[MICHAELSD]

Can confirm these sound great and have very punchy satisfying tight bass. The rest of the sound is well balanced. I don't find they have as wider soundstage as some, but somehow the lask of harshness enables more depth of sound and I am hearing sounds that I hadn't picked up on before with others. W1 surpasses every other wireless headphone for range and connection. I've used them daily for over a month and find them great overall. Btw iPhone 7+ too

Wow, that's a pretty strong recommendation from an audiophile with a collection like yours.

There are some songs that sound genuinely great on the Solo3's tuning from all eras of music, but every now and then I find a song that's unpleasant to listen to on the Solo3. Just recently that would would be "Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding; however, The Beatles sound great.

 

[pete4sound]

Yeah I think they are better then some people realise but obviously not as good as lcd's ect but for what they're meant to be as a portable rig honestly they're fun and convenient with few nice surprises (bass and some depth). Battery seem to last for an eternity and I find the fit and range great.

Actually I've sold most of my headphones listed ecxcept I've kept the lcd2's and Burson amp while I've added the Ultrasone 880 for something different. My other portable headphones are Klipsch X10 which are great and the B&O H3 that I've enjoyed using every second day for the last 18? Months. I've a Border Collie who likes a good walk every! afternoon when I get home so hence my attention and use to my portable gear. To this I'd like to say wireless, especially from he Solo3 is so far the combo to beat from my experience and they play decently loud without strain.

Oh and yes I agree they prefer more lively music and some songs sound simply plain on them. I'll give a listen to your example tomorrow. Having said that when a song is menant to have energy these will deliver while staying well behaved and fun.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Yeah I think they are better then some people realise but obviously not as good as lcd's ect but for what they're meant to be as a portable rig honestly they're fun and convenient with few nice surprises (bass and some depth). Battery seem to last for an eternity and I find the fit and range great.

Actually I've sold most of my headphones listed ecxcept I've kept the lcd2's and Burson amp while I've added the Ultrasone 880 for something different. My other portable headphones are Klipsch X10 which are great and the B&O H3 that I've enjoyed using every second day for the last 18? Months. I've a Border Collie who likes a good walk every! afternoon when I get home so hence my attention and use to my portable gear. To this I'd like to say wireless, especially from he Solo3 is so far the combo to beat from my experience and they play decently loud without strain.

Oh and yes I agree they prefer more lively music and some songs sound simply plain on them. I'll give a listen to your example tomorrow. Having said that when a song is menant to have energy these will deliver while staying well behaved and fun.

Right, I see that you updated your signature. At some point if a collection is too large you probably won't be using most of the headphones

. 
 
I got a bit annoyed of louder songs coming on and being a little harsh (no fault of the Solo3) when I had these set at 75%+ volume so I turned on Sound Check, which automatically analyzes each song and adjusts the decibel level so they all play at a consistent level, in the iPhone's Settings on a whim and I've been able to listen to these at max volume for the past hour without it sounding offensive. Really punchy sound that Sound Check prevents from sounding harsh or fatiguing. It's the new best way I've found to listen to these as the Sound Check can reduce the decibel level of song by around ten decibels if need-be, so max volume provides all the bassy goodness on songs that need it then it'll transition over to a treble-heavy song with a full treble without venturing into fatiguing territory.
 
Normally I wasn't a fan of Sound Check but with the tuning of the Solo3 it works remarkably well. Perhaps too much so since it reduced the current song I'm listening to by 9.6dB (iTunes will record the adjustments) aha but with my decibel measurements that means even at max volume the volume won't reach dangerous levels -- yup, just reduced the volume to my normal 75% listening level and with Sound Check off that sounds louder than 100% with Sound Check on. Really works well to normalize music so all genres sound good without the need to constantly adjust volume, and should work well for extended listening.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Even though I gave these a positive review, I'm still a bit ambivalent in my decision as I have till the end of January to return them. They do seem a bit cheap for the price relative to other headphones (that's the Beats branding premium) and I'm sure there are more practical Bluetooth headphones on the horizon.
 
