If you don’t like the look of the Beats 360 headphones, you might as well click out of this review now.
That’s not to say these headphones are only as good as their appearance — they do have their strengths — but if the many colorways Beats started teasing back in June via World Cup players wasn’t enough of a hint, a big part of the allure of these Beats are how they look.
After spending a couple of weeks with these headphones, and switching out many an ear cushion and head band, I found myself more impressed with some aspects of these headphones, and surprisingly let down in others. While a solid first attempt at this concept, I have some notes — so let’s get into it.
Beats 360 at a glance
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
The new flagship headphones from Beats run for $349.99 (the same intro price as the Beats Studio Pro) and come with the following features:
Battery life: 32 hours per charge
Active noise cancellation: Yes
Microphones: Nine, with eight dedicated to ANC
IP rating: IPX4
Connection: Bluetooth 5.3, one-touch pairing for Apple and Google Fast Pair for Android users
Colors: Black, cloud, sky, pink
The design of the Beats 360 can’t be beat (so far)
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
The Beats 360 aren’t the first over-ear headphones to do swappable components: Dyson’s OnTrac headphones launched with replaceable ear plates and cushions back in 2024. They did, however, also cost $499.99 and are less suited to using during exercise than the Beats.
The Beats cushion sets are the main draw of their design. The headphones themselves come in four different colors: black, cloud (cream), pink, and sky (light blue). Each headphone will come with its corresponding color in the Performance Knit cushion set, which closely resembles that found on the AirPods Max 2.
You’ll also have the option of purchasing an additional Performance Knit set in one of six different colors: black, cloud, pink, sky, navy, and volt (a neon green-yellow). Then there are two shades of the UltraPlush cushion set, which comes in black and cloud. The UltraPlush is the same faux leather material used on the Beats Studio Pro (and found on most over-ear headphones). That is to say, they’re plenty comfortable for longer periods of wear and a nice alternative if you want to reserve the Performance Knit cushions for more high-activity use. All additional kits are priced at $49.99, but launch pricing has these marked down 80% for just $9.99.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
It’s plenty simple to swap out the cushions, which is why I was surprised by the case. These headphones encourage you to swap them out for different uses throughout the day, yet the magnetic closure case didn’t consistently shut properly with an additional cushion set — sometimes it closed just fine, and sometimes I found myself needing to place the headphones and the components in the case just so if I didn’t want it to hang open.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
Another oversight in the design I didn’t love was the lack of a headphone jack and lack of USB-C listening functionality. It’s not the end of the world, but it can limit listening options, especially while traveling or for anyone interested in lossless audio — a feature supported by the Beats Studio Pro.
Where the Beats 360 could definitely do better
The out-of-box sound on a pair of headphones could literally sound like thousands of angels singing in my ears, but if I’m paying $349.99, I would like the option to adjust my own sound signature. Maybe I want one less angel singing!
It’s a concept Apple seems to understand with the recent iOS 27 update alternative, which finally gave the AirPods Pro 3 a custom equalizer, but these Beats were left out of the software related update term.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
It’s unfortunate, especially because the sound on these headphones not only didn’t have the whole angel thing going on — it sounded kind of flat and bland, which feels decidedly un-Beats-like. The brand is known for its pumping bass, but here, the mids and vocals take center stage. Case in point: I was not bopping my head along to Lorde’s “Supercut,” which is a feat I frankly didn’t know was possible. On a different point in the genre spectrum, Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” sounded predictably beautiful because it’s a Joni Mitchell song — the balance of sound, however, leaned too heavily on her vocals and shrank the guitar into the background. I found myself itching to adjust the equalizer settings while listening to the track.
The ANC isn’t bad
Faring better than the sound is the ANC. Though it won’t create the cocoon of silence some of Mashable’s favorite noise-cancelling headphones are capable of, they’ll definitely dim the sounds of a student-packed cafe playing loud punk music (trust me). That said, mid-range priced headphones are facing some serious related competition term from budget headphones these days, which are getting better and better at providing ANC that punches above its weight class.
Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable
There’s also the presence of some hissing that’s somewhat noticeable without music playing — it’s not nearly as loud as some cheaper pairs of headphones, but if you’re sensitive to ANC that hisses, it’s worth noting.
Are the Beats 360 worth it?
At this point, the Beats 360 don’t quite have the 360 appeal that they could with a few small changes. The component customization makes it easy to envision a world where these are the headphones people take to the gym instead of AirPods Max, while still being a great pair of headphones to use for work, school, commuting — true all-arounders.
But middling ANC, OK sound, and zero equalizer for $350 makes it hard to recommend these wholeheartedly to the majority of folks, especially when cheaper headphones can manage all of the above, even if they don’t feature the same customization. I anticipate that gym rats will love them — I look forward to the next iteration when the rest of us can, too.
Source: https://mashable.com/tech/beats-360-headphones-review
