Headphones with sound like beats.

I'm going to word this as diplomatically as I can.

If you think the Beats Solo sound "great compared to anything [you] have heard", you haven't heard much. The Beats get no love around here for some very good reasons, not the least of which is their sound quality. Recommendations from this forum generally consist of well priced headphones of much greater quality than Beats, but that doesn't mean you will like them. If Beats sound good to you, I suggest you find some way to audition some headphones brands that aren't sold at Best Buy, especially some that come recommended on these forums before you accept any input on how to spend your money. Quality is very different from quantity, the former being the focus of Head-Fi and the latter being the focus of Beats.

But frankly Head-Fi'rs know quantity better anyways.

All that said, what exactly do you like about the Solo's sound that could direct someone towards a recommendation?

^^^ This.

Also, the Ultrasone HFI-580 i hear is a great Beats alternative. They go for somewhere around $100 depending on where you buy them.

M-Audio Q40

Panasonic HTF-600

Shure SRH-750DJ

Sony XB-500

Ultrasone HFI-580

A few of them go for a little more than $100, but they're all worth it.

sony xb series

I agree with the question asking what about the Beats headphones you like. I've only tried the Pros out (very briefly), and they sounded fairly compressed and somewhat harsh, but overall weren't "bad" - I have a $400 headphone in mind that does everything the Pros set out to do though. I didn't find them to be "insanely bass boosted" (and most reviews agree with this, more or less). 

Within a $100 budget, ignoring the Beats headphones were ever in the conversation, I would look at the M-Audio Q40, Sennheiser HD 280, and perhaps Ultrasone HFI-2400 (okay, so it's over the budget by twice, and it's open-backed; sue me).

750DJ's can be found for around $100 on sale, they're quite bassy, also ultrasone is another brand to look at if you want bass, no experience with them though. My friend bought the 750's I liked them.

Sound like Beats, over ear, around $100? V-Moda Crossfade LP; I'm amazed no one has said that yet. A better recommendation would be Koss Pro DJ100s, but I'm assuming that if you like Beats you like their looks, and based on the likelihood that looks is a preference of yours the Crossfade LPs are a top choice. I would normally recommend a bass-freak some XB500s, DJ100s, or HFI-580s, but someone who likes Beats would like Crossfade LPs more than any of those.

Aboves headphones.. and:

http://www.amazon.com/Fanny-Wang-Headphones-Selectable-FW-2001-BLK-WHI/dp/B0056HNSSS/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1328793987&sr=1-3

Fanny Wang 2001 series

This.

They are better than the Beats Studios.

Better looks.

Better price.

Better built quality.

Here a review.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU41BPZDKYg

Else what others suggested to you:

XB500s

Ultrasones 

Audio Technica m50s

Im an ultrasone boy, and the HFI-580's is a great alternative. 

The Beats Solos are known for being by far the *worst* in the Beats line, a line that is already pretty bad. But if you want a similar signature, you'll be looking at something by Ultrasone or Denon. Ultrasone HFI-580 and above, Denon D1100 and above, and V-Moda Crossfades (M80 and LP2).

In fact, I've heard from a friend of mine (who has listened to both) that the Monoprice 8323's and the Beats Solo HD's sound very very similar.

And the Monoprice headphone are...I kid you not...$21.

My quick take of the various Beats from a few assorted listening sessions is that the Pros are the overall best quality, though still not great.  The Solos are the overall worst sounding, very muffled.  Then the Studios are in-between, but have the hardest-hitting bass.

The Koss pro DJ100 despite its name is not very bassy. It has been compared to the neutral Sony V6, except that the DJ100 has less treble. The Sony XB500 is a bass monster, however there is a shortage of them and the price is high.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amperial 

Fanny Wang 2001 series

 

 now there's a name that made me laugh. Fanny Wang :')  Wow.

On topic: if it's bass you like (and I'm guessing you do, since the beats sound good to you), you might want to check out the Beyerdynamic DT 770.
Over-ear, heavenly soft cups, good amount of bass and an awesome sound-stage for closed headphones IMHO.

The 80ohm version is easy to drive and famous for it's bass, which does not get in the way of all the magnificent detail these headphones produce.