Alright, so I finally got my hands on both the Beats Studio Buds Plus and the Nothing Ear 2. I’ve been rocking the original Studio Buds for a while, and I was curious to see if the “Plus” version was worth the upgrade. The Nothing Ear 2? I just wanted to see what all the hype was about. I mean, everyone’s talking about them, right?
First things first, I unboxed both of ’em. The Beats packaging is… well, it’s Beats. Sleek, minimalist, you know the drill. The Nothing Ear 2 packaging? Way more interesting. It’s like they’re trying to make a statement with the transparent design. It’s kinda cool, kinda gimmicky, but I dig it.
Next up, the fit. I jammed the Beats into my ears first. They felt pretty much the same as my old Studio Buds. Snug, comfortable, didn’t feel like they were gonna fall out when I headbanged a little (yeah, I did that). Then I tried the Nothing Ear 2. They were a little trickier to get a good seal. I had to swap out the ear tips to find the right size. Once I did, though, they felt surprisingly secure.
Okay, time for the real test: the sound. I fired up my usual playlist – a mix of rock, hip-hop, and some electronic stuff to see how they handled different frequencies. The Beats Studio Buds Plus? They’ve definitely improved the sound quality. The bass is punchier, the mids are clearer, and the highs aren’t as harsh as the original Buds. But honestly, the Nothing Ear 2 blew me away. The soundstage is wider, the detail is incredible, and the overall sound is just… richer. It’s hard to explain, but it just felt more “alive.”
Then I wanted to test the noise cancellation, as I take a lot of trains for my daily commute. I hopped on the train with both, switching between the two to see which one handles the noise better. I gotta say, both of them did a decent job of blocking out the rumbling of the train and the chatter of other passengers, but I think the Beats Studio Buds Plus had a slight edge in this department. It seemed to block out the low-frequency drones a bit better, maybe because of the better fit.
Call quality? I made a couple of test calls with both earbuds. Both were fine, but the Nothing Ear 2 seemed to have a clearer mic. The people on the other end said I sounded more natural, less like I was talking through a headset.
Battery life, you ask? The Beats Studio Buds Plus lasted for like, forever. I swear, I used them for a whole week without charging the case. The Nothing Ear 2 had decent battery life too, but not quite as impressive as the Beats. Still, it was enough to get me through a couple of days of heavy use.
The Verdict?
- If you’re already invested in the Beats ecosystem and you want a reliable pair of earbuds with good noise cancellation and long battery life, the Studio Buds Plus are a solid choice.
- But if you’re an audiophile and you’re willing to spend a little more for incredible sound quality and a unique design, the Nothing Ear 2 are the way to go.
For me? I think I’m sticking with the Nothing Ear 2 for now. That sound quality is just too good to pass up. Plus, I’m a sucker for that transparent design.