Beats Studio Buds just got 3 slick new colors — and we went hands-on | CNN Underscored

Everything old is new again. Take the three colors announced today to join the Beats Studio Buds family: Sunset Pink, Ocean Blue and Moon Gray.

As we pointed out in our in-depth Studio Buds review, these earbuds’ unique custom chip offers Android and iOS users an equally intuitive listening experience. And at just $150, Beats Studio Buds, in any color, are an excellent lower-cost alternative to pricier earbuds like Beats’ own Powerbeats Pro, Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro or Apple’s AirPods Pro.

In addition to the new hues, Beats is also including updated software in its app to enhance the audio experience for all users. Here’s what you need to know about the latest Beats Studio Buds.

The beauty of the Beats Studio Buds has always been the ability to fast pair to both Android and iOS devices, making the earbuds a more popular choice. With the announcement of these new colors, the company has added new features to its app, allowing all compatible Beats products to receive and use the software updates directly from their device.

“Locate My Beats” will use the same technology Apple customers receive with their Find My app, allowing Android users to locate their earbuds through the app. In addition, new in-app Product Widgets now let you access battery life, control listening modes and update firmware.

The colors themselves go from pretty to sleek to bright. The bubblegum pastel Sunset Pink and matte medium Moon Gray both have black Beats logos on the face of their covers, while the royal Ocean Blue leads with a bright red logo. We found them playful and worth a look if you want to change things up from the standard white and black of most wireless earbuds.

Other than the snappy new colors, the three additions to the Beats Studio Buds lineup look identical to their brethren. That means they’ll still offer a comfortable fit for your basic, daily activities, though without the ear hooks or wings you’ll find on pricier versions like the PowerBeats Pro or the fitness-forward Beats Fit Pro. You can also nab them in the original black, white and Beats Red.

When it comes to performance, you’ll get the same high standards aimed at a more general listener. We appreciate that the Studio Buds come with more balanced audio than Beats’ earlier, bass-forward sound, which works beautifully across all genres. If you use Apple Music to stream your tunes, they also take advantage of its Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos tracks.

And because these are true wireless earbuds, they offer strong active noise cancellation (ANC) and an even better Transparency mode, allowing environmental noises like announcements and traffic to trickle in while you listen.

As we reported, battery life holds steady at just over eight hours on 50% volume and about five hours with ANC engaged, plus you can get an extra two hours with the chargeable case.

If you want to add a little more pizzazz to your earbud experience, the three bold colors of the Beats Studio Buds are a great place to start. We’ve always been a fan of Beats’ acknowledgement of Android users with this custom chip, and the added features now makes them an even better purchase.

Plus, we like that all the Beats products that use the app will also get a boost, offering access to “Locate My Beats” and even deeper features to control your headphones. And with no price bump, you can still get all this for just $150.