Apple's 'AirPods Studio' Headphones May Feature Head and Neck Detection and Equalizer Settings

Apple's upcoming high-end over-ear headphones (tentatively called AirPods Studio) could have a head and neck detection feature that's similar to the ear detection feature in the AirPods and AirPods Pro, according to a new report from 9to5Mac that cites people familiar with Apple's plans.

Over Ear ApplePhones Cropped
In the AirPods and ‌AirPods Pro‌, ear detection is designed to stop a song when the AirPods or removed, pause a song when a single AirPod is removed, or play a song when the removed AirPod is put back in the ear.

AirPods Studio will have similar sensors that will detect whether the headphones are on the head or the neck, presumably playing or pausing content when the headphones are worn on the head. When on the neck, the sensor could keep the music paused.

Another sensor will detect left and right ears for routing the audio channels, which means there will be no right or wrong side for wearing the AirPods Studio. Pairing the AirPods Studio with a Mac or iOS device will unlock custom equalizer settings with low, medium, and high frequency adjustments available.

Prior rumors have suggested Apple's high-end over-ear headphones will feature Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode much like the current ‌AirPods Pro‌, and an April report from Bloomberg indicated the headphones will have interchangeable ear pads and headband padding allowing for customization.

Apple may also sell the headphones in multiple materials, including a premium version with leather-like fabrics and a fitness-focused model with liter, more breathable materials.

A rumor from this weekend said that Apple could price the high-end over-ear headphones at $349, and that the name could be "AirPods Studio."

Related Roundup: AirPods Max
Tag: 9to5Mac
Buyer's Guide: AirPods Max (Caution)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...

Top Rated Comments

zhenya Avatar
55 months ago

I wonder if they'll get it right this time.
Apple is not and audiophile oriented company.
Remember the iPod HiFi speaker? Steve said that was all we needed....
Apple is not an “audiophile” company but they have an extensive, solid track record of getting the details around sound output extremely “right”. From the extremely low output impedance of their mobile devices headphone jacks to the amazing performance of the $10 lightning to 3.5mm adapter, to the performance of the Homepod or the Airpod pros today. As an audio enthusiast for decades, when Apple does audio, I listen.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
55 months ago
Article quote:

Another sensor will detect left and right ears for routing the audio channels, which means there will be no right or wrong side for wearing the AirPods Studio.“

That’s totally Apple-esque to Implement something like this. It’s the small features to the user experience that separates the competition.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
elbowrm Avatar
55 months ago
What if you don't have a neck??
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
55 months ago

I wonder if they'll get it right this time.
Apple is not and audiophile oriented company.
Define “audiophile”. HomePod and the Macbook Pro have best-in-class sound.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PabloSRT8 Avatar
55 months ago
I wonder if they'll get it right this time.
Apple is not and audiophile oriented company.
Remember the iPod HiFi speaker? Steve said that was all we needed....
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ouimetnick Avatar
55 months ago

That name is really confusing. Anything called "Studio" you'd expect it to be audiophile quality. Anything with noice cancelling is not STUDIO.
Same with Pro. You'd expect a laptop with "Pro" in it's name not to need a top case replacement due to Jony Ive's butterfly keyboard, but yet here we are.

You might also expect a portable computer with "Pro" in it's name to gave discrete graphics, or a phone with "Pro" in it's name to have a 120Hz display.

Apple isn't the company it was under Steve Jobs. It isn't terrible under Tim Cook, but words don't mean anything anymore, it all marketing hype.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)