Design and features:This home/studio-style on-ear wireless Bluetooth model has an electronic noise-canceling feature and a closed design that reduces both outside noise and sound leaking out into your environment. The headphones only work when the noise-canceling feature is turned on; you can use the noise canceling feature without listening to music. When used in wired operation mode these headphones have high sensitivity, so they can provide satisfying volume levels even when used with lower-powered portable audio devices. The Studio Wireless headphones have an integrated microphone plus volume, music player function, and call connect/disconnect controls for use with Bluetooth devices. Additional features include an audio mute function, auto on/off when the audio cable is plugged in or detached, graphical battery-level indicator, and earcups that fold for travel and storage. This model comes with a detachable 53-inch long audio cable with built-in mic and answer/player control button for iPhone/iPod/iPad, and smartphone use, a detachable 52-inch standard audio cable, a USB charging cable, an AC adapter, and a carrying case.
Sound quality: The Beats Studio Wireless headphones deliver very good overall sound with a warmish character, plus very good active noise reduction. Bass has good impact and goes fairly deep, but is a bit prominent and lacks some definition. Midrange is even, but slightly grainy, and treble is a bit uneven--upper mid-treble is a bit prominent, and upper treble rolls off slightly. The overall sound is open, with decent dynamics. There was no significant difference in sound in either wired or Bluetooth operation. The headphones provided very good noise reduction on a wide range of noise, with the most reduction occurring on low-frequency noise. We could hear a very faint hiss in quiet environments when there was no higher-frequency audio content to mask it.
Comfort: We found that these headphones produce a sense of moderate pressure around the ears, and the earpads might feel hot and/or sticky after prolonged use. The play/pause/mute and volume controls aren't labeled, but once you know where they are they're easy to find and use.
