Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max: Battery brute or ANC beast?

If you’re in the market for Apple-friendly headphones, there’s a good chance you’re weighing the pros and cons of grabbing the Beats Studio Pro vs the Apple AirPods Max. Although both sets of cans have their advantages, one of these headphones will better fit your needs than the other, and it’s not merely a question of budget.

What’s it like to use the Beats Studio Pro compared to the Apple AirPods Max?

Although the Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max are both Apple products, these two headphones are aesthetically distinct. One set of cans features huge, deep ear cups made of metal, while the other has very small ear cups made of plastic. They are definitely made with different people in mind.

The Beats Studio Pro are primarily for commuters with a little less cash or a little less skull real estate. By that, I mean these headphones are more suited for those with smaller ears and heads, as the ear cups are smaller and the band is tighter than most other over-ear headphones. Though this won’t be a problem for some, smaller ear cups can mean your pinna gets depressed by the foam padding, the seal around your ear gets compromised, or the headphones don’t sit properly on your head. If that happens, you’ll notice things like a lack of bass or worse-performing active noise cancelation (ANC). No amount of “burn-in” or getting used to the headphones will change this.

Headphones don’t really come any better than the Apple AirPods Max if you’re looking for comfort, as these cans are the opposite of the Beats Studio Pro: the AirPods Max have insanely deep ear cups, wide cloth-clad ear pads, and a very soft band to distribute an admittedly hefty mass. Even if you have a smaller head, this kind of construction will fit you as it manages its potential failures a little more effectively than a set of smaller headphones could for bigger ears.

Both wireless headphones are built around dynamic drivers and with features that are firmly aimed at commuters. Each headset has solid ANC, decent microphones, and a relatively long battery life. Unfortunately for those looking for workout buddies, neither of these headphones has an ingress protection rating, so you need to avoid moisture as much as possible.

How do you control the Beats Studio Pro and Apple AirPods Max?

Controls for the Beats Studio Pro happen through a series of in-chassis clicky areas behind the Beats logo and the adjacent housing to the top and bottom. Additionally, there is a system button that controls the headphones’ power, pairing, and mode toggle.

Beats Studio Pro controls:

For the AirPods Max, you can control your device’s operation with the “digital crown,” which is merely a fancy, branded name for a dial. It’s definitely one of the headphones’ sore spots, but it’s fairly easy to get used to over time.

Apple AirPods Max controls:

Should you use the apps of either Beats Studio Pro or Apple AirPods Max?

As both the Beats Studio Pro and Apple AirPods Max are Apple products, this question depends on what kind of phone you have. Use an iPhone? No apps necessary: the relevant features you’d need an app for are baked into iOS. Use Android, and the answer is “Maybe install the Beats app.” (There is no AirPods Max app for Android.) The reasons you would get the Beats app for Android are limited to being able to rename the device, provide firmware updates, and configure the function of the system button. Beyond that, you’re not really gaining much, so privacy wonks may elect to skip adding yet another source of data sharing from their digital lives.

How do the Beats Studio Pro and Apple AirPods Max connect?

If there’s one area where both headphones have evolved significantly since their launch, it’s connectivity. The Beats Studio Pro maintains a clear advantage in sheer flexibility: you get Bluetooth (SBC and AAC), USB-C digital audio with an onboard DAC, and 3.5mm analog. That means you can plug into almost anything and, when you’re using USB-C, let the headphones handle the digital-to-analog conversion.

The Apple AirPods Max, meanwhile, still lean heavily on Bluetooth, but the newer USB-C version changes the picture a bit. You can now use the included USB-C cable to listen from a Mac or iPhone, and that’s where the AirPods Max can finally tap into lossless playback. With other sources, USB-C audio isn’t guaranteed to work, and the older Lightning version still relies on a separate Lightning-to-3.5mm cable for wired listening.

The AirPods Max still can’t match the Beats Studio Pro’s full connectivity options (there’s no 3.5mm input, and USB-C is picky about sources), but the gap has narrowed: both headsets can deliver lossless audio over a wired connection in the right circumstances. The Beats Studio Pro just make it much easier to hook up to a wider range of gear.

Is battery life better on the Beats Studio Pro or Apple AirPods Max?

When it comes to the typical use of your headphones, you’ll find that the battery of the Apple AirPods Max doesn’t last as long as the one inside the Beats Studio Pro. In our tests, the Beats Studio Pro lasted 31 hours and 25 minutes, whereas the Apple AirPods Max was only able to give us a hair under 21 hours in playback time. This is a pretty stark result for the same conditions, so if you care about not losing time to charging your headphones, the Beats Studio Pro are the clear winner here. Additionally, the ability to listen over USB means that you can also listen instead of just losing your headphones for the period of time when you’d normally charge them. No contest here.

Do the Beats Studio Pro or Apple AirPods Max block noise better?

This comparison is rather one-sided. The Apple AirPods Max are much better at not only isolating you from noise but also canceling it as well. This may be partly due to the larger metal-clad ear cups making the task easier, but ultimately, the numbers don’t lie. The Apple AirPods Max cancel noise at most frequencies better than the Beats Studio Pro.

