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Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec Earbuds or Headphones team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Beats EP headphones offer a midrange price with better overall sound quality for music compared to the Steelseries TUSQ, which are budget-priced earbuds. Beats EP is suitable for those who prefer on-ear headphones with good build quality and are willing to pay more for a higher music score, while TUSQ's stemless earbuds serve well for gaming with higher scores for mic quality and are also more portable. However, neither have wireless connectivity, active noise cancelling, or sweat resistance, and both have similar durability and weight. The TUSQ's lower price and slightly better scores for sound isolation may attract budget-conscious gamers, while Beats EP may appeal more to music enthusiasts. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Beats EP
- Very good for music
Advantages of the Steelseries TUSQ
- Very good for gaming
- Good for air travel
Key differences
Gaming
6.3
8.5
The Steelseries TUSQ is very good for gaming, while the Beats EP is only fair.
Phone Calls
4.2
5.2
The Steelseries TUSQ and Beats EP are both poor for phone calls, though the Steelseries TUSQ is somewhat better.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
6.8
4.7
The Beats EP is only fair for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Steelseries TUSQ is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
6.0
The Steelseries TUSQ is only fair for noise reduction, while the Beats EP is poor.
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Key similarities
Music
8.1
7.6
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Beats EP to be very good for music, while the Steelseries TUSQ is good.
TV and Video
7.6
7.3
The Beats EP and Steelseries TUSQ are both good for TV and video.
Cost
$100
$100
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
$160
The Beats EP has a price of $100 and the Steelseries TUSQ costs $100.
Build Quality
8.0
8.0
The Beats EP and Steelseries TUSQ both have very good build quality.
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How the Beats EP and the Steelseries TUSQ compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Beats EP | Steelseries TUSQ |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$100 | $100 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Beats | Steelseries | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | November 1, 2018 | August 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Earbuds | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 8.1/10 | 7.7/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.3/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 6.3/10 | 8.6/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 4.3/10 | 4.2/10 | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 6/10 | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | N/A | 8.5/10 | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Size | |||
Size | N/A | Large | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 226.7 Grams | 11 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | N/A | Boom | |
Shopping
Beats EP
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Dig into reviews and images
Headphonecheck
Ulf Kaiser | 2015
"With the EP model, Beats delivers a stylish headphone with cable connection and hands-free functionality that should please consumers seeking a balanced sound for playback on mobile devices."
Steelseries TUSQ
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Dig into reviews and images
Can Buy or Not
Aloysius Low | March 2021
"The SteelSeries Arctis Tusq is a great headset for those on a more modest budget. You can use it for gaming or music, and I daresay it's also great for Zoom meetings when you don't want to be wearing on-ear or over-ear headphones."
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About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
About Steelseries
Steelseries is a Danish gaming products manufacturer founded in 2001 and owned by GN Store Nord. Beside a large variety of gaming peripherals like mice, keyboards, and mousemats, Steelseries markets the Arctis line of gaming headsets which feature integrated boom microphones and RGB lighting. Steelseries has partnered with several game publishers and studios for limited editions of their products like a line of Cyberpunk 2077 themed headsets in 2020.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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