The Beats Studio Buds Plus is an earphone, after all, and while im sure people would still buy them regardless, just because of the cool clear case sound really should also be a priority. There are so many good-sounding wireless earbuds on the market now that it just wouldn’t pass if fidelity took a hit, but Beats have nailed it. It’s crazy that a company that was universally bashed for bad sound quality has now found its way under Apple’s guidance.
I noted the increase in driver venting in all the release literature. I always felt that my original Studio Buds were a bit bloated and that there was room for potential improvements in sound quality if the drivers were allowed to breathe. The difference is night and day to a tuned ear.
This is a far more polished, refined, and airy listening experience that removes the muddiness and clears out the midrange to make the Studio Buds Plus work well with many musical genres.
The bass remains punch and has a good sub-bass extension, but the mid-bass is cleaned up to make them sound more controlled and tighter, with a better representation than low-weighted stringed instruments.
This carries into the midrange, where the airiness creates a greater sense of spacing between instruments and improves detail retrieval as fine sounds are no longer overwhelmed.
It’s the same drivers inside, but it shows how important internal positioning, venting, and dampening are when designing sound inside an earphone shell.
The treble is good, with some bright spots that add energy to pacey tracks, and the sound stay is average, which is to be expected on any in-ear headphones.
I won’t go as far as to say the Studio Buds Plus are top-tier sounding. An earphone designed especially for sound quality like the Campfire Audio Orbit will outperform it on technicalities, but we have to accept that it is by design. Apple will not market a sub $200 earphone that performs better than its more expensive flagship, the Airpods Pro 2nd gen. But that doesn’t mean the Studio Plus can’t also rock your world.
However, they are very competitive for the price, especially if you like a well-defined low-end, as the Plus has just the right amount of bass quantity to make EDM, Rap, and Hip Hop music slam. Still, they do it in a way that remains composed enough to work with all genres.
Other Features:
Other things we should discuss include an IPX4 water resistance rating, which makes them a good earbud for running and working out.
I like that they include auto pairing, so when I take the earbuds out of the case, they are automatically detected by my iPhone; however, I wouldn’t say I like that they don’t have the auto-switching function found on airpods.
Other features that aren’t included are spatial audio, audio sharing, and fit optimization via software. Still, I appreciate that Beats includes four sizes of eartips in the box to ensure a greater chance of a good seal in your ears.
A Brief History of Beats Earbuds
Beats earbuds have a relatively short history but one that has had a profound impact on the music and audio industry. The popular headphones were first introduced in 2008 by Beats Electronics, founded by music producer Dr. Dre and record executive Jimmy Iovine. The first iteration of the earbuds, the Tour, was met with mixed reviews, but subsequent models quickly gained popularity.
The release of the wireless Powerbeats in 2010 brought further innovation, while the acquisition of Beats by Apple in 2014 allowed the brand to gain even more ground. Today, Beats earbuds are a common sight on headphone jacks worldwide and have helped shape contemporary listening habits.
