After leaking in an Amazon listing last month, Beats has unveiled its new Studio Buds Plus earbuds. They’re an upgraded version of the Studio Buds from 2021 with better ANC, improved battery life, better sound quality, and a new transparent design option. They’re launching today for $169.99.
The most striking aspect of the Studio Buds Plus is their new design, which takes obvious cues from the Nothing Ear (2). Its use of translucent plastic showcases the internals of the buds and charging case, while the exterior has a frosted finish instead of a glossy one like the Nothing buds. The Studio Buds Plus are also available in Black / Gold and Ivory, but… c’mon, anyone buying them should get Transparent.
Beyond the fresh coat of paint (or lack thereof), the Studio Buds Plus make some important changes on the inside. Beats has improved the active noise cancellation by 1.6x thanks to larger microphones, better venting, and a more powerful processor. Transparency is also getting an upgrade; Beats says users can expect a 2x improvement.
That’s in conjunction with better overall sound quality, which Beats says is thanks to “a proprietary two-layer transducer that flexes to deliver cleaner bass and ultra-low distortion.” They still use 8.2mm drivers, but the company says they’ll produce richer, more immersive sound.
There are also three new acoustic vents that help to alleviate pressure and make the Studio Buds Plus more comfortable to wear all day long. You also get upgraded microphones that are better at suppressing wind and amplifying your voice during phone calls.
Battery life is also seeing an improvement. Whereas the previous Studio Buds could last up to eight hours on a full charge and 24 hours with the included case, the Studio Buds Plus can last up to nine hours on a charge and 36 hours with their case. The new model still charges over USB-C, and there’s still no support for wireless charging.
Because they’re Beats and not AirPods, the Studio Buds Plus work well across iOS and Android. Not only do you get one-touch pairing, “Hey Siri” support, and Find My compatibility with the former, you also get Fast Pair support, Audio Switch for multi-device pairing, and Find My Device compatibility on the latter. The Beats companion app is also available on both platforms, so you really won’t miss out on any features regardless of the phone in your pocket.
The Beats Studio Buds Plus are available in the US, Canada, and China. Orders will begin shipping tomorrow. So far, I’ve only been able to find them on Apple’s website, but I imagine more retailers will get them soon.
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