Is the Beats 360 worth buying?

For workouts and everyday active use, most reviewers say yes: it has near-flagship noise cancelling, an IPX4 sweat rating, swappable cushions, and a 32-hour battery. At its $349 launch price, SoundGuys and AppleInsider suggest waiting for a discount, and you should listen for background hiss in a quiet room before your return window closes.

Beats 360 vs AirPods Max 2: which should I buy?

AirPods Max 2 has the better noise cancelling, transparency mode, and overall sound, plus adaptive mode and wired lossless audio. The Beats 360 is $200 cheaper at list price, lighter, sweat resistant, lasts 32 hours instead of 20, and works fully on Android. Reviewers who use both reach for the Beats 360 for the gym and travel, and the AirPods Max 2 for focused listening at a desk.

Do the Beats 360 have a hissing problem?

Some units do. SoundGuys heard a prominent hiss on their pair with ANC on, off, and in transparency mode that a factory reset did not fix, and RecordingNOW heard a faint hiss at all times. Other reviewers did not mention it. If you hear it and it bothers you, return the pair within the return window.

Can you use the Beats 360 with a wired connection?

No. The USB-C port only charges the headphones, and there is no 3.5mm input. Beats designed each ear cup like a separate earbud with its own battery, and the 360 is Bluetooth-only.

Are the Beats 360 good for the gym?

Yes, this is what they are built for. They are IPX4 rated for sweat and splashes, the included Performance Knit cushions are breathable and removable for cleaning, the clamp keeps them in place during workouts, and the controls are physical buttons. Light-colored cushions show stains quickly.

Beats 360 Review — The gym-proof AirPods Max alternative, if your pair doesn't hiss

Name: Beats 360 Review — The gym-proof AirPods Max alternative, if your pair doesn't hiss
Item: Beats 360
Author: Jordan Kim

The Beats 360 is the most talked-about headphone launch of the past month: ten of the most-watched English-language reviews published between September 22 and October 9, 2026 add up to roughly 1.5 million views. We read the full transcripts of all ten, from SoundGuys' lab measurements to RecordingNOW's scored breakdown to Kevin The Tech Ninja's head-to-head with AirPods Max 2, and this is what they agree on, where they split, and the one problem that only some of them heard.

What you're actually getting

The 360 is Beats' first over-ear headphone with an official IPX4 rating for sweat and splashes, and the whole design is built around that. Both ear cushions twist off and the headband cushion clips out, so a sweaty set can come off after a workout and a clean set goes back on. When a cushion locks in, the headphones chime, detect which material is attached, and adjust their sound and noise cancelling for it.

You get the Performance Knit cushions in the box: a breathable woven fabric for workouts. The Ultra Plush cushions, faux leather over memory foam in the style of the Beats Studio Pro, are sold separately. Several reviewers report that extra cushion kits list at about $50 but were $10 at launch.

Under the cushions are 40mm dual-magnet drivers that Beats says play 12 dB louder than the Studio Pro, nine microphones, Bluetooth 5.3, and Beats' own chip rather than Apple's H2. That chip is why the 360 works fully on Android through the Beats app, with Fast Pair and Find Hub, while still giving iPhone users one-tap pairing, iCloud device switching, Find My, and head-tracked spatial audio.

Performance — what reviewers actually measured

Metric	Beats 360	Source
Price	$349 (AirPods Max 2: $549 list)	Kevin The Tech Ninja, RecordingNOW
Weight	293.8g (AirPods Max 2: 384.4g, Sony XM6: 252.8g)	RecordingNOW
Noise cancelling	87.3% average reduction in perceived outside noise (Performance Knit)	SoundGuys lab test
Battery	32 hours with ANC on (AirPods Max 2: 20 hours)	RecordingNOW, Tom's Guide
Quick charge	5 minutes for about 1 hour	CNET, UrAvgConsumer
Water resistance	IPX4	Beats spec, all reviewers
Wired audio	None	All reviewers

Amazon shoppers are more divided than reviewers. On October 21, 2026, the Black model showed 3.6 out of 5 stars from 96 ratings, with 46% five-star and 29% one- or two-star ratings. Amazon's AI-generated summary of those reviews says buyers praise the appearance and water resistance while sound quality, noise cancelling, and call quality get mixed feedback.

Where it actually wins

Noise cancelling is finally a Beats strength. Beats claims 1.75 times the noise cancelling of the Studio Pro, and the measurements back it up. SoundGuys' 87.3% figure is, in their words, similar to "what we see in other flagship headphones." CNET's reviewer took them on a flight and said it's "now top tier and comes close to what you get with the AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Pro 3." Tom's Guide put it more bluntly: "Beats is finally legitimately in the ANC conversation."

It is the over-ear to wear to the gym. IPX4, a clamp that stays put, physical buttons that work with sweaty hands, and cushions you can rinse and swap make this the consensus pick for workouts. Mark Ellis summed it up: "These are nearly a perfect pair of gym headphones." RecordingNOW ranks it among the best workout headphones available and scored its comfort 9.5 out of 10.

Comfort and battery beat the AirPods Max 2. At about 90 grams lighter than the AirPods Max 2, the 360 is easier to wear for hours. Kevin The Tech Ninja wore it through a four-hour flight without adjusting it, and admitted that between the two, "the more expensive pair is the one that I actually don't reach for most of the week." Battery life is 32 hours with ANC on against 20 for the AirPods Max 2.

