Tech Blog

[#1]

I've spent over 100 hours listening to Monster's Beats Solo headphones and I can say a few things about them: first, the build quality is incredibly high. Secondly, the sound quality matures and settles into an amazing space, and third, they're an excellent choice if you're looking to spend some serious money on headphones.

Build Quality.

Beats Solo by dr. dre are another entry in the Beats series from Monster Cable. This collaboration with celebrity recording artist/studio superstars extends to dr. dre, Diddy, and Lady Gaga currently, leveraging not only their reputation but their expertise in the field of recording arts to help produce a new type of audio experience. One of the elements of the Beats line is a robust build quality; Beats headphones are not inexpensive, so it's a good thing that they've been built to last.

Beats Solo ships in a package that puts some of Apple's offerings–a company I consider to be a leader in blow-your-socks-off packaging–to shame. Remove the slip cover and you'll find a magnetically sealed box that holds the Beats Solo headphones, the travel case, the unique red control/audio cable, and a stack of literature. Monster as captured the "I feel awesome for buying this" feeling with some tasty packaging; the only downside is you'll need to find space for it as you won't be interested in throwing the packaging away, it'd feel like such a waste.

The headphones themselves are quite  attractive in white, with red and grey highlights. Red has become the hallmark of the Beats line, with the red b logo quite visible on the ear cups, and the signature red cable sporting a black bar for playback and volume controls. There are two hinges on Beats Solo where both ear cups fold in when not in use. This does mean you'll need to use more care when donning and removing them; the hinges are tough, but the kinder you are to them the longer they'll last you. That doesn't mean you'll need to treat them with kid gloves, pack 'em up in the travel case and don't sling them around and you should be good.

The ear cups sit on-ear and are incredibly comfortable. I've got about six other pairs of headphones and I can endure longer periods of listening on a third of them; the Beats Solo joins that crowd as a pair I can wear for longer durations. I listened to the top ten albums of Rolling Stones' Top 100 albums of all time over the course of a week with these and I didn't need a break during a single set.

The cable that comes standard with the Beats Solo is pretty awesome. It's short, only about 3' in length, but that's more than adequate for listening at my computer, with my phone, or to my iPod. It has an additional data ring built into the gold tip, giving you convenient playback controls right on the cable. I can change volume and control playback with the buttons and rocker set into a handy black bar at the tip of the cable. The device end is a 90º plug, making it less likely that you'll accidentally disconnect as you're enjoying your music. It's a nice, thick Monster Cable; it stows well, doesn't kink, and looks pretty cool in red.

All said the build quality on the Beats Solo is excellent. They're light, comfortable, very portable, and they look good.

Sound Quality.

The hallmark of the Beats series is wide range, and deep, visceral bass. Out of the box Beats Solo delivers on most of that promise, but you'll be pleased to see what happens after they've had a chance to settle into themselves. Break-in (the process of playing a set of speakers of headphones for an initial duration to help establish their range) is a debated practice in the audio space but I found it to be useful here. The Beats Solo had tremendous bass out of the box, but it felt a bit muddy and rough around the edges. The mid-range spoke well, but highs weren't as clear as I'd like. I was able to clean it up with on-device equalization, driving a sound that I enjoyed more.

100 hours later, over the course of one week, and the pair of Beats Solo that I have here have delivered on their promise. Bass is much tighter and highs are crisper. I tested these headphones with a variety of styles of music including hip hop ( Brooklyn Soul ), classic rock (I spent the most time here with 320kbps conversions from CD from discs by the Rolling Stones, Queen, and the recent remastered Beatles in mono), and classical (a variety of albums). The soundstage isn't large, Beats Solo creates a very intimate listening experience, but the sound is crisp and clear. In the case of the mono albums it felt like the music was emanating from inside my head; that's exactly what I'm looking for in a solid mono reproduction.

These aren't noise isolating headphones (look to the Beats Studio for that) but the world does drop away when you put them on. The ear cups provide a good seal with my ears, letting me enjoy subtle details and dynamics without having to crank the volume. If you ARE looking to crank the volume, however, the Beats Solo headphones are up to the task; please be mindful of your hearing though and don't listen at loud volumes for long periods of time. It will cause damage, these headphones are capable of driving that level of volume. Be smart and use the volume limiting features on your devices.

Conclusion for sound quality: if you're looking for massive bass out of the box, Beats Solo will deliver. Give it a week (or a few, depending on how much you listen) and you'll find that the experience becomes even richer over time.

Choosing Beats Solo.

Beats Solo delivers a good quality listening experience, especially over time. They're comfortable, the audio isolation is good, the accessories are a brilliant touch (I can't say enough about the carrying case; it's a soft zip-up case that fits perfectly in my laptop bag and keeps my headphones safe), and they've got a very sexy look about them. The smartest thing to do is audition a set of Beats headphones in-store at a Future Shop to see if you like what you're getting into; head up to the demo station and check it out.

I will say this: if you're listening to 128kbps MP3 tracks, you'll enjoy Beats Solo, but you won't be getting the most out of them. Use a high quality when you're ripping your CDs or buying tracks online, or go uncompressed where you can, you'll find that the dynamics and details of your favourite pieces will be even more apparent with a higher quality source.

Beats Solo aren't the only headphones playing in this space, but they're absolutely worth looking at. I think you'll find the comfort, audio quality, and look a hard combination to match and beat.

[#2]

What? "The build quality is incredibly high". Did I read that right?

I beg to differ - in the first month of owning these headphones, they split into two. Then I got another pair, and guess what, they split into two again. The headphones themselves are marvellous either... the bass is too overpowering which really ruins the whole listening experience.

Are these headphones worth $180? no. Go invest in some Bose or Sennheiser headphones, I'm sure they'll last more than a month.

[#3]

Thanks for the comment, but I'm going to disagree. I've been using them for two weeks straight, every day for several hours and I haven't had a problem with them. I'd be curious to know where yours split in two; the only place I can see where that would be possible would be the hinge–and if you're cranking that hard on a metal hinge it may be more of an issue with how you're treating your headphones (especially a folding pair) than with the build quality.

I think I addressed the issue with the bass already; after breaking the Solos in I found that the bass found its place and wasn't overpowering.

As to whether these are worth the asking price I think that's an individual decision left up to each consumer. My recommendation was to check them out; I've had both less expensive and more expensive headphones and I think these deliver a good experience for the money paid.

Thanks again for the comment.