Are Beats really that bad?
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:29 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 82

whtge8

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Don't get me wrong, I hate the whole following they have and flashy marketing. However my friend recently purchased a set and I was VERY impressed with the sound quality. I hate to even go as far as they rival my M50's and may even sound better, with a crisper and deeper sound. They are obviously much more comfortable and compact. Putting aside all the douchebags that use these headphones, are they really THAT bad? They are overpriced, I get that, but to me they sound like they should get a little more respect as a quality headphone. Am I wrong?
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:34 AM Post #2 of 82
Mostly because they are overpriced.  If YOU are happy with their sound, then that's what's most important.  If you went to an audio store and A/B'd a pair of beats against an HD650 and still think the beats sound better, then the beats sound better. Just note that there's a lot of cheaper priced alternatives out there with huge mid-bass humps and a slightly crisper than apple buds mids and highs.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:39 AM Post #3 of 82
Are they "that bad"? No, not really. They're too bass heavy for my tastes, but they aren't terrible. "Severely overrated" is what comes to my mind, along with grossly overpriced.
 
95% marketting hype, 5% substance. Bleh.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:41 AM Post #5 of 82
No, beats aren't bad, until you look at the price tag. They offer the performance of $150 headphones in a $300 package.
 
Edit: I do have to admit the Beats studio pros does look tempting.
 
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:44 AM Post #6 of 82
Better than M50s? Not to me, the M50s are really intimate headphones, and I like that about them.
 
No, the Beats are not THAT bad, but people who are used to Stax, heavily modified Grados, and basicly any very high end headphones, or headphones based around treble or mids, will not like them.
 
I personally found their performace to be 'okay'... I find the detail to be very bad, and everything that isnt bass is just plain nothing special. The 60Hz-500Hz though is pretty good and quite worth listening to, but once you step out of that range, it's just pointless to even have them.
 
They're very overpriced for their performance. If you think otherwise, then that's great! More power to you! But a lot of us will be more than happy sticking with what we like, and I love my V6s and wouldnt trade them for Beats anyday. M50s arent really "detailed" headphones imo, they're more about fun, and i think they do fun better than Beats, but still, the detail on my V6s are yards better than beats, and I just plain love it.
 
To each his own, but for what you get, beats are overpriced, no doubt.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:45 AM Post #7 of 82
I imagine it's the "Bose effect" backlash from the audio enthusiast community. It happens when the marketing people start to shove this type of thing down our throats. No, Beats aren't as bad as Bose home audio, but there are a lot of similarities that cause people to have a gag reflex.
 
Also, they really are s**t in terms of comparative value, really can't ignore that.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:48 AM Post #8 of 82
no they arent that bad.
people on head-fi just love to hate on the beats.
are they the best for their price? by far, no.
but they arent crap either like everyone here wants you to believe.
 
i have sennheiser HD650, denon D2000 and beats pro aswell.
 
the hd650 is "worthless" without good amp, but with it then it is just pure bliss for your ears.
 
the beats pro are great headphones regardless of what everybody here says.
 
they are overpriced for sure, but here they WAY exagg
erate their hate for beats with ridiculous claims like "my -put any sub $100 headphones here- is way better than the beats"
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:55 AM Post #9 of 82


Quote:
they are overpriced for sure, but here they WAY exagg
erate their hate for beats with ridiculous claims like "my -put any sub $100 headphones here- is way better than the beats"



But it's true. There are sub 100$ that are better than Beats. Again, it could just be my personal preference, but I just think the V6 is a better headphone. Do I think it's 42x better? No. Not in every way. When it comes to durability though, yes. For sound? No, not by very very far, but I like my V6s better. For comfort? Pretty close, but again, I just like my V6 better, they feel more.. "accepting" of my head and not awkward.
 
Look, sometimes headphones just plain are personal opinion, the V6 (and those in the V6 family) fit me like a glove. Do I bash Beats? No. Do I think there are better headphones in their price range and under it? Yes. Are they the worst? By far no, if price was no object, they're respectable.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:57 AM Post #10 of 82


Quote:
Don't get me wrong, I hate the whole following they have and flashy marketing. However my friend recently purchased a set and I was VERY impressed with the sound quality. I hate to even go as far as they rival my M50's and may even sound better, with a crisper and deeper sound. They are obviously much more comfortable and compact. Putting aside all the douchebags that use these headphones, are they really THAT bad? They are overpriced, I get that, but to me they sound like they should get a little more respect as a quality headphone. Am I wrong?



