Beats Studio (2013) vs Sony WH-1000XM3

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

Studio (2013) compared with WH-1000XM3
BeatsStudio (2013)SonyWH-1000XM3
Overview
ReleasedAugust 2013September 2018
Sound
TypeOver-earOver-ear
Noise cancellingYesYes
Transparency mode–Yes
Driver size–40 mm
BackClosedClosed
Bluetooth codecsNone (wired)SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC
Chip–HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1
Drivers–40 mm dome drivers with aluminium-coated liquid crystal polymer diaphragms, CCAW voice coils and neodymium magnets; wired frequency response 4 Hz–40 kHz. Impedance is 47 ohms powered on and 16 ohms off; sensitivity 104.5 dB/mW on and 101 dB/mW off.
Noise cancelling detail–QN1 processor and dual noise sensors; Personal NC Optimizer and Atmospheric Pressure Optimizing; Ambient Sound Mode, Quick Attention and Adaptive Sound Control
Audio featuresAdaptive Noise Cancellation with a stronger noise-cancellation-only mode; Beats Acoustic Engine audio processing; closed-back design (Les Numériques)DSEE HX upscaling; Bluetooth frequency response 20 Hz–20 kHz at 44.1 kHz sampling, or 20 Hz–40 kHz with LDAC at 96 kHz and 990 kbps; QN1 includes a DAC and amplifier
Battery
Listening time (maker's claim)Up to 20 hoursUp to 30 hours
Battery life detailRechargeable 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)Maximum 30 hours with noise cancelling or 38 hours off uses AAC with DSEE HX off. The manual lists 24 hours with noise cancelling for aptX, aptX HD and LDAC; SBC is 28 hours with noise cancelling and DSEE HX off.
Charging case–USB-C charging; about 3 hours for a full charge; USB does not carry audio
Fast charging–10 minutes gives up to 5 hours with a USB adapter rated at least 1.5 A
Design
Weight–255 g
Bluetooth–4.2
Two devices at once–Yes
Headphone cableYesYes
ControlsRemoving the audio cable switches the headphones off; press the power button without the cable for noise cancellation alone, or hold the Beats logo to muteRight earcup touch panel for playback, volume and calls; holding a palm over it activates Quick Attention; separate power and NC/AMBIENT buttons
MicrophonesInline microphone in the supplied RemoteTalk cable (Tom's Guide)Internal and external microphones for noise cancelling; built-in microphones for Bluetooth calls
Fit and ear tipsFolding earcups with pivoting cushions; over-ear design (Tom's Guide and Les Numériques)Circumaural ear cushions; adjustable headband and folding earcups; carrying case supplied
Works withWired audio connection; RemoteTalk functions vary between iPod, iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry and Windows devicesBluetooth A2DP, AVRCP, HFP and HSP; NFC pairing. Multipoint connects one music source using A2DP and another device for calls using HFP/HSP, without two music sources; unavailable with Google Assistant or Alexa assigned. The supplied cable allows passive listening, but disables Bluetooth and does not carry the headphone microphone.
Colours–Black, Platinum Silver
In the boxHeadphones, rigid carrying case, standard audio cable, RemoteTalk cable, Micro-USB cable, wall charger and cleaning cloth (Tom's Guide)Headphones, carrying case, 1.2 m headphone cable, approximately 20 cm USB-A to USB-C cable, in-flight plug adapter

More comparisons