Apple Airpod Max VS Beats Studio 3

When it comes to premium headphones, two names often dominate the conversation—Apple AirPods Max and Beats Studio 3. Both sit at the top of the headphone world in terms of popularity, but they cater to slightly different audiences.

Apple designed the AirPods Max as a luxury, high-fidelity experience for audiophiles and Apple ecosystem loyalists, while the Beats Studio 3 has become a fan favorite for bass lovers, workout enthusiasts, and those looking for reliable everyday use without the hefty price tag of Apple’s flagship.

But here’s the real question: Which one should you actually buy? Are the AirPods Max truly worth their premium price, or does the Studio 3 still hold its ground in 2025?

In this article, we’ll break down everything—design, comfort, sound quality, features, battery life, and value—so you’ll have a crystal-clear answer before making your investment.

Design and Build Quality: Luxury vs Everyday Comfort

The first thing you’ll notice when comparing AirPods Max and Beats Studio 3 is the drastic difference in design philosophy.

The AirPods Max is certainly a luxury product. It is made of a stainless steel frame, anodised aluminium ear cups, and a breathable knit mesh headband, and as soon as you touch it, you realise it is high-end.

Each component cries of durability and style, although at the expense of additional weight, 385 grams, to be precise, which is quite heavy by most standards in the category of headphones.

To some users, such weight can translate to a dense, quality feel, and to other users, it may become uncomfortable when listening to marathons. Nevertheless, Apple created the ear cushions to use memory foam, which shapes softly through the ear and counteracts part of the weight.

The Beats Studio 3, on the other hand, is rather lightweight and casual. It has a plastic frame and faux-leather cushions that are lightweight at 260 grams, and can be carried for hours without causing a sore neck.

It is smooth and has minimal design with iconic B logo on every ear cup- this form of branding is a style Beats has been known to have since the beginning of its inception. Although it does not feel as high-end as the AirPods Max, the Studio 3 excels in terms of portability and daily comfort.

Its headphones are easily foldable, and this is convenient to carry around during travels, compared to the AirPods Max, which is well equipped with a controversial Smart Case, which does not provide a lot of protection and resembles more of a handbag than a headphone case.

In terms of durability, the AirPods Max is designed with a durable design, whereas it is heavier and not foldable, hence not suitable for carrying around on a day-to-day commute. The Studio 3, in its turn, might not be as luxurious, though it provides the boxes that one might require when comfort and portability are the key principles for them.

Verdict for Design: If you want luxury, premium materials, and a statement piece, the AirPods Max is the clear winner. But if you prefer lightweight comfort and practicality, the Beats Studio 3 easily takes the crown.

Sound Performance: Which One Truly Delivers?

At the heart of any headphone purchase lies one question: How do they sound? This is where the AirPods Max and Beats Studio 3 show their contrasting personalities.

The AirPods Max is all about accuracy, balance, and detail. Apple engineered these headphones with custom 40mm dynamic drivers that deliver crisp highs, rich mids, and a controlled bass response. Unlike many consumer headphones that exaggerate bass, the AirPods Max opts for a studio-grade sound signature—you hear instruments separated with precision, vocals feel natural, and the soundstage is impressively wide.

Add Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, and suddenly you’re immersed in a 3D-like listening experience, whether watching movies on Apple TV+ or listening to Dolby Atmos tracks on Apple Music. It feels like sitting in a private concert hall.

Meanwhile, Beats Studio 3 plays to a different crowd. If you’re a fan of bass-heavy tracks, hip-hop, EDM, or pop, you’ll love the Beats tuning. The Studio 3 emphasises low frequencies, giving you that thumping beat and energy that many casual listeners enjoy. However, it’s not as refined as the AirPods Max.

The mids can sometimes feel recessed, and the highs lack the sparkle that true audiophiles crave. That said, Beats Studio 3 does a great job of delivering fun and engaging sound for workouts and daily commutes, where accuracy isn’t always the top priority.

In side-by-side listening, the AirPods Max will come out as the winner in terms of balanced sound quality, whereas the Beats Studio 3 will be preferred by people who require huge, punchy bass and do not mind sacrificing some of the detail.

