Most comfortable
Soundcore Space 2
- Up to 50 hours with ANC
- Blocks air-con and traffic
Cheaper alternatives to the Beats Studio Pro
Three headphones that last about twice as long for half the price or less.
Updated 5 November 2026
Light and simple
Sennheiser Accentum Wireless
- Just 222 g
- Quietens trains and roads
Lowest price
CMF Headphone Pro
- Up to 50 hours with ANC
- Swap-in ear cushions
The original
Beats Studio Pro
Worth it if: The Beats look is half the appeal
- Classic Beats styling
- Beats' best sound in over-ears
What buyers love: how it sounds.
Not worth it if: You want hi-res Bluetooth like LDAC or aptX
Fairly priced
What are you actually paying extra for with the Studio Pro?
What the extra money buys
- Classic Beats styling
- Beats' best sound in over-ears
- Easy pairing with iPhone or Android
- Folds into a soft case
Worth it if
- The Beats look is half the appeal
- You want lossless over USB-C
- You use both iPhone and Android
Not worth it if
- You want hi-res Bluetooth like LDAC or aptX
- You need two devices at once
Good to know
Why each one made the list, and our final recommendation.
Soundcore Space 2
The Space 2 costs about half the Studio Pro and runs about twice as long. Tom's Guide found it kept air conditioning and traffic out and sounded rich over LDAC. Expert Reviews called it very comfortable but noted voices get through, while What Hi-Fi found the sound bland.
Sennheiser Accentum Wireless
The Accentum is much lighter than the Studio Pro and costs about a third. Tom's Guide praised its very effective noise cancelling and class-leading battery. To What Hi-Fi it sounded tidy and even-handed but lacked drive, and it neither folds nor comes with a case.
CMF Headphone Pro
The CMF Headphone Pro costs about a third of the Studio Pro and doubles its battery. TechRadar liked the energetic, detailed sound for the money but said its noise cancelling won't match flagships. SoundGuys found the all-plastic build creaks and the controls cramped.
Final recommendation: For comfort on long trips, the Soundcore Space 2 is the pick. The Sennheiser Accentum is lighter and simpler, if you don't need it to fold. The CMF Headphone Pro costs least and still lasts twice as long. Keep the Beats Studio Pro if its style, lossless USB-C and easy pairing on iPhone and Android are what you're after.
Side by side
Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
| Model | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Affordable | Budget | Budget | Budget |
| Battery, noise cancelling on (claimed) | Up to 24 hours | Up to 50 hours | Up to 50 hours | Up to 50 hours |
| Weight | 260 g | 264 g | 222 g | 283 g |
| Bluetooth codecs | SBC, AAC | SBC, AAC, LDAC | SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD | SBC, AAC, LDAC |
| Two devices at once | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Folds / case | Folds, soft case | Folds flat, no hard case | Doesn't fold, no case | Folds flat, soft pouch |
| Headphone cable | 3.5 mm and USB-C | Yes, 3.5 mm | No | Yes, 3.5 mm (powered on) |
| Shop | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ | Check price on Amazon ↗ |
Questions people ask
Why doesn't the Beats Studio Pro have auto-pause?
It has no wear sensor, so music keeps playing when you lift the headphones off. Expert Reviews and What Hi-Fi both flagged it as a surprising gap at this price, alongside the lack of multipoint.
Do the Beats Studio Pro sound better wired?
Yes. What Hi-Fi found the sound tighter and more focused with a cable than over Bluetooth, and USB-C even carries lossless audio. Over Bluetooth you get only SBC and AAC, with no hi-res option.
Are the Studio Pro good at noise cancelling?
Good, not class-leading. Reviewers found it handles everyday noise well, but Sony's flagships do better against low drone like air conditioning. The cheaper picks here are close for train and road noise.
Related guides
How we reached this
We compared the Beats Studio Pro with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.
We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.
Sources: Apple UK: Beats Studio Pro, What Hi-Fi?: Beats Studio Pro review, Expert Reviews: Beats Studio Pro review, Soundcore UK: Space 2 product page, Tom's Guide: Soundcore Space 2 review, What Hi-Fi?: Soundcore Space 2 review, Expert Reviews: Anker Soundcore Space 2 review, Sennheiser: introducing Accentum Wireless, What Hi-Fi?: Sennheiser Accentum Wireless review, Tom's Guide: Sennheiser Accentum review, Nothing UK: CMF Headphone Pro, TechRadar: CMF by Nothing Headphone Pro review, SoundGuys: CMF Headphone Pro review.