Beats Studio Pro vs Bose QC45: Battle of the Daily Drivers!

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When I reviewed the long-awaited Beats Studio Pro headphones a couple of weeks ago, I had one very simple request for my audience: what would they like to see me compare the latest Beats against?

The requests came flooding in almost immediately. The Sony XM4s, Sony XM5s, Bose 700, AirPods Max, Soundcore Q45, Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2, and Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2 – I could barely keep up with them.

This illustrates two fascinating things about Beats’ latest cans: people really are interested in potentially buying them over some rather top-notch competition, and the sheer volume of that competition is rather weighty.

How things change, eh?

Rest assured I’m considering all of these potential comparisons (although, admittedly, I can’t literally tackle them all). However, there was one comparison I was always going to make: are Beats Studio Pro better than the Bose QC45?

The importance of daily driver headphones

This might be controversial.

My favourite daily driver headphones for 2023 (and a fair bit of 2022) have been the Bose QC45. This isn’t because of their sound quality or feature set, either – it’s because they are some of the most comfortable headphones I’ve worn and have the best case I’ve ever come across in the market. They’re also deceivingly robust.

The QC45 get the job done – a phrase a couple of viewers have criticised me for using during my recent video update on the QC45s. How can a guy who calls himself a headphone reviewer claim that people should buy a pair of cans simply because they’re the ‘reliable Joe’ of the headphone world?

I think it’s entirely justified. If you’re looking for a supreme-sounding pair of consumer noise-cancelling headphones, grab the Bowers & Wilkins Px8. If you want a laugh-out-loud bass response, buy the Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2. Need every Apple ecosystem feature under the sun coupled with beautiful industrial design? Get yourself a pair of AirPods Max.

If, however, you want a super-reliable, affordable, and ultra-convenient pair of headphones to see you through every day without a smidgen of stress – just buy the Bose QC45. They are the ultimate daily drivers.

Or… are they?

Beats Studio Pro vs Bose QC45: key spec differences

At £349.99, Beats Studio Pro are currently around £30 more expensive than the Bose QC45. You can also pick up the latter for even less if you shop around.

This puts the Beats at an immediate disadvantage if budget is your main concern, but we should remember that the Bose QC45 are coming on two years old, and that should be factored into this comparison and that price differential.

At first glance, there’s little separating them in terms of specs. They both have their own proprietary drivers, roughly the same battery life and practically weigh the same. Beats and Bose also eschew touch controls for physical buttons (big thumbs-up from me on that one) and fold conveniently to allow for a realistically-sized case.

The differences become apparent when you dig in a little further, and there are some that will sway the buying decision for certain people.

Beats Studio Pro have some significant audio upgrades over the Bose QC45. While neither pair are capable of processing higher-end Bluetooth codecs, Beats Studio Pro are capable of delivering Spatial Audio, head tracking, and Dolby Atmos when paired to a compatible Apple device. They’re also capable of playing lossless audio over USB-C.

Beats Studio Pro utilise Class 1 Bluetooth 5.3, which provides a range of around 300 feet, compared to the QC45 which use Bluetooth 5.1 (delivering a far less impressive 30 feet of range).

Both headphones offer multipoint switching, but Beats Studio Pro benefit from one-touch pairing on both Android and iOS (which also makes them instantly accessible on every device in your account on either platform). They’re also far more integrated into Apple and Google’s ecosystems than the QC45 with ‘Hey Siri’ support for the former, and compatibility with both platforms’ ‘find my device’ networks. The absence of fast device switching between Apple devices is a shame, but we’re told this may appear in a future software update, which would push the Beats even further from the Bose in terms of connectivity and convenience.

Comfort and convenience

Having worn both of these headphones for extended periods of time, I can say that they offer equal levels of comfort.

They feel different. Despite weighing practically the same, Beats Studio Pro do feel more substantial on your head than the QC45. I think this is partially due to the clamping force, which is definitely turned up a notch compared to the QC45 – although not uncomfortably so.

Both of these headphones are extremely easy to live with. They charge quickly, with the Beats just pipping the QC45 thanks to four hours of playback delivered from a 10-minute charge versus three hours from 15 minutes (Beats also shave 30 minutes off the QC45 2.5 hour full charge time). Bose lose out to Beats when it comes to battery life, but only by two hours (22 versus 24 with noise-cancelling turned on), although I dearly wish the latter offered beyond 30 hours, which is fast becoming the benchmark.

