Beats 2.0 takes a different approach from the first generation. The original sound was lively and heavy on bass. Beats 2.0 sounds more measured and balanced. The first generation announced itself with loud styling, while the new one looks good without shouting about it.
Beats 2.0 also stays consistent. Its workout headphones, its true wireless earbuds, and now the Beats 360 all share a similar sound, a similar look, and a similar experience.
The Beats 360 does add something new for Beats wireless headphones. Its earpads and headband cushion detach, so you can set them up for everyday wear or for workouts.
Some of the fun from the Beats 1.0 days returns here. The open question is whether that playful side fits with the more mature sound of Beats 2.0.
Beats 360 Full Specs
Beats 360 Design
The Beats 360 has an unusual design. Its earpads and headband cushion detach, so you can swap them for a different set.
It reminds me of the rumoured AirPods Max. You get some personality, since you can change colours and build your own look. You also get some practicality, because Beats offers two Cushion Kits: Performance Knit and Ultra Plush.
Performance Knit is built for the gym. The earpads use a breathable fabric with a slightly rough texture, and they should hold up to sweaty workouts. You can get it in Black, Cloud (white), Pink, Sky Blue, Volt, and Navy.
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Ultra Plush suits your daily commute. It has a softer surface against your skin and comes only in Black and White. Beats sold the Cushion Kits at a lower price for a limited time. They now cost $49.95 per colour.
The headphones themselves come in Black, Cloud, Pink, and Sky Blue. Pair those with the Cushion Kits and you get plenty of colour combinations. The earcups have a near-translucent finish, so light shows through depending on the angle you hold them, which looks good.
The Beats 360 feel comfortable. The clamp is a little snug, so the headphones stay put without squeezing your head. They weigh nearly 300g, which surprised me, because they don’t feel that heavy on your head.
The clamp also loosens a bit with time. At the gym, they stayed in place during stomach crunches. They didn’t slide around on several runs either.
Few over-ear headphones carry an IPX4 rating, and the Beats 360 do. That rating does not make them waterproof. It means they handle splashes of water and sweat. I wore them on a cold, wet October morning, and they came through fine.
The Beats 360 use physical controls, and I found them a little hard to locate. I have to slide my finger over the earcup to find them. Once I do, they are easy to use. You get buttons for power and Bluetooth pairing, noise cancellation, playback, and volume, and each one responds well when you press it.
I like the case, though it is not a hard shell. Beats calls it a woven ripstop fabric case. It feels soft and plush, and it reminds me of a purse.
Magnets hold the opening shut. Pull it aside to open it and press it together to close it. A loop handle lets you carry it, and it is slim enough to slip into a bag without taking up much room. It beats the case that came with the Beats Studio Pro, which had a zip that kept getting stuck.
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One letdown is that Beats does not include a USB-C cable, so you need to bring your own. There is no charger in the box either. The headphones only work with a 2.5W to 7.5W charger. I tried others, and the headphones did not charge properly.
Beats 360 Sound Quality
Beats says the 360 are its best-sounding over-ears so far. I will get to that claim shortly, but first, here is how they sound.
Beats took a different direction from the Studio Pro. The sound is smoother and less sharp, with less definition. The tuning leans neutral. You get some dynamism, but these headphones do not sound especially energetic.
The soundstage is wide, and it holds a good level of detail and clarity. The tone resembles an Apple Music master. I would not call it the most natural sound, but it is balanced.
With You & Me by MEUTE, the low end has a clear sense of punch and weight. The bass stays controlled, though. There is real power behind it, and the headphones keep it in check.
The midrange sounds very smooth, and so do vocals, both male and female. That smoothness makes the Beats 360 feel less detailed than rivals.
They take a similar approach to the Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen, but the Bose sound warmer. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless have less bass punch than the Beats, yet their midrange has more character and expression.
The treble is solid but does not stand out. Highs come across with clarity and decent detail. The piano in Erased by Sunlight by GoGo Penguin shows its different tones well. Still, my overall impression is that the Beats 360 are not the most insightful headphones.
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A comparison with the Beats Studio Pro confirms it. The Studio Pro sound clearer and more detailed, and they handle vocals and treble more naturally. Their bass hits less hard, but they give you more insight, along with a bit more energy and drive. Next to them, the Beats 360 sound like someone sanded the detail off.
