Audiophiles and lovers of booming bass alike often ask me what I think about Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, assuming I'll somehow slam the company. But I'm actually a fan of what Beats has accomplished—in 2008, virtually no one was paying money for headphones (except for audiophiles). Beats more or less eliminated that complacency for dismal sound—true, it was achieved by making bass-heavy headphones a fashion statement seen on celebrities and athletes alike, but it was still a marked improvement over the status quo. The new Beats Studio, at $299.95 (direct), is the second version of the original pair made by Monster (Beats is no longer associated with Monster, and HTC, which had a controlling interest for a while, is now also jumping ship). Equipped with some decent noise cancellation, the signature glossy look, and the deep low-end that made this lineup famous, or infamous, the new Studio will appeal to bass lovers and repel purists. DesignVisually, the Beats lineup is possibly t...

The product that started the celebrity-endorsed headphone craze gets an update, but the Beats Studio is still intended for bass lovers and not for audiophiles.

Delivers powerful audio with deep bass and very crisp highs; Quite comfortable; Comes with two detachable cables, one with inline remote control; Rechargeable battery

Overpriced; Wildly sculpted sound signature not for purists; Can't be used in passive mode; The familiar design is either a draw or a repellent

My last review of Beats by Dre didn't fair so well and gave me migraines, but they were kind enough to send over a pair of new Beats Studio to review. Are these worth the Beats by Dre hype or a genuinely worthwhile pair of cans [divider][/divider]

These Beats were advertised as with USB which is the new version of Beats. These arrived with no USB cord but with batteries. My daughter tried and sound had static. I listened and guessed it was the noise canceling part not working right.

Buy them on Amazon . The Beats by Dre are some of the best known headphones on the market right now, thanks to intensive marketing, celebrity endorsements, and word of mouth promotion.

Mine did not come with the rechargeable batteries though...maybe they were clearing out the 2013 products...? I broke them in for 24 hours, using 4 sessions of 6 hours of pink/white noise at a volume range equal to medium, to semi loud output.

The second generation of Beats Electronics' Studio over-ear headphones (just ‘Studio' for the purposes of this review) continue the company's tradition of balancing sound quality and fashion.

Comfortable and compact; Excellent detail; Long battery life; Volume range

iOS-only; Glossy finish; Very expensive

In many ways the 2014 Studio Wireless headphones are markedly better than the previous versions. They're lighter, stronger and they look great, they're extremely comfortable and perform well over Bluetooth.

Great new design; Comfortable; Battery life

Less bassy sound; Louder noise cancelling hiss; Hugely expensive

Latest Beats Bluetooth headphones are all show and no punch, with average sound and limited controls

Comfortable; fold up for travel; OK battery life; active noise cancelling; wireless; optional cable

Cannot turn off noise cancelling; fiddly controls; weak sound; large profile; cannot be used cabled without battery

Wireless headphones can look strange, but Dr. Dre's "Beats" brand is here to show that cordless doesn't necessarily have to mean clunky. Now, the real question is are they worth your money…

Pretty good sound across the board; Supports high-resolution audio; Can be wired or wireless; "Fashionable; Portable; thanks to the ability to fold up

Controls are cumbersome; No NFC; Expensive; Headphones have to be powered to work; even when wired; Weak active noise cancellation; No cut-off switch when you collapse the headphones; staying on the entire time

The original Monster Beats by Dr Dre model, the Studio is the headphone responsible for introducing an entire generation to high-end portable audio.