Verdict for Sound: Choose AirPods Max if you value clarity, natural tones, and immersive audio. Pick Beats Studio 3 would be the choice in case you have a lot of bass-focused songs in your playlist and you need headphones that help the music feel even more energised.

Noise Cancellation and Transparency: Cutting Out the World

Noise cancellation is another area where these two headphones differ significantly.

The AirPods Max uses Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) powered by eight microphones that continuously monitor and adjust to external sounds. The result? You can sit on a busy aeroplane or walk down a noisy street, and the chaos around you melts away.

The ANC is so advanced that many reviewers have placed it on par—or even above—Sony’s industry-leading WH-1000XM5. Add to that the Transparency Mode, and you get the best of both worlds: press a button, and suddenly you can hear traffic, announcements, or conversations as if you weren’t wearing headphones at all. This makes the AirPods Max perfect not only for immersive listening but also for practical, everyday use.

The Beats Studio 3, while equipped with ANC, doesn’t reach the same standard. Its Pure Adaptive Noise Cancelling does a decent job at blocking low-frequency noises, like the hum of an air conditioner or bus engine, but struggles with higher-pitched sounds such as voices and keyboard clicks.

For most casual listeners, it’s sufficient, but once you compare it directly to the AirPods Max, the difference is clear. Transparency mode is also absent on the Beats Studio 3, which means you’ll need to take them off if you want to hear your surroundings.

Verdict for Noise Cancellation: The AirPods Max is hands down the superior choice for ANC and transparency. Beats Studio 3 performs reasonably well for its price point, but if silence and situational awareness are top priorities, AirPods Max dominate this category.

Connectivity and Features: Apple Ecosystem at Its Best

When it comes to connectivity and smart features, both headphones are designed to work seamlessly within the Apple ecosystem, but the experience is far more advanced with the AirPods Max.

The AirPods Max comes with the Apple H1 chip in each ear cup, allowing ultra-fast pairing, instant device switching, and hands-free “Hey Siri” support. Suppose you’re an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple Watch user.

In that case, you’ll notice how smooth the transition is between devices—start watching a video on your iPad, then answer a call on your iPhone, and the headphones automatically switch over.

Add in Audio Sharing, which lets two people connect their AirPods to one device, and Spatial Audio, which tracks your head movement for an immersive surround sound feel. You quickly realise these headphones are built for Apple users who want a fully integrated experience.

The Beats Studio 3 also benefits from Apple ownership but uses the older W1 chip instead of the H1. This means you still get quick pairing with Apple devices and solid Bluetooth stability, but you miss out on more advanced features like Spatial Audio, Audio Sharing, and automatic device switching.

On the plus side, the Studio 3 is more platform-friendly—it works just as well with Android as it does with iOS. While AirPods Max technically works with Android too, you lose out on many of the smart features, making it a less attractive option for non-Apple users.

Controls also differ: AirPods Max ditches touch-sensitive pads in favour of a Digital Crown dial (similar to the Apple Watch) that controls volume, playback, and calls with precise adjustments. Beats Studio 3 uses more traditional button-based controls on the ear cup, which some people find more reliable and intuitive.

Verdict for Features: If you’re deep into the Apple ecosystem, the AirPods Max offers an unbeatable experience. But if you want cross-platform flexibility and simpler controls, Beats Studio 3 holds its own.

Battery Life and Charging: Endurance Matters

Battery life is often a deciding factor when choosing premium headphones, and here’s where the Beats Studio 3 surprisingly pulls ahead.

The AirPods Max offers up to 20 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation and Spatial Audio enabled. While this is decent, it falls short compared to many rivals in the same price bracket.

What saves it is fast charging—just 5 minutes of charging gives you about 1.5 hours of playtime, which is perfect when you’re in a rush. However, the Smart Case is a bit controversial. Instead of powering the headphones fully off, it puts them into an ultra-low power mode, which some users find inconvenient.

