Beats studio buds - 24 hours later

[Telesmurfen]

Hi there, friends!
I know I've posted quite often here recently, but here goes...
So, yesterday I was lucky to find a pair of the brand new Beats studio buds. I was overly excited, because they are so new, that I didn't think any shop around my town would have them in stock yet. So, without hesitation, I pulled out my card, paid with a smile, and walked happy out of the store.
First impression: this packaging is tiny. Oh well, great things can come from small packages, so I opened it up. A sleek, black, egg-shaped case with a white "b" stared right back at me.
I opened the lid, and almost gasped at how tiny the buds were. I mean, I thought the AirPods Pro were small, but they seem large compared to these two black jewels.
A picture of the case and the buds popped up on my iPhone, and pairing them was as easy as every other Apple audio product. Plug and play.
First issue: How to get them out of the box? My fingers felt too large, and the earbuds so small and slippery.
I finally got them out, and put them in my ear. What? Are they in? Ah, noise cancellation is probably off... checking the settings... no, the ANC is on. Yet, I hear everything around me. Ok, wrong silicone tips. I always use "large" with the APPs, so the Beats Studio Buds (BSB from now on), should be no different.
Opening the package, I found the silicone tips. But, what? The casing of the tips is actually stuck to a big cardboard thing? Not like the APPs, where you can take the little "silicone tips package" with you, if you so desire... Oh well... got out the large ones. Getting ready to put the medium sized in... what? They won't get into place, because there's just a thin, paper-like tip to put them on. Oh well, just close the cardboard lid and let them lay there... it's ok, I probably won't change silicone tips again...
Put them back in my ear. Wow, what a difference. At least with the seal. The ANC is rather weak, and noises come through, but the seal is so tight. Great. Put on some music and driving down the street, I really like the sound. There seems to be more bass than the APPs, and it's sounds clear. But, isn't that volume a little low? I realize that I have to raise my volume to about 80-100% to get the music loud enough.
Getting home, I decide to go for an hour walk - just to really test them out.
So, I open Apple Music, put the buds back in my ear, start to walk, and put on some music. Or have I? Is there music there? Yeah, there is music, but it's hard to hear just what song it is, because all I hear is "BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM" from my own foosteps.
I stop.
I hear my own breathing on top of the music, but it's not too bad. Ah, the sound is crisp, clear, sounds balanced. I could swear it might be better than the APPs. I enjoy the thumping bass, the drums, the depth of the music.
Oh well, I can't stand here all day, so I start walking again. "OOMPH-OOOMPH-OOMPH"... the sound of my footsteps take over again.
Ok, Ill cut a long story short...
After having tried all three sizes of silicone tips, adjusted the position of the buds in my ear, etc, the result is that after 24 hours, I still find them useless for walking around.
If I sit still, they sound quite good (better than their price indicates), but as soon as I start moving, they become useless.
Transparency Mode is a joke. They don't work very well, even when sitting still, and even worse when moving around, because of the footsteps booming deep into your brain.
I never had this problem with the APPs or the Sony WF-1000XM4. Sure, there has been hints of your own footsteps if there's no music playing, but put on a song, and it goes away. With the BSBs, it overpowers everything.
And it's such a shame, cause I really wanted to like these. They are just the right size, they look cool in black, they are brand new, they sound very good - much like the APPs but with added clarity and bass.
But, they are no good, if I can't move around with them.
Have any of you experienced the same thing? Any tips on how to solve this issue?
I have talked about lots of the things I like (the sound, the size, the price, etc).
But, a couple of "cons" to keep in mind if you consider buying these (besides the "walking issue" that I've got...):
- No syncing with iCloud across your Apple devices.
- No ear detection. They keep playing if you take them out.
- Only "fair" ANC. Transparency mode = "fail".
- The button on the side is too easy to press when you put the buds into your ears or taking them out.
- No wireless charging.
Ok, that'll be enough for now...
Conclusion: My AirPods Pro won't go away anywhere soon - they'll stay in my pocket and my ears all the time.

 

[johntw]

Theses are a good alternative for folks who aren’t happy with the comfort and fit of APP. Not the greatest but not bad. Sounds best with ANC/Transparency on and music playing. They seal your ears more than APP, hence the exaggerated sound of breathing/walking. I’ve had similar issues with many other earbuds and headphones. I find, as have others have found, that these are some of the loudest earbuds on the market.

