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Beats makes some of our favorite headphones and earbuds. Beats is owned by Apple, and even though some of its models compete directly with Apple's AirPods models, the Beats brand has in some ways become Apple's value headphones and earbuds options. This is particularly true when Beats models go on sale, like right now. There are tons of discounts on Beats products. With the holidays sneaking up on us, these make for the perfect holiday gift for just about anyone on your list.
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We're seeing some great deals yet for Beats headphones and earbuds, with some models hitting their lowest prices to date. Prices fluctuate frequently, and sometimes certain colors are less expensive than others, so click through on any model to see pricing for specific colors.
| Model | Retail price | Best price right now | Best all-time price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beats Studio Pro | $350 | $170 | $170 |
| Beats Studio Buds Plus | $170 | $130 | $130 |
| Beats Solo4 | $200 | $100 | $100 |
| Beats Fit Pro | $200 | $160 | $140 |
| Beats Powerbeats Pro | $250 | $160 | $150 |
| Beats Solo Buds | $80 | $50 | $50 |
Read more: Best True-Wireless Earbuds for 2024
Available in four color options, the Solo Buds are missing some key features found in more premium buds, including a battery in their very compact charging case, ear-detection sensors and active noise canceling. But they get the fundamentals right. They're lightweight and not only offer decent sound quality and strong battery life but very good voice-calling performance that rivals what you get with the company's more expensive Studio Buds Plus. Read our full review.
The original Beats Studio Buds remain on the market, but the newer Studio Buds Plus are significantly improved, with better sound, noise canceling and battery life. Additionally, they now deliver top-notch voice-calling performance. The transparent version got a lot of attention when they were first released, but the big changes are on the inside. Beats says 95% of the components are new and improved, and the buds' "acoustic architecture" has been revised. The speaker drivers remain the same, but the Studio Buds Plus are powered by a new, more powerful custom chipset and have three new microphones in each bud, which are three times larger and more sensitive than the ones found in the Beats Studio Buds. Read our full review.
In a nutshell, the Beats Solo 4 on-ear headphones have pretty much the same look on the outside as the 3s, but some notable improvements on the inside bump their performance by about 25% to 30%, when it comes to sound quality, battery life and voice-calling. Read our full review.
Battery life Rated up to 40 hoursNoise Canceling Yes (ANC)Multipoint NoHeadphone Type Over-ear wireless headphonesWater-Resistant No IP rating
Love 'em or hate 'em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as wired headphones back in 2008. This is the fourth generation, and they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I'm tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, that's not quite accurate due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. But read our full review to find out what makes these very good headphones, albeit with some caveats.
The concept behind the Fit Pro is pretty simple. Take Beats iconic Powerbeats Pro sport earbuds and shrink them down with a wingtip that fits inside your ear rather than wrapping around the outside of it. Unlike Beats' less expensive Studio Buds and Studio Buds Plus, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple's H1 chip and have most of the AirPods Pro's features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods you've always wanted. Read our full review.
Battery Life Rated up to 9 hoursNoise Canceling NoMultipoint NoHeadphone Type Wireless earbudsWater-Resistant Yes (IPX4 -- splash-proof)
The Powerbeats Pro headphones have been out for a few years and are usually listed for $250. Right now, you can get them on sale for $160. Be aware that a new Powerbeats model will be released in early 2025, as Beats teased images of the new buds in a social media post.
While these wireless earbuds are not truly wireless and have an around-the-neck design with a cord, you gotta like the Beats Flex's price. They provide up to 12 hours of listening time per charge and have auto-pause magnetic buds to boot.