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March 2, 2014
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DefinitelyNOTanAudiophile's Reviews

Beats - Studio Over-the-Ear Headphones - Matte Black

Rock out with these Beats Beats Studio 900-00189-01 headphones that feature adaptive noise cancelling to filter out ambient sound. Leatherette ear cushions and a flexible design ensure a comfortable fit.

Tech Insider Network
This reviewer is a member of the Best Buy Tech Insider Network Program. This invitation-only program provides BestBuy.com reviewers with manufacturer-supplied products for the purpose of writing honest, unbiased and usage-based reviews. Outside of receiving products to test and review, Best Buy Tech Insider Network Reviewers are not compensated in any other way.
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Customer Rating

Improved Comfort and Sound

on March 2, 2014

Posted by: DefinitelyNOTanAudiophile

from Petaluma, CA

How Often Used:Daily

I am not an audiophile. I am just an average consumer, a teacher (I love using Beats in a coffee shop or even at work when I'm grading or lesson planning for long periods of time), and I also use my beats when I play video games.

I have been using the original Beats Studios for a while now, but I've got a problem. I have a big head (size 8 in fitted hats, for reference). The original Studios press against the side of my head to the point that I get a headache if I wear them for more than a few minutes. I decided to get the new Studios because I have heard that the comfort is much improved with them. In only 24 hours, however, I've debated returning them. Here's why:

I used the Studios for about an hour right out of the box, as the fuel gauge indicated the battery was full. I got out my old studios and conducted about an hour's worth of sound comparisons just to see if I could notice a difference in the range, the sound quality improvements about which I have read so much, etc. I used a few different songs - bass-driven rap, indie (specifically for the twangy guitar highs), and a song by a quartet of singers with an ukulele. Within these parameters, I was able to get a good feel for the range of audio capabilities of the new Studios alongside the my old pair of the originals.

The improved comfort stood out right away, which was great for my big head. I can wear them without getting a headache. The sound of the vocals in the songs, however, slightly annoyed me. In the new Studios, the vocals sound like they are coming through a tin hallway. I'm not talking about reverb here, but more along the lines of a compressed or filtered effect that I would use on my guitar. On the upside, I feel like I am standing right next to the singer in the studio, if that makes sense. I've read that this is the experience for which Beats are made, anyway, so perhaps they did a great job here. The bass has a nice punch to it without overpowering the rest of the music. I do feel that some of the background sounds (such as guitar and synth sections in the indie song) slightly disappeared in the new Studios when compared to my old ones (I had both pairs on and kept switching the cable between the two for an immediate comparison. And, clearly, lots of free time).

If the new Studios were my first pair of Beats, I'd probably be blown away. Even without the cable plugged in, you can turn on the "white noise" noise cancellation feature. I tried this next to my old, buzzing refrigerator and the Studios delivered enough noise cancellation to block it out (talk about real world application!) and I personally like the sound of the white noise. You can't hear it when the music is playing, either. Some reviewers complain about a "hiss," which I am assuming is the same thing. To each their own.

Unfortunately, the very next morning (literally twelve hours after I purchased them on the day prior) when I decided to use my new Studios again, they would not turn on. I tried plugging in the audio cable, which initiates the auto-on feature, pressing and holding the fuel gauge button to manually turn on the noise canceling feature without the audio cable plugged into the headphones, and charged them from multiple outlets around my house just to be sure. No luck. So I packed them all back in the box, got out my receipt and was just about out the door to return them when I looked online to see if anyone else had a similar issue - that is, brand new, three-hundred dollar Beats Studios not working less than twenty-four hours after opening and using them for the first time. Sounds ridiculous, right?

Luckily, I found the Beats page with directions for resetting the Studios. I figured I might be able to save myself a drive and having to wait in line for customer service, so I unpackaged the Beats (again, although it was not as suspenseful as the first time) and held the fuel gauge button down for ten seconds. I hadn't held it for a full ten seconds when I first realized they weren't working earlier that morning. When I released the button, the LEDs lit up white, and then one red LED lit up, and they were back in action.

I've been listening to them for the entirety of this, my first ever online review of a product, comfortably and loudly! I could not have gotten any closer to returning the new Beats Studios, but I am (I think) glad I am keeping them. I still have fourteen days to decide, but I'm leaning towards keeping them. The only thing that will influence that decision is seeing how they hold up after depleting the battery for the first time, and if there are any other ridiculous issues for such an expensive pair of headphones.

Overall, the sound of the new Studios compared to the old is different - I don't know whether I prefer it or not. More importantly, the ear cups and overall comfort are improved, and that alone is a reason for me to keep the new Studios over my old ones. I don't really like having to unplug the Studios every time I want to get up and do something, which is how they turn on and off. However, holding the fuel gauge button for a few seconds turns them off without having to unplug the cable from the headphones.

Also - in the Best Buy Studio Beats video, the saleswoman demonstrates the auto-on/off feature, but says that it works when you unplug the cable from the device rather than the left ear can. This is faulty. The cable needs to be unplugged from the headphones themselves. Likewise, even if the cable is not plugged into a device, and you plug it into the cans, it will turn on the noise cancelation (white noise). Best Buy should probably fix that video.

Again, I am just a normal consumer. I play guitar, so I am used to dialing in highs, mids, and lows on ridiculously expensive guitar equipment and effects pedals, so I know what I like in terms of music. That said, this review is simply about what I like, and what the first twelve or so hours were like for me and my particular pair of Beats Studios. Not everyone who likes Studios is looking for the same thing. Again, I am not an audiophile; I just like having a nice set of noise-cancelling headphones, and as long as the Studios continue to function as well as they are, I will be happy with them.

What's great about it: Clean matte black finish, more comfortable to wear, two cables, smaller profile compared to previous Studios

What's not so great: Price, vocals sound... different compared to previous Studios

I would recommend this to a friend!

Sound Quality