Beats 360 over-ear headphones with adaptive ANC, modular cushion design launched

Beats has officially unveiled the Beats 360, a new flagship pair of over-ear headphones featuring modular hardware customization, improved active noise cancellation, and cross-platform ecosystem support. The release marks the brand’s first headphones to incorporate user-swappable ear cushions and headband padding.

Hardware Design and Modular Customization

The defining physical feature of the Beats 360 is its interchangeable cushion architecture. Users can detach each ear cushion with a quick twist and swap the headband padding using standalone kits, enabling up to 32 standard style combinations (or up to 256 combinations when mixing ear and headband cushion colors). The cushions are offered in two material profiles:

• Performance Knit: Memory foam wrapped in a diamond-knit textile woven from 36 micro-threads per strand, oriented toward breathability during workouts and extended use.
• UltraPlush: Engineered leather construction aimed at sound isolation and continuous wear, utilizing the material found on the Beats Studio Pro and Solo 4.

Internal sensors automatically detect the attached cushion type and dynamically adjust acoustic filters for ANC, Transparency mode, and EQ to ensure consistent sound delivery.

The chassis adopts a true wireless internal structure where each ear cup operates as an independent, self-contained unit housing its own battery, processing hardware, and antenna. This design minimizes wiring through the headband, allowing engineers to thin the headband profile, optimize weight distribution, and increase cushion mass by nearly 50% relative to the Beats Studio Pro without raising total weight.

The Beats 360 are also the brand’s first over-ear model to achieve an IPX4 water and sweat resistance rating under IEC standard 60529, made possible by a custom internal firewall behind the acoustic driver that seals electronics from liquid ingress.

Acoustic Architecture and Active Noise Cancellation

Audio is driven by custom 40mm transducers paired with a high dynamic range amplifier (HDRA). The transducer employs dual neodymium ring magnets and a triple-layer diaphragm—comprising two stiff outer layers and a dampening inner layer—delivering 12 dB higher output than the driver in the Beats Studio Pro alongside lower distortion. Central and peripheral vents regulate internal airflow to preserve transient accuracy.

The active acoustic system integrates three primary processing modes:

• Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Powered by an upgraded, fourth-generation proprietary chip with nearly double the processing capability of prior generations, the system delivers up to 1.75 times more noise cancellation than the Beats Studio Pro by adapting in real time to environmental noise and seal fit.
• Transparency Mode: Employs an extended frequency response to pass ambient noise through naturally without removing the headphones.
• Adaptive EQ: Continuously measures the acoustic cavity between the ear and headphone when ANC and Transparency modes are turned off, dynamically adjusting frequency curves to match fit.

Spatial audio playback supports Dolby Atmos alongside dynamic head tracking, driven by an integrated inertial measurement unit (accelerometer and gyroscope) in the left ear cup.

Connectivity, Microphones, and Controls

The headphones feature native integration across both iOS and Android environments via Class 1 Bluetooth 5.3:

• Apple Features: One-touch pairing, iCloud device sync, hands-free “Hey Siri,” automatic switching across Apple hardware (including Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro), Audio Sharing, dynamic head tracking, and Apple Find My.
• Android Features: Google Fast Pair, ecosystem device pairing, Audio Switch, Find Hub tracking, and access via the Beats app for Android (widgets, firmware updates, and settings configuration).

A nine-microphone digital MEMS array manages noise suppression and call clarity. Eight microphones feed the ANC algorithms, while three microphones (two shared with the ANC system and one dedicated) form a beam-forming voice pickup array powered by machine-learning models trained on hundreds of hours of audio.

Four physical controls sit along the back contours of the ear cups for thumb operation:

• Right Ear Cup: Tactile volume rocker and a multi-function play/pause button (single, double, and triple presses for track navigation and call management; press-and-hold for voice assistants).
• Left Ear Cup: Dedicated power button (pairing, reset, and battery status checks) and a listening-mode button (cycles between ANC and Transparency by default, configurable to include Adaptive EQ).

Battery and In-Box Contents

The internal battery delivers up to 32 hours of playback with ANC and spatial audio enabled, or up to 32 hours under Adaptive EQ with ANC turned off. Fast Fuel charging provides up to 1 hour of playback from a 5-minute charge via USB-C.

The retail package includes the Beats 360 headphones with pre-installed color-matched Performance Knit cushions, a woven ripstop fabric carrying case, and documentation (charging cables and power adapters are sold separately).

Technical Specifications

Pricing and Availability