On September 22, Beats announced its new wireless headphones, the 'Beats 360.' This flagship model adopts an unprecedented concept for the brand, with a direct sales price of 59,800 yen. Pre-orders begin today on the Apple Store website, with in-store sales starting September 24.

Beats 360. Available in 4 colors

Coinciding with this announcement, Apple has reduced the direct sales price of the Beats Studio Pro to 49,800 yen. The Beats 360 and Beats Studio Pro are planned to be sold concurrently as the brand's two flagship models.

A New Concept Aiming to Match Various Lifestyle Scenes

Beats, established in 2006, boasts a 20-year history. The Beats 360 is a highly ambitious product, packed with many 'firsts' in the brand's history.

When it comes to Beats, the traditional flagship has been the Beats Studio Pro. While 'Studio' is a traditional model name dating back to its birth in 2008 through a partnership with Monster Cable, the new product adopts a completely different name.

The difference isn't just in the name. The Beats 360 is a new flagship model developed with a concept entirely different from previous flagships.

Beats 360

During development, over 100 concepts were reportedly tested, considering various aspects such as technology, materials, and processing techniques. Extensive discussions were held on how to integrate advanced technology into the traditional over-ear headphone style and bring it to fruition as a product.

The model name '360' signifies 'all directions.' It's designed not only for everyday listening but also as a companion for intense workouts. As the 'ultimate partner for an active lifestyle,' it features an exciting design, user-friendly functions, and satisfying sound quality.

Brand's First 'Swappable Cushions' Are Fun

The most significant feature is undoubtedly the swappable ear cushions and headband cushions, a first for Beats products.

This isn't just about being able to 'replace' them when they wear out. By purchasing parts made of different materials and colors, users can customize the headphones to their preferred design.

Ear cushions can be removed along with the earcups. The headband is also replaceable.

Similar concepts include Dyson's 'OnTrack' and Nothing's 'CMF Headphone Pro.' However, the Beats 360 incorporates technically noteworthy elements such as a fully wireless structure and a pressure distribution mechanism for comfort, which will be discussed later.

The replacement method is also very simple, allowing users to delve into personalized designs to match various usage scenarios like business, casual, or active use, or even their outfit of the day.

When bringing the Beats 360 to market, the developers reportedly focused on footwear (luxury sneakers). Sneakers offer not only functionality but also a rich variety of designs. They can also be personalized by swapping shoelaces, for example. The design of these headphones similarly emphasizes high customizability, allowing users to freely adapt them to their purpose or mood.

The cushions use acoustically optimized memory foam. The standard included cushions are a fabric-like 'Performance Knit,' said to combine high breathability and durability with a diamond-knit structure using 36 filaments.

The main unit comes in four standard colors: Black, Cloud, Pink, and Sky, with the included ear and headband cushions matching these colors. Additionally, a 'Beats 360 Cushion Kit' (8,900 yen) can be purchased separately, offering six colors including Navy and Volt, which are not available for the main unit, as well as Black and Cloud in 'UltraPlush' material, which provides a comfortable, leather-like texture similar to the Beats Studio Pro and 'Beats Solo 4.'

The Beats 360 Cushion Kit includes two colors not available for the main unit.

By swapping these, at least 4 × (6+2) = 32 combinations are possible, and even more can be enjoyed by using different colors for the left and right ear pads, or by varying the colors of the headband and ear pads.

You might wonder if different materials would alter the sound, but this has been addressed with technology, which is reassuring. When an ear cushion is attached to the main unit, an internal sensor automatically detects which material it is, and after a confirmation sound, playback is adjusted in real-time to the acoustic characteristics suitable for that material.

The headband section is a snap-on type and can be attached/detached without tools.

The ear cushions are a twist-on/off type. These can also be easily swapped.

Actually a Fully Wireless Type Like AirPods, Operating Independently Left and Right

Even more interesting is the application of fully wireless earbud technology to achieve an advanced design. As Beats is an Apple brand, technology cultivated in products like AirPods is applied throughout.

While typical headphones often consolidate amplifiers and batteries on one side and connect the left and right units, in this model, only a 'thin wire for charging' passes between the headband and arms. The left and right housings individually house batteries, antennas, and signal processing circuits, creating a completely independent left and right structure. Although connected by arms, it is essentially a fully wireless earbud with large drivers.

The reason for this was reportedly to pursue an ideal design, and by reducing the wiring inside the headband, it was possible to make the headband thinner and optimize the overall weight distribution. Looking at the actual unit, the design of the headband and the arms extending from it is dramatically simplified.

A fully wireless type, with the headband primarily serving to secure it to the head (by attaching the headband cushion).

Looking from below, it's clear that while the USB-C charging port is on the left, the button layout is almost identical.

As a result, the appearance is clean, and the weight on the top of the head is evenly distributed across the entire cushion. Side pressure is not too strong, achieving a natural fit. It creates an astonishingly light wearing experience, with no burden felt during long periods of wear or active exercise.

While the Beats Studio Pro could be used with wired connections (3.5mm analog or USB-C input), this model is only usable via Bluetooth 5.3 connection (supporting SBC and AAC codecs). Therefore, it does not support lossless audio playback.

Noise Cancellation Performance is 1.75x Better Than Before

Beats also built an uncompromising acoustic platform from the ground up. The custom-designed 40mm drivers were perfected after more than 10 prototypes. By using a three-layer diaphragm and ring-shaped dual neodymium magnets, it can produce powerful sound pressure, improved by 12dB compared to previous models, while suppressing sound distortion.

The Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature has also significantly evolved. Its nine digital MEMS microphones and improved AI/machine learning algorithms work in conjunction to deliver up to 1.75 times the overall noise cancellation performance compared to the Beats Studio Pro (three microphones are used for voice pickup).

ANC is a hybrid type supporting both feedback and feedforward processing, and the increased number of microphones seems to have improved low-frequency sound capture, leading to enhanced ANC performance. 'Adaptive Equalization' is also available, which analyzes the acoustic relationship between the headphones and the ear in real-time, adapting to changes in wearing conditions to produce optimal playback sound.

Spatial Audio, Sweat Resistance, Up to 35 Hours of Playback

It also supports spatial audio playback, with an accelerometer and gyroscope (IMU) built into the left earcup to track the user's head movements and achieve accurate sound localization.

Thanks to a proprietary chip, one-touch pairing is possible on both Apple and Android platforms, and the 'Find My' feature can be used seamlessly (compatible with Android's Fast Pair and Find Hub).

Battery life allows for up to 32 hours of continuous playback with ANC and spatial audio enabled (up to 35 hours when off). Fast Fuel rapid charging provides 1 hour of playback from a 5-minute charge. Another new feature for Beats headphones is its firewall structure, which prevents water ingress, providing IPX4-rated splash resistance in addition to sweat resistance.

The main unit weighs 294.5g, which is not significantly different from the Beats Studio Pro in terms of weight, but the wearing comfort has been considerably improved through optimization of the center of gravity and other factors. It adopts a fold-flat structure that allows the unit to be folded flat for portability, and the newly designed carrying case is also a welcome addition.

Matthew Costello (Vice-President, Hardware Engineering and Operations) of Beats holding the new product.

Carrying case. The design is meticulous, with details like the logo color matching the main unit's color.