It used to be that combining wireless headphones with noise-canceling technology meant trouble—in the form of mediocre noise cancellation circuitry. Bose changed that recently with the exceptional QuietComfort 35 ($149.99 at Amazon) , and this presents a challenge for a headphone pair like the Beats Studio Wireless. At $379.95, it's $30 more than the QuietComfort 35. Does it offer better noise cancellation? Simply put: No. And audio quality, while good, is ultimately geared toward listeners who like unnaturally high levels of bass.

Design
The circumaural (over-the-ear) design of the Studio Wireless ( at Amazon) looks bulky. The headphones are offered in nine color options, including a matte black (most of the other options have a slight sheen to them), titanium, metallic sky, and red. The pair features massive, heavily cushioned earpads and a comfortable headband for an easy fit that doesn't become cumbersome over long listening periods.

The left earcup houses dedicated volume controls, as well as a central multifunction button that can be used for playback, call management, and track navigation. A power/pairing button, as well as a battery status LED indicator, can be found on the right earcup.

Pressing the multifunction button at the same time as the power button enables ANC-Only mode, so you can wear the headphones simply to block out ambient noise and not listen to music (the audio cable can't be connected for this, as it powers the headphones down for passive listening). However, there's no way to disable the noise cancellation—when the headphones are powered up, it's on, regardless of whether you're listening to music wirelessly or not.

There are also connections for the included micro USB cable for charging and the 3.5mm audio cables for wired, passive listening. The Studio Wireless ships with two included audio cables—one with a three-button inline remote control and mic, and one without. In addition to the cables, you also get a carabiner, a power adapter, and a hard shell, zip-up case that the headphones fold down into.

Beats estimates the Studio Wireless's battery life to be roughly 12 hours, but your results will vary based on your volume levels and your mix of wired versus wireless use.

Performance
The noise cancellation circuitry in the Beats Studio Wireless is decent, but not fantastic. You definitely get a decrease in ambient noise, but plenty of this comes naturally from the well-padded earcups that create a seal over the ears. And the circuitry also creates the typical high frequency hiss we hear on many noise-canceling headphones—it's not unpleasant in the slightest, and quiet enough that you won't hear it when music plays even at low volumes. But the new Bose offerings don't have this issue, and cost less. So, consider the noise cancellation circuitry a bonus, but not the reason to buy these headphones.

See How We Test Headphones

On tracks with powerful sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the Studio Wireless delivers intense, deep low frequency bass response. At top volumes the bass can distort, but these headphones get louder than any pair should reasonably be allowed to. At volume levels that do not flirt with danger to your hearing, but are still quite high, the bass doesn't distort. So we will not even consider the distortion at top, insane volumes levels an issue.

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better idea of the general sound signature. These headphones invent bass where it isn't, turning the drums on this track into something unnatural—they should sound powerful and thumping, but here the effect is over the top. Even modest drum hits sound like King Kong smashing a blimp against a building. Callahan's baritone vocals get far too much presence in the lows, as well, where they hardly need help. If there's any saving grace, it's that the high-mids and highs are also quite sculpted and offer some very necessary sense of balance.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop gets enough high-mid presence to retain its sharp attack, and it also has substantial thump in its sustain. But what's most noticeable is the power of the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat, and just how dialed up the highs are. We hear the crackle of vinyl being brought forth from its usual place in the background, and the vocals on this track flirt with sounding overly sibilant. Things never really get to an uncomfortably bright place, but to say this is a sculpted sound signature is an understatement.

Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene in John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get more bass than they need, but the higher register strings still maintain their place in the spotlight thanks to the high frequency boosting.

Conclusions
What's surprising about the Beats Studio Wireless is how dramatically different it sounds compared with the Beats Solo2 Wireless, an on-ear pair that's priced a bit lower. The Solo2 dials the bass back to deliver balanced, clear, and vibrant audio, though there isn't any noise cancellation. If that's what you're after, the aforementioned Bose QuietComfort 35 also offers a more balanced sound signature, and the Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless ($209.99 at Amazon) delivers solid noise cancellation and superb audio. If you really want excellent wireless audio and don't need the active noise cancellation, the Bowers & Wilkins P5 Wireless ($247.98 at Amazon) is a favorite in this high price range.

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