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 (Buy Now)
Related Forum: AirPods

Popular Stories

streaming black friday 2025

Black Friday Streaming Deals Include Big Savings on Disney+, Hulu, Apple TV, and More

Monday November 24, 2025 8:03 am PST by
We've been focusing on deals on physical products over the past few weeks, but Black Friday is also a great time of year to purchase a streaming membership. Some of the biggest services have great discounts for new and select returning members this week, including Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Three Breakthrough Features

Tuesday November 25, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include three standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
apple news banner

Apple News Loses CNN

Monday November 24, 2025 7:56 am PST by
American multinational news company CNN has abruptly pulled its content from Apple News, Semafor reports. CNN quietly removed its stories from Apple News over the weekend and there is no longer a feed from the network to subscribe to in the app. This effectively ends its distribution agreement with Apple while the two sides negotiate new terms. Discussions are apparently ongoing and CNN's...
amazon black friday

Amazon Kicks Off Black Friday Sale With Major Discounts on Apple Accessories, TVs, and More

Sunday November 23, 2025 7:12 am PST by
Black Friday deals have begun, and Amazon is one of the best places you can find steep discounts on numerous products this week. We've already collected all of the best Apple-related deals you'll find at Amazon (and other retailers) in our Apple Black Friday Deals post, so below you'll find other discounts on devices like Anker accessories, Beats headphones, video games, TVs, and more. Note:...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...

Top Rated Comments

zhenya Avatar
72 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
72 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
72 months ago
What if you don't have a neck??
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
72 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
72 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
72 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)