Head to head

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) vs Beats Studio Pro

Beats Studio Pro leads 3 to 1 on the 4 rankable specs and costs $200 less, which makes it the straightforward pick. Most of the 14 attributes tracked here are descriptive rather than numeric.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) lists 384.8 g (13.6 oz) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists 260 g (9.17 oz) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Active Noise Cancelling: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) lists Yes (Pro-level Active Noise Cancellation with dual H1 chips) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists Yes (Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Battery life: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) lists 20 hours (ANC + Spatial Audio enabled) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists 24 hours (ANC/Transparency on) / 40 hours (ANC off) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Foldable: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) lists No (swivels flat) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists Yes (folds into compact carrying case) (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).
Carrying case: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) lists Smart Case included (low-power state trigger) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Beats Studio Pro lists Woven fabric zippered carrying case with cable storage (Beats sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)

$5491 spec win

Swap

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AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation$179 Anker Soundcore Space One Pro$199 AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)$249 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds$299 Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds$299 Sony WH-1000XM4$348 Bose QuietComfort Headphones$349 Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless$379 Sony WH-1000XM5$399 Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e$399 Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones$429 Sonos Ace$449 Focal Bathys Hi-Fi Wireless$699

Beats Studio Pro

$3493 spec wins

Swap

Compare a different headphone

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your headphone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 1 to 3

Buy the Beats Studio Pro.

Leads 3 of 4 rankable overall specs; Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) takes 1.
Weight: 260 g vs 384.8 g
Battery life: 24 hours vs 20 hours
It is also $200 cheaper.

1 Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)4 rankable of 14 specsBeats Studio Pro 3

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

Does not foldrow
Takes a bigger slot in a carry-on.
Trips:Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) · No (swivels flat)Clear:Beats Studio Pro · Yes (folds into compact carrying case)
No LDAC or aptXrow
Android phones stream at standard AAC or SBC quality.
Trips:Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) · AAC, SBCTrips:Beats Studio Pro · AAC, SBC, Lossless audio via USB-C
Over 300 grow
Neck fatigue on a long flight.
Trips:Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) · 384.8 gClear:Beats Studio Pro · 260 g (9.17 oz)
Under 24 hours of batteryrow
A long-haul day needs a top-up.
Trips:Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) · 20 hoursClear:Beats Studio Pro · 24 hours
No IP ratingrow
No official protection against sweat or rain.
Trips:Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) · No official IP ratingTrips:Beats Studio Pro · No official IP rating

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

3 of 3 differ

Weight

Apple

384.8 g (13.6 oz)

Beats

260 g (9.17 oz)

Active Noise Cancelling≠

Apple

Yes (Pro-level Active Noise Cancellation with dual H1 chips)

Beats

Yes (Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling)

Battery life

Apple

20 hours (ANC + Spatial Audio enabled)

Beats

24 hours (ANC/Transparency on) / 40 hours (ANC off)

Comfort, Clamp & Travel Fit Check

Ergonomic factors that affect daily comfort, glasses wearers, and luggage space.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

Folding & Travel Packability

Collapsing inward saves ~40% space in backpacks or carry-on bags.

Apple

Swivels flat only; Smart Case leaves headband exposed

Beats

Standard folding earcups

Clamp Force & Glasses Comfort

Firm clamps create strong acoustic seals but can press glasses frames into temples.

Apple

Firm clamp force (~5.2 N; steel & aluminum)

Beats

Standard headphone clamp

Weight & Crown Pressure

Headphones over 350g can cause top-of-head pressure hotspots during flights.

Apple

385g (heavy; noticeable neck load after 2 hours)

Beats

Standard headphone weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Apple: What to watch for

Ergonomics
Heavy 385g weight creates neck fatigue during long flights.
At nearly 135 grams heavier than Bose or Sony rivals, the steel and aluminum build can feel fatiguing on the crown and cervical spine after 2 hours.
Hardware Quirk
Smart Case offers virtually zero physical drop or travel protection.
The minimalist magnetic sleeve leaves the delicate mesh canopy and aluminum earcups completely exposed to keys and pens inside a bag.
Maintenance
Condensation buildup inside earcups under mesh cushions.
The cold aluminum earcups cause warm body vapor to condense into visible moisture droplets behind the removable magnetic ear pads.

Beats: What to watch for

Maintenance
Requires ongoing care to maintain peak out-of-box performance.
Regular cleaning, firmware updates, and standard care are recommended to preserve longevity.

