In the long-running battle of the big audio tech manufacturers, Beats has carved out a nice little niche in the role of Switzerland. Yes, we’re aware that Beats is owned by Apple, but there’s really no other roster of earbuds and over-ear headphones that works so well across macOS, iOS, Windows, Google, and Android as the Beats.
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Many Modes, All Great
The Beats Studio Pro handle ANC with two listening modes. Fully On ANC blocks external sound for focused listening; Transparency mode pipes ambient sound back in without removing the headphones. Both work through the same on-ear controls, and hands-free calling runs through the built-in microphone. The spatial audio implementation adjusts to head movement, which adds depth to film and music mixes that were mastered with that kind of dimensionality in mind.
The USB-C connection is the secret sauce that separates the Studio Pro from most of the Beats lineup. When you plug in via the included cable, the headphones switch to lossless audio output, bypassing Bluetooth’s compression entirely. This mode matters most for listeners who want higher-resolution audio without buying into a separate lossless Bluetooth codec, and it works with both Mac and Windows sources.
