Five years after Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine started a revolution in the headphones industry with the Beats By Dre Studio Headphones, they are getting an update.
The Beats Studio, the flagship device of the company and the original game-changer, was an instant classic, so it was probably difficult to make changes. According to pcmag.com:
“The new Studio features a revamped design with lighter materials, so-called “adaptive” noise cancellation, and a 20-hour battery, the company said in a news release.
” Each pair is tuned with new custom digital software called the Beats Acoustic Engine, offering a ‘re-engineered and re-imagined Beats sound design.'”
The new edition of the Beats studio will carry the same price tag of $299.95 and while there are some new technological features as stated above, the revamp is also more about aesthetics and feel.
As reported by fastcompany.com:
“While it’s hard to find much to complain about with the new Studio headphones, it’s also hard to find much to rave about. The trim form factor looks more sophisticated than the original, with a stripped-down black and red color scheme. Audiophiles will argue about the acoustics and sonic engineering, but for the average consumer, the sound experience will be sufficient, an improvement over the original, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given the interval between releases.
“It feels as if the Studio has spent the last half-decade working out: It’s lighter, stronger, more solid. Whereas competing products like 50 Cent’s SMS Audio headphones often feel cheap and bulky, the new Beats Studio feels toned. A redesigned headband, with no visible screws, fits snugly around your head; it features improved noise canceling and battery life, with a 20-hour rechargeable battery.”
The report also adds:
“While improving sound quality and power management, it’s a sign that not all products require whiz-bang innovations; sometimes, incremental change is just what the doctor ordered.”
The update to the new Beats Studio might not be enough for everyone to go out and update their headphones, although we know some people will do it just for the new look. Beats Electronics president Luke Wood makes the perfect comparison to them and Apple’s original iPod.
Fast company.com notes:
“Wood compares the updated Beats to the iPod, which, though incredibly disruptive for the music industry, saw its success through incremental advances. It wasn’t until the iPod Mini and Nano, introduced years after the original iPod, that sales really started to take off. Before and after, Apple hammered the market with iPods of all sizes and styles, eventually shipping dozens of iterations, including a long-forgotten HP-branded iPod.”
While it’s not a complete overhaul, the new design change and added features are definitely a good look for the Beats by Dre Studio. It’s sort of like a new shape on a classic car.
