Comparison Beats Studio 3 Wireless vs Beats Solo3 Wireless

This item primarily specifies the way headphones are mounted on the ears; by this parameter, modern headphones are divided into over-ear, in-ear, earbuds, open-ear types. For over-ear models, it may also specify the acoustic design (closed, semi-open, open), as well as the presence of features such as over-ear construction (in the absence of this feature such headphones are called on-ear, or just "on-ear"), swivel cups, auto headband adjustment or even the popular mid-2021 trend — Cat Ear Headphones (headphones with cat ears). Details such as a rigid band, over-the-ear mounting, neck mounting, and folding ability, can be combined with almost any method of ear placement (with some exceptions — for example, on-ear models cannot be worn on the neck).

Here is a more detailed description of different ear placement options:

— On-ear. On-ear headphones are placed outside the auditory pinnae, covering the ear from the side ("usual" on-ear models) or completely (full-size Over-Ear — see below). In any case, such models are fairly large. This, on the one hand, simplifies the creation of headphones w...ith advanced audio characteristics, and also allows using some specific tricks without much difficulty — for example, multiple drivers or multichannel surround sound support. On the other hand, the size of the "ears" complicates transportation and use on the go. Moreover, it should be noted that most on-ear models feature a headband, making them less compatible with complex hairstyles and some headgear. This disadvantage is absent in models with rigid bands and over-the-ear mounts, but they also have their specifics (see below).
On-ear headphones can have different acoustic designs:

• Closed. Models with a high degree of sound isolation, maximally shielding the user from external sounds. This design contributes to rich sound (especially in the bass range) and provides a very powerful immersion effect, making it suitable for home use (including computer games) and noisy environments. However, using such "ears" on the street is not recommended: full isolation from surrounding sounds in such conditions can be unsafe. Besides, it is believed that a fully closed design slightly worsens sound fidelity.
• Open. Headphones with minimal sound isolation, allowing most external sounds through. They are less powerful and rich in sound compared to closed models and less effective in noisy environments; also, the sound from such headphones is easily heard by those around. On the other hand, open models generally provide more authentic sound and are better suited for situations where it's necessary to monitor the surrounding environment — for example, for use on the street.
• Semi-open. A kind of compromise between the above-described options: headphones with better sound isolation than open models but still not reaching the level of closed "ears." For some users, this intermediate option may be more comfortable. Additionally, semi-open headphones are valued in professional sound work: they retain bass richness and at the same time do not create the distortions characteristic of a fully closed design.
• With a rigid band. A rigid band allows the earbuds to be reliably fixed to the auditory pinnae. A close analogue of the rigid band is the headband of full-size headphones, but unlike that, the band is worn on the back of the head, not the top. For this reason, rigid bands are mostly made without soft padding, from bare plastic/metal. Headphones with a rigid band most often have a sporting focus, as being on the back of the head, they will not slip even during intense running. On-ear headphones are closely pressed to the auditory pinnae, but the speakers themselves are placed outside the ear canals.
• Cat Ear ("ears"). On-ear headphones in an interesting design — with imitation cat ears on the headband. This addition does not affect working characteristics but looks unusual and can be a great addition to the owner's vibrant, original style. Cat Ear Headphones are particularly popular among teenagers.

— In-ear. Miniature headphones that, when used, are inserted directly into the ear canals. For wearing comfort, rubber or silicone tips are often included, usually in a set including several such tips for adjusting to the specific ear size. Such a construction combines compactness with advanced working characteristics: in terms of sound volume and bass richness, in-ear "ears" often compare to on-ear headphones, and sound isolation is quite high (many models can even be used as improvised earplugs). On the other hand, full isolation from external sounds can sometimes be a disadvantage — for example, when cycling or strolling in heavy traffic.

— In-ear with a rigid band. In-ear headphones are placed inside the ear canals, allowing them to be most securely fixed in the ear and not fall out. The presence of a rigid band further increases the reliability of the headphones' fixation. This type of headphones is well-suited for sports. The rigid band and in-ear design of sound emitters allows the headphones to stay securely in place even during intensive running.

— Earbuds. Also colloquially known as "pills." Similar to in-ear models, such headphones are small and placed in the auditory pinna — but not deep in the ear canal, just at its entrance, almost outside. As a result, earbuds are somewhat simpler in construction and cheaper, but achieving rich sound and advanced acoustic characteristics is more challenging with them. Such models provide quite low sound isolation, but this can be either a downside or an advantage — depending on the situation. Some headphones of this type have an elongated shape, allowing them to sit deeper in the ears and approaching in-ear models in capabilities.

