I never wanted a pair of beats. I didnt see the point. Even if they sounded good, there were still too many other companies that appealed to me alot more. Besides, nothing's worse on a products reputation than having to sit by and listen to friends who know nothing about the hobby rave about their "Beats." I can't be a troll though, so I must try them so I can truly form an opinion to debate with...one way or the other.
Recently, having some room on my target card and an itch that only a big box store could scratch, I decided to give them a go. Here is my honest side by side comparison with the Vmoda M80's
Packaging:
I am way too into opening things. It's practically a ceremony for me. Packaging is one of my favorite parts of purchasing something new.
I won't bore you here, so I'll just say that both are very nicely packaged. Nice large boxes, with matte finishes and beautiful imagery abound.
Accessories:
Both headphones come with your standard fare: carry case, stereo cable, literature and so on.
A few things worth mentioning are that I do find the carry case with the M80s superior to the solo2. Although larger, it's a hard shell case that is form fitted to the phones themselves, while the solo2 is a soft little clamshell bag that barely fits the headphones inside. I feel much more confident carrying around the M80's.
Personally, I really like the styling of the vmodas to the styling of the solo2 and that includes the accessories as well. The two fabric cables that come with the m80's are quite nicely crafted and they feel durable. The carry case is also lined with a red material that has a nice look and feel to it. For the solo2 you get a pretty nice soft carry case and one rubber cable, which is of good quality.
I would say the Vmoda's offer better value here as well as a more refined style for less money over the solo2.
Build Quality:
Metal vs gloss plastic. Big surprise, I prefer the Vmoda's to the solo2. The M80's are practically indestructible. The box sites military grade testing specifications for durability.
I honestly can't fault the solo2's too bad though. Yes they are plastic, but they are still what I would consider well built. Although, I wouldn't dare bend them or stretch them like the Vmodas are capable of. The headband on the solo2 has a nice soft squishy rubber material and the ear pads are really soft as well. The folding hinges are well made and have a satisfiying "click". So do the size adjustments.
What the Vmoda's give you for less money makes them my pick in this category as well.
Comfort:
This one goes to the solo2...big time! They are very very comfortable to me. Sure they aren't all that breathable, but I'm OK with that. YMMV. The earpads are very soft memory foam and are large for an on ear phone. They're like little tempur-pedic pillows for your ears.
I find that I fiddle with/re-adjust the placement far less with the solo2. It seats perfectly with no effort at all. To where as the m80's I do a lot of re-adjusting. Clamping force is definitely more so than the m80's resulting in a more secure fit over the Vmoda's. They also create a way better acoustic seal as well. Kudos to beats for a making a really comfy headphone that sits near perfectly every time I put it back on.
Considering price difference, I would still give the solo2 big props. The fit helps these phones meet my expectations of what $200 should get you.
Audio Performance:
Coldplay- the scientist
The Piano measure opening the song sounds similar on both. The Vmoda's put it more up front, with more texture, but is also colder, more dry sounding. The solo2 puts it back a bit while still sounding defined, but notes sound more rounded, creating a smoother sound.
The distance it places lends itself to good imagery and a more spacious sensation.
Evaluating the vocals shows more differences between the two.
Vocals are dark, warm and lush sounding on the solo2's. Certain times coming off just a tiny bit muffled. They also sound less dynamic than the M80's clearer, more detailed and more upfront vocal presentation.
There is some acoustic guitar strumming that joins in with a nice bass line and a simple snare and kick drum to keep rythm for the rest of the song. The Solo2 handled it very well I must say. Sounding musical, enveloping, with a more cohesive delivery. The M80's were no slouch either. They gave a more vocal rich performance with nice detail, but the bass line sounded out of place and was somewhat distracting.
Jay-z "why I love you"
Vmoda, Vmoda, Vmoda! It really did sound a lot more open. Bass was more defined and vocals were nicely placed. Treble also had more texture and presence as well.
Meshuggah -"Bleed"
Both performed well here. I found it hard to declare a winner overall. For the sake of being critical, I can say that I found more of the same from above: the Vmoda's are clearer sounding and more sub bassy than the mid bassy solo2's. But again, both did well here.
John coletrain-"naima"
Once again the Vmoda's shine here with the forward placement of saxophone. Coupled with the better instrument separation and detail retrieval for a big win over the solo2. In contrast, the solo2 again sounded, dark and somewhat closed in...more intimate with missing air at the top end of the frequencies.
To conclude, the solo2 left a better impression on me than I thought it would. Sonically, I find it a bit thick and closed sounding, but it does come into its own on some tracks. The bass is at a good level, I think. It's not overbearing at all...just gives a good warmth to the sound. Mids can be summarized as being clear but just a tad quiet. Rock/ metal sound well. The treble seems to be a little too smoothed over. If I EQ up a few decibels in the 10- 15Khz range, they do open up quite nicely. By far, the most pleasing feature for me was the comfort of the solo2's. I really, really liked them on the ears. Can't say it enough.
