[SmOgER]

So.. do these sound better than let's say ATH M50?

 

[Tom22]

So.. do these sound better than let's say ATH M50?

 
i think their a bit more forgiving then the the m50x 
 
the treble on the m50 may put off some users, which can be a harsh at times (the solo2s are much more forgiving in this regard)
 
 
if you like bassier music then the solo2 gives you a more visceral bass
 
i would say the m50x is more detailed >solo2 and is a bit more interesting to listen to imo. but the mids a bit more recessed then the solo2

 

[Tom22]

budget + beats usually doesn't really go together but i got these a while back (realized i forgot to upload it) but here is my unboxing on the beats solo2
 

 

[Closingracer]

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.

The build quality isn't that bad. It's built better than the solo HD.

 

[Closingracer]

i think their a bit more forgiving then the the m50x 

the treble on the m50 may put off some users, which can be a harsh at times (the solo2s are much more forgiving in this regard)


if you like bassier music then the solo2 gives you a more visceral bass

i would say the m50x is more detailed >solo2 and is a bit more interesting to listen to imo. but the mids a bit more recessed then the solo2

I found the treble a bit to harsh which is why I returned them on the m50x. Overall I like my solo 2's and now got them I'm wireless since I lost my wired pair . Wireless sounds close enough to the wired version for only $20 dollars more then what I paid for the wired ones ($219 for wireless and $200 wired) so portability wise I love these. I agree the m50 is more detailed but the treble is a deal breaker for me.

 

[trellus]

Paid $250 for the Solo 2 Wireless, and... I like them. They're not my favorite overall headphone, but they're great fun to listen to, and I actually don't mind at all that they're trendy.

That doesn't mean I care at all what people think when I wear something "dorky" looking, by any means. I've literally walked out of the office with these monster, super dorky-looking JVC HA-RX700 cans one time and I did see some weird looks... But I was in the middle of listening to music and saw no reason to interrupt my session on the way to my car.

 

[Gintaras]

  http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/BeatsSoloII2014.pdf  That is not a balanced signature, it is a bassy one.
 
I think warmer headphones are better for some music, truly neutral are better for other music.  Keep in mind, though, that all music is mastered and produced with the assumption of being played back through equipment which is as neutral as possible.  Neutral is accurate.
 
Now, those measurements I linked to indicate a V-shaped signature.  That's just the truth.
 
http://www.innerfidelity.com/images/ShureSE215.pdf  And yes, the SE215 are even bassier.  That does not mean that the Solo II isn't bassy, though.
 
Calling it "balanced" is completely inaccurate.  Balanced is synonymous with neutral or accurate.  The sound of the Solo II is not any of those things, it is colored, with a V-shape leaning the most towards the bass.

 
funny, being a music snob I am currently looking for a pair of wireless Solos because my daughter refuses proper high quality hybrid in-ears I am using.
 
so I would not expect Solos to be breaking high-end competition but reading through it looks like Solos are a very entertaining fun headphone. so thanks for sharing impressions here.
 
on se-215, I used them long ago, all I can remember that se-215 weren't balanced in anyway, rather mid-centric with overpowered unclear bass, treble extension was average too and sound stage was claustrophobic. so I am glad to hear that Solos 2 do not sound like se-215. after all se-215 is only an entry level into Shure world IMHO

 

[SparkOnShore]

funny, being a music snob I am currently looking for a pair of wireless Solos because my daughter refuses proper high quality hybrid in-ears I am using.

so I would not expect Solos to be breaking high-end competition but reading through it looks like Solos are a very entertaining fun headphone. so thanks for sharing impressions here.

on se-215, I used them long ago, all I can remember that se-215 weren't balanced in anyway, rather mid-centric with overpowered unclear bass, treble extension was average too and sound stage was claustrophobic. so I am glad to hear that Solos 2 do not sound like se-215. after all se-215 is only an entry level into Shure world IMHO

We cannot compare headphones with iems. SE215 follows the well known Harman curve which means it's a quite accurate iem. Yes it's bassy in order to resemble to the loudspeaker experience which gets lost due to the fact that iem is inside your ear. If an iem is neutral and bass light it means that you get no sense at all of the low frequencies of the spectrum. Yes SE215 is treble shy because these frequencies transfer well in any case through an iem due to the fact that iem gets inside your ear canal. If an iem is too bright it may give you fatigue and ears ringing after long sessions. SE215 is monitor for musicians so it's important to avoid ear fatigue. SE215 is not that clear for sure, but it gives a really natural sound, resembling to a loudspeaker experience or to a live band playing just in front of you. It goes with the flow and not so much with HF details. It's a laid back and nicely tuned iem. With most neutral iems you just hear some bass, but never feel it as you feel from a good pair of speakers, mainly due to the nature of iems. SE215 is an effort to approach that bass feeling with its unique thick sound.

