Considering a set of new over-ears? It might be worth waiting until after Prime Day if fresh leaks are to be believed. That said, don't fret, because a fresh leak suggests the post-Prime Day wait we're recommending won't be long…
According to details shared by Myke Hurley on the Apple-related podcast Connected last week (thank you, Reddit) Apple is planning on releasing its new and hotly anticipated Beats Studio Pro wireless over-ear headphones on July 19 – so precisely one week after the last day of Amazon's deals extravaganza.
MacRumors has reported that Hurley claims his anonymous source previously shared accurate details about the Beats Studio Buds+ earbuds, so while it is still unverified information, it's highly possible that the tipster in question has form.
How can we be sure the Beats Studio Pro exist if Apple hasn't announced them? Well, this isn't the first whiff we've had of them. The Beats Studio Pro, which will replace October 2017-release Beats Studio 3, have been spotted in a May leak in iOS beta, a US FCC patent filing in June, and the latest leak regarding pricing, which suggests that the European price for the Beats Studio Pro will be €399.99.
As noted before today, this pricing could work out to be $349 / £340 / AU$525, so while the Beats Studio Pro will initially be pricier than the Sony WH-1000XM5 (it's usually £349 but we're already seeing Sony WH-1000XM5 deals), they're more than £200 cheaper than the £549 AirPods Max.
So, if you're thinking of buying AirPods Max, it might be worth waiting a few weeks. Not long is it, for a tidy saving on Apple over-ears – aka some of the best over-ear headphones around?
Opinion: you have to admit, Beats is getting better (it's getting better all the time)
The original Beats Studio Buds were good, but as we said in our review, the Beats Studio Buds+ are "a clear wireless earbuds upgrade" on those, and we'd expect no less from Apple when it comes to its Beats-branded over-ears.
What can we expect in terms of aesthetics from Beats this time around? Hurley's source above apparently claimed that the Studio Pro will be available in four colors: Black, Navy, Sandstone, and Deep Brown – which ties in with everything we'd heard thus far.
Also, various leaks suggest that the headphones will have a very similar design to the Beats Studio 3 they effectively replace – and because six years is a long time in wireless audio tech, we'll need some upgrades. And Hurley's source came good there too, adding that the headphones will feature a USB-C port for charging (instead of the now largely obsolete micro-USB), upgraded mics, optimized sound profiles, a new carrying case and support for Android features such as Fast Pair and Find My Device. And if you want to go wired, the Beats Studio Pro headphones will retain a 3.5mm headphone jack, according to the leak.
Of course, we'd expect full compatibility with the best Android phones since Beats has long been a top name in Android circles. What about the chip? Beats Studio 3 sport a W1 chip (also found in Apple's original 2016 AirPods), but time marches on. The AirPods Max have an H1 chip in each ear, while the H2 chip is the one you'll find nestled in the AirPods Pro 2, so a Beats-optimized version would be ideal.
The one thing we cannot currently vouch for is the sound quality. The AirPods Max are the best Apple can do with sound (and very talented they are too), but the Beats Studio 3 that Studio Pro will supersede aren't in the same league.
However, a lot has changed in headphone tech since the Studio 3 debuted in 2017, and hopefully, that means the Beats Studio Pro will deliver vastly improved sound too.
If you're in the market for one of the best wireless headphones, it might be wise to wait until the Beats Studio Pro launch before hitting 'buy' in the online shopping cart.