As for the m50s vs beats debate you mentioned let me chime in here. The beats studios in no way compare to my m50s. They do however compare to my pioneer se m390. Those were $60. The beats pros however are quite good and beat my m50s. They are worth $250 but no more. I had owned a pair because i really wanted to like them. The sound was good but the comfort was unbearable.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 1:59 AM Post #11 of 82
the pro's?? there is a big gap between the solo and the pro as you may know.
 
 
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 2:06 AM Post #12 of 82


Quote:
the pro's?? there is a big gap between the solo and the pro as you may know.
 
 



Yes, the pros. I've tried both. The Pros are a vast improvement over the solos, they're the same signature to me, just the Pros are improved in juuust about everyway.
 
I'm still holding my ground in durability, everyone knows the V6 series are just tanks. No one can say otherwise, its just a fact.
 
As for sound, for all I know, a lot of people COULD say they're better, and I would accept that, but only s a personal opinion. Though I was lucky, like I said, the V6 family sound signature fits me like a glove, so I wouldnt be a great person to ask about with sound, seeing as I've found "my family of headphones".
 
As for comfort, there isnt a big gap, but yes, the Pros just feel a bit... demanding, and it's almost like they "burden" your head a bit, whereas the V6s just "compliment" your head. Could be just personal perference.
 
As for portability? There is no doubt, the V6s win here, they fold much more compact than the Pros, they wont get stolen as much as Pros, they are black and durable, and the coiled chord, well, I've already uesd it 100000 times by now.
 
I just like my V6s better, I think they're better. Is it just me? No. Am I in the majority? Probably not.
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 2:13 AM Post #13 of 82
I just recently had time to listen to these (Solos, Studios, Pros) and it's important to make a distinction between the models:
 
Solos:  They aren't that bad, like nails-on-a-chalkboard bad.  The sound coming from these isn't really offensive to me.  They just have this frequency roll off on BOTH ends that make them sound like $20 headphones- no exaggeration.  It's like eating bland food.
 
Studios:  I can actually see why people would like these.  They have a nice 'v' shaped frequency response, good low bass (not as mid-bass boomy as I would have imagined), they looks cool, and they're pretty comfortable.  I just wouldn't pay more than $150 for them; especially with the way that the plastic on them creaks.
 
Pros:  These are some of the best built cans I've seen- surely in this price range.  The leather on them is really nice too.  Unfortunately they aren't really comfortable on me, and the sound isn't worth much more than $100.  I can't see paying more than $250 total for this package.
 
So basically, much like Bose for me, they're not that bad- just over-priced.
 
 
Originally Posted by elemein /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I just like my V6s better, I think they're better. Is it just me? No. Am I in the majority? Probably not.

 

MDR-V6s have been around pretty much unchanged for ages.  That's the mark of a good product, and it's not like people finally caught on and started buying something else.
 
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 2:22 AM Post #14 of 82


Quote:
 
MDR-V6s have been around pretty much unchanged for ages.  That's pretty the mark of a good product, and it's not like people finally caught on and started buying something else.
 



I just got my V6s a few weeks ago and I love em.
 
Dont get me wrong, I KNOW there are better sounding headphones out there (For me, none of the Beats products cut it for me...), I've heard them, and enjoyed them too, but just plainly, the hedphones that have better sound may lack in comfort or ruggedness or. Something, yaknow? I know theres better SOUNDING, but in terms of everything else besides sound, the V6s just do it really well, and most of the time, better.
 
I'm probably a unique case, because most people say they got V6s, tried better, and moved on quickly, but I heard better, and knew it was nice, but Im a highschool kid who loves his headphones, they cant be super highcost, and they gotta be as fragile as a boulder.
 
 
Jan 6, 2012 at 2:58 AM Post #15 of 82


Quote:
Mostly because they are overpriced.  If YOU are happy with their sound, then that's what's most important.  If you went to an audio store and A/B'd a pair of beats against an HD650 and still think the beats sound better, then the beats sound better. Just note that there's a lot of cheaper priced alternatives out there with huge mid-bass humps and a slightly crisper than apple buds mids and highs.



Would you say the AKG K518 LE are "cheaper priced alternatives"(purchased for 55). I love the bass and clarity on the ones I have but haven't tried any of the beats.
 

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