Bottom line: would I buy them again or recommend them? No. Not at the $200 price point. To me, given the sonic characteristics, and the fact that the m80's best them and can be bought for around $120, I can only say theses would be very commendable and recommendable at the $100 price point.
Recently, having some room on my target card and an itch that only a big box store could scratch, I decided to give them a go. Here is my honest side by side comparison with the Vmoda M80's
Packaging:
I am way too into opening things. It's practically a ceremony for me. Packaging is one of my favorite parts of purchasing something new.
I won't bore you here, so I'll just say that both are very nicely packaged. Nice large boxes, with matte finishes and beautiful imagery abound.
Accessories:
Both headphones come with your standard fare: carry case, stereo cable, literature and so on.
A few things worth mentioning are that I do find the carry case with the M80s superior to the solo2. Although larger, it's a hard shell case that is form fitted to the phones themselves, while the solo2 is a soft little clamshell bag that barely fits the headphones inside. I feel much more confident carrying around the M80's.
Personally, I really like the styling of the vmodas to the styling of the solo2 and that includes the accessories as well. The two fabric cables that come with the m80's are quite nicely crafted and they feel durable. The carry case is also lined with a red material that has a nice look and feel to it. For the solo2 you get a pretty nice soft carry case and one rubber cable, which is of good quality.
I would say the Vmoda's offer better value here as well as a more refined style for less money over the solo2.
Build Quality:
Metal vs gloss plastic. Big surprise, I prefer the Vmoda's to the solo2. The M80's are practically indestructible. The box sites military grade testing specifications for durability.
I honestly can't fault the solo2's too bad though. Yes they are plastic, but they are still what I would consider well built. Although, I wouldn't dare bend them or stretch them like the Vmodas are capable of. The headband on the solo2 has a nice soft squishy rubber material and the ear pads are really soft as well. The folding hinges are well made and have a satisfiying "click". So do the size adjustments.
What the Vmoda's give you for less money makes them my pick in this category as well.
Comfort:
This one goes to the solo2...big time! They are very very comfortable to me. Sure they aren't all that breathable, but I'm OK with that. YMMV. The earpads are very soft memory foam and are large for an on ear phone. They're like little tempur-pedic pillows for your ears.
I find that I fiddle with/re-adjust the placement far less with the solo2. It seats perfectly with no effort at all. To where as the m80's I do a lot of re-adjusting. Clamping force is definitely more so than the m80's resulting in a more secure fit over the Vmoda's. They also create a way better acoustic seal as well. Kudos to beats for a making a really comfy headphone that sits near perfectly every time I put it back on.
Considering price difference, I would still give the solo2 big props. The fit helps these phones meet my expectations of what $200 should get you.
Audio Performance:
Coldplay- the scientist
The Piano measure opening the song sounds similar on both. The Vmoda's put it more up front, with more texture, but is also colder, more dry sounding. The solo2 puts it back a bit while still sounding defined, but notes sound more rounded, creating a smoother sound.
The distance it places lends itself to good imagery and a more spacious sensation.
Evaluating the vocals shows more differences between the two.
Vocals are dark, warm and lush sounding on the solo2's. Certain times coming off just a tiny bit muffled. They also sound less dynamic than the M80's clearer, more detailed and more upfront vocal presentation.
There is some acoustic guitar strumming that joins in with a nice bass line and a simple snare and kick drum to keep rythm for the rest of the song. The Solo2 handled it very well I must say. Sounding musical, enveloping, with a more cohesive delivery. The M80's were no slouch either. They gave a more vocal rich performance with nice detail, but the bass line sounded out of place and was somewhat distracting.
Jay-z "why I love you"
Vmoda, Vmoda, Vmoda! It really did sound a lot more open. Bass was more defined and vocals were nicely placed. Treble also had more texture and presence as well.
Meshuggah -"Bleed"
Both performed well here. I found it hard to declare a winner overall. For the sake of being critical, I can say that I found more of the same from above: the Vmoda's are clearer sounding and more sub bassy than the mid bassy solo2's. But again, both did well here.
John coletrain-"naima"
Once again the Vmoda's shine here with the forward placement of saxophone. Coupled with the better instrument separation and detail retrieval for a big win over the solo2. In contrast, the solo2 again sounded, dark and somewhat closed in...more intimate with missing air at the top end of the frequencies.
To conclude, the solo2 left a better impression on me than I thought it would. Sonically, I find it a bit thick and closed sounding, but it does come into its own on some tracks. The bass is at a good level, I think. It's not overbearing at all...just gives a good warmth to the sound. Mids can be summarized as being clear but just a tad quiet. Rock/ metal sound well. The treble seems to be a little too smoothed over. If I EQ up a few decibels in the 10- 15Khz range, they do open up quite nicely. By far, the most pleasing feature for me was the comfort of the solo2's. I really, really liked them on the ears. Can't say it enough.
Bottom line: would I buy them again or recommend them? No. Not at the $200 price point. To me, given the sonic characteristics, and the fact that the m80's best them and can be bought for around $120, I can only say theses would be very commendable and recommendable at the $100 price point.
