AirPods 3 vs Beats Studio Buds, which are better headphones?

Comparison chart

Before going fully into talking about all the aspects that stand out in both headphones, we want to put on the table the main specifications of both the third-generation AirPods and the Beats Studio Buds. Two headphones that are separated by many things but that, without any doubt, are two ideal options for the vast majority of users.

Once you know the technical differences between these two headphones, we want to highlight those that, in our opinion, can differentiate them the most and that, consequently, you will have to take into account when choosing one device or another. Coming up next, we tell you.

• Noise cancellation is surely the most different aspect that exists between AirPods and Beats, since some have and others do not, so you will have to be yourself who decides if you really need to have this feature in your day to day.
• Another difference is the type of headset , since the Beats Studio Buds are in-ear headphones while the AirPods 3 are not, which will mark the degree of comfort that both can offer users.
• The autonomy in wireless headphones is vital, since it will mark the time of continuous use that you can make of the device itself.
• Sound quality is always a fundamental point when talking about headphones, so you will have to take this point into account when choosing one of these two options.

Design

The first point that we want to get into to talk fully is the design of the headphones. At the end of the day this will mark two points that, practically unintentionally, affect the decision that the user has to make . On the one hand, aesthetics is responsible for making that first impression on the user, a first impression that you want or not will subsequently affect the rest of the assessments that you can make about yourself. On the other hand, the design also affects the comfort of the headphones when inserting them in the ear and using them continuously.

Aesthetically opposite

If you look at the design of both the AirPods and the Beats you can see how they are radically different . In the case of the AirPods 3, the design inherited from the Pro model in white, with black details and with that characteristic barite make it really elegant and attractive. On the other hand, the Beats Studio Buds bet on a plug design, that is, there is nothing that protrudes from the ear. In addition, unlike the AirPods, these are available in different colors , such as black, white and red .

Obviously, this will be a really subjective and personal point for each user, since at the end of the day, for now, we are only judging the aesthetic section of both devices, so there will be people who prefer or like the design of the devices more. Beats, and on the other hand, others will be more attracted to the design of the AirPods.

They are comfortable?

Leaving aside the aesthetic section, the reality is that the design also has a huge impact on how comfortable, or not, these headphones are when using them. Again, in this aspect they are also radically different, since the AirPods 3 are traditional headphones, while the Beats Studio Buds have that famous pad , that is, they are in-ear headphones .

Unfortunately, in this case, it will not be the taste of each person that will make them opt for one or the other, but the comfort when using them will radically make a difference. There are many users who, due to the anatomy of their ears, cannot use rubber earphones because they tend to fall from their ears, so in this case, they really have no other options than AirPods. On the other hand, other users are lucky enough to be able to enjoy both one type of headset and another, so here they will have to take into account other aspects that we are going to talk about next.

How are they heard?

When it comes to talking about headphones, a point that can never be overlooked is the sound quality they are capable of offering, in this case the AirPods 3 and the Beats Studio Buds. Fortunately for the users of both devices, the sound quality is really fantastic , and that is that Apple always does a brilliant job.

Both AirPods and Beats have the famous spatial audio features and give users the ability to play content with Dolby Atmos technology. However, AirPods have an extra feature, adaptive equalization , which will make the sound emitted by the headphones fully customized based on the anatomy of your hate, offering the best possible experience.

Noise cancellation, do you need it?

As we said at the beginning of this post, noise cancellation will surely be the point where more users stop and finally decide between the AirPods and the Beats Studio Buds. Again, in this aspect the two headphones are totally different , since some offer noise cancellation and others do not , so you will have to enter to assess what you really need.

For all those users who are looking for headphones that they are going to use outside the home , to go to the gym or to travel a lot and if they need to have those quiet moments that noise cancellation can give you, since obviously the Beats Studio Buds are the choice ideal . However, other users prefer to opt for a more comfortable alternative to simply use at home or at specific times away from it. In that case, there is no rival that can compete with the comfort of using AirPods 3 .

Other important aspects

When we compare two headphones, not all attention has to fall on noise cancellation, sound quality or comfort, since there are other aspects that also mark the user experience with devices of this type such as gestures , autonomy , compatibility with other devices, or the microphone . We will talk about all this below.

