Apple’s new Beats 360 headphones offer every major AirPods Max feature for $200 less
Apple's AirPods Max have been the benchmark for many when it comes to wireless headphones, as they both look excellent and provide industry-leading noise cancellation — yet they might now have competition from within with the release of the Beats 360, and it's even $200 cheaper.
Ever since Apple acquired Beats it has been using the brand to release more 'experimental' products that are often at a cheaper price tag, yet this has let keen-eyed fans snag a great deal every now and then.
The latest of these bargains appears to have arrived with the new Beats 360 headphones, as they mirror a lot of the features that you'd find in Apple's far-more-expensive AirPods Max but at a price point that's far easier to stomach.
There are definitely going to be some compromises that should be expected from the lower price tag, yet it's definitely a great option for people who don't want to splurge over $500 on a pair of headphones but still want as many of the Apple ecosystem benefits as possible.
How do the Beats 360 compare to the AirPods Max?
As shared by 9to5Mac in their review of the newly released headphones, the Beats 360 feature many of the same benefits of the AirPods Max, alongside offering a significant improvement in numbers over its predecessor too.
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It unfortunately doesn't feature Apple's H1 or H2 chips, opting instead for the custom Beats silicon, but that now supports automatic device switching in connection with an Apple account, alongside support for Siri, and Find My integration.
What you're missing out on, however, is the option to enable automatic pausing whenever the headphones are removed, and there's also no wired connectivity options might might turn some people off.
They're definitely a noticeable improvement over the Beats Studio Pro, however, providing 1.75x greater active noise cancelling which gets it close to the top-level performance of the AirPods Max, alongside Adaptive EQ support in iOS 27 and even IPX4 sweat and water resistance, making this perfect for your workouts.
While it doesn't quite match the unique design of the Airpods Max, what it can compete with is the range and vibrance of the color selection, as you'll be able to choose from Cloud, Sky, Black, and Pink.
Should you buy the Beats 360 headphones?
If you're looking to fully integrate yourself into the Apple ecosystem with an over-ear headphone then the Beats 360 is a fantastic entry point, as otherwise you'd be forced into the eye-watering price tag of the AirPods Max.
It might not match the more expensive variant when it comes to sound quality or noise cancelling – and some might not necessarily be sold on the design in comparison – but it still seems to offer a lot for the price and is something you should definitely consider when going for your next pair.
They're at a competitive price point of $349.99, but some might then be placing them against the flagship options from companies like Sony and Bose — although both are obviously lacking when it comes to Apple-based functionality, which could be a dealbreaker for many iPhone owners.
Additionally, you might also want to consider a middle-ground between the Beats and AirPods with a new device from Sonos, as that is slightly more expensive than the former but beats out Apple on some key metrics.