Beats today officially announced the Beats 360, a new over‑ear headphone priced at $349.99 that rethinks the brand’s over‑ear design with an emphasis on sound quality, comfort and customizability. The Beats 360 is not a replacement for the Studio Pro, which will remain in the lineup at a reduced price of $299.99 (down from $349.99).
Compared with the Studio Pro, Beats 360 uses a completely new acoustic architecture that delivers up to 1.75× more active noise cancellation and a 12dB increase in output while maintaining clarity across all frequencies with low distortion. “Beats didn’t just participate in the rise of over‑ear headphones—we helped define the category,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Music, Sports, and Beats. “Beats 360 is the next chapter of that story. We combined our most advanced acoustic performance ever with a perfectly balanced design that moves effortlessly with you. And with our new interchangeable cushions, our customers can express themselves in a way no other over‑ear headphone can.”
Beats 360 design and customization
Beats 360 is offered in four standard colors—Black, Cloud (an off‑white), Pink and Sky (a light blue)—and ships with color‑matched Performance Knit ear and headband cushions. The cushions are removable and interchangeable so users can mix and match color combinations. Separate Performance Knit cushion kits are available in the four standard colors plus Volt (a neon yellow‑green) and Navy. Beats is also introducing UltraPlush cushion kits in Black and Ivory; UltraPlush uses memory foam wrapped in engineered leather similar to the cushions on Studio Pro and Solo 4.
Performance Knit memory foam cushions are described as breathable and suitable for workouts and active use. Sensors in Beats 360 identify whether Performance Knit or UltraPlush cushions are being used and automatically adjust acoustic tuning and noise cancellation filtering to maintain a consistent listening experience regardless of cushion material.
Cushion kits for both Performance Knit and UltraPlush are listed at $49.99, but for a limited time and in select markets (the US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, China and South Korea) Beats is offering a launch promotion that drops cushion kit pricing to $9.99 or the rough equivalent in local currency. Swapping cushions requires a quick twist to remove or install each ear cushion; the headband cushion snaps off and on and remains securely attached during use. Beats also provides cleaning guidance: mix one teaspoon (5ml) of laundry detergent into one cup (250ml) of water, rub the solution onto each cushion with a lint‑free cloth for one minute each, wipe them clean with a separate cloth dampened with fresh water, and dry with another lint‑free cloth.
Beats 360 acoustics, features and battery
Active noise cancellation on Beats 360 reportedly uses a system of eight microphones to analyze the acoustic environment inside and outside the headphones, and the headphones also support Transparency mode to let users hear their surroundings. Turning off ANC and Transparency activates Adaptive EQ to continually tune acoustic performance. Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is supported for 360‑degree Dolby Atmos playback on compatible Apple platforms.
For the first time on a Beats over‑ear product, Beats 360 carries an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating. The design treats each earcup as an independent wireless earphone, with each side containing its own battery, antenna and processing circuitry; the headband houses only a single power cable that allows the batteries in both sides to be charged simultaneously from the single USB‑C port located on the left earcup. The left earcup also includes a power button and a dedicated listening mode button for switching among ANC, Transparency and Adaptive EQ, while the right earcup contains a play/pause button and a volume rocker. Hands‑free “Hey Siri” support is included.
Beats 360 delivers up to 32 hours of playback with ANC on, and a five‑minute Fast Fuel charge provides about one hour of playback time.
Platform integration, carrying case and availability
The Beats fourth‑generation proprietary platform provides native integration across Apple and Android. Apple users gain one‑touch pairing with automatic iCloud pairing and switching, Audio Sharing with compatible AirPods or Beats, and Find My support. Android users receive one‑touch and ecosystem pairing, Audio Switch and Find Hub geolocation.
Unlike the Studio Pro, Beats 360’s headband does not fold for travel, but the earcups twist flat and the headphones slide into a woven ripstop carrying case with a magnetic closure and a rear loop for attaching to a finger or carabiner. The case measures about 9 inches square and a little over 2 inches thick at its pleated bottom with the headphones inside, a flatter style that allows the headphones to fit into a computer bag or backpack more easily. Beats 360 and the Studio Pro are similar in weight at a little under 300 grams, but Beats 360 concentrates more of its mass in the cushions.
Beats launched a campaign around the product featuring Kendall Jenner. The short film shows Jenner meeting a friend at a cafe and noticing everyone in the room as a different version of herself styled with unique cushion combinations, underscoring the product’s modularity. “I’m always on the go and switching between so many different looks,” said Kendall Jenner. “So Beats 360 fits my lifestyle. I love that I can switch the cushions to match whatever I’m doing that day.” “Kendall tailors her looks to fit every moment, so she needs a headphone that can change with her,” said Beats CMO Chris Thorne. “The film captures that perfectly, playfully showing every side of Kendall, and how Beats 360 keeps up with all of them.”
In a brief interview at a Beats preview event, Schusser said Jenner was an ideal candidate to promote Beats 360 given the many roles she plays throughout any given day. He also said Beats has flourished under Apple’s ownership by gaining access to Apple’s audio expertise while maintaining its own identity in product design and marketing.
Beats 360 is available to order starting today at apple.com in the United States and in more than 100 other countries and regions, as well as at Amazon and other third‑party retailers. Availability follows this Thursday, September 24. The headphones ship with the woven ripstop carrying case; additional cushion kits, USB‑C charging cables and power adapters are sold separately.
