Every Beats Headphone, Ranked: From the 2008 Original to Studio Pro

Beats has been making over-ear and on-ear headphones since the very first Studio in 2008 — the product that launched the entire brand. We ranked every Beats headphone on the site, current and legacy, by how they actually hold up. Fair warning: the two oldest are here for the history books more than your ears.

1. Beats Studio Pro

The best Beats headphone you can buy. The USB-C DAC for lossless wired listening is the standout — it makes them a surprisingly good desk headphone — alongside three EQ presets, improved ANC, and Spatial Audio. The stiff band and small cups mean fit varies, so try before hours of wear, but nothing else in the range matches them.

2. Beats Solo 4

The best on-ear Beats, with an outrageous 50-hour battery and lossless audio over USB-C and 3.5mm. The catch is a real one: no active noise cancellation at $199.99, when cheaper rivals include it. Great for battery and style, not for silence.

3. Beats Studio3 Wireless

The old flagship over-ear, and still usable thanks to Pure Adaptive ANC and W1 pairing. Bass-heavy and plasticky by today's standards, and discontinued — a discount-only pick that the Studio Pro outclasses in every way.

4. Beats Solo3 Wireless

The long-running W1 on-ear with a 40-hour battery and easy pairing. No ANC, very bass-forward, now discontinued. Serviceable and stylish on a cheap used listing, nothing more.

5. Beats Studio Wireless (2nd Gen)

The 2014 redesign that fixed the original Studio's worst sins — lighter, better-built, with adaptive noise cancellation. Purely a used-market curio now.

6. Beats Solo2

The 2014 on-ear that first made the Solo line sound genuinely good. A decade old and long discontinued; only worth it as a cheap, bass-happy castoff.

7. Beats Studio (1st Gen)

The 2008 original — the headphone that launched Beats and arguably the modern celebrity-headphone era. Historically enormous, sonically divisive, and long gone from shelves. A landmark to know, not a pair to buy.

8. Beats Solo (1st Gen)

The 2009 on-ear that rode the Studio's wave. Iconic and hugely popular in its day, but the sound and build were never the point. Last place on merit — included for the record.