Beats Studio Buds has just got 3 great new colors – and we went hands-on | CNN stressed

Everything old is new again. Take the three colors announced today to join the Beats Studio Buds family: Sunset Pink, Ocean Blue and Moon Gray.

As we pointed out in our in-depth Studio Buds review, these earphones’ unique custom chip offers Android and iOS users an equally intuitive listening experience. And for just $ 150, Beats Studio Buds, in any color, are an excellent cheaper alternative to more expensive earphones like Beats’ own Powerbeats Pro, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro or Apple’s AirPods Pro.

In addition to the new nuances, Beats also includes updated software in its app to enhance the audio experience for all users. Here’s what you need to know about the latest Beats Studio Buds.

Tobey Grumet / CNN

The beauty of Beats Studio Buds has always been the ability to quickly pair with both Android and iOS devices, making earphones a more popular choice. With the announcement of these new colors, the company has added new features to its app so that all compatible Beats products can receive and use the software updates directly from their device.

“Locate My Beats” will use the same technology that Apple customers receive with their Find My app, allowing Android users to find their earphones through the app. In addition, new product widgets in the app now give you access to battery life, control listening modes and update firmware.

  • Beats Studio Buds in Moon Gray: $ 149.99 at Apple and Amazon
  • Beats Studio Buds in Ocean Blue: $ 149.99 at Apple and Best buy
  • Beats Studio Buds in Sunset Pink: $ 149.99 at Apple and Goal

The colors themselves go from beautiful to sleek to bright. Bubblegum pastel Sunset Pink and matte medium Moon Gray both have black Beats logos on the front of their covers, while Royal Ocean Blue leads with a bright red logo. We found them playful and worth seeing if you want to change things from standard white and black on most cordless earphones.

Jacob Krol / CNN

Aside from the sleek new colors, the three additions to Beats Studio Bud’s lineup look identical to their brothers. This means that they will still offer a comfortable fit for your basic, daily activities, even if you can find more expensive versions such as PowerBeats Pro or fitness-forward Beats Fit Pro without ear hooks or wings. You can also nip them in the original Black, White and Beats Red.

When it comes to performance, you get the same high standards aimed at a more general listener. We appreciate that Studio Buds comes with more balanced sound than Beats’ earlier, forward-thinking bass sound, which works beautifully across all genres. If you use Apple Music to stream your tunes, they also benefit from its Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos tracks.

And because these are genuine wireless earphones, they offer strong active noise reduction (ANC) and an even better transparency mode that allows environmental noise like messages and traffic to seep in while you listen.

As we reported, the battery life stays stable at just over eight hours at 50% volume and about five hours with ANC enabled, plus you can get two extra hours with the rechargeable case.

Tobey Grumet / CNN

If you want to add a little more zest to your earphone experience, the three bold colors of Beats Studio Buds are a great place to start. We’ve always been a fan of Beats’ recognition of Android users with this custom chip, and the added features now make them an even better purchase.

In addition, we like that all the Beats products that use the app also get a boost that gives access to “Locate My Beats” and even deeper features to control your headphones. And without any price increase, you can still get all this for only $ 150.