Beats Launches 360 Over-Ear Headphones With Swappable Cushions and 32-Hour Battery

The Beats 360 keeps the brand's familiar visual identity while adopting softer, rounder lines than its predecessor, pairing a slim headband with rounded ear cups. Like the AirPods Max, it uses a removable ear cushion system, so owners can replace worn or soiled cushions or simply change the look. Four body finishes are offered, in black, cloud white, pink and sky blue, alongside six knit fabric cushion kits in black, cloud white, pink, sky blue, navy and fluorescent yellow. The knit cushions use a diamond weave in which each yarn is made from 36 strands of microfiber, which the review says keeps them soft, breathable and light while remaining durable. Two UltraPlush kits in black and cloud white use seamless, eco-friendly refined leather for buyers who prefer the texture carried over from the Beats Studio Pro.

Counting four body colors against eight cushion options gives at least 32 base combinations, and the review puts the figure at 256 once headband cushions are included. Unlike the AirPods Max, the Beats 360 treats the left and right ear cups as independent systems, placing the battery, antennas and processing components in each cup and minimizing wiring and signal transmission across the headband. That allows a thinner, lighter headband and makes the headband cushion removable and replaceable in the same way as the ear cushions. The headband cushion uses a knit material similar to the fabric ear cushions; the review notes that the AirPods Max's breathable mesh canopy can lose elasticity or tear over time and cannot be replaced by the user, a problem the Beats 360 addresses.

Both headphones use stepless adjustable sliding arms to fit different head sizes. In the reviewer's experience overall comfort was similar, with the Beats 360 offering slightly better headband support but smaller ear cups than the AirPods Max, which encloses the ear more fully. The review singles out one practical detail: when the Beats 360 hangs around the neck, the logo side of each cup faces outward, so the headphones can be put on without first flipping the cups.

On noise cancelling, the review found passive isolation close between the Beats 360 and the AirPods Max 2. With active noise cancelling engaged, the AirPods Max 2 performed better against sustained low-frequency noise on aircraft and highways and against complex noise in cafes and offices. In listening tests covering Tsai Chin's "Dukou," Eason Chan's "Long Time No See" and Hans Zimmer's "Why So Serious?", the two were close in vocal placement, but the AirPods Max 2 produced a wider soundstage, deeper bass and tighter control. The review attributes the gap in part to price: the Beats 360 costs 2,999 yuan against 3,999 yuan for the AirPods Max 2.

The review describes the absence of wear detection as the Beats 360's most noticeable shortfall in daily use. Music does not pause automatically when the headphones are taken off, and users must power them down manually instead of setting them aside as they would the AirPods Max. Other features follow the familiar Apple headphone ecosystem: one-tap pairing with an iPhone, iCloud pairing, automatic switching between Apple devices signed into the same account, audio sharing, hands-free "Hey Siri," Find My and personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. Android users can pair through Fast Pair and adjust settings or locate the headphones in the Beats app, which also supports audio switching and voice assistants.

The Beats 360 carries IPX4 sweat and water resistance, and the knit ear cushions are designed to stay breathable, light and durable enough for workouts, running and outdoor use. Beats rates battery life at up to 32 hours of playback with active noise cancelling on, with five minutes of charging providing one hour of playback. The review notes that athletes from several sports have already been photographed wearing the headphones. It concludes that the Beats 360 covers commuting, office work, travel and exercise reasonably well, and would suit buyers who want distinctive, freely combinable styling and long battery life, while its noise cancelling and sound quality fall short of the more expensive AirPods Max 2.