Personalised Spatial Audio needs an iPhone for setup. Without one, you get standard Spatial Audio. It includes head-tracking, and the effect was subtle when I watched The Rush Hours on an iPad. Even so, I prefer video content with Spatial Audio switched on.
Beats 360 Noise Cancellation
The Beats 360 have good noise cancellation. If you want the best ANC at this price, though, they fall a little short of the top models.
I wore them on planes, on the Underground, on buses and trains, at the gym, and around Chicago. The ANC held up well in all of those places.
At the gym, I only noticed at the end of each session that I had not picked up on anything around me. On a plane, they keep cabin noise down, but they are not as strong as the more expensive Technics EAH-A1000. On the Underground, they reduce the roar of the Tube. When it gets very loud, some noise still gets past the microphones.
The Bose QuietComfort Headphones 2nd Gen cost the same. Both pairs block noise about equally, but the Bose are more consistent, so they win this one. The Sennheiser Momentum 5 Wireless also cancel noise slightly better than the Beats.
I also noticed a faint hiss when ANC is on. You can hear it when nothing is playing. When music plays, the hiss blends into the sound.
Transparency mode is very good, though not the most natural. It amplifies outside sounds instead of simply letting them in. It is clear and detailed enough that I heard a stranger’s jacket rustle as they walked past.
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Call quality is excellent. No background noise came through, and the person I called could not hear other people’s voices while I stood outside. Their only complaint was that my voice sounded a bit weaker outdoors. Otherwise, calls work very well.
One more thing: ANC switches off if the earcups are not attached properly. You need to twist and lock both earcups into place. If you do not, a red light comes on to tell you something is wrong.
Beats 360 Features
Beats says its features work the same on iOS and Android. The feature list is short, though, and it has not grown since the Beats rebrand.
The headphones use Bluetooth 5.3. Android users get multi-point support and Google Fast Pair. Apple users get One-Touch Pairing and iCloud sharing.
I had a few wireless problems. I heard a few bursts of static at a train station, but I think my phone caused that, not the headphones. Overall, the wireless connection is solid. Multi-point did not work for me, though. I paired an iPad and an Android phone, and I could connect to only one at a time.
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You also get Automatic Switching on both iOS and Android, plus Find My or Find Hub if you lose them. On iOS, the settings sit inside the system menus. On Android, you use the Beats app.
The app does little. You can pick ANC modes, check battery life, adjust the tone volume, change call controls, and update the firmware. It is basic, with almost no way to tune performance or sound.
Beats 360 Battery Life
Beats says the 360 lasts up to 32 hours with ANC and Personalised Spatial Audio switched on. I think it can go further.
I did not turn on Personalised Spatial Audio, so my numbers leave that out. Over four hours of use, the headphones lost about 8% of their charge. That points to a much higher total.
I think 30+ hours is a fair estimate. It took about two weeks and several outings before the battery fell to 20%. As I noted in the Design section, the box has no cable or charger, and the headphones need a specific power supply to charge properly.
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Once you have those, Fast Fuel (Beats’ quick charging) gives you an hour of playback from a five-minute charge. That is on the low side, since some headphones deliver 8 hours from the same five minutes.
Beats 360 Verdict
The Beats 360 look great and perform well overall. You would expect them to be more fun than they are, though. They also fall a little short of rivals at the same price.
Pros |
Cons |
| Ear and headband cushions are swappable | Better ANC for the money |
| Very comfortable, IPX4 rating and excellent call quality | Don’t sound as good as the Studio Pro |
| Strong wireless performance |
No cables or charger included |
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed using the Beats 360, but their performance ceiling sits lower than some rivals. Like the rest of the Beats range, they have good ideas, and some great ones, but the choices feel cautious. I would like to hear a pair of Beats headphones with no restraints.
On the plus side, they cancel noise well and call quality is excellent. The design is smart, and battery life and wireless performance are both strong.
They fall behind close rivals in several areas. The ANC is weaker than the best, and a faint hiss colors the sound. The tuning is balanced but not exciting, and the 360 are not the best-sounding Beats over-ears. The Studio Pro still holds that spot.
The Beats 360 are good and have an interesting design.
