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Mar 28, 2025 — 7:00 AM ET
So you don’t want Beats to pump out your beats; while you may be concerned about what the competition has to offer, there are plenty of trendy, bass-heavy headphones that aren’t Beats. Who knows, you may end up preferring them over the doctor’s auditory prescription. If you’re looking for some of the best alternatives to Beats, then you’ve come to the right place.
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The Sony WH-CH720N offers a compelling package for anyone seeking Beats-like features without the premium price tag. These over-ear headphones match the Beats Studio3’s build quality and excel where it matters most: comfort, battery life, and practical features like multipoint connectivity for seamless device switching.
Like Beats, Sony provides a dedicated app for customization, but the Sony Headphones Connect app offers more robust features, including detailed EQ controls and adaptive listening modes. The WH-CH720N supports high-quality codecs including LDAC for Android users and AAC for Apple devices, matching the wireless audio quality you’d get from Beats.
The noise canceling performance, while not class-leading, is thoroughly effective for most environments, making these headphones suitable for commuting and office use. If you’re drawn to Beats for their bass-forward sound signature, you’ll find similar characteristics here, though Sony’s implementation can be refined through the app’s equalizer for a more balanced sound.
From owners2 owner reviews · 2 of 2 would buy again
All 2 →DBdeep_banjo_34Owner · 1–2 yearsWould buy again
“They are very light, probably one of the lightest headphones on the market”
LHlively_harbor_87Signed-in owner. This member signed in to publish, so their reviews count for points and show on their profile.Owner · 6–12 monthsWould buy again
“Basically does everything somewhat better than I expected, other than the mic audio gets a little distorted with my loud "business call" voice. If I lost it I'd probably replace with the same model.”
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The WH-CH720N has a bass-heavy sound profile with boosted low frequencies between 100-400Hz and emphasized treble between 5-10kHz. While this isn’t the most accurate tuning, it can be adjusted using the Sony Headphones Connect app’s equalizer.
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The noise canceling performance is solid, offering around 20dB of reduction for low frequencies and peaking at 28dB around 80Hz. Combined with passive isolation, it effectively reduces most environmental noise, making it suitable for commuting and office use.
If you’re drawn to Beats for their powerful bass response, the Sony ULT WEAR takes that concept to the next level. These over-ear headphones feature a dedicated “ULT” button that lets you dial in different levels of bass emphasis, though you’ll likely want to fine-tune this through Sony’s Headphones Connect app to avoid excessive boom.
Like Beats, these headphones prioritize features that matter to modern users. You get multipoint connectivity for seamless device switching, support for high-quality codecs, including LDAC and AAC, and effective active noise canceling that consistently attenuates more than 25dB above 80Hz. The comfortable design, with wider 40x65mm ear cups and plush padding, makes this ideal for extended listening sessions, though they do trap some heat.
Battery life is impressive: over 32 hours with ANC enabled, and a quick 10-minute charge provides 5 hours of playback. While Beats offers seamless Apple integration, the Sony ULT WEAR counters with its own ecosystem advantages, like Sony 360 Reality Audio support and more extensive EQ controls through its companion app.
From owners2 owner reviews · 0 of 2 would buy again · 2 photo-verified
All 2 →BPbrisk_piccolo_88Owner · Over 2 yearsWouldn’t buy again
“I bought these planning to EQ them. You can, but it's an imperfect solution and shows depending on genre. Overall comfortable, the ANC is very good, build quality & case are decent, and battery life is plenty. The cans are slightly unwieldy. My unit had a manufacturing defect.”
NBnimble_birch_87Signed-in owner. This member signed in to publish, so their reviews count for points and show on their profile.Owner · 6–12 monthsWouldn’t buy again
“The hinge design is severely flawed, and many other reviews online corroborate this. Not enough people, particularly reviewers discuss this point of failure.”
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The ULT WEAR has a very bass-heavy sound profile by default, with strong emphasis in the sub-bass and bass regions. Even without engaging the ULT button, these headphones deliver powerful low frequencies that may require EQ adjustment for more balanced listening.
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The noise canceling performance is strong, delivering over 25dB of attenuation above 80Hz through a combination of active noise canceling and passive isolation. This makes them effective for commuting and blocking out ambient noise, approaching the performance of higher-end models.