Comfort is adequate for an on-ear but not perfect, nor is sound perfect though the punchiness is addictive. The Solo3 pulls sub-bass notes out of the mix better than I've heard before in a way that doesn't sound artificially EQ'd, and there is value to that. Though I am annoyed Beats markets these for the gym but multiple reps wouldn't tell me these are sweat-resistant or ideal for runs.

 

[SparkOnShore]

Even though I gave these a positive review, I'm still a bit ambivalent in my decision as I have till the end of January to return them. They do seem a bit cheap for the price relative to other headphones (that's the Beats branding premium) and I'm sure there are more practical Bluetooth headphones on the horizon.

Comfort is adequate for an on-ear but not perfect, nor is sound perfect though the punchiness is addictive. The Solo3 pulls sub-bass notes out of the mix better than I've heard before in a way that doesn't sound artificially EQ'd, and there is value to that. Though I am annoyed Beats markets these for the gym but multiple reps wouldn't tell me these are sweat-resistant or ideal for runs.

Nothing more practical, as you put it, in the horizon, because there is nothing more practical for iPhone users than the W1 existing only in this Beats new line of headphones.

Also where did you see the cheap appearance on this headphone?? It is high quality plastic in order to be light and portable enough...

 

[p4s2p0]

 
Right, I see that you updated your signature. At some point if a collection is too large you probably won't be using most of the headphones

. 
 
I got a bit annoyed of louder songs coming on and being a little harsh (no fault of the Solo3) when I had these set at 75%+ volume so I turned on Sound Check, which automatically analyzes each song and adjusts the decibel level so they all play at a consistent level, in the iPhone's Settings on a whim and I've been able to listen to these at max volume for the past hour without it sounding offensive. Really punchy sound that Sound Check prevents from sounding harsh or fatiguing. It's the new best way I've found to listen to these as the Sound Check can reduce the decibel level of song by around ten decibels if need-be, so max volume provides all the bassy goodness on songs that need it then it'll transition over to a treble-heavy song with a full treble without venturing into fatiguing territory.
 
Normally I wasn't a fan of Sound Check but with the tuning of the Solo3 it works remarkably well. Perhaps too much so since it reduced the current song I'm listening to by 9.6dB (iTunes will record the adjustments) aha but with my decibel measurements that means even at max volume the volume won't reach dangerous levels -- yup, just reduced the volume to my normal 75% listening level and with Sound Check off that sounds louder than 100% with Sound Check on. Really works well to normalize music so all genres sound good without the need to constantly adjust volume, and should work well for extended listening.

I normalized my music manually and permanently.

 

[p4s2p0]

You will not be able to find an "audiophile" discussing Solo3 here!!! You are a bright exception!!! There is big hypocrisy in "audiophiles". It is difficult for them to accept that all their details and researches and FRs and money given over the years, all are just sent to h**l by Apple!!! Bluetooth with all its awesomeness and with such great sound, has just been delivered by Apple!! No more care about silver and golden cables??? Oh my God!! That's a lot to get swallowed by any "audiophile"...

 

Some audiophiles enjoy beats and have said so on here or in reviews. Despite some hate which remind me of fanboy wars(this is better than that or that sucks etc) given beats continued popularity/success which can be difficult for some to accept.
 
Audiophiles have different preferences to sound, some like more or less detailed bass some like more/less treble etc but we all still have a passion for sound/music despite our differences.
 
Apple is a bit overpriced but so are some pc's. They make good hardware/software and I preferred macs tell windows 2000/xp came out which was microsofts first stable consumer os IMO.

 

[green 18]

I am going through the same dilemma.  I still have the stickers and plastic protection on mine and have only listened in the house.  I want to use them on runs as a primary focus but terrified that they will just melt if they get sweat on them.  Debating whether these or airpods will cover the bases more often...but also dreading giving up the sound on these as i really enjoy them.

 

[SparkOnShore]

I am going through the same dilemma.  I still have the stickers and plastic protection on mine and have only listened in the house.  I want to use them on runs as a primary focus but terrified that they will just melt if they get sweat on them.  Debating whether these or airpods will cover the bases more often...but also dreading giving up the sound on these as i really enjoy them.

Some reviewers wrote that they have been using them in the gym and that sweat did not cause any issue to them. They just mentioned wiping the pads after use and they were good to go after that...Google it to read some fitness reviews over the Solo by yourself...

