Getting curvy with Beats

Light but sturdier, Beats’ new Studio earphones are not only more comfortable to wear but also look even cooler.

The phones come with Adaptive Noise Cancelling technology and Beats Acoustic Engine DSP software to enhance the sound quality, enriching the powerful bass and precision.

The new over-ear Studio now have beautiful curves and smooth surfaces, are 13 per cent lighter and come complete with a more comfortable headband. The ear cups are softer and ergonomic bellow, rendering them more flexible to wear regardless of head shape. And because they weight mere 263 grammes, the phones can be worn for hours on end.

The new Studio phones reproduce high quality sounds, supporting a Frequency Response from 20 to 20,000 Hz and boasting a high Dynamic Range of 115 dB.

The dual-mode Adaptive Noise Cancelling allows you to enjoy music even in a noisy environment, such as on a bus. When you’re listening to music, ANC automatically strikes a balance between your music and the world outside. It also has ANC-only mode to shield your ears from noise outside without hearing the music. You can activate the ANC without music playback mode by pressing the power button without the audio cable plugged into the headphones.

Because of the ANC mode, batteries are needed to power the noise cancelling function. The new Studio phones come with a 20-hour rechargeable battery, which can be charged via micro USB almost anywhere. A visible Battery Fuel Gauge tells you how much juice is available and you can check battery level by tapping the power button.

To save the battery, the headphones automatically turn off when you pull out the audio cable from its plug.

You can use the new phones as a headset by replacing the audio cable with the provided RemoteTalk cable. When using it with an iPod, iPhone or iPad, you can use the RemoteTalk cable to control the music playback by pausing or playing or skipping forward or scanning backward.

During the test, I found the new phones had great sound quality and a very powerful bass. They were comfortable to wear too.

The excellent music quality can also be attributed to the Beats Acoustic Engine, designed to generate the emotional experience that Dr Dre, Jimmy Iovine, and some of the music industry’s greatest rock, hip-hop, pop, electronic, and R&B producers want you to feel.

I listened to AC/DC’s “Black Ice” album and revelled in the power of the bass guitar and drum meshed with the screeching guitar. The phones are fantastic for tuning into rock.

Equally impressive was the pulsating bass on the “Best of Sting” album and the phones also brought out his powerful vocals.

Peter Gabriel’s low voice was wonderfully clear on the “Whole Thing” while even the tiniest details on Roger Water’s “The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking” could easily be picked out.

The saxophone was clear and sweet on “Sax for Sex – Beautiful Night” and the double bass on “You’ve Got a Friend” off “Best Audiophile Voices V” was solid and powerful.

The new Studio headphones cost Bt13,000 and are available in black, white and red. Both the black and white phones are on sale at Jaymart, iStudio, Life, PowerMall, PowerBuy, Munkong Gadget and leading stores countrywide. For the red ones, check out True Shop.

 

Key specs

_ Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz

_ Signal to Noise ratio: 115 dB

_ Weight (kg): 0.26

_ Height (mm): 203mm

_ Type of Jack: 3.5mm

_ Provided with the headphone: USB 2.0 charging cable, 3.5mm audio cable, RemoteTalk cable, Hard shell carrying case, Beats cleaning cloth, Quick Start-Up Guide