[Ak-Boss]

From lurking this forum I have gathered that many of you hate Monster Cable Beats by Dr Dre. However I think that they would suit me so it would be great for some advice from you experts. Well I call you experts because the only headphones I have ever used are the in-ear type. The standard Apple earphones and also some Sennheiser CX-400's. My Apple ones always break and the Sennheiser's broke after a month too! The left ear had totally blown out, couldn't find the receipt to return them either... So as you can see I haven't had much experience with headphones.
 
So now I find myself looking for a good pair of on ear headphones, maybe even the full sized headphones for the noise cancelation. Since I listen to a lot of R&B/Hip-Hop/Rap/Dance/Grime the Beats by Dr Dre Solo HD or Studios seem to suit my needs with the great bass. However since I don't really listen to music in public other than twice a year (airport) it seems silly to go for style over sound quality which is what I fear I may be doing with the Beats. So should I buy some Studios/Solo HD's or are there better headphones out there for cheaper which are great for my music needs? Thanks!

 

[tdockweiler]

If you want bass, get the Audio Technica ATH-M50 or Shure SRH-750DJ instead. I can almost guarantee you that they will sound much better and you will have a lot more money left over to spend on other things, like a good amp. Both are $100-$125 and often you can find them online with free shipping.
 
On Ebay you may be able to get the M50s for $98. If you have a Guitar Center in your area, they do online price matches. I did that and they matched the price of B&H.

 

[musick]

The Beats aren't necessarily bad headphones instead many people on these forums feel that they're a tad overpriced (okay sorry OVERPRICED TO THE MAX). It depends on your ears. Don't let these people tell you otherwise. Hell I've seen posters on here get carried away and tell me that the m50s had better bass than $2000+ subwoofers. My friend got his beats for about $150 through EPP and I thought it was justified. Oh well. inb4shitstorm 

 

[dbdynsty25]

If you like the on ear style of the Solo HDs...then definitely check out the Senn HD25-1 II...they are significantly better and only about 20 dollars more.  I tried out all of the main on ear designs...Bose, Solo HDs and a couple over the ear, M50s...and I ended up sticking with the HD25s.  Just a beast of a headphone and I mostly listen to hip hop.

 

[matthewh133]

Quote:

From lurking this forum I have gathered that many of you hate Monster Cable Beats by Dr Dre. However I think that they would suit me so it would be great for some advice from you experts. Well I call you experts because the only headphones I have ever used are the in-ear type. The standard Apple earphones and also some Sennheiser CX-400's. My Apple ones always break and the Sennheiser's broke after a month too! The left ear had totally blown out, couldn't find the receipt to return them either... So as you can see I haven't had much experience with headphones.
 
So now I find myself looking for a good pair of on ear headphones, maybe even the full sized headphones for the noise cancelation. Since I listen to a lot of R&B/Hip-Hop/Rap/Dance/Grime the Beats by Dr Dre Solo HD or Studios seem to suit my needs with the great bass. However since I don't really listen to music in public other than twice a year (airport) it seems silly to go for style over sound quality which is what I fear I may be doing with the Beats. So should I buy some Studios/Solo HD's or are there better headphones out there for cheaper which are great for my music needs? Thanks!

Just no. Don't do it.

 

[mobbaddict]

I tried them the other day at the apple store. They really don't sound like a 300$ headphone, rather like an average portable can. The B&W P5 were much more decent in comparison, yet also overpriced. Just because the Beats have big bass and recessed mid/treble doesn't mean they have great bass in terms of impact and speed. From what i read the M50 seems like a wise choice for your tastes.

 

[DeatHaze]

I'm no expert, but when I first listened to my friend's Dre's they sounded amazing... but now that I'm educated in the subject and have my own pair of DJ style headphones I can honestly say that they outclass them by a mile. The Dre's do have a very deep low end and look sleek, but when listening to songs off my iPod I noticed that songs that I heard from my JVC Marshmellow earbuds sounded better than on his $300 headphones. That being said, compared to my ATH-PRO700GD's (roughly a ~$220 now on sale at AC for $169 and the normal version for $149) techno songs and rap sounded a whole lot better and he even admitted it too. So I can honestly say that the Beats are way to overpriced, there are simply alot of other options that are much cheaper and sound steps above them.

 

[sphinxvc]

M50s

 

[wind016]

Check out Ultrasone HFI 580, Audio Technica M50, Audio Technica Pro700, and the Shure DJ headphones

 

[amp2xpand]

i even think the koss portapros blows the beats out of the water. I dont even think they are overpriced, i just think that they are bad. it doesn't take much to beat them. something like the M50 will dominate the beats. but like i mentioned before, i even think the portapros will get the job done. 

 

[LFF]

I think a fair price for the Beats should be $30 - $50. The extra money you pay is strictly for the "fashion statement". I have heard them many times and I feel that the Fischer Audio FA-004 demolishes the Dre Beats in terms of sound quality and value. The FA-004 costs under $70 and should be priced at $150. That's not something you can regularly say about most headphones. That said, the people whom I have seen wearing the Beats (yes....wearing.....not listening) don't seem be the sharpest tools in the tool shed. I rather look retro and weird with the FA-004 to someone wearing the Beats than buy overpriced crap.