 

[MICHAELSD]

  I am going through the same dilemma.  I still have the stickers and plastic protection on mine and have only listened in the house.  I want to use them on runs as a primary focus but terrified that they will just melt if they get sweat on them.  Debating whether these or airpods will cover the bases more often...but also dreading giving up the sound on these as i really enjoy them.

Multiple support reps from Apple/Beats had told me these aren't specifically sweat-resistant. I've personally given up the idea of using these on runs to just using these for weight lifting at the gym potentially. 

 

[SparkOnShore]

Multiple support reps from Apple/Beats had told me these aren't specifically sweat-resistant. I've personally given up the idea of using these on runs to just using these for weight lifting at the gym potentially. 

Yes, but still, everybody knows that when we wear on or over ear cans in summertime, we get sweat even just by walking with them, since they cover some part of the head and ears. I guess that all serious headphone manufacturers are well aware of this fact and thus they provide some kind of sweat resistance, up to a point of course. I believe that this is the case here as well, even though they are not officially marked as water resistant...

 

[MICHAELSD]

Yes, but still, everybody knows that when we wear on or over ear cans in summertime, we get sweat even just by walking with them, since they cover some part of the head and ears. I guess that all serous headphone manufacturers are well aware of this fact and thus they provide some kind of sweat resistance, up to a point of course. I believe that this is the case here as well, even though they are not officially marked as water resistant...

Well yeah, especially if you're careful to not get sweat in the driver area (by having your ear rest fully on the earpad). They don't want to be liable for warranty claims by stating they are sweat-resistant so I'm sure they won't breakdown if they're sweat on once.
 
Perhaps Solo4 or Solo5 or Solo6 for that matter they'll remove the headphone jack completely and make them as water-resistant as an iPhone 7 as a selling point.

 

[MICHAELSD]

4 days left for me and I'm assuming others on the fence to decide whether to keep them.

- Honestly, the bass is visceral in a way distinctive from an over-ear headphone (and done better than bass boost EQ'ing even the M-100 or the Momentum). After owning the Solo3 I can see why they chose an on-ear design as their flagship -- the music impacts you in a different way.

- Incredible battery life.

- Excellent wireless sound. Depending on the implementation AAC files are likely pushed directly to the headphones. Regardless otherwise it's reencoded and transmitted at 264kbp/s which is an elegant number to ensuring 256kbp/s Apple Music/iTunes files have no quality degradation. (Though all AAC/AAC+ headphones will sound great with the AAC codec and AAC files, the DAC in it brings it a step further.)

- Beats has the best design of any headphone for wearing outside the house. The Momentum looks great but it took more attempts to find a good angle when I tried photographing it. V-MODA can be art, but more gaudy than the Beats (which I'm glad for ).

- All of Apple's wireless headphones are significantly better than any other wireless headphone on the market when it comes to range or connection strength.

The only drawbacks are that even at a $220 sale price I feel like I'm overpaying by at least $50, but it's the price to pay for superior Bluetooth, and that the earpads aren't replaceable so I don't expect the Solo3 to last as long as any of the better-sounding wired pairs on the market at the same price. But Apple knows what they're doing, and they want people upgrading more frequently than a typical headphone.

Not sure if I'd be better off with a Sony MDR-1000x and a PowerBeats3 for the same price as the Solo3 and Momentum 2.0 Wireless. Not keen on the Momentum 2.0 I recently purchased for the home office in wireless mode, though it's fantastic wired.

 

[MrXiro]

I'm in the same boat... return day is in 2 days. Are you keeping yours? I like mine... just don't know if I like it enough to justify spending $200+ for it.

 

[MICHAELSD]

  I'm in the same boat... return day is in 2 days. Are you keeping yours? I like mine... just don't know if I like it enough to justify spending $200+ for it.

I'm definitely going to take until the end of the day to decide, since today is my last day to file a return request. Wireless performance is probably best-in-class, but I'm still deciding whether it's worth keeping since sound performance is still lacking although I do find the Beats engineers tuned it well overall. 
 
Frankly you can't find a better AAC codec Bluetooth headphone without spending $300+, it just depends how much you want a reliable Bluetooth headphone.