Gestures to control the headphones

When it comes to interacting with the headphones, on both devices you can do practically the same thing , however, it is done differently, something that is totally influenced by the design of the headset itself. In the case of the Beats Studio Buds, what you have to do is press on the earpiece itself , while in the case of the AirPods 3 you have to press the pin with two fingers .

Gestures are a fundamental point when it comes to giving the user the best possible experience, since with them you give the possibility of being able to perform different actions without having to use the device that is playing the music or the audio content that you are listening to. . As we said, with both headphones you can do practically the same actions, which are the following.

• Pause / Play .
• Skip to the next song .
• Song backward .
• Activate noise cancellation or ambient mode (Beats Studio Buds only).
• Invoke Siri .

Autonomy, is it enough?

If we take into account that both devices are two wireless headphones, something that all users have to bear in mind is the time that they will be able to use them continuously, that is, the autonomy they provide. Fortunately, this is not usually a problem , since today most headphones are capable of giving enough hours of autonomy with a single charge, but hey, let’s see if in this case there is a big difference from one device to another.

In the case of the AirPods 3 , Apple promises up to 6 hours of audio playback on a single charge, which can be up to 30 hours with the charging case . On the other hand, the Beats Studio Buds offer up to 5 hours of audio playback also with a solar charge, and go up to 24 hours with the case .

Since we are talking about autonomy, the way to charge them also varies slightly. Both cases have a Lightning port through which they can be charged, however, the AirPods 3 offer up to two more options, since you can charge them through any wireless charging base and you can even use the Magsafe iPhone chargers to also charge the AirPods case.

Apple device compatibility

We have reached a point where you will not be able to find any difference between the two headphones. Both the AirPods 3 and the Beats Studio Buds have perfect compatibility and synchronization with the entire Apple ecosystem, being two of the best options you can buy to have that experience with the rest of the brand’s devices.

This is due to the fact that both the AirPods and the Beats are two headphones from Apple itself and that is why they have inside the famous H1 chip that makes synchronization and use with devices from the Cupertino company so perfect, providing an experience of user that we could classify as unmatched with other products.

The microphone, how does it work?

As with other similar devices, the microphone of the third-generation AirPods and the Beats Studio Buds delivers , but it is certainly a point where Apple can improve considerably to give users the ability to use these. headphones for more than just making calls or sending audios through different messaging applications.

In this section do not expect anything spectacular, in fact in some situations in which the wind can be relatively intense, the audio captured by the microphones of these two headphones is poor and practically unusable, so in this case we can ask Apple that in future versions provide a higher quality microphone .

Headphone price

As it cannot be otherwise, in a comparison of two devices, a fundamental point is the price that both cost, since it is surely the final point that many people are waiting to finish deciding whether to acquire the AirPods 3 or the Beats Studio Buds and we already anticipate that there are differences, but not very big.

In the case of third-generation AirPods , Apple has chosen to price them at 199 euros through its official website, while Beats Studio Buds can be purchased, also through the Apple Store itself, for 149 euros , that is to say, 50 euros of difference between both headphones. With this data you already have to be yourself or yourself who decides which headset is most convenient for you to use based on your needs and what both devices offer.

Our recommendation

A comparison cannot end without a final conclusion, in addition, in the ITIGIC writing team we have been lucky enough to be able to test and use both headphones to be able to give you our completely personal and subjective assessment. The reality is that both earbuds are truly fantastic, offering an Apple-product user experience.

It is true that the Beats Studio Buds in most aspects are perhaps a notch below the third generation AirPods, however, there is one point that differentiates them, which is noise cancellation. Personally, I am a user who cannot live without having in his backpack with headphones that offer noise cancellation, therefore, in case of having to choose between both devices, my choice is clear, the Beats Studio Buds , which are also 50 euros cheaper.

However, if the headphones were to be used mainly at home , without a doubt the AirPods 3 deserve those 50 euros of difference for what they are capable of providing, especially at the level of comfort, since in that aspect they do not have rival. But hey, these are our conclusions and personal situations, so we invite you to be the one to take your own based on the data that we have provided in this post, since no one better than you will know what your needs are.