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beats by dr. dre worth it?

post #1 of 96
2/1/09 at 1:30pm
Thread Starter 
I'm wondering if I should get the beats or if there's anything better. I"ll be mostly listening to hip-hop/rap. Thanks
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post #2 of 96
2/1/09 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by l1lJ View Post
I'm wondering if I should get the beats or if there's anything better. I"ll be mostly listening to hip-hop/rap. Thanks
In the price range of the "Beats", there are several headphones that are better (better being a very subjective word in this hobby). I am probably one of the last people who should recommend headphones for that genre of music, since I don't care for that genre in even the slightest bit, so I will let other Head-Fiers who do like that type of music chime in with their recommendations. But If I were a betting man, I would wager that the Denon D1001s or Denon D2000s would knock your socks off (among several other headphones that are within (or below) the price range of the Beats - BeyerDynamic DT770s, Ultrasones, and other such Bass heavy phones).

Other important factors that will help us recommend a pair of phones for you:

What is your source and or amp? (iPOD, CD player, Computer, Receiver headphone jack, etc).

Are you looking only for closed headphones, or will open headphones work for you as well?

If you are using an MP3 player, what bitrate are your MP3s ripped at?

How important is comfort?

Is portability a concern? - Do you want small portable(ish) phones only, or are full sized phones ok?

etc...
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post #3 of 96
2/1/09 at 1:37pm
do u also want active Noise-cancelling?...they charge lot of money for that feature u know..unless u need it.

their bass response is good for hip hop though.

but Denon D1001 is much cheaper and is a great headphone..very punchy bass as well..if u dont need active noise canceling feature.
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post #4 of 96
2/1/09 at 1:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nocturnal310 View Post
do u also want active Noise-cancelling?...they charge lot of money for that feature u know..unless u need it.

their bass response is good for hip hop though.

but Denon D1001 is much cheaper and is a great headphone..very punchy bass as well..if u dont need active noise canceling feature.
Yeah, good point.

Is isolation a huge concern as well?
Will you be DJing with these phones, or be using them in a very noisy environment, etc?
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post #5 of 96
2/1/09 at 2:06pm
To the OP: If Dr. Dre's name wasn't associated with that product, would you still be considering them?
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post #6 of 96
2/1/09 at 2:54pm
Used 770-80 from Ebay for $99. Great bass. High quality sound.

Dr. Dre beats have overwhelming boomy mid bass.
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post #7 of 96
2/1/09 at 3:04pm
you know, i pass by these every sunday at best buy. I have never had a need to pick them up to listen.

I do bring my portable rig and sleeks, normally listen to music as i walk around looking for deals =)

However, i will have to stop and pay a visit. See what the fuss is about.
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post #8 of 96
2/1/09 at 3:19pm
Have you folks ever listened to a Dr. Dre album on a nice pair of headphones?

He subscribes to the "EXTREME V-CURVE = TEH BEST SOUNDZ" philosophy, with lows buzzing with distortion and the highs sounding like someone doing their worst "TSSSSssss" snake impression directly in your ear canal. This is due to him realizing his music would be played mostly on paper cone stock car stereo speakers and trying to compensate.

Long story short, that same philosophy drove the development of his headphone, so imagine how they would sound playing similarly mastered rap/hip-hop music.

Everytime I go in to a best buy I try to give them a chance and usually end up with a minor headache for my troubles.
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post #9 of 96
2/1/09 at 3:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by billybob_jcv View Post
To the OP: If Dr. Dre's name wasn't associated with that product, would you still be considering them?
Haha...that is the reason I would NEVER consider them. But that's just me.
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post #10 of 96
2/1/09 at 3:34pm
dre is not meant for flat analytical listening. try listening to 2001 while driving around smoking a blunt in a car with a system tailored to that extreme v curve you're talking about and you'll understand how his music should be listened to. he actually is a brilliant producer and rapper, and although his music is not for everyone, no need to patronize him. that being said, yes they're probably overpriced but actually have pretty good isolation and noice canceling, and yeah overpowering bass. some people are into that.
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post #11 of 96
2/1/09 at 3:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by raif View Post

Everytime I go in to a best buy I try to give them a chance and usually end up with a minor headache for my troubles.
Why do you keep trying them, if you don't like them?

to the OP: I wouldn't drop that kind of change without listening to a couple of other similarly priced cans. Denons are a good place to start.
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post #12 of 96
2/1/09 at 4:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by beez View Post
dre is not meant for flat analytical listening. try listening to 2001 while driving around smoking a blunt in a car with a system tailored to that extreme v curve you're talking about and you'll understand how his music should be listened to. he actually is a brilliant producer and rapper, and although his music is not for everyone, no need to patronize him. that being said, yes they're probably overpriced but actually have pretty good isolation and noice canceling, and yeah overpowering bass. some people are into that though.
STILL WATERS RUN DEEP!!!

Seriously though, please don't mistake my take on his headphones to be any indication of my respect for his music. There was a large part of my life that was dedicated to such endeavors as you have outlined, e.g. yesterday.

However, the OP is asking about the headphones, and without a bunch of road noise to drown out the sibilance and distortion, the end result can be too much of a good thing. Like putting sugar on Cocoa Puffs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cswann1 View Post
Why do you keep trying them, if you don't like them?
Short Answer: Because I want to be wrong about them.

Longish Answer: When I first listened to Dre on a pair of decent headphones(coming from car audio) I at first thought something was wrong with my system, had I burned the cd wrong, is the eq on, did my headphone driver blow out, etc. After testing everything else I just realized it was the way the music was mastered. With the headphones, basically I just went through the same thing. I had allergies that day, was I in a bad mood, was the Best Buy too loud at the time, etc.
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post #13 of 96
2/1/09 at 4:45pm
fair enough, my bad. from your first post i kinda just got the impression you were bashing the phones and dre without much thought. your reply just now was pretty helpful and informative, especially since i admittedly haven't tried them extensively, just for a few minutes here and there in best buy.
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post #14 of 96
2/1/09 at 6:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by l1lJ View Post
I'm wondering if I should get the beats or if there's anything better. I"ll be mostly listening to hip-hop/rap. Thanks
If you need wireless, noise cancelling technology, and cans geared for hip hop and R&B, they are hard to beat.
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post #15 of 96
2/1/09 at 8:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kool bubba ice View Post
If you need wireless, noise cancelling technology, and cans geared for hip hop and R&B, they are hard to beat.
huh?
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