When Apple acquired Beats in August 2014, it got its hands on not only Beats Music, the now defunct technical predecessor of Apple Music, but also the line of Beats headphones boasting the endorsement of rap legend Dr. Dre. These headphones, officially branded as “Beats by Dr. Dre”, include this redesigned and now wireless Beats Studio set – and, it turns out, you should believe the hype…
Beats headphones have long been accompanied by Dre’s pledge that users can now “hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do.” We can only assume that he was having so much fun that he just had to share it with the rest of us. In our test-run, the sound quality was considerable, bolstered by a generous serving of bass and, befitting the Studio part of the product name, seemingly equalized to a genuine studio standard.
As you can see from these photos, there was quite a lot for us to unbox – but what fun we had even before we got round to donning the headphones. Beats products are technically also Apple products now – and our own unboxing experience bettered even that of an “old school” iPhone or iPod during the Steve Jobs era. Simply cluing ourselves up on all the little details of the headphones and accompanying accessories and papers took up quite a few excitable minutes.
Unsurprisingly given the strong input of Dre and veteran music producer Jimmy Iovine, the easier absorption of all the beautiful intricate sounds of music, particularly pop and hip-hop, is a major draw of these headphones. The integrated Bluetooth technology does away with wires, which we hardly missed after enjoying the ability to move many feet away from the connected Apple device – a huge number of iPhones, iPads and iPods are compatible – without having to leave behind the music itself. (On the subject of moving, pictured below is the included hard-shell carrying case.)
A more unexpected gem in this hefty Beats Studio crown is the option of Adaptive Noise Canceling, or ANC. Should you find the outside world to be adding too much inadvertent aural accompaniment to your music, pressing the central Beats logo on the headphones to activate ANC can mute it all – leaving just your stunningly clear music. There’s even an ANC-only mode for silencing absolutely everything – ideal for getting a sounder sleep in noisy environments like planes and trains.
Currently retailing at $379.95 in Apple’s online store, these wireless headphones – which, we should add, are available in seven color schemes beside the black and gray set we tested – are undeniably pricey. However, it is testament to their quality that they still feel – or should we say, ahem, sound – like good value for money. The professional build, strong balance and bass, and impressive sound clarity combine to make these headphones worthy of Dr. Dre’s badge of approval.