Beats has unveiled the Beats 360, its new flagship headphones and a more premium option than the Beats Studio Pro. The over-ear model takes the brand in a new design direction while keeping the bold, customizable feel that Beats fans know.
The Beats 360 are built for a broad audience. Oliver Schusser, vice president of Apple Music and Beats, described the headphones this way: “It’s female, male, it’s younger people, older people. It’s pretty actually broad,” The design targets young people in particular because of the mix-and-match trend, but the product is not limited to one age group or style.
A modular design with more than 250 combinations
The headphones look quite different from the classic Beats design, with a new slimmed-down headband reminiscent of AirPods Max. They are made mostly of plastic, with a stainless steel arch for adjustments and rotating ear cups. At 294 grams, the Beats 360 weigh more than the 254-gram Sony WH-1000XM6, and their clamping force can feel uncomfortable on larger heads.
Customization is the main visual draw. Beats offers two types of ear cushions: fabric cushions made for working out and eco-friendly leather cushions aimed at style. The cushions come in five colors, while a bright yellow “Volt” option is available as an additional purchase. Each cushion kit costs $50, creating more than 250 possible color configurations.
“It almost feels like you have multiple headphones,” Schusser said. The approach gives owners a way to change the look and feel of the Beats 360 without buying another complete pair.
The customization also separates Beats from Sony’s more restrained approach. The Sony WH-1000XM6 has an understated, rugged design with muted colors, synthetic leather ear cushions, swiveling ear cups, and an adjustable headband. Sony includes a hard-shell case that folds for compact storage, while Beats supplies a gym-bag-style pouch with a magnetic closure.
Independent hardware and physical controls
The Beats 360 are true wireless headphones, with each side operating independently through its own battery, antenna, and processing technology. They also use a custom-designed transducer with its own venting structure, along with Beats’ fourth-generation platform rather than an Apple audio chip.
Physical buttons handle the controls, with specific buttons placed on the left and right sides. The buttons sit slightly raised, but they are close in height and feel similar by touch, which can make them confusing to operate. The power button is not raised, making it difficult to locate without looking.
The headphones also lack automatic pausing and wear detection. Sony’s WH-1000XM6 includes auto-play and auto-pause when the headphones go on or come off, while Sony uses a touch-sensitive surface for controls instead of the Beats 360’s physical buttons.
Software features connect the headphones closely to Apple devices. On iOS, the Beats 360 support one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, automatic device switching, Audio Sharing, hands-free Siri, and Find My compatibility. On Android, they support fast pairing, ecosystem pairing, voice assistant activation, automatic device switching, and Find Hub.
The Beats app is required for customization, widgets, Locate My Beats, and firmware updates. That gives users a single place to manage the headphones, though several features are integrated into iOS itself. “The great thing for the customer is that the customer has more choice,” Schusser said.
Noise cancellation, calls, and battery life
Beats says the Beats 360 deliver 1.75 times more total noise cancellation than the Studio Pro. The system uses a nine-microphone array and a higher-powered processor, while noise cancellation runs on the fourth-generation Beats platform.
The headphones use Apple’s Personalized Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking. Their noise-control options are simple: noise cancellation can be turned on or off, or users can switch to Transparency Mode. Sony’s ANC has a slight edge in performance and includes adaptive modes, giving the WH-1000XM6 more flexibility in changing surroundings.
Calls are a major focus of the Beats 360. A new system-on-chip platform, AI-trained algorithms, tailored audio processors, and more processing power help handle voice transmission. In Transparency Mode, background noise is nearly silenced while the speaker’s voice remains clear.
Battery life reaches up to 32 hours with ANC or Adaptive EQ enabled. After 24 hours of testing, a review unit still had 47% battery remaining. The Sony WH-1000XM6 offers up to 30 hours, and both headphones recharge through USB-C.
Beats 360 versus Sony’s premium alternative
The price difference is clear: the Beats 360 cost $350, while the Sony WH-1000XM6 costs $460. Sony offers better sound, LDAC support for higher-quality Bluetooth audio, a 3.5mm jack for wired listening, and a more premium feel. Neither model supports USB-C audio passthrough, but the Sony headphones do support wired listening through the 3.5mm jack. The Beats 360 do not support wired audio.
Both models provide noise cancellation, but they take different approaches. Sony combines stronger ANC with adaptive modes, while Beats focuses on Apple integration, longer battery life, customization, and a simpler control system.
Beats also supports Find My, automatic device switching, quick pairing, and hands-free Siri, while Sony provides its own smart features through the Connect app. The Beats 360 integrate more seamlessly with iOS devices, making them a strong choice for Apple users. Water resistance and interchangeable cushions also make them a good fit for workouts.
Schusser said Apple fully integrates the product’s engineering, operations, and manufacturing: “The engineering, the operations and the manufacturing is fully integrated to Apple. And we don’t ever really question this,” The result is a flagship Beats model that trades some of Sony’s sound and hardware advantages for a more colorful design, Apple-focused software, workout-friendly options, and a lower price.
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