 

[Ak-Boss]

Thanks for the replies. M50's seem to be the ones I hear a lot about, are they actually as good as or even better than the Beats Studio in terms of bass and crisp/clear? I like to have a nice warm thumping bass but at the same time for it to be very clear. Are they noise cancelling and do they need batteries? Out of the box do they sound good or will I have to have them playing pink noise/music for hundreds of hours? Oh and could anyone tell me what soundstage means? Thanks.

 

[LFF]

Quote:

Thanks for the replies. M50's seem to be the ones I hear a lot about, are they actually as good as or even better than the Beats Studio in terms of bass and crisp/clear? I like to have a nice warm thumping bass but at the same time for it to be very clear. Are they noise cancelling and do they need batteries? Out of the box do they sound good or will I have to have them playing pink noise/music for hundreds of hours? Oh and could anyone tell me what soundstage means? Thanks.

From what I know, the M50's and the FA-004 have similar sound signatures. If that is true, then they should both wipe the floor with the Dre Beats. Neither of those are noise cancelling headphones and neither needs batteries. Most headphones require at least 50 hours of burn-in time (if you believe in burn-in).
 
Soundstage is not to be confused with sound stage. Here are the definitions for both:
 
Soundstage refers to the depth and richness of an audio recording and usually relates to the playback process and associated equipment. The quality of the playback is very much dependent upon how one is able to pick out different instruments, voices, vocal parts, and such, exactly where they are located on an imaginary 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional field. The quality of this soundstage can enhance, not only the listener's involvement in the recording, but also, their overall perception of the stage or performance space of the recorded musicians or artists.
 
A sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical motion pictures and television shows, usually located on a secure movie studio property.

 

[Mochan]

 
Beats Studios sound better than the M50s to my ears. And I'm a huge M50 lover. 
 
I don;t like the Studios though, because they require batteries.
 
I'd go for the Solo HDs instead. In fact, I will probably pick one up soon.
 
They are stylish (for some). But I wouldn't say they are style over substance. The sound is excellent and perfect for bassheads/R&B Junkies/HipHop/Dance/etc.
 
But I do think they are just a teensy bit too expensive. But the Solo HDs are like $200 and you can probably pick them up a bit cheaper if you hunt them down, I think these are a good buy.
 
Beats Studios sound better than the M50s to my ears. And I'm a huge M50 lover. 
 
I don;t like the Studios though, because they require batteries.
 
I'd go for the Solo HDs instead. In fact, I will probably pick one up soon.
 
They are stylish (for some). But I wouldn't say they are style over substance. The sound is excellent and perfect for bassheads/R&B Junkies/HipHop/Dance/etc.
 
But I do think they are just a teensy bit too expensive. But the Solo HDs are like $200 and you can probably pick them up a bit cheaper if you hunt them down, I think these are a good buy.

 

[Ak-Boss]

Quote:

From what I know, the M50's and the FA-004 have similar sound signatures. If that is true, then they should both wipe the floor with the Dre Beats. Neither of those are noise cancelling headphones and neither needs batteries. Most headphones require at least 50 hours of burn-in time (if you believe in burn-in).
 
Soundstage is not to be confused with sound stage. Here are the definitions for both:
 
Soundstage refers to the depth and richness of an audio recording and usually relates to the playback process and associated equipment. The quality of the playback is very much dependent upon how one is able to pick out different instruments, voices, vocal parts, and such, exactly where they are located on an imaginary 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional field. The quality of this soundstage can enhance, not only the listener's involvement in the recording, but also, their overall perception of the stage or performance space of the recorded musicians or artists.
 
A sound stage is a soundproof, hangar-like structure, building, or room, used for the production of theatrical motion pictures and television shows, usually located on a secure movie studio property.

Thanks for clarifying that, it seems like a good soundstage is something I would be looking for in headphones.

 
Quote:

 
Beats Studios sound better than the M50s to my ears. And I'm a huge M50 lover. 
 
I don;t like the Studios though, because they require batteries.
 
I'd go for the Solo HDs instead. In fact, I will probably pick one up soon.
 
They are stylish (for some). But I wouldn't say they are style over substance. The sound is excellent and perfect for bassheads/R&B Junkies/HipHop/Dance/etc.
 
But I do think they are just a teensy bit too expensive. But the Solo HDs are like $200 and you can probably pick them up a bit cheaper if you hunt them down, I think these are a good buy.
 
Beats Studios sound better than the M50s to my ears. And I'm a huge M50 lover. 
 
I don;t like the Studios though, because they require batteries.
 
I'd go for the Solo HDs instead. In fact, I will probably pick one up soon.
 
They are stylish (for some). But I wouldn't say they are style over substance. The sound is excellent and perfect for bassheads/R&B Junkies/HipHop/Dance/etc.
 
But I do think they are just a teensy bit too expensive. But the Solo HDs are like $200 and you can probably pick them up a bit cheaper if you hunt them down, I think these are a good buy.

So are you suggesting that I get the Solo HD's over the M50's? In the UK the Solo HD's are about £50 more than the M50's but obviously I will pay the extra if it means getting a better pair of headphones.