AirPods Max 2 vs Studio Pro Comparison
Compare AirPods Max 2 vs Studio Pro side by side: specs, ratings, pros and cons, and which one fits your room best.
On this page
At a Glance
AirPods Max 2
The AirPods Max 2 are Apple's current over-ear headphones. They use an Apple-designed dynamic driver, an H2 chip in each ear cup, and nine microphones: eight for noise cancelling and three for voice, with two shared.
- Best For
- iPhone and Mac users
- Style
- Over-ear
- Weight
- 386.2 g
- ANC
- Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio
- Mics
- 9
- Boom Mic
- No
- Talk Time
- 20 h
- Connect
- Bluetooth, USB-C audio
Studio Pro
The Beats Studio Pro is an over-ear headphone with fully adaptive ANC, a Transparency mode and custom 40 mm drivers. It works with both Apple and Android, with one-touch pairing and Find My on Apple and Google Fast Pair on Android.
- Best For
- Mixed Apple and Android users
- Style
- Over-ear
- Weight
- 260 g
- ANC
- Fully adaptive ANC
- Mics
- —
- Boom Mic
- No
- Talk Time
- 24 h
- Connect
- Bluetooth (Class 1), USB-C audio, 3.5 mm
Review Scores Compared
Expert Score
Voice & Mic Clarity
Comfort & Ergonomics
Connectivity & Range
Battery & Charging
Why AirPods Max 2 Beats Studio Pro (and Vice Versa)
Why AirPods Max 2 beats Studio Pro
- Better voice & mic clarity: 6.3 vs 4.0 out of 10
- Better connectivity & range: 8.6 vs 8.0 out of 10
Why Studio Pro beats AirPods Max 2
- Better comfort & ergonomics: 8.9 vs 7.2 out of 10
- Better battery & charging: 7.5 vs 7.0 out of 10
- Weight: 260 g vs 386.2 g
- Talk Time: 24 h vs 20 h
- Music Time: 24 h vs 20 h
Review-score leads of 0.5+ points out of 10 first, then specs where only one comes out ahead.
Full Specifications
General
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | iPhone and Mac users | Mixed Apple and Android users |
| Wearing Style | Over-ear | Over-ear |
Design & Build
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 386.2 g | 260 g Better |
| Materials | Anodized aluminum ear cups, stainless steel frame, knit mesh canopy | UltraPlush engineered leather cushions, metal sliders |
| Ear Cushions | Memory foam with mesh textile | — |
| Colors | Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple, Orange | — |
| Headband | Knit mesh canopy, telescoping stainless steel arms | — |
| Ear Cup Rotation | Each cup rotates independently | — |
| Dimensions | — | 178 x 78 x 181 mm |
Audio
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Driver Size | — | 40 mm |
| Driver Type | Apple-designed dynamic driver | Custom active driver |
| Spatial Audio | Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking | Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking |
| Custom EQ | Adaptive EQ | 3 built-in sound profiles |
| Wired Listening | Yes (USB-C lossless and ultra-low-latency audio) | Yes (3.5 mm analog cable and USB-C lossless audio) |
| Stereo / Mono | Stereo | Stereo |
Noise Cancelling
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Noise Cancelling | Active Noise Cancellation, Adaptive Audio | Fully adaptive ANC |
| Active Noise Cancelling | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency Mode | Yes (Transparency mode, Conversation Awareness) | Yes (Transparency mode) |
| Adaptive ANC | Yes (Adaptive Audio) | Yes |
Microphone
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Microphones | 9 | — |
| Microphone Setup | 6 outward-facing (ANC), 2 inward-facing; Voice Isolation | — |
| Call Noise Reduction | Voice Isolation | — |
| Boom Mic | No | No |
Battery & Charging
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Talk Time | 20 h | 24 h Better |
| Fast Charging | Yes (5 min = about 1.5 h) | Yes (10 min = up to 4 h, Fast Fuel) |
| Music Time | 20 h | 24 h Better |
| Charging Port | USB-C (lossless and ultra-low-latency audio) | USB-C (lossless audio) |
| Music Time (ANC Off) | — | 40 h |
Connectivity
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Connection | Bluetooth, USB-C audio | Bluetooth (Class 1), USB-C audio, 3.5 mm |
| Bluetooth Version | 5.3 | — |
| USB Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Google Fast Pair | — | Yes |
Controls & App
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Controls | Digital Crown, listening mode button | "b" button, volume rocker, multi-function button |
| Management Software | — | Beats app |
| Wear Detection | Optical and position sensors | — |
| Voice Assistant | Siri | Hey Siri |
| Firmware Updates | — | Over the air |
In the Box
| AirPods Max 2 | Studio Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| In the Box | AirPods Max 2, Smart Case, USB-C charge cable | Headphones, carrying case, USB-C to USB-C cable, 3.5 mm cable |
| Carry Case | Yes (Smart Case) | Yes (carrying case) |
Takeaways
- It's a tie on our rating (3.5/5) between AirPods Max 2 and Studio Pro, so choose on the rows that matter most to you.
- Choose AirPods Max 2 for iPhone and Mac users.
- Choose Studio Pro for mixed Apple and Android users.
Pros and Cons
AirPods Max 2
PROS
- Nine microphones with Voice Isolation
- Adaptive Audio and Conversation Awareness
- Lossless, low-latency audio over USB-C
- Five colours, Smart Case included
CONS
- Heaviest in this group at 386.2 g
- Shortest battery here at 20 h
Studio Pro
PROS
- Fully adaptive ANC and Transparency
- USB-C lossless and 3.5 mm input
- Works well with Apple and Android
- Fast Fuel: 10 min = up to 4 h
CONS
- 24 h with ANC on
- Codec support not detailed on the product page
Similar Comparisons
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- AirPods Max 2 vs QC Ultra (2nd Gen)
Studio Pro vs ATH-M50xBT2- Studio Pro vs QuietComfort
- Studio Pro vs QC Ultra (2nd Gen)
Quick Verdict
- AirPods Max 2 7.1Best overallLeads in Voice & Mic Clarity, Connectivity & Range
- Studio Pro 6.8Leads in Comfort & Ergonomics, Battery & Charging