There’s not much “studio” sounding about the Beats Studio3 Wireless with its exaggerated mids and bass tuning. Whereas the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 hails from a storied lineage of studio headphones, and is optionally wired or wireless. At the outset, the sound sits between studio and consumer-friendly, but you can use the app to adjust EQ to your tastes.
Like the Beats Solo3 Wireless, the ATH-M50xBT2 relies solely on isolation to block noise, but the Solo3 Wireless’s on-ear fit means it wears less comfortably and blocks less noise than the ATH-M50xBT2’s over-ear design.
With a battery life of 64 hours and 51 minutes, the ATH-M50xBT2 outdoes most wireless headphones. The folding design and plush padding, alongside quality codecs like LDAC and AAC, mean that the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT2 is a music-focused set of headphones that fits in multiple scenarios.
Audio-Technica supplies the ATH-M50xBT2 with a decent-sounding mic. It even has a sidetone so you can hear yourself while taking calls. Noise rejection is perhaps not the best, but for the price, it’s good enough for most.
We’ve made a big improvement to how we demonstrate the microphone performance of products we review. We now use a standardized test setup that plays back pre-recorded phrases from a calibrated artificial mouth in our test chamber, either with or without simulated background noises, simulated reverberant spaces, or artificial wind. This means that samples from every product can be directly compared, which makes it far easier to make meaningful comparisons between products in terms of the raw speech quality or the product’s ability to reject noise.
It will take a while to update our backlog of old test results, but we will update this review (and many others!) once we’re able with improved microphone demos. These will be made obvious in each new sample which begins with the phrase, “This is a SoundGuys standardized microphone demonstration …”
Thank you for bearing with us, and we hope to see you again once we’ve sorted everything out.
The Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 takes workout earbuds to the next level with exceptional durability and features that outshine the Beats Fit Pro. With an IP68 rating for the earbuds and IP54 for the case, these can handle any workout condition far better than the Beats Fit Pro’s IPX4 rating. Jabra’s ShakeGrip coating ensures they stay put during intense workouts, though without ear wings like the Beats.
Battery life is impressive at 9 hours with ANC enabled—significantly outlasting the Beats Fit Pro. The Jabra Sound+ app offers extensive customization, including a five-band equalizer, customizable controls, and Dolby Spatial Audio support. While you only get AAC and SBC codec support like the Beats, Jabra adds unique features like the ability to connect to wired sources through the charging case—perfect for gym equipment with headphone jacks.
The noise canceling performs admirably, reducing most environmental noise by 80% and handling low-frequency noise particularly well with up to 30dB of attenuation below 100Hz. This makes them great for both noisy gyms and general use. While the sound signature emphasizes bass out of the box, perfect for workout playlists, you can easily adjust it through the companion app to suit your preferences.
The Elite 8 Active Gen 2 emphasizes low frequencies with strong sub-bass, while slightly under-emphasizing high frequencies above 8kHz. This bass-forward tuning works well for workout motivation, and you can adjust it using the app’s equalizer.
The noise canceling is very effective, particularly with low frequencies, reducing environmental noise by about 80%. The earbuds achieve around 30dB of attenuation below 100Hz, making them excellent for blocking out gym equipment and ambient noise.
The JLab Epic Sport ANC 3 brings premium features to a budget-friendly price point, making it an excellent alternative to the pricier Powerbeats Pro. Like the Beats model, it features a secure ear hook design, but JLab ups the ante with an IP66 rating that offers superior dust and water protection compared to the Powerbeats Pro’s IPX4 rating.
What sets these earbuds apart is their hybrid driver system, which combines Knowles balanced armatures with 10mm dynamic drivers—a configuration typically found in much more expensive earbuds. The inclusion of the Knowles Preferred Listening Response Curve suggests these buds will deliver a clearer treble response while maintaining the energetic sound signature athletes appreciate. You can fine-tune the sound through the JLab app’s EQ settings.
Battery life is impressive at a claimed 15+ hours per charge with ANC, matching its predecessor’s stellar performance. The buds include active noise canceling and a transparency mode for situational awareness during outdoor workouts. While the ANC performance remains to be fully tested, the feature set and early impressions suggest these could be the value-packed workout companions to beat, especially at less than one-third the price of the Powerbeats Pro.
