New Beats Studio 3 headphones promise next-gen noise canceling

When Beats revamped its headphones range last year, launching the Apple W1 chip-enabled Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones in time for the iPhone 7, it left fans waiting for a follow-up to its popular Studio over-ear wireless headphones. It’s been about four years in the making, but the brand-new Studio 3 has arrived at Apple Stores and online, priced at US$349.95/£299.95/AU$449.95.

In terms of design, the Beats Studio 3 headphones look almost identical to the four-year-old range of Studio Wireless cans (albeit with some fetching new colors), but the real upgrades have been hidden away on the inside, including Apple’s W1 chip.

Apple’s W1 technology makes pairing the headphones with a nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac seamless and instantaneous, and with Class 1 Bluetooth, the cans also be used with any non-Apple devices as well.

Shutting the world out for longer

The W1 chip also increases the battery life of the wireless cans, with the Studio 3 now boasting a 22-hour play time and up to about 40 hours with active noise cancelation switched off, giving it a bit more oomph over the Bose QC35 and the Sony MDR-1000X Wireless Headphones. Apple’s Fast Fuel charging technology even promises three hours playback on a short ten-minute charge.

Another major upgrade is the addition of Beats’ proprietary Pure Adaptive Noise Canceling (Pure ANC) technology. It promises to constantly monitor the environment to calibrate noise canceling accordingly.

Users of the Beats Studio 3 can also take calls, control volume and get Siri working with on-ear controls.

Included in the box is a 3.5mm RemoteTalk cable which provides in-line controls as well.

The Beats Studio 3 is available in six different colours – Red, Matt Black, White, Porcelain Rose, Blue and Shadow Grey.