The Beats Studio 3 delivers a much stronger 40 hours of playback without ANC, and about 22 hours with ANC on. This makes them an excellent choice for long flights, travel, or for people who don’t want to worry about charging every day. Beats also includes Fast Fuel charging, where a 10-minute charge gives you 3 hours of playback—an impressive feature for those on the go.

Another small but practical advantage: the Beats Studio 3 charges with the universal micro-USB (on older versions) or USB-C (on newer models), depending on which edition you buy, while AirPods Max uses the Lightning cable, locking you further into Apple’s ecosystem.

Verdict for Battery Life: The Beats Studio 3 is the clear winner in this category with its superior battery endurance and fast-charge efficiency. The AirPods Max does well enough, but if long trips without frequent charging are a priority, Beats takes the lead.

Price and Value for Money: Premium Investment or Smart Choice?

Price is one of the biggest dividing lines between the AirPods Max and Beats Studio 3, and it often becomes the deciding factor for buyers.

The AirPods Max launched at a premium price of $549 and still hovers around that range, though occasional discounts bring it closer to $479–$499. At this price, it sits firmly in the luxury headphone category, competing with heavyweights like the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Bose 700.

What you’re paying for isn’t just sound quality—it’s the Apple premium: Spatial Audio, luxury build materials, seamless integration with iOS, and unmatched noise cancellation. For those who live inside the Apple ecosystem and value design as much as performance, the investment makes sense. But for casual listeners, the price may feel excessive.

The Beats Studio 3, by contrast, is far more affordable, typically retailing around $349 at launch but often found on sale between $199 and $249. This makes it a much more accessible option for those who want reliable wireless ANC headphones without breaking the bank. While it doesn’t offer the same premium features or sound fidelity as the AirPods Max, it delivers solid performance for the price, especially for bass lovers and frequent travellers.

Here’s where it comes down to personal perspective: If you want the absolute best of Apple’s audio technology, AirPods Max is worth the splurge. But if you want something more budget-friendly that still gets the job done, the Beats Studio 3 is the smarter value play.

Verdict for Price & Value: AirPods Max is an investment for audiophiles and Apple loyalists, while Beats Studio 3 is the practical, wallet-friendly choice for everyday listeners.

Final Verdict: Which One Should You Buy?

After putting them head-to-head across every category, the choice between AirPods Max and Beats Studio 3 ultimately depends on what matters most to you.

AirPods Max wins the competition in case you need luxury, the newest technology and the ultimate compatibility with Apple products. It has been able to offer incredible sound quality, noise-cancelling power that is on the leading edge of its industry and a design that is as high-end as it appears. But you will have to tolerate its higher cost, bulkier construction and mediocre battery life. To Apple users who are interested in the best, it is worth all the money.

On the other hand, if you value comfort, battery life, and affordability, the Beats Studio 3 shines. Its lightweight design makes it perfect for daily use, its battery life outlasts the AirPods Max by a wide margin, and its bass-driven sound is fun and energetic. For most casual listeners who want great performance without spending over $500, the Beats Studio 3 is the smarter choice.

The Bottom Line:

• Choose AirPods Max if you want premium sound, immersive Spatial Audio, and the ultimate Apple ecosystem experience.
• Choose Beats Studio 3 if you want long-lasting battery life, everyday comfort, and a more budget-friendly option that still delivers solid performance.

In short, AirPods Max is the king of premium, while Beats Studio 3 remains the champion of practicality.

FAQs

Are Beats Studio better than AirPods Max?
AirPods Max offer superior sound, noise cancellation, and premium build. Beats Studio focus more on bass and affordability, so the choice depends on preference.

Are Beats Studio 3 better than Apple AirPods?
Beats Studio 3 delivers over-ear comfort and stronger bass, while AirPods are more portable with seamless Apple integration.

What’s better than the AirPod Max?
High-end headphones like Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose 700 rival AirPods Max in sound and noise cancellation, often at a lower price.

Which is better: AirPods 3 or AirPods Max?
AirPods 3 are compact and great for everyday use, while AirPods Max provide immersive audio with top-tier noise cancellation.