Apple subsidiary Beats is about to give the popular Studio Buds ANC earbuds a makeover – in the form of the “Studio Buds+”. The audio devices that have been on the market since summer 2021 should come closer to the standard of the current AirPods Pro 2, but remain significantly cheaper, according to well-informed circles.
AirPods Pro for everyone
So far, the Studio Buds, which consist of compact buds without ear hooks and were Beats’ first ANC earphones, come with older generation active noise canceling. Accordingly, the AirPods Pro 2 (from €243.94), which retail for around €250 (Apple recommended price: €300), filter out ambient noise much better. The Studio Buds+ should now do a better job here and also optimize the transparency mode, which lets noise through again at the push of a button.
For the Studio Buds (from 137 €) you currently pay around 140 euros in stores, Apple wants 50 euros more. The price level for the Studio Buds+ could initially be around 200 euros. As usual, expect Apple to offer multiple colors. The fact that the Studio Buds+ will be released soon is evident, among other things, from documents submitted to the US communications regulator Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in whose database the plugs first appeared. MacRumors has dug up more details.
Charging case with minor quirks
Apple had already secretly mentioned the Studio Buds+ in a release candidate version of iOS 16.4. According to the rumor mill, a release can be expected by summer at the latest – that would be almost exactly two years after the release of the first version of the Studio Buds. At the time, the plugs were considered revolutionary because they offered AirPods Pro-like technology at a comparatively low price. However, they couldn’t quite beat the Apple “original”, so the company reserves the right to equip Beats products with its own, somewhat inferior audio chips. The functionality is getting closer and closer to the AirPods.
The annoying thing about the current Studio Buds is that the charging case sometimes has trouble making contact with the plugs. After insertion, it then happens that they cannot charge, they can even discharge. The problem has existed with Beats products for years, occurred with the first Powerbeats Pro totally wireless earphones and unfortunately can also be experienced with their successor Beats Fit Pro. On the other hand, it helps to always check that the charging process actually starts after inserting the plugs into the charging case. This is signaled by a brief flickering of the LED (red or white, depending on the charge level).
(bsc)