If you’re wondering why this matters in the first place, it’s because headphones can subject you to dangerous noise levels. Suppose you listen to your tunes without much environmental noise around you. In that case, listeners tend not to turn up the volume control, thereby reducing the sound pressure levels to which their ears are subjected over time.

In that regard, the Apple AirPods Max, despite “only” offering a 5-8dB improvement in noise canceling over the Beats Studio Pro, are a much better way to evade hearing loss. However, you’ll still need to listen responsibly to avoid damaging your ears prematurely.

In our broader testing, the AirPods Max effectively match the Sony WH-1000XM6 and slightly edge out the Bose QuietComfort Ultra in overall attenuation. In other words, you’re not sacrificing performance by picking Apple here — the AirPods Max sit right at the top tier of ANC headphones.

Do the Beats Studio Pro sound better than the Apple AirPods Max?

The Apple AirPods Max and Beats Studio Pro have good-sounding default tunings. The main point of differentiation is how much emphasis you’d like in the upper midrange. While the Apple AirPods Max under-emphasize this range in our testing (relative to our preference), the Beats Studio Pro boosts those sounds by up to 10dB, relatively. This means that the AirPods Max will have less presence in the range where we hear instrument details and vocal information, and there will be less noticeable atmospheric or recording room effects than the Beats Studio Pro. Additionally, if the Beats Studio Pro fit you poorly, higher-pitched sounds will more likely be grating when coupled with the reduced bass frequencies caused by a compromised seal.

Generally, overemphasis is far more grating than underemphasis, and that’s the issue we run into with the Beats Studio Pro. Compared to the lows, the highs are quite a bit louder — ironic for the traditionally bass-heavy Beats brand. The Apple AirPods Max, on the other hand, sounds very good out of the box, even though the frequencies we rely on for spatial cues are quieter. Overall, the sound of the Apple AirPods Max is pretty solid, considering that you won’t often compete with outside noise due to the excellent ANC. That said, bassheads will likely want more.

To the credit of the Beats Studio Pro, you can use one of three included EQ presets when listening over USB. However, these presets exaggerate some of the issues outlined above, limiting their utility. Though the Conversation EQ is useful for hearing speech-heavy content like podcasts and eliminating bassy rumbles, you’re not likely to ever feel a burning need to use these presets often. The AirPods Max doesn’t have these presets, though you can tinker with the sound a little by using the Headphone Accommodations setting in iOS. But it’s much more involved than pressing a button.

Our Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS) back this up. The Beats Studio Pro earns an overall score of 4.5/5, while the AirPods Max lands around 4/5. Both rank highly and will sound good to most listeners; the main practical difference is that the Beats push more energy into the upper mids and treble, whereas the AirPods Max take a slightly smoother, more relaxed approach.

Do the Beats Studio Pro or Apple AirPods Max have a better microphone?

Though neither set of headphones has a great microphone, the Beats Studio Pro are more inconsistent, depending on the application. The microphone of the Beats Studio Pro also lacks the necessary gain (as heard in our samples). You’ll need to crank the volume to hear it, but don’t forget to turn your level back down again!

Beats Studio Pro microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Apple AirPods Max microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Beats Studio Pro microphone demo (Office conditions):

Apple AirPods Max microphone demo (Office conditions):

Beats Studio Pro vs Apple AirPods Max: Price and availability

The Apple AirPods Max maintain their $549 MSRP but now regularly go on sale. During Prime Day 2025, they hit their lowest price ever at $399, and sales around $429-$449 have become common.

The Beats Studio Pro presents better value. While they launched with a $349 MSRP, regular pricing has settled around $180-$250, with frequent sales bringing them as low as $169-$179, representing savings of up to $180 from the retail price.

Both headphones are widely available through Apple’s website, major retailers, and authorized dealers. Because these headphones are so popular, there are many grifters out there hawking cheap facsimiles of the real thing online. If you try to buy the Apple AirPods Max from an auction or user-sale site, beware: there’s a chance it’s fake.

Should you get the Beats Studio Pro or Apple AirPods Max?

As with most head-to-heads, this one will likely come down to price for most people. However, it’s possible that the Apple AirPods Max (available $499 at Amazon) will see a price drop if rumors of a replacement are to be believed. If this happens, the calculus changes considerably. The Apple AirPods Max are better in most respects outside of battery life and cross-platform compatibility. Still, the eye-watering price tag is the only thing that gives us pause when recommending them over the Beats Studio Pro, which have an MSRP of $349 but now frequently sell for much less.

Some may prefer the Beats Studio Pro over the Apple AirPods Max due to a few key differences in the ear cup design. Namely, those with a smaller noggin will absolutely prefer the fit of the Beats Studio Pro because the difference in size is so significant. Additionally, anyone interested in lossless audio will find both headphones now capable—the Beats Studio Pro offers more flexibility with 3.5mm analog and USB-C digital connections. At the same time, the AirPods Max gained lossless audio support via USB-C in early 2025. The Beats Studio Pro still maintains its connectivity advantage with multiple input options, but the gap has narrowed significantly now that both headphones support high-quality wired audio.

Ultimately, we recommend the Beats Studio Pro for those with smaller heads and ears who want maximum connectivity flexibility and exceptional value, especially at current sale prices. For everyone else seeking the best possible noise cancelation and willing to pay premium prices, stick with the Apple AirPods Max.