Beats Studio3 vs Solo3 – Wireless Headphones Comparison

Both the Beats Studio3 and Solo3 are pretty awesome headphones. Yes, they are expensive (they are Beats after all) but both have a lot to offer. Both headphones have incredible Bluetooth range and stability thanks to Apple’s W1 chip. We were able to go over 70 yards (clear line of sight) with both before we encountered any signal disruption and when in indoors, walls, doors and people didn’t really affect the signal either. The W1 chip also provides seamless integration with iOS and iCloud – automatically pairs with all your Apple devices and allows you to switch between those devices effortlessly. But enough about the W1 chip, let’s get into why you would buy one over the other.

Now although both headphones will fatigue your ears after extended listening periods, we give the edge to the Studio3 in terms of comfort. They have an over-ear design compared to the on-ear design of the Solo3. Now I wouldn’t say the Studio3 are true over-ear headphones since they don’t completely seal over your ear but they are still very comfortable and the ear pads are very soft. Overall, easy advantage here for the Studio 3 – I think most people will agree that over-ear headphones are preferable.

Very Soft Ear Pads

Next, the Studio 3 feature Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling Technology. This means the headphones constantly sample the environment around you and increase or decrease the noise cancellation based on what it detects. Although we’ve seen this concept before, it’s pretty awesome Beats finally incorporated it. So let’s say you are listening to music at your cubicle then walk into the lunch room where a bunch of people are talking and being loud, the headphones will automatically adjust the noise cancellation for the best listening experience. This is a pretty cool feature not available with the Solo3s.

The Studio 3 headphones also win out when it comes to audio quality. Both offer pretty good sound but at the end of the day if we had to choose one it would be the Studio3s. They have solid bass, mids and highs are good and they can get extremely loud. Lastly, we noticed the Studio3 have a better microphone and clearer sound for phone calls. In our test, we walked down the sidewalk of a busy street and the person on the other end had no problems whatsoever hearing.

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Bottom line, the Studio3s are the better headphones. They are more comfortable, have slightly better audio quality and offer great noise cancellation. But which one is the better value? That’s a different story.

Yes, although the Solo3s don’t boast some of the features the Studio3 offer, they’re still great headphones and are probably a better value depending on what you’re looking for.

Not only do the Solo3s have a cheaper MSRP ($300 vs $350 with the Studio3), they’ve been out longer meaning we often see more discounts on them. In fact, we’ve seen them as low as $160 before [check price on Amazon]. No brainer here when it comes to price.

The Solo3s also have better battery life, granted both offer unbelievable playback time. The Solo3s offer up to 48 hours on a single charge – that’s pretty amazing. The Studio3, on the other hand, offer up to 22 hours of battery life on a single charge in wireless mode and up to 40 hours in low power mode (when Adaptive Noise Cancellation is turned off). Both headphones also have a quick charge feature, which is nice but once again the Solo3s win here too. With just 5 minutes of charging, you’ll get 3 hours of playback time, whereas it takes 10 minutes with the Studio3 to get 3 hours of playback. Small difference I know but still worth mentioning. Bottom line, the Solo3 headphones offer insane battery life.

Insane Battery Life With The Solo3s

Lastly, the Solo3s are a little bit lighter and thus better for the gym. So if you’re looking to get wireless over-ear or on-ear headphones to wear to the gym in addition to normal casual listening, the Solo3s are probably the way to go.

SEE ALSO: Beats Solo3 vs AKG N60 NC Headphones Comparison

Overall, the Solo3s do win in a few key categories. If battery life is of chief concern and you’re looking to get headphones to serve dual purposes (i.e. travel, workout, casual listening) the Solo3s may be right for you. Plus, they’re a lot less on your wallet.