• PBI Beats Studio Buds Plus
    Beats Studio Buds +
    Editor's Choice

    Beats Studio Buds+ are the latest generation wireless earbuds from the Apple-owned brand. The new earbuds feature 1.6x better ANC compared to first gen, up to 36 hours of battery life, IPX4 water resistance, bigger microphones for clear calling, a new custom chip that enables support for "Hey Siri," and more. The earbuds come in three colors: Black-Gold, Ivory, and an all-new Transparent finish.

    Pros
    • Silicon eartips for comfortable fit
    • Active Noise Cancelation
    • Supports both Android and iPhone
    Cons
    • No wireless charging
    • No automatic pause and play
  • Apple AirPods 3
    Apple AirPods 3
    A Great Alternative
    $151 $169 Save $18

    AirPods 3 support Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ, and has force sensors that let you easily control the earbuds while listening to music, watching movies, or taking a call. The earbuds are sweat and water-resistant and can last up to 6 hours on a single charge or 30 hours provided by the charging case.

    Pros
    • Adaptive EQ for better personalized sound
    • Automatic pause and play
    • MagSafe and Wireless charging support
    Cons
    • No silicon eartips
    • Lightning port, no USB-C connector

Key Takeaways

  • Beats Studio Buds + offer a more complete package with features like Active Noise Cancelation, silicon ear tips for improved fit, and compatibility with both Android and iPhone platforms.
  • The AirPods 3rd Gen is a great option for those invested in the Apple ecosystem and prefer earbuds with an open-ear design.
  • The Beats Studio Buds + have longer battery life at up to 36 hours, while the AirPods 3rd Gen provides up to 30 hours.

Apple's new Beats Studio Buds + offer a lot of features for the price, including "Hey Siri" support, iCloud sync, Spatial Audio, better ANC and voice calls, longer battery life, and much more. However, priced at $169, they directly compete with Apple's own AirPods 3. In this article, we will compare Beats Studio Buds + and Apple's AirPods 3 to help you decide which one you should buy.

First, let's take a quick look at the specs and features both earbuds offer:


  • Beats Studio Buds +Apple AirPods 3
    BrandBeatsApple
    Battery LifeUp to 36 hoursUp to 30 hours
    Noise CancellationYes, ANC supportedNot supported
    Mono ListeningYesYes
    MicrophonesDual-beam forming microphonesDual beamforming microphone, inward facing microphone
    ConnectivitySupports both Android and Apple devices, Fast pairingCompatible with Apple devices, Fast pairing support
    IP ratingEarbuds: IPX4Earbuds: IPX4, Charging Case: IPX4
    Weight (earbuds)5g4.28g
    MaterialSilicon eartipsNon-silicon half in-ear ear tip
    ChargingUSB-C wired charging, no wireless charging supportWired charging, MagSafe and Qi wireless charging support
    ColorBlack-Gold, Ivory, TransparentWhite
    ChipBeats custom chipApple H1 chip
    Spatial AudioYesYes
    Special features"Hey Siri" support, single multi-function button per side, Find My support for both Android and iPhone"Hey Siri" support, Force sensors, Skin detect sensor, Find My support for iPhone
    PortUSB-CLightning Port

Price and availability

Both the Beats Studio Buds + and Apple AirPods 3 cost $169. However, since the AirPods 3 have been available for some time now, you can find them at a lower price online — especially during sales events like Amazon Prime Day and Back Friday. We expect discounts to be available for the Beats Studio Buds + in the near future, but they are currently being sold at the MSRP of $169. You can purchase both earbuds from reliable retailers such as Best Buy, Amazon, Adorama, and other similar stores.

Design

Beats Studio Buds Plus Design 2

Starting off the Apple AirPods 3 vs. Beats Studio Buds + comparison guide with the design, you will notice that both earbuds have a very different outlook. The Beats Studio Buds + follows the same design language as the first-gen earbuds, featuring a stem-less design where the earbuds sit almost flush within your ears (and also silicon ear tips).

On the other hand, the AirPods 3 offer a design that's a mix of AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro, with a long stem and an open-ear design. While some people prefer the design of the AirPods 3, many have complained about it constantly slipping out of the ears due to the open-ear design.

AirPods 3 on the table
Source: Pocketnow

The Beats Studio Buds +, on the other hand, offer a secure fit thanks to the silicon ear tips. So, if you're looking for a pair of earbuds that don't fall out of your ears while running or working out, the Beats Studio Buds + is probably a better choice.

As far as playback controls on the earbuds are concerned, the AirPods 3 features a force touch sensor that lets you control music playback and volume. On the other hand, the Beats Studio Buds + feature a physical button on the outer side, just like the first-gen product, that lets you control music playback as well as ANC modes.

