On the bottom of the left ear cup is the 3.5mm input, so you can plug in the included audio cable with a mic and remote. And, no, it doesn’t end in a lightning cable, nor does it come with a dongle. Moving over to the right ear cup, you get the power button and five small LED lights that let you know roughly how much battery is left. Double-tapping the power button also lets you toggle the active noise cancelling on and off, so long as you’re on an iOS device.
Listening to the NC itself, with no music, the circuitry does produce a very slightly audible hiss, but this is typical, and you won’t notice the hiss with audio playing. The headphones also do beats solo pro wireless a decent job of tamping down loud sounds and even quiet some speaking and chatter in the room. But this is not the best noise cancellation we’ve heard—Bose still takes top marks in that regard.
While there is a unique mix that puts a little focus on those low tones, I found it be a well-balanced experience. In a similar vein to having no companion app, there are no extra modes for listening on the Studio3s. You get what you get out of the box, and that’s not a bad thing. Beats sticks with the iconic design that has been worn by athletes and influencers alike, but adds some flare in the form of new color waves. The Studio3s come in defiant black-red, midnight black, desert sand, crystal blue, matte black, gray, white, red, blue and shadow gray.
I’m usually a little more lenient with Beats products because I know they’re going to sell anyway, but the Studio3 Wireless isn’t worth the original $350 USD. On promotion, for less than $200 USD is a different story. This headset becomes a fairly priced option at that point but the “studio” moniker doesn’t make this a real set of studio headphones. The Apple W1 headphone chip brings seamless setup and switching for your Apple devices§, so you can easily move about, keep the music going, and stay productive all day.
That being said, any pressure is compensated for by impressive adjustment possibilities. You can pull the earpieces out by 2.8 mm, while quality padding on the earpieces and headband ensures you can wear these for long periods of time without worrying about things getting uncomfortable. Sounds from the city outside of the window and beyond were effectively dampened as though the window had been closed. Noise and clatter produced when carrying out daily chores is also dampened effectively when wearing the headphones, with this external noise sounding as though it might be coming from another room.
Apple users can’t use the included in-line microphone cable or 3.5mm audio port. Full review here) get right – but at least Beats accomplishes the bare minimum. As for flexibility, the Studio3 Wireless can be flexed a bit, but certainly not like other models. We don’t recommend bending or flexing them, out of fear that they might snap from the pressure. The Beats Studio 3 are fully compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs when used wirelessly. You can also use their 1/8″ TRRS cable to connect to PCs via their AUX port with full mic and audio compatibility.
The Studio3 Wireless are lightweight, compact, and everything you’d expect from wireless headphones. They weigh 9.17oz, which is on par with other headphones, like the 9oz Sony WH-1000XM3. You shouldn’t have too much of an issue with weight here for long-term use.
Using Apple’s W1 chip, connections are the easiest and most useful part of the Studio3 Wireless. Having said that, it’s almost sad that proximity pairing and connectivity is the only good thing about this pair of headphones. It’s also worth noting that newer products, like the aforementioned AirPods Pro, use an even faster chip to connect. The Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless are better headphones than the Beats Studio3 Wireless.
When you first unbox these headphones, just power them on and hold them next to your iOS device like an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. A little window will appear showing the Studio3, in your chosen color, twirling around and asking you if you want to pair. Click “accept” and these will be linked with your iCloud account and available for quick switching across your Apple devices. The Studio3s have two microphones that pick up ambient noises and voices, along with a software element that analyzes the sound.
The Beats Studio3 only connect wirelessly via Bluetooth and therefore aren’t compatible with PlayStation or Xbox consoles. They’re compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs or mobile devices, but their latency is likely too high for competitive gaming. Headphones store-bought and tested, supported by you via insider access, and when you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. We purchase our own headphones and put them under the same test bench, so that you can compare the results easily. If you have an iPhone or iPad, make sure it’s running the most recent version of iOS or iPadOS.