Beats looks set to have quite a busy spring. We already know the Studio Buds Plus headphones are on the way (and likely soon), thanks to a premature Amazon listing. And now 9to5Mac reports that an updated set of Studio Pro noise-canceling headphones are also in the works after being spotted in the iOS 16.5 release candidate that was sent out to developers yesterday.
Citing sources familiar with the headphones, 9to5Mac says we can expect more powerful noise cancellation and an improved transparency mode. The $350 Studio 3 headphones – still sold by Apple to this day – offer no passthrough/transparency mode. But Beats has done a good job with the functionality of the Solo Pro headphones released in 2019 and its newer headphones. It therefore makes sense to bring transparency to the flagship on-ear boxes. The report says we can also expect features like custom spatial audio.
The Studio 3 headphones have gotten really long at this point, having been introduced in 2017.
The new Studio Pro will be available in four colors, according to 9to5Mac, including black, brown, dark blue and white. The design closely resembles the Studio 3 headphones, although Beats are expected to upgrade them to USB-C; yes, the Studio 3’s are old enough to charge via Micro USB.
I have to imagine the Studio Pro headphones will replace them. But if these new headphones again have an asking price of over $300, they’ll face fantastic high-end competition from Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, Bowers and Wilkins and other brands. And you have Apple’s AirPods Max sitting even higher on the price scale. Will Beats be able to explain why the Studio Pros stand out from the field? We should have a better idea in the not too distant future.