As noted previously, they both also mercifully feature physical buttons rather than touch controls. I also like the fact that they both provide an easily accessible way to check the battery life (via LEDs with the Beats and spoken word during power-up on the QC45) – a weird rarity with modern headphones.

But what about ‘the big one’? In the battle of convenience, which pair of headphones has the best case – Beats Studio Pro or Bose QC45?

It’s close. Really close.

One of the main reasons I returned to the QC45 as my daily drivers was because they were so easy to carry around in that tiny case; it was a country mile away from the current era of planet-sized headphone cases.

Beats Studio Pro come with one of the most interesting and thoughtful headphone cases I’ve seen. Resembling a tiny washbag, the Beats Studio Pro case is a masterpiece. The headphones fit snuggly inside (thanks to the correct folding mechanism employed by Beats) but there’s still somehow room for two cable pockets and a zipped mesh pocket.

It’s far better made than the QC45 case, too, and the choice of fabric material over Bose’s synthetic leather is a smart one. The result is – and, trust me, I’ve spent far too long thinking about this – the new best headphone case on the market.

The Beats Studio Pro combination of all-day comfort, perfectly acceptable battery life, fast charging, and the absence of irritating touch controls are bolstered by the frankly brilliant case – and it makes a massive difference in this headphone battle.

Winner: Beats Studio Pro.

Sound and calling quality

These are two very different-sounding pairs of headphones. Whereas the QC45 are typically ‘Bose’ in their approach to sonics (refined, inoffensive, and acceptable for most types of music), Beats Studio Pro retain the brand’s highly EQ’d signature sound.

This isn’t a bad thing. There was once a time when Beats headphones were overly tuned for hip-hop and electronic music, making them next to useless for refined listening in any other genre. Those days are behind us, thankfully; the new Beats sound is still very purposeful, but the bass-heavy approach has been swapped for high-end sparkle and detail.

Both of these headphones deal with most genres admirably. The more cautious sound delivered by the QC45 makes them perfect for anyone who is easily offended by boosted frequencies. The toppy sound of Beats Studio Pro, combined with the boosted presence and fattened bottom end results in a far more exciting listen, but will lead some to reach for the EQ controls.

This one is up to you. They both sound great to my ears, and I’m glad the signature Beats sound has matured a little. It just isn’t quite as “let’s stay in tonight and have a nice bottle of red” as the QC45.

As for calling capabilities, they’re on par with each other. I still don’t recommend over-ear headphones for taking calls, but if you must, you’re not going to feel short-changed by either of these cans.

Winner: a tie, simply due to the subjectivity of sound.

Noise cancelling and transparency

The best noise-cancelling headphones on the market at the moment are the Sony WH-1000XM5. Nothing comes close – including the Bose QC45 and Beats Studio Pro.

Despite this, Bose does retain its crown in this particular battle. Compared to Beats Studio Pro, the world goes quieter once you switch on the QC45 ANC, and there’s very little audible hiss (something that can’t be said for the Beats).

Beats Studio Pro aren’t bad at all when it comes to noise cancelling – they’re simply adequate and deliver just enough suppression, given the price tag. You simply get a bit more for your money with Bose.

Both headphones do a marginally decent job of transparency mode. This is a common trait among all noise-cancelling headphones bar AirPods Max. Apple has this technology nailed and, for some reason, hasn’t seen it fit to pass it onto the Beats line. Bose also lags behind, making this a feature that is frustratingly lacking across the board – unless you go for Apple’s most expensive cans.

Winner: Bose QC45. Just.

Beats Studio Pro vs Bose QC45: my overall winner

I’ll cut to the chase: I have a new favourite pair of daily driver headphones. That’s right – Beats Studio Pro are now accompanying me everywhere I go.

Like any pair of daily drivers, they’re not perfect when it comes to sonics, and the noise cancelling is more ‘gets the job done’ than ‘Sony standard’, but it’s the overall package that does it for me.

And, no, I cannot understate the importance of that utterly brilliant headphone case.

Did I think I’d be saying this about a pair of Beats headphones? Ever? Nope.

How far we’ve come, Mr Dre.

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