 

[Telesmurfen]

Thank you for a good reply.
I agree with you. And, of course, for the price, I guess you can’t expect it to be all premium. Maybe I had just unrealistically hopes for them. With a name like “studio buds”, I hoped they had sounded a bit better. Maybe I just have to accept that the fit wasn’t right for me - large size buds are too tight, and medium and small doesn’t provide good enough seal. And both “too stuffed” and “too loose” affect the sound quality.
I just wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming sound of my own footsteps. And as I haven’t seen that mentioned in any reviews, I was wondering if anybody else had experienced it.
Sorry for making the OP such a long and “dramatic” text

 

[ipponrg]

Thank you for a good reply.
I agree with you. And, of course, for the price, I guess you can’t expect it to be all premium. Maybe I had just unrealistically hopes for them. With a name like “studio buds”, I hoped they had sounded a bit better. Maybe I just have to accept that the fit wasn’t right for me - large size buds are too tight, and medium and small doesn’t provide good enough seal. And both “too stuffed” and “too loose” affect the sound quality.
I just wasn’t prepared for the overwhelming sound of my own footsteps. And as I haven’t seen that mentioned in any reviews, I was wondering if anybody else had experienced it.
Sorry for making the OP such a long and “dramatic” text

Curious how do you normally put on IEM buds? Do you just insert them, or do you pinch and pull your ears up then put it in? Your description sounds like you don’t have a good fit.

Stop Wearing Your Earphones the Wrong Way

In-ear headphones look like earbuds, but they don't work the same way. And if you don't like the way they sound, it's possible you're wearing them wrong.

www.wired.com

 

[Telesmurfen]

Thank you for your reply and for providing a link with informative information.
My only experience with IEM buds has mainly been the AirPods pro. A couple of weeks ago, I got the Sony WF-1000XM4, and yesterday, I got the Beats Studio Buds. So, that makes the grand total of three 🙈
With the AirPods Pro, I just twist them into my ears, as far as they will go. No pulling of the earlobes or anything fancy as described in the article. That way, I feel that the large size buds create a proper seal, and the sound is good. The medium and small tips go further into the ears, but as the ANC feels weaker with them, I assume that the fit is not good enough. So, I’ve stuck with large.
In short, I insert them almost the same way as the regular AirPods, except for maybe a little extra twist.
With the XM4s, I squeeze the foam first, then stick them in as far as they go, and hold them there for a few seconds while the foam adjusts to my ear canal.
The Beats studio buds have the same kind of ear tips as the APPs, so I insert them the same way as the APP - “plug and play”.
And the result is the same as with the APPs - except that the large tips seem to create an even tighter seal - so much that every breath and movement of my body is amplified, and ruining much of the listening experience.
If I sit still, the BSBs don’t sound too bad - quite punchy and crisp and nicely balanced. I just wish I could take that sound with me “on the move”. But the footsteps are just too annoying.
Do you have any tips of how to improve the fit for me? 😊

 

[ipponrg]

With the AirPods Pro, I just twist them into my ears, as far as they will go. No pulling of the earlobes or anything fancy as described in the article.

Yeah I have the Airpods Pro as well, and I do that too when I'm lazy. But whenever I want a solid seal and fit, I do what the article had mentioned. Maybe you might be able to get away with smaller ear tips, or maybe your large ear tips will fit better. Conceptually, it's why it's easier to put foam into a straight hole than into a curved hole.

With the XM4s, I squeeze the foam first, then stick them in as far as they go, and hold them there for a few seconds while the foam adjusts to my ear canal.

Yeah that's the nice part about foam. But note that foam ear plugs can also change the "sound" a little compared to silicon.

Do you have any tips of how to improve the fit for me?

IMO, definitely try the instructions in the link. When you release your ear lobe, the natural bend of your ear should make the silicon tips feel more fitted. If worse comes to worse and the large is not comfortable or a good fit, there are aftermarket tips. I did a quick search on Comply, and it looks like they have a similar foam plug to your XM4s: https://www.complyfoam.com/new-category-8/