Below, you’ll find some of our favorite wireless earbuds, which are great alternatives to Beats’ offerings. From Apple to Sennheiser and beyond, you’re bound to find something portable and effective here.
Before spending your money on something as expensive as a pair of Bluetooth headphones, let alone Beats headphones, it’s good to know some alternatives. After all, that’s why you’re here right? But before you spend money on anything at all, there are some things you should know that could potentially help you with your purchase decision. We’ll keep it simple for the purposes of this article, but there are links to all of the deep dives down below if you feel like becoming an expert on anything.
Sometimes, it’s worth it to invest in the real deal. However, just because a product is off-brand (i.e., not Beats) doesn’t make it inherently poor quality. More often than not, a direct competitor to a Beats model will be cheaper than the household name. The price disparity isn’t indicative of a lack of quality, rather, it likely just reflects a smaller profit margin for the company, which means more money for you to put toward streaming.
If you really utilize that H1 or H2 chip for device switching, you’ll only find it in Beats or Apple headphones. In terms of pairing, these days, most wireless earbuds and headphones have remedied older Bluetooth connection and pairing problems. The H1 and H2 chips are less noticeable than you might think.
Beats headphones are loathed and loved for their bass-heavy frequency responses, but the company doesn’t have a patent on low-end exaggeration. Thus, finding a product that emulates that sought-after sound isn’t an arduous journey. Many of these headphones and earbuds also reproduce emphasized low notes. While this usually means you’re enjoying a more consumer-friendly sound, tinkerers (those who often EQ their music) may want to look into studio headphones, which are easy to EQ and can be less prone to distortion.
If you’re unfamiliar with the technology, a Bluetooth codec determines how data is transmitted from a source (phone) to a receiver (headphones). Ideally, quality wouldn’t have to be sacrificed for efficiency. However, we don’t live in a perfect world, and different codecs provide different transfer rates and qualities.
Since Beats by Dre has been part of the Apple conglomerate since 2014, the company’s wireless headphones and earbuds integrate the W1 chip or H1 chip and support the AAC Bluetooth codec. iPhone users should get headphones that support AAC, and Android users should look out for aptX or aptX HD support or LDAC. That said, if you’re looking to get the absolute best audio quality, wired listening is still running laps around wireless.
Active noise canceling capable headphones use destructive interference to combat external sounds. Any ANC headset has microphones dedicated to recording your surroundings so it can produce anti-noise through phase inversion. To simplify it, the microphones record the sound waves from your environment and then create an identical wave. After the ANC system creates the identical wave, it then delays this twin wave by half a wavelength. When done correctly, this destructive interference significantly quiets background noise.
More advanced systems like Sony and Bose’s flagship headsets tend to work much better than sub-$100 noise canceling headsets. That said, there are quite a few diamonds in the rough regarding a $100 USD budget, and advances are trickling down into wallet-friendly options.
We have our own internal testing methodology to gain a broad-stroke, objective understanding of how each pair of headphones or earbuds operates. Then, we use the headphones in our daily routine, noting a product’s follies and triumphs.
Ultimately, we respect that audio is subjective to a point — and believe it helps us, and you, the reader, to know a product’s objective performance as well.
We’re dedicated to this site and individually have accrued multiple years of experience when it comes to keeping track of the evolving audio industry. In being so involved, we’re able to quickly pick out the good from the to-be-improved products.
Our main goal is to ensure that you enjoy your purchase, whether you’re looking for workout earbuds, soundbars, or noise canceling headphones. We just want you to be happy, and none of our writers may benefit from lauding one product over another. If you so choose, we recommend that you read our full ethics policy.
The Sony WH-CH720N offers similar features and sound quality at a lower price point, while the Sony ULT WEAR is ideal for bass lovers. For workout enthusiasts, the Jabra Elite 8 Active Gen 2 provides superior durability and features.
The Sony ULT WEAR most closely matches Beats’ signature bass-heavy sound, especially with its ULT bass boost feature. Sony’s headphones generally offer similar sound profiles with customizable EQ options to achieve Beats-like tuning.
Neither brand is definitively “better” – it depends on your needs. Beats typically offer better Apple ecosystem integration and sleek design, while JBL often provides better value with similar sound quality at lower price points.
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