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Beats has introduced a new pair of over-ear active noise-cancelling wireless headphones called the Beats 360, built with a slimmer, lighter and more customizable design than typical over-ear models. The company positions them as a workout-friendly alternative to Apple's AirPods Max 2, emphasizing comfort and fit during exercise.
Beats executive Jaime Schusser explained that the new Beats 360 headphones were built around customization, letting wearers swap ear cushions between fabric and eco-friendly leather options to suit workouts or style. He said the design targets a broad audience but especially appeals to younger buyers who enjoy mixing and matching, likening it to owning multiple sneaker pairs. Schusser added that despite the fresh, lighter look, the headphones retain Beats' brand identity through its signature colors and logo.
A comparison of Apple's Beats 360 and Sony's WH-1000XM6 highlights contrasting design philosophies: Beats opts for a lighter, sportier, highly customizable plastic build with swappable ear cushions and headbands, while Sony offers a more understated, foldable design with a protective hard-shell case. Sony's headphones weigh less at 254 grams versus Beats' 294 grams, and each brand ships with a different accessory case—Sony's rigid and compact, Beats' a soft gym-bag-style pouch.
Beats has launched the Beats 360, a redesigned headphone with fully removable ear cups that twist off to swap between two cushion types: a knit fabric built for workouts and a plush option for everyday listening. Each earpiece runs independently with its own battery and processing chip instead of a wired connection through the headband, and extra cushion kits cost $50.
Beats has introduced the Beats 360, its first IP-certified over-ear headphones, rated IPX4 for resistance to sweat and water splashes. The headphones feature removable, washable knit ear cups designed to wick away moisture during workouts, matching the water-resistance rating found on Beats' Powerbeats Pro 2 and Powerbeats Fit 2 earbuds.
A review of active noise cancellation (ANC) headphones outlines their benefits, including blocking steady background noise, improving audio clarity, protecting hearing by reducing the need for high volume, and aiding focus or sleep. It also highlights drawbacks: ANC struggles with sudden loud sounds, can sometimes degrade audio quality or cause ear discomfort, may reduce situational awareness in unsafe settings, and drains battery life faster than headphones without the feature.
Bose is expanding its open-ear lineup with two new clip-on earbuds: the fitness-focused Sport Open and the upgraded Ultra Open (2nd Gen). Both go on sale October 1, with the second-gen Ultra Open adding deeper bass, louder output, clearer calls, a new Cinema spatial audio mode, and support for AptX hi-res codecs, Google Fast Pair, and Find Hub.
Spotify's new Lossless tier delivers CD-quality, uncompressed audio, but Bluetooth connections can't transmit a true lossless signal, meaning wireless earbuds and speakers won't benefit. Listeners need wired headphones, USB-C earbuds, wired computer speakers, or Wi-Fi-based Spotify Connect devices to actually hear the improved quality, and even then, cheap audio hardware may not reveal a noticeable difference.
A writer highlights the growing habit of people playing videos, music, and phone calls aloud on speakerphone in public spaces rather than using headphones. This behavior, dubbed 'loudcasting,' is turning trains, buses, and waiting rooms into unwanted shared audio experiences for everyone nearby.
Sony has released the WH-1000XM4C, a variant of its popular WH-1000XM4 headphones featuring a new color option and a revised sound profile. The core hardware and noise-cancelling performance remain largely unchanged from the original model, but Sony has tweaked the tuning to offer a different listening experience.
Bose has updated its standard QuietComfort Headphones with a redesigned headband, reshaped earcups and relocated power switch, plus new software features. The company added Immersive Audio spatial sound and Cinema Mode, previously exclusive to its Ultra line, along with a new CustomTune calibration tool that tailors sound and noise cancellation to a listener's ears. The headphones also drop the 3.5mm jack in favor of USB-C for both charging and lossless wired listening.
Amazon has slashed the price of the flagship Bowers & Wilkins Px8 noise-cancelling headphones by 36%, bringing them down to $479 from their original price. The discount currently applies to the Royal Burgundy colorway, though stock at this price is limited.