Even when buying the best workout headphones, there’s always a compromise to be made somewhere. On-ear buds have a more secure fit and the best water and sweat resistance, and they may sound fantastic, but they don’t match the sound quality and active noise cancellation (ANC) you can get from on-ear buds or over the ear.
However, most on-ear headphones aren’t as comfortable or safe to use during a workout, which is why the Beats Studio Pro stands out. Not only are they lightweight, but they stayed put during a variety of workouts and are perfect for outdoor workouts. However, without an official IP rating, you’ll need to be careful not to sweat too much during more intense workouts when the heat rises.
Beats Studio Pro: Price and Availability
The Beats Studio Pro was released in July 2023 and costs $349 in the US and £349.99 in the UK. That’s a lot more expensive than Beats’ sports-focused in-ear buds like the Beats Fit Pro, which cost $199.95/£199.99, and the Beats Powerbeats Pro, which cost $249.95/£269. £95.
How I tested these headphones
I’ve used the Studio Pro for a variety of workouts, including weight sessions, core workouts, yoga, and indoor runs. I’ve also used them extensively outside of my workouts, and I’ve tested a number of the best workout headphones, including the Beats in-ear headphones.
Design, controls and application
The Studio Pro headphones come in four colors—black, navy, dark brown, and sandstone—and have a mostly plastic design, with metal hinges and sliders and leather ear pads. The mostly plastic construction helps keep the headphones lightweight at 9.2oz/260g, which makes them more comfortable during workouts. In comparison, the Apple AirPods Max have a metal design and weigh 13.6 oz/385g.
You can adjust the size of the headphones using the metal sliders, and once you adjust them to the right length, they fit securely on your head during training and running. Despite the tight fit, the headphones do not become uncomfortable after a few hours of use. I found that I could wear them with glasses without them putting unpleasant pressure on the top of my ears, which I often get with ear and ear buds.
The app isn’t reliable enough for super-intense workouts like HIIT where you jump around a lot, but for slow and steady strength sessions and easy runs, the Studio Pro held its own. I also did a basic workout where I had to lay on my side for short spells and while the large size of the headphones made it a little uncomfortable, they didn’t fall out.
The ear pads aren’t removable, so you can’t wash them, and Beats hasn’t given the Studio Pro headphones an IP rating to show how water-resistant they are. I’d be wary of using the headphones as is for sweaty workouts, and even after light workouts, I dry them carefully.
You can take silicone covers for the ear pads I think it would be a worthwhile investment if you plan to do long workouts in them regularly. The ear pads aren’t breathable anymore, so even if you’re doing a low-intensity workout, you’ll start to sweat around the ears after a while.
There’s a small on/off button on the right side of the headphones, which can also be used to toggle between ANC and transparency modes, while on the left side there’s a large button for controlling playback, as well as volume controls. All buttons are large enough to be handy during workouts, and it’s possible to activate your phone’s voice assistant by holding down the play button or simply saying “Hey Siri” if you’re using an iOS device.
The headphones fold up on their own and come with a soft carrying case that has pockets for the 3.5mm jack cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable that you can use to listen to music over a wired connection.
Sound quality
The Studio Pro has custom 40mm drivers powering their sound, which is rich and full and certainly not lacking in bass. The headphones offer Apple’s personalized surround sound and head tracking (when using compatible audio sources), but you can’t adjust the EQ directly: You have to do it in the app you’re using, such as a music streaming app.
I enjoyed listening to a range of music genres and the sound was balanced and clear with no distortion in the upper ranges. It’s bass forward, but not unpleasantly so, and on busy tracks you can hear every instrument and vocals clearly.
You can use a USB-C cable that comes with the headphones to connect them to devices and enjoy high-fidelity lossless sound, as well as three EQ modes for different situations. There’s one for entertainment like movies and games, one for listening to voice calls and podcasts, and the signature Beats profile for music.
ANC and transparency functions
Studio Pro’s ANC function effectively cancels background noise, especially when traveling on trains. At the gym, they do a good job of filtering out indoor music and the sounds of other users, so you can focus on your workout—though that means being aware of others in case someone tries to get your attention.
If that’s a concern, you can use transparency mode, which uses microphones to filter out noise from your outside environment so you can hear what’s going on. This transparency feature isn’t as good as Apple’s AirPods Pro 2, where other people’s voices sound natural through the microphones, but it helps you stay aware of the world.
Battery life
The Studio Pro headphones last up to 40 hours when switched with ANC off and 24 hours with ANC on. If you always have the volume set to high, these numbers drop, but I rarely felt the need to turn up the volume because the over-ear design and ANC meant the sound was plenty loud at medium volume levels.
If you run out of battery, you can get four hours of playback on a 10-minute charge. The headphones are charged via a USB-C cable, and you can charge the headphones while listening to certain Apple devices if you connect them with the USB-C cable.
Is Beats Studio Pro worth it?
If you’re looking to use in-ear headphones at the gym, then the Beats Studio Pro are a compelling choice, as long as you’re careful to wipe off the sweat after your workout—or invest in silicone covers to protect the ear pads.
I prefer a set of on-ear buds like the Beats Fit Pro or Jabra Elite 4 Active for training because they have a more reliable fit and durable design for sports, but you don’t get the same sound quality and battery life as you do. with Studio Pro, which is more pleasant to use for outdoor workouts.