Taking a look at the charging cases, the Beats Studio Buds + features an oval-shaped case that resembles the design of the first-generation product. In contrast, the AirPods 3 case adopts a similar style to the AirPods Pro to match its updated design. One notable difference here is that the Beats Studio Buds + case features a USB-C port, whereas the AirPods 3 charging case utilizes the proprietary Lightning port.

Colors

Beats Studio Buds Plus Colors

The Beats Studio Buds + come in three color options: Black-Gold, Ivory, and a transparent finish resembling the Nothing Ear (2). Even though Beats refers to this finish as "Transparent," it is more accurately described as translucent and not as clear as the Ear (2)'s finish. In contrast, the Apple AirPods 3 are solely available in a single white color option. You can, though, customize the look of your AirPods 3 using various cases and skins.

Compatibility

Like the original Beats Studio Buds, the newer Studio Buds + support both Android and iPhone. In fact, the Beats earbuds feature support for fast pairing on both platforms. While you can pair the AirPods 3 with an Android smartphone, most of the features won't work as intended, and they are best compatible with an iPhone.

Sound Quality and Features

Beats Studio Buds Plus Audio

When it comes to features, the Beats Studio Buds + and Apple AirPods 3rd Gen offer relatively similar capabilities. The AirPods 3 are equipped with Apple's H1 chip, while the Beats Studio Buds + utilize their own custom chipset, enabling features akin to those of the AirPods.

Both earbuds offer iCloud sync feature with Apple devices, automatic device switching, fast pairing, "Hey Siri" functionality, Spatial Audio support, and integration with the Find My app. While the AirPods 3 come with the Precision Finding feature for newer iPhones, the Beats Studio Buds + offer Find My support on both Android and iPhone.

Earbud held in hand by the stem

Coming to sound quality, while we haven't tried the earbuds just yet, many reviews online suggest that Beats have fixed its audio issues with the Studio Buds +. The earbuds aren't very bass heavy — a notion commonly associated with the Beats brand — and are reported to offer excellent sound quality. In fact, some people say the Studio Buds + aren’t far off from the AirPods Pro "in terms of sound signature."

As for the sound quality of the Apple AirPods 3, we found them to be "pretty great." In the AirPods 3rd Gen review, our own Jaime Rivera said that Apple has greatly improved the sound, thanks to the combination of Adaptive EQ and a new low distortion driver. However, its open-ear design still gets in the way of being "truly excellent."

Active Noise Cancelation

Beats Studio Buds Plus True Wireless Earbuds Noise Cancelling

Due to its open-ear design, the AirPods 3rd Gen lacks support for Active Noise Cancelation. Beats Studio Buds +, on the other hand, offer noise cancelation support (even better compared to the previous generation). The company says the new earbuds offer 1.6x better noise cancelation compared to its predecessor. Furthermore, the transparency mode on the newer model is two times better than that of the first-gen product.

Beats says this has been possible thanks to larger microphones on the earbuds as well as an "intelligent voice-targeting" algorithm that effectively blocks surrounding noise much better compared to the first-gen. In turn, this also leads to much better call quality.

Battery

AirPods 3 charging

The AirPods 3rd gen offers a total of 30 hours of battery life, while the Beats Studio Buds + can last up to 36 hours on a single charge (combined with the charging case). In terms of charging, the Beats Studio Buds + comes with a USB-C charging port with fast charge support. However, there is no support for wireless charging. In contrast, AirPods 3 offers wireless charging support, and they can be charged using both MagSafe chargers and other Qi-certified chargers.

Beats Studio Buds + or Apple AirPods 3: Which one should you buy?

On the whole, the Beats Studio Buds + offer a more complete package. It comes with several notable advantages like silicon ear tips for improved fit, Active Noise Cancelation, compatibility with both Android and iPhone platforms, USB-C charging, and on-par software features to the AirPods, making the Beats Studio Buds + clearly a better choice.

PBI Beats Studio Buds Plus
Beats Studio Buds +
Editor's Choice

Beats Studio Buds+ are the latest generation wireless earbuds from the Apple-owned brand. The new earbuds feature 1.6x better ANC compared to first gen, up to 36 hours of battery life, IPX4 water resistance, bigger microphones for clear calling, a new custom chip that enables support for "Hey Siri," and more. The earbuds come in three colors: Black-Gold, Ivory, and an all-new Transparent finish.

If, however, you're invested in the Apple ecosystem and prefer earbuds with an open-ear design, the AirPods 3rd Gen is an excellent option. These earbuds deliver impressive sound quality and boast seamless software features that make the overall experience of using them with Apple devices a delight.

Apple AirPods 3
Apple AirPods 3
A great alternative
$151 $169 Save $18

AirPods 3 support Spatial Audio, Adaptive EQ, and has force sensors that let you easily control the earbuds while listening to music, watching movies, or taking a call. The earbuds are sweat and water-resistant and can last up to 6 hours on a single charge or 30 hours provided by the charging case.