It is worth noting separately that in-ear models and earbuds don't use headbands — the headphones are made either completely separate or connected by a device such as a rigid band or neck mount. Thus, such headphones can easily be worn with almost any hairstyle or headgear.

— Earbuds with a rigid band. Earbuds are simply inserted into the ear canal entrance, not penetrating deeply. This is not the most reliable way to fix the headphones, but due to the presence of a rigid band, earbuds gain secure placement and reliable fixation. The headphones themselves have an open sound path design, which reproduces audio with noticeable distortion to the original sound signal. However, the open acoustic scheme allows clear hearing of the surrounding environment.

As for additional design features, they can be such:

— Full-size Over-Ear. On-ear headphones (see above) in which each cup completely covers the ear and fits tightly against the head. Cups in such models are made fairly large and equipped with characteristic soft "borders" along the inner side's perimeter — these borders fit tightly against the head, so the ear pinna is effectively inside the cup. The main advantage of such a design is that the headphones (with the right size) practically do not touch the user's ears and do not press on them — this is particularly comfortable for extended use. Furthermore, Over-Ear models facilitate achieving high-quality sound isolation (although among them it is possible to find models with semi-open and even completely open acoustic design). The main disadvantage of such devices is bulkiness and inconvenience in transport and on-the-go use. Additionally, when wearing glasses, Over-Ear cups usually press on the frames' sides — this can cause discomfort.

— Open-ear. A special variety of wireless true wireless headphones with open acoustic design. Unlike earbuds and in-ear models, open-ear headphones do not suggest partial or full closure of the auricle — this provides better perception of surrounding sounds. This is handy during walks and outdoor runs. Most often, such headphones have over-the-ear mounts (see below), and the drivers in their construction are directed straight into the ear canals but remain outside. Passive noise isolation in open-ear headphones is practically absent, and the playing music and phone conversations may be heard by those nearby — keep this in mind.

— Auto headband adjustment. A headband capable of automatically adjusting to the user's head size. Such a headband usually consists of two parts — a rigid, usually metallic, base and a soft inner part that fits directly against the head. The inner part is capable of stretching, and the user just needs to place the cups on the ears comfortably — and the headband will automatically adjust to the needed size.

— Rigid band. A band made of rigid material, connecting the two headphones and worn on the back of the head; in some models, it can also serve as a neck mount (see below). The advantage of such a device over a classic headband is that the band can be used with almost any hairstyle and headgear. On the other hand, in in-ear models and earbuds (see above), this feature makes the headphones bulkier, and in on-ear models, it makes sense to use it only with regular models, not belonging to full-size Over Ear. Consequently, for a range of reasons, the band is not particularly popular nowadays.

— Over-the-ear mounting. A mount that allows fixing each headphone directly on the auricle; it generally has the form of a characteristic band. This feature appears in all types of modern "ears," except Over Ear (see above), and its specific meaning depends primarily on the main method of placing the headphone on the ear. For in-ear models and earbuds, over-the-ear mounting provides additional retention reliability: the likelihood of the headphone falling out of the ear is practically reduced to zero due to such a mount. In on-ear "ears," this feature appears significantly less often, and its main purpose is to do without a headband or rigid band — in some cases, these construction elements are unnecessary.

— Neck mounting. A feature found exclusively in wireless and combined models (see "Connection Type") — and only in in-ear and earbuds (see above). Both headphones in such models are connected by either a regular wire with a thickened part or a special horseshoe-shaped band (to each end of this band, an individual "ear" is connected via a wire). In any case, during use, this wire or band is located behind the user's neck, ensuring additional convenience: removed from the ears (or fallen out), headphones do not drop to the ground but remain hanging on the mount. Some models also feature special magnets, enabling the removed headphones to "stick" together, turning the entire structure into a ring — reducing the risk of dropping the device even further.

— Folding ability. The ability to compactly fold headphones for storage and transportation. Note that this feature is listed only for on-ear models (see above) — in-ear headphones and earbuds are already quite portable by themselves, without a special folding design.

— Swivel cups. A design feature found in on-ear headphones (see above). Swivel means cups that, in working position, can rotate at a certain angle around the vertical axis. This allows headphones to further adjust to the user's head size and shape — thereby increasing comfort, especially during prolonged wear. On the other hand, the swivel mount slightly complicates the headphones' construction, increases the cost, and somewhat reduces reliability.

The range of sound frequencies that headphones can reproduce.

