WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.000 AirPods are the most popular earbuds in the world for a reason, but they're not perfect. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:18.040 You need to have an iPhone to make the most of them. The design and lack of active noise canceling means you'll hear everything around you. 00:00:18.040 --> 00:00:21.320 You're limited to charging with a lightning port on the base model. 00:00:21.320 --> 00:00:25.640 And even though I personally prefer this style, I will admit that it is challenging to get 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:29.360 great sound out of an earbud that doesn't seal in your ear. 00:00:29.360 --> 00:00:33.440 But what if I told you there was an alternative that's better in almost every single way 00:00:33.440 --> 00:00:37.000 for the exact same price? Does it have active noise cancellation? 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:40.000 Yep. USB-C charging. Check. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:50.120 Better sound quality. You betcha. And perhaps, most surprising of all, they're even made by Apple, but they're not AirPods. 00:00:50.120 --> 00:00:55.480 These are the Beats Studio Buds Plus, an update to 2021's Studio Buds. 00:00:55.480 --> 00:01:01.720 They look the same, keeping the familiar, easy to pinch edge, but looks can be deceiving. 00:01:01.720 --> 00:01:06.480 These are a full on sequel, making changes across the board and addressing any complaint 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.040 you could have leveled against the originals. 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:13.840 Compared to the last model, Beats says that these have significantly better active noise 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:18.120 canceling and transparency, thanks to the improved mics, which also provide an upgrade 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:23.680 to voice quality. Sound and comfort see a small upgrade thanks to the updated venting, which pushes more 00:01:23.680 --> 00:01:27.080 air through the transducer and helps relieve pressure. 00:01:27.080 --> 00:01:33.560 Battery life jumps from 24 hours to a frankly astounding 36, making these Apple's longest 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:40.560 lasting earbuds. And their latest Beats Proprietary Platform Gen 2 chip provides deeper integration in 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:45.920 both Apple and Android ecosystems. 00:01:45.920 --> 00:01:48.960 Does that mean these are better for Android and Google users? 00:01:48.960 --> 00:01:53.080 I don't like that. I don't like that one bit. 00:01:53.080 --> 00:02:00.960 My favorite part is the color. Yes, we've seen transparent earbuds before, but man, it's been a long time since Apple's 00:02:00.960 --> 00:02:05.200 done anything like this. I really hope to see more of this in the future. 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:09.000 So the question is, what does this all mean for actually using them? 00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:14.680 Better this and improve that, only matters if this can make good on the claims of quality. 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:18.800 And perhaps unsurprisingly to anyone who's been following Beats for the last few years, 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:26.400 yeah, these do live up to the specs. What matters with earbuds is sound, and these just sound better than 3rd gen AirPods. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.640 They pack far more punch, and while I can hear songs with a wide array of instrumentals 00:02:30.640 --> 00:02:35.960 being constrained on these, that's just what you get with a speaker the size of a dime. 00:02:35.960 --> 00:02:40.080 Make no mistake, these are an improvement over the 3rd gen AirPods, which I already think 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:43.120 sound pretty good. They're not the best you can get, though. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:47.440 They don't measure up to the AirPods Pro, but those are quite a bit more expensive. 00:02:47.440 --> 00:02:52.000 They are, however, comparable to the Beats Fit Pro, despite those being slightly more 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:57.760 expensive. Even still, I'd take the Studio Buds Plus, because I'm not a fan of earwings. 00:02:57.760 --> 00:03:01.400 Now there's one feature we discovered that these have that kind of is surprising. 00:03:01.400 --> 00:03:04.580 It's automatic noise cancellation in loud environments. 00:03:04.580 --> 00:03:08.800 When using transparency mode, if the earbuds detect a loud noise, they quickly turn noise 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:15.480 cancellation on for that earbud. It'll stay on as long as the noise continues, and once it stops, the earbud fades back to 00:03:15.480 --> 00:03:18.800 transparency over a few seconds. That's weird. 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:22.720 It's a pretty neat feature, and can reduce annoyances and offer a little bit of hearing 00:03:22.720 --> 00:03:25.800 protection, but I do wish there was a way to disable it. 00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:30.320 It's somewhat jarring, and perhaps unwanted if you're in a loud environment where you 00:03:30.320 --> 00:03:35.600 need transparency to be on. 00:03:35.600 --> 00:03:42.400 There are also other ways in which these aren't better than AirPods. They don't have automatic device switching across the Apple ecosystem, but Beats did 00:03:42.400 --> 00:03:45.960 manage to support iPhone to Apple Watch switching for some reason. 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:49.440 Similarly, while you do get spatial audio, you won't be able to personalize it to your 00:03:49.440 --> 00:03:56.000 ear or use head tracking. Now you might think Apple is deliberately kneecapping these, so that the AirPods remain 00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:04.440 the clear or opaque flagship. But on the contrary, other Beats have the H1 chip, and so they have the above Apple features. 00:04:04.440 --> 00:04:09.760 Meanwhile, the Studio Buds and Studio Buds Plus are meant more for Android users at the 00:04:09.760 --> 00:04:15.240 expense of Apple features. Since they're using these for almost a week, I have to say that I'm surprised. 00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:18.920 I've always been curious about Beats, but I didn't expect them to come out with a product 00:04:18.920 --> 00:04:24.440 that's so drastically improved upon a well-received predecessor, let alone the de facto choice 00:04:24.440 --> 00:04:31.760 in wireless earbuds. All this to say that these are the new go-to mid-range earbuds from Apple, especially if 00:04:31.760 --> 00:04:37.480 you don't mind silicon tips. Thanks for seeing through this Mac Address. 00:04:37.480 --> 00:04:40.680 If you like Beats products, give this video a like. 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:49.400 And if you still would prefer AirPods, you might as well subscribe. Now, I'm curious below if you're a secret Android viewer who would actually benefit from 00:04:49.400 --> 00:04:54.480 all the improvements these get in the better integration.