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)$5491 win

Beats Studio Pro$3493 wins

Design Audio Connectivity & Battery Ownership

12 of 14 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Design

leads 2-0

Design specifications. Middle column is Apple AirPods Max (USB-C), right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Type	Over-ear, closed-back	Over-ear, closed-back
Weight	384.8 g (13.6 oz)	260 g (9.17 oz) (wins this row: lower)
Foldable	No (swivels flat)	Yes (folds into compact carrying case) (wins this row: has it)
Carrying case	Smart Case included (low-power state trigger)	Woven fabric zippered carrying case with cable storage
IP rating	No official IP rating	No official IP rating

Audio

5 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is Apple AirPods Max (USB-C), right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Driver	40 mm Apple-designed custom dynamic driver	40 mm custom active drivers (ultra-low distortion)
Active Noise Cancelling	Yes (Pro-level Active Noise Cancellation with dual H1 chips)	Yes (Fully adaptive Active Noise Cancelling)
Transparency mode	Yes (Adaptive Transparency Mode)	Yes (Transparency mode)
Supported codecs	AAC, SBC	AAC, SBC, Lossless audio via USB-C (up to 24-bit/48kHz)
Microphones	9 microphones total (8 for ANC, 3 for voice pickup)	Upgraded voice-targeting beamforming microphones

Connectivity & Battery

3 differences

Connectivity & Battery specifications. Middle column is Apple AirPods Max (USB-C), right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Multipoint Bluetooth	Yes (seamless automatic switching across Apple devices) (wins this row: has it)	No (Google Fast Pair multipoint on Android; one-touch Apple iCloud switching)
Battery life	20 hours (ANC + Spatial Audio enabled)	24 hours (ANC/Transparency on) / 40 hours (ANC off) (wins this row: higher)
Charging time	2 hours via USB-C (5 min charge gives 1.5 hours)	2 hours full charge (Fast Fuel: 10 min charge gives 4 hours)

Ownership

1 differences

Ownership specifications. Middle column is Apple AirPods Max (USB-C), right column is Beats Studio Pro.
Warranty	1 year	1 year manufacturer warranty

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) source Beats Studio Pro source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)

Luxury over-ear headphones with custom dynamic drivers, computational audio, and anodized aluminum earcups.

Superb spatial audio with dynamic head tracking
Best-in-class transparency mode realism
Premium stainless steel frame with breathable mesh canopy

What you give up

Heavier than plastic-built competitors at 384g
Smart Case provides minimal protection

Full Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) specs →

Pick this one if

Beats Studio Pro

Over-ear wireless ANC headphones with custom 40mm drivers, lossless USB-C audio, and cross-platform native pairing for iOS and Android.

Lossless 24-bit/48kHz audio playback via USB-C cable
Strong battery life (up to 40 hours with ANC off / 24 hours with ANC on)
Dual Apple and Android one-touch native pairing ecosystems

What you give up

Plastic build feel compared to aluminum rivals
No automatic wear-detection auto-pause

Full Beats Studio Pro specs →

Best for each use

Flights & commutes

Planes and trains: noise cancelling, battery, how small it packs

For flights & commutes, buy the Beats Studio Pro.

Leads 3 of 3 rankable flights & commutes specs.
Battery life: 24 hours vs 20 hours
Weight: 260 g vs 384.8 g
It is also $200 cheaper.

Calls & work

Meetings all day: microphone quality and two devices at once

Tied on calls & work. Beats Studio Pro is cheaper.

The 2 rankable calls & work specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $200 at list price.

Sound quality

Listening quality above all: drivers, hi-res codecs, comfort

Too close to call on sound quality from the spec sheets. Only weight is rankable here.

Driver: 40 mm Apple-designed custom dynamic driver vs 40 mm custom active drivers
Supported codecs: AAC, SBC vs AAC, SBC, Lossless audio via USB-C

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) spec sheet Beats Studio Pro spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) ↗ · Beats Studio Pro ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) or the Beats Studio Pro?

Beats Studio Pro costs $200 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) or Beats Studio Pro?

Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) has this deal-breaker: does not fold. Takes a bigger slot in a carry-on.

Which is better for flights & commutes, the Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) or the Beats Studio Pro?

For flights & commutes, buy the Beats Studio Pro. Leads 3 of 3 rankable flights & commutes specs. Battery life: 24 hours vs 20 hours

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 14 specs tracked here, 10 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

Other matchups

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro vs AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro vs AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C)

Anker Soundcore Space One Pro vs Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds