours 2 times a week). With my PowerBeats, I have managed the same workout times with charging every other week.

 

[Herrpod]

From purely a sound quality standpoint:

AirPods - They're just OK. Light on bass, clear vocals
Powerbeats Pro - Good bass given they're in-ear. Horrible high end. Very fatiguing.
Beats Studio - I'm sorry, but these are absolute junk. Bass is muddy and it clouds vocals horribly
Beats Solo - Surprisingly, these are the best of the bunch. Great bass response and clear vocals. Only issue you may have is pain from them being on-ear.

 

[cynics]

I have the AirPods, Studio 3 and had the Solo 3 which I gave to a friend when I got the Studio 3's. I also have QC35's and had MX1000m3's (299 at target a few months ago).

The AirPods are for phone calls and the gym. Thats it. I typically wear them all day.

The Solo 3's were a good all around headphone. I really didn't have any complaints aside from the Beats styling.

The Studio 3's I like even more. Not perfect but of the 3 options they are actually my preference. For me bass is there but lacks in depth. For the price I think they are really good and I prefer the fit over over ear vs on ear. I even prefer them over the Sony MX1000m3's which I had to immediately EQ, too much bass for my preference. Don't get me wrong the bass sounds good but its overwhelming. The app has a lot of cool functionality and I liked the headphones interface. NC caused pressure in my head though.

My favorite BT headphone though are the QC35's. Sound wise, to my ears they do everything just a tiny bit better. They are a bit more comfortable. And the NC is perfect for me. Of the big three BT headphones I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.