Beats Solo Buds vs Beats Studio Buds Plus: Which Beats are best?

Despite being owned by Apple, Beats earbuds now work well with Android devices too. This means that whether you have an iOS or Android device, you should have Beats on your list of considerations for your next earbuds – but which Beats are the ones to buy? We’re comparing the Beats Solo Buds vs Beats Studio Buds Plus to find out.

Editor’s note: this article was published on July 22, 2024, and is the first version of the article. Updates will follow as the market changes.

What’s it like to use the Beats Solo Buds compared to the Beats Studio Buds Plus?

The Beats Solo Buds and Beats Studio Buds Plus share a similar design, at least when it comes to the earbuds. Both earbuds are small and comfortable and come with four different sizes of ear tips. On the other hand, the cases for the earbuds are very different. You might notice the Beats Solo Buds have a much smaller case, but that comes at a cost. The Beats Solo Buds case does not have a battery inside it, whereas the Beats Studio Buds Plus case does. If you have the Solo Buds and your earbuds die, you’ll need to find a charger.

The Beats Studio Buds Plus have an IPX4 rating for some protection against sweat and splashes of water, whereas the Beats Solo Buds do not have an IP rating. Both use the same control scheme, which is not a good thing. You have to physically press the outside of the earbuds, which lodges the earbuds further and further into your ear canal. Whether you go with the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus, you might just want to reach for your phone instead of pressing the earbuds to pause your music.

Should you use the app for the Beats Solo Buds and Beats Studio Buds Plus?

If you have an Android device, you can download the Beats app from the Play Store. You don’t really need to though, as it doesn’t offer much for features. Whether you have the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus, you don’t get equalizer functionality inside of the app. The app can be useful for installing firmware updates or locating lost earbuds, but that’s about it.

iPhone users don’t need to worry about downloading an app, as all of the functionality and features are baked right into the operating system. If you and a friend both have Beats or AirPods, you can take advantage of the iOS audio sharing feature to listen to the same content from one device.

How do the Beats Solo Buds and Beats Studio Buds Plus connect?

The Beats Solo Buds and Beats Studio Buds Plus both support fast pairing to iOS and Android. As well, once you connect to one device, the earbuds will automatically pair to any other device on the same iCloud or Google account. The connectivity tech is exactly the same. Both have Bluetooth 5.3 with support for SBC and AAC.

Is battery life better on the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus?

In our battery testing, the Beats Solo Buds lasted 17 hours and 24 minutes, whereas the Beats Studio Buds Plus lasted 8 hours and 22 minutes with ANC on. Remember that the Beats Solo Buds charging case does not have a battery inside, whereas the Beats Studio Buds Plus does. According to Beats, you can get up to 36 hours of total listening time from the Beats Studio Buds Plus including the charging case.

Both sets of earbuds support Fast Fuel, with five minutes of charge time providing one hour of playback time.

Do the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus block noise better?

Here is where we encounter perhaps the biggest difference between these earbuds. While the Beats Studio Buds Plus have active noise canceling, the Beats Solo Buds do not. If you’re hoping to block out the sounds of a train, plane, or noisy neighbors, you’ll need to rely on passive isolation alone. If the earbuds fit snugly in your ears, they can block out some noise, but it’s not the same as having ANC.

While the ANC of the the Beats Studio Buds Plus isn’t as good as the best noise canceling earbuds, it is serviceable for commuters. External noise is reduced by an average of 80%, which makes it easy to focus on your music.

If you want to stay aware of your surroundings, the Beats Studio Buds Plus have a transparency mode. The Beats Solo Buds do not, which means you’ll need to take the earbuds out to have a conversation or hear train announcements.

Do the Beats Solo Buds sound better than the Beats Studio Buds Plus?

The Beats Solo Buds do not sound as good as the Beats Studio Buds Plus. Neither offer native equalizer functionality, which means you can’t easily tweak the sound to your liking.

Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (MDAQS)

The chart below shows how the sound of the Beats Solo Buds and Beats Studio Buds Plus was assessed by the Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score (MDAQS) algorithm from HEAD acoustics.

A simulated panel of listeners rates the Beats Studio Buds Plus higher than the Beats Solo Buds when it comes to sound quality. This means there is a better chance that you will prefer the sound of the Beats Studio Buds Plus to that of the Beats Solo Buds.

Reviewer’s notes

We found that the sound quality of the Beats Solo Buds is passable, even though it is a step down from that of the Beats Studio Buds Plus. The Solo Buds have a strong focus on upper mids, which makes vocals pop. There is also a bit of an emphasis in the lows, which can bring out bass guitar sounds. Notably, the Beats Solo Buds have a steep drop off in the highs, which leaves us wanting more detail from upper harmonics and cymbals.

On the contrary, the Beats Studio Buds Plus more accurately represent the lows, mids, and highs. These earbuds still emphasize bass and vocals, but without sacrificing as much detail in other parts of the music.

Objective Measurements

The Beats Studio Buds Plus have a frequency response that is more closely matched to our headphone preference curve. While both earbuds under-emphasize the low-mids, the Solo Buds are also lacking in the highs.

Do the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus have a better microphone?

The Beats Solo Buds and Beats Studio Buds Plus both have microphones that work well in quiet conditions. Step outside though, and you encounter some major issues. The Beats Studio Buds microphones let in pretty much all environmental noise, but at least you can also still hear the voice. On the other hand, the Beats Solo Buds have a noise reduction algorithm that blocks out both background noise and the voice. This makes the microphones useless in noisy environments.

Beats Solo Buds microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Beats Studio Buds Plus microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

Beats Solo Buds microphone demo (Street conditions):

Beats Studio Buds Plus microphone demo (Street conditions):

Beats Solo Buds vs Beats Studio Buds Plus: Price and availability

The Beats Studio Buds Plus cost twice as much as the Beats Solo Buds. If you’re on a budget, the price might be your deciding factor. Both are relatively new products, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding either at your tech retailer of choice.

Should you get the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus?

If you are set on Beats, the Studio Buds Plus are a noticeable upgrade over the Solo Buds. The lack of noise canceling, a battery inside the case, or a useable microphone on the Solo Buds is very bothersome. If you can’t stomach the cost of the Studio Buds Plus, just look at other options.

What should you get instead of the Beats Solo Buds or Beats Studio Buds Plus?

No matter your budget, you can find good wireless earbuds. A good place to start your search is with the Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC, $99.99 at Amazon. These earbuds are packed with features you’d normally find on much more expensive offerings, such as water resistance, long battery life, good noise canceling, and good sound quality.

For much less money you can check out the Moondrop Space Travel, $24.99 at Amazon. Obviously, at this price you can’t expect perfection, but the Moondrop Space Travel provide good sound quality and noise canceling.

If you are set on Beats, the Beats Fit Pro are a good (albeit pricey) option, $159 at Amazon. For the extra money, you get a more secure fit, great noise canceling, and good sound quality.

Frequently asked questions