The wider this range, the more fully the headphones reproduce the spectrum of sound frequencies, the lower the likelihood that too low or too high frequencies will be inaccessible. However, there are some nuances to consider here. First of all, let us remind you that the perceptual range of the human ear is on average from 16 Hz to 22 kHz, and for the complete picture it is enough for headphones to cover this range. However, modern models can significantly exceed these boundaries: in many devices the lower threshold does not exceed 15 Hz, or even 10 Hz, and the upper limit can reach 25 kHz, 30 kHz and even more. Such wide ranges in themselves do not provide practical advantages, but they usually indicate a high class of headphones, and are sometimes given only for advertising purposes.

The second important point is that a wide frequency range in itself is not a guarantee of good sound: sound quality also depends on a number of parameters, primarily the amplitude-frequency response of the headphones.

A system that reduces the influence of ambient noise on the audibility of sound through headphones. "Noise reduction" with the help of a separate microphone (or several micro) "listens" to external sounds and sends the same sounds to the headphones, but in antiphase. Due to this, the noise heard by the ears is attenuated almost to zero and the user can enjoy the sound of the headphones without interference even in a rather “loud” environment. For filtering in headphones, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Environment Noise Cancellation (ENC) systems are used. The first suppresses all the noise around the listener, the second - reduces the noise level of the environment. Active noise cancellation affects the purity of the sound, but the noise from the outside spoils the picture when listening to audio tracks even more.

Also in the headphones there is an adaptive active noise reduction system Adaptive ANC, aimed at automatically adjusting the sound of the headphones depending on the level of ambient noise. In a noisy environment (for example, when traveling on the subway), the Adaptive ANC system enhances the work of “noise reduction”, in the absence of loud sounds from outside, it weakens the noise reduction.

The declared operating time of headphones with autonomous power supply (see above) when listening to music on a single battery charge or a set of batteries.

As a rule, the characteristics indicate a certain average operating time in music listening mode, for standard conditions; in practice, it will depend on the intensity of use, volume level and other operating parameters, and in models with replaceable batteries - also on the quality of specific batteries. However, based on the stated time, you can fairly reliably assess the autonomy of the selected headphones and compare them with other models. As for specific values, relatively “short-lived” devices have a battery life of up to 8 hours, a figure of 8 – 12 hours can be called quite good, 12 – 20 hours – very good, and in the most “long-lasting” headphones the operating time can exceed 20 hours.

How long does the active noise canceling headphones (see above) last on a single battery charge (or a set of batteries) when noise canceling is not used.

This function is quite “gluttonous” in terms of battery consumption, up to half of the total energy consumed by the headphones can go to its work. Thus, models with noise reduction can indicate both overall battery life (see "Operating time"), and battery life with the noise reduction turned off.

The type of connector used for charging the built-in battery of headphones, more specifically, for connecting an external charger. Such a device can be a wall or car adapter, a power bank, or even a USB port of a PC or laptop (if you have the appropriate cable). In true wireless models (available with a stem, without a stem, with over-ear attachment, and clip-on), the “charger” cord connects to a special docking station where the “buds” are placed for charging (while the station itself usually has its own battery and can also function as an independent power bank). In wireless and combined solutions of a more traditional design, the charging input is often located on the headphones' body. Regarding connectors, the most common options are:

— microUSB. A smaller version of the USB connector, created for portable devices. It appeared quite some time ago but remains popular even nowadays and is used by the vast majority of manufacturers.

— USB-C. A miniature USB connector, positioned partially as a potential successor to microUSB. Unlike its predecessor, it features a reversible design that allows the plug to be inserted into the port any side up. It is still relatively rare, but it is highly likely that the situation will change in the coming years.

...— Lightning. A proprietary connector by the company Apple. Like USB-C, it has a reversible design, but is somewhat more convenient and reliable. However, the use of Lightning is limited to products from Apple itself and its owned brand Beats.

The total weight of the headphones; for true wireless models (see "Cable Type"), the weight of each individual earbud is listed.

This parameter is directly related to the design (see above) and some features of the functionality. Thus, the mentioned true wireless devices are very light, their weight does not exceed 25 g. More traditional in-ears and in-ears can be noticeably heavier, up to 50g for in-ears and up to 100g for most in-ears. Overhead models, for the most part, are quite massive: among them there are many models weighing 200 – 250 g, 250 – 300 g and even more than 300 g. It should be noted that a significant weight for false ears is often not a disadvantage, but an advantage: it allows them to stay on the head more securely, creates an impression of solidity and reliability, and most often does not create significant inconvenience.