Apple has been discounting its AirPods for Black Friday but its Beats brand of headphones have seen reductions as well, with the Studio Buds getting a tidy discount on its asking price.
Amazon has taken 32% off the RRP for the Studio Buds, reducing them from the listed price of £159.99 to a very appetising £109.99.
We originally reviewed back in 2021 when they launched at a price of £130, so it would seem that Apple has increased the RRP as it has done across several other headphones. This marks the cheapest the headphones have been since earlier in 2022 when they fell to just £84.99.
Get Beats Studio Buds for less with Amazon’s Black Friday discount
Save £50 on the stylish Beats Studio Buds this Black Friday
- Amazon UK
- Save £50
- Now £109
You won’t want to miss out on these headphones the, as they represent a big change in philosophy for the Beats brand, ditching the bass-heavy emphasis of before for a balanced, clearer audio performance.
They proved to be comfortable to wear though their fit can be a bit fussy, requiring some wiggling to get them properly seated in the ear. The Beats prefer actual buttons over touch controls, and that’s a choice that offers less fuss when trying to operate them. There’s no volume control on the earbuds so you will need to fish out your mobile device to change it.
They come with noise cancellation and a transparency mode, the former is reasonably effective as long as you’ve got a snug fit, reducing the intensity of sounds so they are less of a distraction. The transparency mode is one of the better attempts in the budget area, passing sound through to the ears with enough clarity and detail to make out what’s around you.
The sound quality is the main reason to buy any pair of headphones, and the Studio Buds’ soundstage is on the small side but it is also well-balanced with sharp high frequency performance, a crisp and clear midrange and punchy bass. They are one of the more impressive-sounding efforts around the £150 mark. Call quality is solid, with noise kept at bay for clear conversations.
And one more thing. Unlike the Apple AirPods, the Beats are friendlier with Android devices with one-touch pairing support and an Android app for updates and switching noise cancelling modes.
Best Black Friday Deals
- Pixel 7 with 100GB data on Three – No upfront cost, Only £28/month
- PS5 Console with 2 games, a controller and gift card – Was £582.97, Now £576.85
- Xbox Series S – Was £249.99, Now £189
- Echo Dot 5 – Was £54.99, Now £26.99
- Pixel 6 Pro with Pixel Buds A-Series – Was £948.99, Now £549
- Sony WH-1000XM5 Headphones – Was £380, Now £295.91
- Sage Barista Express Coffee Machine – Was £629.95, Now £471.99
- Kindle Paperwhite – Was £129.99, Now £94.99
- Nothing Phone (1) – Was £399.99, Now £349.99
- JBL Flip 5 Bluetooth speaker – Was £119.99, Now £74.99
- Sonos One SL – Was £179, Now £139
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra – Was £1149, Now £949
- Sony WF-1000XM4 Wireless Earbuds – Was £250, Now £159
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.