I have 4 pair of these, all given to me as a result of my job, which is professional DJ. The 1st pair I got had the 1/4 adapter connected(see photo) to the cable permanently so you would never lose it, which I thought was a very nice touch for traveling DJ's because I lose them all the time, but that feature was later removed in the 3 pair I got after that.
The flip up ears are also a very nice touch and in my case at least, very well done because I can flip up an ear and the headphones still fit snuggly.
Beats gets a bad rap from *audiophiles* who want to seem like they know what they're talking about, and the quickest way to get respect is to slag off Beats. Be aware though that there are an extremely high number of fake Beats out there and if you go to YouTube there are literally hundreds of videos for identifying fakes. So best to buy any kind of Beat from a reputable chain store or you'll most likely get fakes.
These are by far the loudest headphones I've ever put on my head (not necessarily a good thing, but it does give you versatility with loud sound systems) and it's advertised that you can hear what's going on over any club sound system and that's pretty much correct, but it's the way you can hear that's interesting. They've cut a ton of sub bass out and anything below 100hz is just about gone. On the other hand, you're going to get a boost at around 150-300hz, which gives kick drums a lot of clarity. Ditto for claps/snare/backbeats which gets a boost at 800hz to about 1.5khz. Backbeats stick out like sore thumbs and that makes beatmatching a lot easier. The Sony MDR 700's are no longer industry standard, but comparing the Mixr's to them I'd say the Mixr's have a better soundstage (which isn't usually a good thing for DJ's because you listen with only one ear a lot, but it works) and
because of the emphasis on kicks and backbeats it really threatens to change the game. The only thing holding it back is the Beats name itself, which has a horrible reputation with professionals.
It's important to realize what made the Sony MDR 700's so popular for DJ'ing; they were the loudest headphones and they're essentially mono. Customizers cut off an ear and make a phone style monitor with them because the same thing basically comes out of each ear. Pioneers knows about the importance of mono in DJ'ing and even have a mono switch for their HDJ 2000's, which I also own. Mixr's are louder than the Sony's and place emphasis on kicks and backbeats, which the Sony's never did. I'm hoping some other company embraces the concept of EQ'ing kicks and backbeats because I'm embarrassed wearing Beats in public.
On that note Beats seems to get a bit greedy (what a surprise!) because of the nice soundstage, because they're also going for the portable mp3/iPod crowd. Beats have a problem with store listening because most stores I've been to have a preamp that they run all the headphones through, which because Beats are basically the loudest headphones out, they're going to be the most distorted cans on display. This is actually a smart strategy for stores because Beats are usually going to sell regardless because they're coveted as a fashion accessory more than as a listening device. Boosting the volume of all the other cans while distorting the Beats make them a better choice for people that actually care what they're listening to. In my personal experience though on normal non amplified sources, the Beats distort very little even when cranked all the way up.
Make no mistake; these are DJ headphones and for that specific purpose the Mixr's jump to the head of the pack. For studio work and professional sound engineering they're absolutely useless. Too much added and taken away from key frequencies. For that purpose i would recommend a neutral set like the ATH-M50's. For pleasurable/home/audiophile listening no way as well; they're closed, soundstage not good enough, very harsh overall in the high mids and low mids, and uncomfortable for long listening sessions.
For portable listening (iPods/iPhones/mp3 players) Mixr's are the loudest headphones on the planet and you will never need an external amp. Athough they won't distort at top volume, it still is not a pleasant listening experience to these ears because things get quite a bit harsh and painful, not because it's so loud, but because the aforementioned high mids and low mids cut through so sharply.
They have a lot more high end and mids than the Studio Beats, and they're louder, but Studio Beats have a warmer overall sound and sub bass, which the Mixr's don't have.
Build quality: they're a LOT sturdier than other Beats. And the pictured cable is from my 1st pair, which still works flawlessly through a LOT of abuse. I had a lot of problems with cabling on the Studio and Solo Beats.