The Ultra Plush cushions are a real sound upgrade. RecordingNOW found that the softer cushions seal better, which brings stronger bass, more treble detail, and steadier noise cancelling. SoundGuys measured slightly better passive isolation above 100 Hz with the Ultra Plush. If sound matters to you, budget for the plush kit.

Where it falls short

Some units hiss. This is the issue to know before buying. SoundGuys' review unit had a constant background hiss with ANC on, off, and in transparency mode, and a factory reset didn't fix it: "With our unit, I can hear a prominent hissing sound." RecordingNOW independently reported that "I do notice a faint hiss at all times when wearing these headphones, even with noise cancelling on," though he didn't consider it a dealbreaker. In CNET's at-home noise cancelling test next to a noisy HVAC unit, its reviewer noticed a faint whooshing sound that the AirPods models didn't produce. Other reviewers didn't mention it, so it may vary by unit. It's inaudible in a gym but obvious at a quiet desk.

The sound depends on who you ask. Reviewers agree it's the best-sounding Beats yet; CNET called them "the best sounding Beats headphones I've tested to date." Beyond that they split. RecordingNOW found the stock Performance Knit tuning slightly bright and lean in the bass, saying Beats "overcorrected a little bit too much" away from its old bass-heavy sound. SoundGuys heard the bass and treble as louder than they're used to, and measured an overemphasis in the treble above 5 kHz that they found fatiguing in quiet rooms. Kevin The Tech Ninja heard the classic bass-forward Beats sound, great for EDM and hip-hop and a bit boomy on podcasts. And with no EQ in the app, you can't tune any of that out.

Features you'd expect at $349 are missing. There's no wear detection, so music keeps playing when you take them off. UrAvgConsumer's reaction: "It's 2026. The cheapest of headphones have that feature." There's no wired audio of any kind, which rules them out for video editing. The buttons are untextured, so Kevin The Tech Ninja kept patting around to find the power button. The headphones fold flat but don't collapse, and Tom's Guide noted there's no charging cable in the box. Shevon Salmon also warns that the headband has limited extension: if you have a bigger head, try them in a store first.

Beats 360 vs AirPods Max 2

Every reviewer who compared them reached the same split. The AirPods Max 2 is the better headphone overall. Kevin The Tech Ninja: "Noise cancellation is better on the AirPods Max in every scenario I test them." Shevon Salmon: "this does not sound better than the AirPods Max, guys." AppleInsider: "other than workouts, AirPods Max 2 are absolutely better." The Max 2 also has Apple's adaptive mode, conversation awareness, an EQ in iOS 27, and wired lossless audio over USB-C.

The Beats 360 wins on what you'll notice day to day: it's $200 cheaper at list price, about 90 grams lighter, sweat resistant, lasts 12 hours longer, and works fully on Android. RecordingNOW's take is that with the Ultra Plush cushions, "the Beats 360 does get closer to the sound quality of the AirPods Max 2." Note that the AirPods Max 2 regularly sells below list; RecordingNOW put its typical street price around $449. For the full head-to-head, see our Beats 360 vs AirPods Max 2 comparison.

If you're also weighing the older Beats Studio Pro, its list price drops to $299 with this launch, and AppleInsider has seen it on sale for $159. See our Beats Studio Pro review. For more ANC options, compare the Sony WH-1000XM6 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen).

Should you buy it?

Buy if you:

Want one pair of over-ears for both the gym and everyday listening
Need strong noise cancelling but find AirPods Max 2 too heavy or too expensive
Use Android, or switch between Android and iPhone
Can test your pair for hiss in a quiet room within the return window

Skip if you:

Need wired or lossless listening for editing or monitoring
Want to EQ the sound, or want the most accurate tuning at this price
Are sensitive to background hiss when listening quietly
Want auto-pause when you take the headphones off

Our verdict is that it depends on how you'll use it. For active use, most of the ten reviewers recommend the Beats 360. Nikias Molina went as far as "I feel like these are the best headphones in the world right now." For quiet, focused listening, the hiss reports and missing EQ argue for waiting. As SoundGuys put it, "If you really want to buy these, don't buy them at full price." Beats headphones have historically dropped well below list within months, so holiday sales are a good time to buy.

Sources consulted

RecordingNOW — The TRUTH about Beats 360...
SoundGuys — The Beats 360 are ALMOST amazing...
CNET — Beats 360 Review: Finally, Totally New Headphones from Beats
AppleInsider — Beats 360 Ultimate Review! Compare VS AirPods Max 2 & Beats Studio Pro!
Tom's Guide — Beats 360 Review: They FINALLY Fixed Over-Ear Headphones!
Mark Ellis Reviews — Beats 360 Review: The Best Gym Headphones?
Kevin The Tech Ninja — $349 vs $549: Beats 360 vs AirPods Max 2
Shevon Salmon — Beats 360 After 1 Week: The Glaze Is Crazy
UrAvgConsumer — I Reviewed Every Beats Ever. The Beats 360 Is Different.
Nikias Molina — I Tested Beats 360. They Are Insane.
Amazon.com — Beats 360 customer ratings (3.6/5 from 96 ratings, checked October 21, 2026)

Synthesis combines independent reviews above. Verdicts and quotes attributed to original creators; quotes are verbatim from each video's English captions and link to the moment they're said. Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases via Amazon links.