3 Reasons Why Beats Headphones Aren't The Go-To For Audio Anymore

In the early 2010s, Beats headphones were a phenomenom. Every cool kid had a pair of Beats Solo, Beats Studio, or the very expensive Beats Pro. The headphones company was the only one that could have a ridiculous number of celebrities wearing its products. 

NPD data reveals that Beats was responsible for 64% of the premium US headphone market in 2012. Nine years later, in 2021, a survey revealed that the brand's overall market share in the U.S., not just among premium competitors, was 15%. By mid 2025, Apple, which owns Beats, represented 23% of the U.S. market share, which includes all of its AirPods and Beats sales. That said, Beats went from one of the biggest players in the market to part of Apple's revenues in a big AirPods sea. This market loss happens while Beats has its best lineup to date.

Even though the brand was very popular in the early 2010s, it actually offered poorly-made headphones with over-the-top bass. I remember buying Beats Solo headphones back in 2012, and the product just fell apart over the years: The ear cushions got destroyed, the rubber came off the headband, and the set was just impractical to use after a while — and I'm not alone with this experience. However, how can a company that improved so much in the past few years — and is now under the tech giant that Apple is — go from the most popular brand to underdog? Here's what happened.

Following the initial success of Beats by Dr. Dre, Apple quickly acquired the company for $3 billion in 2014, which, to this day, is the most expensive purchase Apple has made in its history. This acquisition was responsible for the birth of Apple Music, as it's originated from Beats Music and became what we know as the second most popular music streaming service in the U.S.

While the Beats' acquisition could have helped with AirPods' development and initial success, it's undeniable the following years were turbulent for the brand. It took a while for Beats to transition from cheap to premium materials, and Apple also didn't seem to know what to do with the brand before that. At first, some Beats headphones focused on proprietary chips, which made them look too similar to Apple's AirPods internally. Releases like the Beats Solo Pro were a good idea to make the brand feel more premium, even though this model received several complaints about comfort and usability.

Still, Beats has been a lot more consistent with its releases lately. Most of its lineup comes with Apple's AirPods audio chips, andthe products were refreshed in the past couple of years. In addition, Beats is expanding into a new market and experimenting with iPhone cases and USB-C cables. So, while the brand is on the right track, it might never have the premium reputation it used to.

Beats was as significant an improvement to mass-consumer headphones as the original iPhone was to other smartphones. While it's easier to look back and identify that Beats headphones were more about the brand than tangible quality, the company had to reinvent itself for the current market scenario.

Not only does Beats face a big internal competition with Apple's AirPods, but other competitors became a lot better. Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Marshall are among the companies literally conquering people's heads. In the latest research, ElectroIQ revealed that Sony has 30% of the global headphone market share, followed by Apple with 25%, and Bose with 15%. All the other brands captured a 30% market share collectively, showing that this is a market with a lot of competition and fewer clear winners. This is why Beats headphones don't feel like the go-to option for audio anymore, as users have more options with different price ranges, features available, and unique perks.

Still, while Beats represented more than 60% of the market share in the U.S. a decade ago, it's now part of Apple's market share, which makes it hard to understand the contribution of Beats sales to the AirPods universe.

The third reason why Beats failed to remain as the king of the headphone industry is due to its infrequent updates. While it's true that before Apple's acquisition, the company would already take a while to upgrade its main lineup, as Beats always focused on releasing special editions of its already-existing headphones, it's now dealing with a lot more competition. With that in mind, the company can't wait too long to update its headphones, because there's always something new in the market.

For example, Beats Studio Pro was released in 2023, followed by the Beats Solo 4 in 2024. While for Beats standards that still means these headphones are brand new, so many headphones have been released in the past few years that it's only natural that Beats models end up being deprioritized compared to newer products.

Besides that, users have complained about discomfort while wearing Beats Studio Pro, and even though Beats Solo 4 can feature a near-endless battery, it also lacks active noise-cancelling and other features that users are already expect in that price range. That said, Beats should be releasing new models with Apple's H2 audio chip, better comfort, and tweaks that could make its headphones future-proof — instead of just focusing on releasing special editions, like the recent Beats Solo 4 partnership with K-pop star Jennie.

While Apple has been using Beats headphones to lead some of its best initiatives, like adding Lossless support to Beats Studio Pro before the AirPods Max, its earbuds offering has been amazing. For example, Powerbeats Pro 2 were the first Apple earbuds to offer heart rate monitoring, and they have been a go-to option for runners and athletes to work out with thanks to their wing tip design. Even the company's 2023 Beats Studio Buds+ remain a solid option, and they're one of my favorite pairs of earbuds to this day.

Late last year, Beats rebranded the Beats Fit Pro as Powerbeats Fit by updating its wing tip, as the company told BGR that these earbuds were one of the company's most popular offerings. Today, Beats has various earbuds offerings across different price ranges and features, while their headphones department boils down to two models that are slowly becoming outdated.

While I suggested that releasing an all-new Beats Pro could be exactly what Beats needs to recover momentum, it's unclear if the company could relive the boom it had at the beginning of its operation. The main issue could be Apple having to make a hard choice: Should Beats compete with some of the company's own headphones, or should AirPods continue to be the top-of-mind of headphones Beats were a decade ago?