[Closingracer]

 I can see how people have issues with the build, but I like the ear pads, fold up'ed ness, simplified pause/play vol + and - stuff compared to my RS180's I demo'd, and the headband reminds me of when I demo'd HD650 before switching to the hifiman dark side. Definitely head clamp force around my head, but these are really decent semi-noise cancellers by design around my ear, blocks out lots of noise. 
 
Not sure how you can think the SQ isn't worth the money at $140 or so for wired, Tyll spoke quite strongly about these, and though people hear differently and have different signature preferences, I think they're a steal for the $200 they are at for bluetooth enabled and great sounding (I think its a perfect decoding of AAC stuff if I'm not mistaken which I could be):
 
but I also love the look of my blue guys, to complement my dark blue HE-400's
 

It's not the SQ isn't worth 140, man.  It totally is.  The issue is that you can get the same level of SQ, along with better (read: sturdier, MUCH sturdier) build-quality, for 30 to 40 bucks cheaper by getting something like the Momentum On-Ears or the V-Moda M-80.

Eh I had the V-moda XS which is supposedly like the m-80 but better and I prefer the beats solo 2 actually. Yeah its bass heavy but it's not over powering like previous versions of beats headphones and I like the color choices.


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[goodyfresh]

Eh I had the V-moda XS which is supposedly like the m-80 but better and I prefer the beats solo 2 actually. Yeah its bass heavy but it's not over powering like previous versions of beats headphones and I like the color choices.


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Actually, many people apparently consider the XS to not be as good as the M-80, surprisingly enough.  It has more of a bass-boost, for one thing, the bass on the XS is at a level, from what I can see of FR plots, to almost be considered excessive.

You should try the M-80 compared to the Solo 2.  Personally I don't prefer the sound of either one over the other, although they certainly have some noticable differences.  For that reason, I much prefer the M-80 since it is a good deal cheaper these days, and MUCH more sturdily built and with more reliable wiring to the drivers.  Fact is, one thing that has never changed about Beats is that they are flimsy, made from the cheapest of cheap plastic, and can also tend to have somewhat poor quality-control with the reliability of the wiring between drivers.  It's very hard to find anyone with a pair of Beats headphone that still works after more than two years of use or so.

 

[Closingracer]

Eh I had the V-moda XS which is supposedly like the m-80 but better and I prefer the beats solo 2 actually. Yeah its bass heavy but it's not over powering like previous versions of beats headphones and I like the color choices.


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Actually, many people apparently consider the XS to not be as good as the M-80, surprisingly enough.  It has more of a bass-boost, for one thing, the bass on the XS is at a level, from what I can see of FR plots, to almost be considered excessive.

You should try the M-80 compared to the Solo 2.  Personally I don't prefer the sound of either one over the other, although they certainly have some noticable differences.  For that reason, I much prefer the M-80 since it is a good deal cheaper these days, and MUCH more sturdily built and with more reliable wiring to the drivers.  Fact is, one thing that has never changed about Beats is that they are flimsy, made from the cheapest of cheap plastic, and can also tend to have somewhat poor quality-control with the reliability of the wiring between drivers.  It's very hard to find anyone with a pair of Beats headphone that still works after more than two years of use or so.

The beats solo 2 is now only a year old since being released. I had mine since October for free. I also prefer bass.


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[goodyfresh]

The beats solo 2 is now only a year old since being released. I had mine since October for free. I also prefer bass.


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And it has the same level of build-quality as previous stuff from Beats.  The only real change is that now the sound quality is actually very good.

The issue with the XS compared to the M-80, according to many folks, is that it sounds more "artificial" in many ways.  You can see that in its measurements when you look at the skewed shape of the 300hZ square-waves and impulse response and such.

 

[MICHAELSD]

It feels embarrassing that I almost want to test the Solo 2 at home. The store demos aren't terrible. In fact I quite liked the 30 seconds or so I heard and the comfort.

 

[goodyfresh]

  It feels embarrassing that I almost want to test the Solo 2 at home. The store demos aren't terrible. In fact I quite liked the 30 seconds or so I heard and the comfort.

Why is that embarassing?  Just because of the Beats brand-name, you mean?  Nothing embarassing about it. . .they're legitimately good headphones.  It just means that a crappy company has for once managed to get their act together and make something good.  Still fairly overpriced, but definitely good!

 

[MICHAELSD]

Why is that embarassing?  Just because of the Beats brand-name, you mean?  Nothing embarassing about it. . .they're legitimately good headphones.  It just means that a crappy company has for once managed to get their act together and make something good.  Still fairly overpriced, but definitely good!

Spending all this time learning about great headphones, only to return to the brand I would've bought if I hadn't become an enthusiast is embarrassing.

 

[goodyfresh]

Spending all this time learning about great headphones, only to return to the brand I would've bought if I hadn't become an enthusiast is embarrassing.

Somebody can not be an enthusiast and still decide to get something like Sennheiser or Audio Technica instead of Beats, I've known plenty of non-audiophiles who did exactly that.  It's called "doing proper research, rather than just buying what's trendy."  Lol.

Still, I don't see it as embarassing, if they really are good headphones!

 

[bedlamite]

Spending all this time learning about great headphones, only to return to the brand I would've bought if I hadn't become an enthusiast is embarrassing.

