If you’re in the Apple ecosystem, there aren’t a lot of great options for over-the-ear headphones, especially if you want to go with a specifically Apple-branded pair like the AirPods Max. If you’re willing to go with a pair of Beats headphones, you’ll get the same sort of experience (since Apple owns the brand) and you won’t have to spend quite as much. For example, the Beats Studio Pro might not technically compete with the AirPods Max, but they come close, and this Black Friday deal will let you grab a pair for just $170 instead of the usual $350.
While it’s strange to start with a bit of a negative, it’s important to note from the get-go that this headphone doesn’t have either Apple’s H1 or its H2 audio chip. That means you miss out on some features, like fast device switching and ear detection, that you’d get with Apple AirPods Max — but it doesn’t mean you don’t get excellent audio. On the contrary, as CNET’s David Carnoy found, the audio tends to be aggressive, with sculpted highs and forward-sounding mids. That’s in comparison to the AirPods Max or the Sony WH-1000XM5 which are a bit more laid back, and if you like that sort of aggressive sound, then you’ll love the Beats.
Many retailers start “Black Friday” sales as early as Halloween, or even earlier. The quality of deals can vary early on, but as November progresses, many of the deals are as good as the deep discounts you’ll see during Thanksgiving weekend. See the best Black Friday deals we’ve found.
In terms of features, you get what you’d expect from a higher-end set of headphones, such as good-quality active noise cancellation and transparency mode, comfortable ear padding, and, surprisingly, the addition of both a USB-C port and a headphone jack. Battery life is also pretty impressive at around 40 hours with noise canceling off and 24 hours with it on, so it’s about standard for the industry and this price.
Overall, the Studio Pro headphones are a solid upgrade over the Studio 3 Wireless, and with this discount, well worth picking up. That said, if you’d like a few more options, be sure to check out these Black Friday headphone deals for some alternatives.
