Beats 360 offers customization and a revamped over-ear headphone design

After months of teases and leaks, Beats today officially announced its new Beats 360 headphones. Priced at $349.99, the Beats 360 represents a redesign of the Beats over-ear headphone design, with a focus on sound quality, comfort and customization.

Beats 360 does not replace the brand’s Studio Pro over-ear headphones, as the Studio Pro will remain part of the Beats lineup at a discounted price of $299.99, down from the previous $349.99. Compared to Studio Pro, Beats 360 features an all-new acoustic architecture that delivers up to 1.75x more active noise cancellation and a 12dB increase in output while maintaining clarity across all frequencies with low distortion.

In addition to active noise cancellation (ANC), which uses an eight-microphone system to analyze the acoustic environment inside and outside the headphones, Beats 360 also supports Transparency mode to let you still hear the world around you, while turning off ANC and transparency activates the adaptive EQ to constantly adjust acoustic performance.

Custom spatial audio with dynamic head tracking is also supported, allowing users to take full advantage of Apple’s platforms that deliver 360-degree Dolby Atmos audio and move within the sound field as they turn their head.

“Beats didn’t just help drive the rise of over-ear headphones—we helped define the category,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of music, sports and Beats. “Beats 360 is the next chapter in this story. We’ve combined our most advanced acoustic performance ever with a perfectly balanced design that moves effortlessly with you. And with our new interchangeable ear cushions, our customers can express themselves in ways no other over-ear headphones can.”

Beats 360 comes in four color options: Black, Cloud (an off-white), Pink, and Sky (a light blue). It includes comfortable, color-matched Perfomance Knit ear and headband pads, but the pads are removable and interchangeable, allowing you to customize your favorite look and even change color combinations to suit the moment. Separate Performance Knit cushion kits are available in the four standard colors, plus Volt (a neon yellow-green) and Navy.

Performance Knit memory foam cushions are breathable and ideal for training and other active use, but for those times when you might prefer a more traditional cushion style, Beats also introduces UltraPlush cushion kits in black and ivory. Similar to those found on Studio Pro and Solo 4, the Beats 360 UltraPlush cushions offer a plusher feel with memory foam wrapped in engineered leather. Beats 360’s sensors identify whether you’re using Performance Knit or UltraPlush cushions, and they automatically adjust acoustic tuning and noise-cancellation filtering to maintain a consistent listening experience regardless of cushion material.

Beats 360 in dozens of color combinations

The Cushion Kits for Performance Knit and UltraPlush will be priced at $49.99, but for a limited time and in select markets (US, UK, Canada, Australia, France, China and South Korea), Beats is offering an introductory promotion that drops the price of the Cushion Kit to just $9.99 or the approximate local currency equivalent. Replacing the ear pads is as simple as a quick twist on each ear pad to remove and install it, while the headband ear pad removes and snaps back into place with a little effort while remaining securely attached during use.

Beats 360 in the sky

For active users, Beats 360 is the first Beats on-ear headphones to feature an IPX4 sweat and water resistance rating, meaning they are protected against liquid ingress.

Beats 360 in Sky with Navy cushions

The removable cushions also make them easy to clean, a welcome feature for those planning to use Beats 360 for working out. Beats recommends mixing one teaspoon (5 ml) of laundry detergent in one cup (250 ml) of water, rubbing the solution on each cushion with a lint-free cloth for one minute each, wiping them with a separate cloth dampened in fresh water, and drying them with another lint-free cloth.

While over-ear and over-ear headphones typically require thick headbands to accommodate multiple cables to connect the two earbuds, Beats 360 actually consists of two independent wireless headphones, each containing its own battery, antenna, and processing circuitry.

As a result, the headband contains only a single power cable to connect both sides, allowing batteries on both sides to be charged simultaneously from a single USB-C port. The thin headband also helps optimize weight distribution. So while Beats 360 and Studio Pro have a similar weight, just under 300 grams, Beats 360 puts more mass in the cushions where it matters most for comfort.

The left earbud includes a USB-C port for charging, a power button, and a dedicated listening mode button for switching between ANC, Transparency, and Adaptive EQ, while the right earbud includes a play/pause button and volume rocker. Hands-free “Hey Siri” support is also included.

As for battery life, Beats 360 offers 32 hours of playback with ANC enabled, with a five-minute Fast Fuel charge giving you an hour of playback in a pinch.

The fourth-generation proprietary Beats platform offers significant levels of native integration across Apple and Android, with Apple users able to enjoy one-touch pairing with iCloud auto-pairing and switching, audio sharing to let a friend with compatible AirPods or Beats listen to your audio and find my support. Android users enjoy many of the same features with one-touch and ecosystem pairing, Audio Switch, and Find Hub geolocation.

Unlike the Beats Studio Pro, the Beats 360 headband doesn’t fold for travel, but instead twists flat and the earbuds slip into a woven ripstop carrying case with a magnetic closure and rear loop for clipping onto a finger or carabiner. The case measures approximately 9 inches square and a little over 2 inches thick at its pleated bottom with the headset inside. I prefer this flatter case style over the Studio Pro, as it allows the headset to fit more easily into a computer bag or backpack.

Cases for Beats Studio Pro (left) and Beats 360 (right)

To support the launch of 360, Beats is launching a new ad campaign featuring Kendall Jenner, led by a short film of Jenner meeting a friend at a coffee shop but realizing that everyone in the room is a different version of herself, complete with a unique combination of ear cushions, highlighting the individuality possible with Beats 360.

“I’m always on the move and going from one look to another,” Kendall Jenner said. “So the Beats 360 adapts to my lifestyle. I love being able to change the cushions to suit what I’m doing that day.”

“Kendall adapts her look to every moment, so she needs headphones that can change with her,” said Chris Thorne, chief marketing officer of Beats. “The film captures this perfectly, playfully showing all sides of Kendall and how Beats 360 tracks them all.”

In a brief interview with Schusser at a Beats preview event earlier this month, he explained that Jenner was an ideal candidate to promote Beats 360, given the many roles she plays in any given day in her personal and professional life.

He also explained how Beats has been able to thrive under Apple ownership, with Beats having access to all of Apple’s audio expertise as Apple and Beats engineers work side-by-side on the products. At the same time, Beats has managed to maintain its own identity in terms of product design and marketing, continuing to focus on active lifestyle and celebrity marketing that remains distinct from the way Apple promotes its own products.

Beats 360 is available to order today on apple.com in the US and over 100 other countries and regions, with availability after this Thursday, September 24. It comes with a woven ripstop carrying case, while additional cushion kits, USB-C charging cables, and power adapters are sold separately.