I say this with the utmost respect: nobody cares.

I, as with all the other posters on this forum, own a bunch of headphones. Probably way too many lol. I've got a pair of Hd650s, HD-25s, vmoda M-100s, T-51Ps, etc, just a silly, silly amount. About a month back I got a good price on a pair of Solo 2s and I jumped. I gotta tell you, I haven't regretted the decision since.
 
If you liked what you heard at the store demo then just go with your gut, the Solo 2s are a genuinely good can, with a more balanced sound mix than its predecessor, albeit bassy and coming with a (justifiable, IMO) price premium. Are these a basshead headphone? Yes. Are these overpriced? Possibly, but how many other cans have the same mix of aesthetics, build quality and sound? Off the top of my head I can only think of the Vmodas, and the M100s aren't exactly cheap either. There is a definite audiophile stigma around the Beats brand, but it shouldn't let that come between you and good sound.

 

[goodyfresh]

  I say this with the utmost respect: nobody cares.

I, as with all the other posters on this forum, own a bunch of headphones. Probably way too many lol. I've got a pair of Hd650s, HD-25s, vmoda M-100s, T-51Ps, etc, just a silly, silly amount. About a month back I got a good price on a pair of Solo 2s and I jumped. I gotta tell you, I haven't regretted the decision since.
 
If you liked what you heard at the store demo then just go with your gut, the Solo 2s are a genuinely good can, with a more balanced sound mix than its predecessor, albeit bassy and coming with a (justifiable, IMO) price premium. Are these a basshead headphone? Yes. Are these overpriced? Possibly, but how many other cans have the same mix of aesthetics, build quality and sound? Off the top of my head I can only think of the Vmodas, and the M100s aren't exactly cheap either. There is a definite audiophile stigma around the Beats brand, but it shouldn't let that come between you and good sound.

I agree with you 100% that nobody cares, haha.  If they're good headphones, who cares about the brand-name on them?

That being said, I disagree with you about the build-quality. They seem fairly flimsy, and I've read a GREAT MANY reports of them falling apart after just a year or two of normal use.  I would not by ANY means compare the build-quality of the Solo 2 to anything by V-Moda.  That being said, you can't really compare very many headphones by ANY other companies in the world to those by V-Moda when it comes to build-quality. . .V-Moda builds those things like frigging Abrams Tanks, haha

  Their CEO, Val Kolton, is OBSESSED with making products that are as-durable-as-possible.  If V-Moda made them in a comouflage-green color-scheme, they could probably sell the M-100 as headsets to the military

Again:  I find the build of the Solo 2 to seem quite flimsy, and I've read many reports of their build failing miserably after much less time than it should considering their price.  Give yours a few more months, or a year or two, and I guess we'll see what happens to them, ya know?

What does impress me though, and I agree with you about, is their sound.  THey are undoubtedly FANTASTIC on-ear basshead headphones, perhaps delivering the very best basshead-type sound you can get right now from ANY on-ear type headphones, actually.  The only others I can think of that do about the same are the V-Moda M-80 and XS, and the Sennheiser Momentum On-Ears, but none of those are QUITE as bass-heavy as the Solo 2, and I wouldn't consider them full-blown basshead cans like the ones from Beats.
 
Their great sound surprises me, considering the absolute muddled, murky ****storm of imperfect sound output by the company's other products.  A friend of mine had the UrBeats in-ears, for example, and I tried them once and OH MY GOD THEY WERE SO AWFUL I WANTED TO PUKE!  THey sounded far worse than my roommate's Panasonic HJE120 in-ears.  Keep in mind that the UrBeats cost 80 dollars, while the Panasonics cost 10!!!!  That is just inexcusable, I mean what the hell?  Meanwhile, the original Beats Studio are just. . .uggggggh.  Calling them "Studio" headphones is a travesty, I tell you, an outright MOCKERY of the concept of studio-type/quality sound.  So yeah, when I first got a chance to listen to the Solo 2, I was shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, to find that I really, really liked what I was hearing. . .A LOT!

 

[Inks]

Did you guys know that the first version of the solo hd, with the new color schemes is actually a 1.2 version and it's actually better sounding than the solo 1, not that it matters with the 2 lol

 

[goodyfresh]

Did you guys know that the first version of the solo hd, with the new color schemes is actually a 1.2 version and it's actually better sounding than the solo 1, not that it matters with the 2 lol

Yeah well ALL versions of the original Solo HD still sound like absolute crap, IMO

 

[Inks]

First one was horrendous, 1.2 was getting there, more similar than the solo 2 if anything

 

[an-i-no]

Spending all this time learning about great headphones, only to return to the brand I would've bought if I hadn't become an enthusiast is embarrassing.

I got mine for $56 used on ebay with no box no cord. Best headphone purchase to date. Don't be embarrassed dude just enjoy the music. That's the real point. 

 

[goodyfresh]

  I got mine for $56 used on ebay with no box no cord. Best headphone purchase to date. Don't be embarrassed dude just enjoy the music. That's the real point. 

That's a damn good deal if you've already got a chord!
 
You know, the prie of the V-Moda M-80 on Amazon has dropped to under 90 dollars new.  It's an excellent deal.