Apple’s W1 chip in Beats Studio:
With all new Apple’s W1 chip Beats Studio3 Wireless headphones are the latest introduction that is to grab the large Apple iPhone user-base who spend time on busy airports, or use public transport, or who have to travel a lot on a daily basis or even those working in factories want peace of mind …
First lets have a look at specs comparison table just to refresh the memory in comparison with the old Beats Studio 2 version which was launched four years ago … You can easily understand the new additions over older version. Later we shall review each design feature which Beats Studio3 has newly introduced or improved compared to the older version of headphones.
Beats by Dr. Dre Studio3 vs Studio2 Specs Comparison Table
| Beats by Dr. Dre Over-Ear Headphones with mic | Beats studio 3 | Beats studio 2 |
| Best Buy Offer | Best Buy | Best Buy |
| Color | Shadow Gray, Porcelain Rose, Matte Black, White, Blue, Red | Gray, White |
| Chip | Apple W1 chip | |
| Bluetooth | Class 1 Bluetooth, 45 feet range through walls | 33 feet range |
| Form factor | Over ear | |
| Portability | Foldable design | |
| Ear Cusions | Soft over-ear cushions | |
| ANC | Pure Adaptive Noise Canceling (Pure ANC) | ANC- yes |
| Fast Fuel technology | 10 minutes of charging into 3 hours of playback | No |
| Devices | Seamlessly switch between iCloud-registered devices | |
| Cable | 3.5 mm remote talk cable for wired palyback | |
| Controls | Take calls, control music, and activate Siri with multifunction on ear controls | Volume & Audio |
| Battery | Lithium-Ion | |
| Battery charging | micro-USB cable | 5 pin Micro-USB Type B, mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm |
| Battery life | Up to 22 hours Turning Pure ANC off for low power mode provides up to 40 hours of playback without sacrificing audio quality. |
Up to 20 hours |
| Battery Fuel Gauge | Yes | |
| Beats by Dr. Dre Over-Ear Headphones with mic | Beats studio3 | Beats studio2 |
| Best Buy Offer | Best Buy | Best Buy |
So lets start by looking into each factor where Beats has improved upon or have new feature …
- Design:
Studio3 Wireless headphones are available in multiple color choices compare to the prior Studio2. Of course the over the ear type (circumaural) design remains the same with the most famous Logo on earcup outer-side.
The snug fit with soft cushions is fairly good to provide noise isolation without even activating ANC. - Sound Quality: Good at Lows – no distortion at all
With the Beats signature, Studio3 are as good as Studio2 with delivery of low frequencies without any distortion in sound quality. Rest mids and highs are well balanced and delivers crisp sound. - ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) to Pure ANC:
As soon as you switch on the headphones, ANC gets activated, you need to double tap the power button to disable the ANC. - Proximity pairing: W1 Chip
With iPhone running iOS 10 or 11 you can simply bypass the Bluetooth menu and hold headphones near the unlocked phone, now simply press & hold power button to have quick pairing with iPhone.
Also it allows seamless switching over Apple devices like iPhone to iPad or MacBook if you have all of them registered onto iCloud, so no need to unpair the devices .. - Class 1 Bluetooth: Get Extended range
Provies extended range till approx 45 feet as well as headphones does not get drop outs due to walls and doors, remember the old Studio2 has old 33 feet range with some limitations. - Control buttons:
Left Earcup:
Features the B button which acts as a multifunction control for Playback, Call management, and tracks navigation with multiple taps. You can tap the ring around the B button and you can adjust volume, which works in conjunction with your mobile device’s master volume levels.
Right Earcup:
Features an audio cable connection for wired listening as well as mico-USB point for charging - Wired connection:
The cable comes with an inline mic with three button remote control - Extended Battery Life: 22 hours to 40 hours
With latest chip, you will be able to get Up to 22 hours of music playtime, and Turning Pure ANC off for low power mode provides up to 40 hours of playback without sacrificing audio quality.
The old beats studio2 had 20 hours of music playtime -
Issues that I feel needs to be addressed in Beats Studio3 headphones:
- Audio connection: Needs Auto ANC cutoff
Surprisingly while you connect the audio cable to save battery power, the Bluetooth connection is automatically cut off, however the ANC does not turn off, so if you forget to switch it OFF you will not save battery power as expected. So I think there shall be improvement in this feature to switch the ANC OFF automatically if you connect 3.5mm wire. - Pure ANC: Lag in activation
A wind adaptation feature kicks in after five seconds, I am not sure what is logic behind provision of this feature since most of the competition like Bose QuietComfort does not need such period and they simply eliminate the audio once it’s picked up by the NC mics!!
As per the reviews on various websites, Beats Studio3 ANC is not as effective as the BOSE - Non replaceable ear-pads
- Lacks full functionality with Android
- The in-line remote control integrated in the cable will only work with Apple products !! (useless for Android users)
- Audio connection: Needs Auto ANC cutoff
Final words on all new Beats by Dr. Dre Studio
Although Beats has introduced Studio3 after four years, it looks like its fully devoted to the Apple fans only. If your iOS device has W1 chip then you get the best out of it.
It has got ANC with extended battery life, however the ANC is not as powerful as the Bose QuietComfort 35 one.
The headphones are totally targeted towards Apple users and hence Android fans would not be able to get 100% juice out of it.
Finally while they are available in stores, I suggest to go ahead.. feel them onto your ears .. trust me … you are the best judge in this world and no one else 🙂
Cheers !!