If you're trying to decide between Beats Studio Buds + and Beats Studio Buds. They are both great sports ANC TWS earbuds. There are a few major factors you should consider: Fit and comfort, build quality, sound quality, ANC performance and voice call quality.
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds at a glance
| Beats Studio Buds + | Beats Studio Buds | |
|---|---|---|
| Price* | ||
| Release year | May, 2023 | Jun, 2021 |
| Photo |  | |
| Bluetooth version | Bluetooth 5.3 | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Codec | AAC, SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Battery life | Rated up to 9.00 hours | Rated up to 8.00 hours |
| Weight | 5.00 grams (per bud) | 5.10 grams (per bud) |
| Water-resistant | IPX4 (earbuds only) | IPX4 (earbuds only) |
| Driver | ø8.2mm dual-element dynamic drivers | ø8.2mm dual-element dynamic drivers |
| Noise reduction Tech | 3 Mic with Noise Reduction | 3 Mic with Noise Reduction |
| Fast charging | 5 mins = 1 hour | 5 mins = 1 hour |
| Wireless charging case | No | No |
| Transparency mode | Yes | Yes |
| ANC | Yes | Yes |
| Multipoint | Auto-switching between Apple devices | No |
| Personalized hearing | No | No |
| Spatial Audio | Apple's Spatial Audio | Apple's Spatial Audio |
| HR Tracking | ✖ | ✖ |
| Dynamic head tracking | ✖ | ✖ |
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: The good and The bad
| Beats Studio Buds + | Beats Studio Buds | |
| Pros | Great for making and taking voice calls, Lightweight with secure fit, Comfortable fit | Very high build quality, Comfortable fit |
| Cons | No wireless charging, No spatial audio with head tracking, Missing: in-ear detection sensor | No wireless charging, Sound leakage because of the sports design of the housings., No spatial audio with head tracking, Missing: in-ear detection sensor |
| Short review | The good is made to the better. Redesigned to the transparent housing - you're exposed to the components that's haven't been seen on the old Beats Studio. The Beats Studio Buds Plus are not the most secure fit earbuds we've tested, but they deliver excellent call quality, solid NC performance and just a better sound for sports. | The Beats Studio Buds are a great pair of TWS earbuds for sports, though they are not the most secure fit earbuds we've tested and they deliver average call quality and just good sound performance. |
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Fit and Comfort
The Beats Studio Buds + are the refine look and feel of Beats Studio Buds, they even have a translucent model for both earbuds and charging case, which the inner components are exposed. Apple claimed they redesigned both hardware and the look of Beats Studio Buds. However both pairs give the same level of comfort, and stay firmly during exercise.
Winner: Draw
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: App and Control
Both pairs have the same control with Siri and control button, you control everything with a physical button located on outer surface of earbud.
On either earbuds, you can press once to play/pause the mussic, answer/end a call or answer a second coming call, press and hold to decline an incoming call, press 3 times to stop listening from your earbuds and send the call to your phone. For track navigation, press the control button twice to skip to the next track, press 3 times to listen to previous track. Apple doesn't give users option to control volume by pressing the button, you have to tell Siri to increase/decrease the volume or do it on the music app you're listening to. You can also toggle back and forth between ANC, Transparency mode by press and hold the control button.
There are a few reports that users may sometimes accidentally tap the control button on Beats Studio Buds +, while adjust earbuds in their ears. If it's true and happens a lot the winner will be Beats Studio Buds.
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Call quality
The both works quite well for calls in quiet environments (the Beats Studio Buds + have clearer, louder sound). But when increasing the background noise, like it gets a bit more windy or people chatting in coffee shop, the other end will start to hear a bit more cracking sound and difficult to hear your voice - probably because they pick up the noise, but it's still fine since they are supposed to be sports earbuds and call quality isn't a priority outdoor.
Winner: Beats Studio Buds +
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Sound quality
Both pairs meet the requirements for sport earbuds - lively, dynamic and energetic sound. But Beats Studio Buds + do better, in which departments?
The bass is deeper, and improved in both amount and quality, and feel less distortion. Beats just keeps the orginal sound and fine-tune it better - in both clarity and enhancement over ranges.
Winner: Beats Studio Buds +
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Battery life
There is a slight improvement in battery life, the Beats Studio Buds + provide up to 9 hours of listening time, while you get 8 hours of listening time for Beats Studio Buds.
Winner: Beats Studio Buds +
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Codecs
iPhone users don't care much about codecs since Apple implements the AAC brilliantly. Just in case you (as Android users may be concerned about) want know which codec both pairs support.
The Beats Studio Buds + support AAC, SBC while Beats Studio Buds support AAC, SBC
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Immersive Sound
The Beats Studio Buds + and Beats Studio Buds support spatial audio that applies to Dolby Atmos content, and they don't have head-tracking feature, so the experience is far less immersive than AirPods Pro.
Winner: Draw
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Noise Cancelling Performance
Apple claimed the Beats Studio Buds + perform 1.6x better than Beats Studio Buds in term of noise cancellation. After conducting some test in harsh conditions (intense noise background) we can conclude that the Studio Buds Plus is superior to the orignal Studio Buds. The Beats Studio Buds +'s transparency mode is also better, listening ambient sound feels more real natural, and its quite close as if your weren't wearing earbuds.
Winner: Beats Studio Buds +
Beats Studio Buds + vs. Beats Studio Buds: Which pair should you buy?
The $149 Beats Studio Buds + cost a little bit more than the $99 Beats Studio Buds, around $20 (currently) and they are better in ANC, transparency, sound quality and battery life. The improved features and performance you get are definitely worth much more than price gap.
Winner: Beats Studio Buds +