Apple AirPods Max 2 vs Beats Studio (2013)

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Only show differences

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Share comparison

AirPods Max 2 compared with Studio (2013)

	AppleAirPods Max 2	BeatsStudio (2013)
Overview
Released
Released	April 2026	August 2013
Sound
Type
Type	Over-ear	Over-ear
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling	Yes	Yes
Back
Back	–	Closed
Transparency mode
Transparency mode	Yes	–
Spatial audio with head tracking
Spatial audio with head tracking	Yes	–
Bluetooth codecs
Bluetooth codecs	SBC and AAC	None (wired)
Lossless over USB-C
Lossless over USB-C	Yes	–
Chip
Chip	H2	–
Drivers
Drivers	Apple-designed dynamic driver and custom high dynamic range amplifier	–
Chip
Chip	H2 in each ear cup	–
Noise cancelling detail
Noise cancelling detail	Up to 1.5x more Active Noise Cancellation than the original AirPods Max; Adaptive Audio, Transparency mode and Conversation Awareness	–
Audio features
Audio features	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking; Adaptive EQ; Personalised Volume; Voice Isolation; studio-quality audio recording; Live Translation; 24-bit, 48 kHz Lossless Audio and ultra-low latency audio via USB-C; analogue sources need Apple's USB-C to 3.5 mm Audio Cable, sold separately	Adaptive Noise Cancellation with a stronger noise-cancellation-only mode; Beats Acoustic Engine audio processing; closed-back design (Les Numériques)
Hearing health
Hearing health	Loud Sound Reduction	–
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)
Listening time (maker's claim)	Up to 20 hours	Up to 20 hours
Battery life detail
Battery life detail	Storing them in the Smart Case puts them in an ultra-low-power state	Rechargeable lithium-ion battery with five-light fuel gauge and Micro-USB charging from a USB port or outlet; playback stops when depleted (Tom's Guide and Les Numériques)
Fast charging
Fast charging	5 minutes of charging gives around 1.5 hours of listening	–
Design
Weight
Weight	386.2 g	–
Bluetooth
Bluetooth	5.3	–
Headphone cable
Headphone cable	Yes	Yes
Controls
Controls	Digital Crown (turn for volume; press once to play, pause, answer a call or use camera remote; twice to end a call or skip forward; three times to skip back; press and hold for Siri); listening mode button; “Hey Siri” or just “Siri”; Siri Interactions	Removing the audio cable switches the headphones off; press the power button without the cable for noise cancellation alone, or hold the Beats logo to mute
Microphones
Microphones	Nine microphones in total, eight for Active Noise Cancellation and three for voice pickup (two shared with ANC)	Inline microphone in the supplied RemoteTalk cable (Tom's Guide)
Fit and ear tips
Fit and ear tips	–	Folding earcups with pivoting cushions; over-ear design (Tom's Guide and Les Numériques)
Case weight
Case weight	134.5 g (Smart Case)	–
Works with
Works with	Full features with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Apple Vision Pro on the latest software; works as Bluetooth headphones with other devices, with limited features	Wired audio connection; RemoteTalk functions vary between iPod, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devices
Colours
Colours	Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange	–
In the box
In the box	AirPods Max 2, Smart Case, USB-C Charge Cable, documentation	Headphones, rigid carrying case, standard audio cable, RemoteTalk cable, Micro-USB cable, wall charger and cleaning cloth (Tom's Guide)