And regarding the Solo 2, yes it is a very good headphone with a bassy-audiophile signature.

 

[abimanyu]

Yes I will give them a fair chance provided they sell there product for what its worth 50$ anything above 50$ is feeding the evil

 

[SmOgER]

Yes I will give them a fair chance provided they sell there product for what its worth 50$ anything above 50$ is feeding the evil

Well they are blatantly using 6(66) after all and beats spells almost like beast, so...

 

[p4s2p0]

Yes I will give them a fair chance provided they sell there product for what its worth 50$ anything above 50$ is feeding the evil

Most premium brands sell their on ears for more than that.  I would consider the solo's better priced at  $150-100 which they can be gotten for on sale anyway.
 
I am happy with my ubreats at $100 and many other brands have similar prices

 

[Gintaras]

We cannot compare headphones with iems. SE215 follows the well known Harman curve which means it's a quite accurate iem. Yes it's bassy in order to resemble to the loudspeaker experience which gets lost due to the fact that iem is inside your ear. If an iem is neutral and bass light it means that you get no sense at all of the low frequencies of the spectrum. Yes SE215 is treble shy because these frequencies transfer well in any case through an iem due to the fact that iem gets inside your ear canal. If an iem is too bright it may give you fatigue and ears ringing after long sessions. SE215 is monitor for musicians so it's important to avoid ear fatigue. SE215 is not that clear for sure, but it gives a really natural sound, resembling to a loudspeaker experience or to a live band playing just in front of you. It goes with the flow and not so much with HF details. It's a laid back and nicely tuned iem. With most neutral iems you just hear some bass, but never feel it as you feel from a good pair of speakers, mainly due to the nature of iems. SE215 is an effort to approach that bass feeling with its unique thick sound.

And regarding the Solo 2, yes it is a very good headphone with a bassy-audiophile signature.

 
yes and no, se215 is nice IEM and i know difference between IEM and Headphones.
 
but:
 
a) we talked about neutrality, second you can always check one of most neutral IMHO IEMs Musical Fidelity EB50, i sold many my gear but keep EM50 for measurement control and reference as neutrality is concerned.
b) se215 is more fun IEM with pronounced bassy character and lush mids which make them sound so interesting. however se215 is far far from neutral and bass overpowering comes at a cost of losing a bit on detail, as for trebles clearly aim was to avoid unwanted fatigue and harshness.
 
anyway, i am not saying se215 is not nice, i owned se215 for 1 year and was happy with them, i am just saying that for a bit more money you can always have much better Shures and not Shures
 
as regards Solo 2, i checked them yesterday in shop vs. B&O beo 2 headphones, want to tell Solo 2 surprised me pleasantly. Solo 2 offers huge element of fun to young people and bass heads, mids and trebles are slightly recessed for more accurate layering, bass is well controlled. Solo 2 are a nightmare for hardcore audiophile because they break so many rules we have... but for young people willing to have fun and listening all modern boombast music they should be good.
 
beo 2 on the other hand was a complete let down. their attempt to achieve audiophile signature did not work well IMHO, so they turn mid-centric with quite a few flaws in bass department and mids become slightly washed out while treble gets sometimes unwanted prominence. frankly speaking i was expecting very different outcome based on rave reviews i found for them on internet.

 

[SparkOnShore]

yes and no, se215 is nice IEM and i know difference between IEM and Headphones.

but:

a) we talked about neutrality, second you can always check one of most neutral IMHO IEMs Musical Fidelity EB50, i sold many my gear but keep EM50 for measurement control and reference as neutrality is concerned.
b) se215 is more fun IEM with pronounced bassy character and lush mids which make them sound so interesting. however se215 is far far from neutral and bass overpowering comes at a cost of losing a bit on detail, as for trebles clearly aim was to avoid unwanted fatigue and harshness.

anyway, i am not saying se215 is not nice, i owned se215 for 1 year and was happy with them, i am just saying that for a bit more money you can always have much better Shures and not Shures

as regards Solo 2, i checked them yesterday in shop vs. B&O beo 2 headphones, want to tell Solo 2 surprised me pleasantly. Solo 2 offers huge element of fun to young people and bass heads, mids and trebles are slightly recessed for more accurate layering, bass is well controlled. Solo 2 are a nightmare for hardcore audiophile because they break so many rules we have... but for young people willing to have fun and listening all modern boombast music they should be good.

beo 2 on the other hand was a complete let down. their attempt to achieve audiophile signature did not work well IMHO, so they turn mid-centric with quite a few flaws in bass department and mids become slightly washed out while treble gets sometimes unwanted prominence. frankly speaking i was expecting very different outcome based on rave reviews i found for them on internet.

I agree with your remarks. I just wanted to add that since I have been a huge Shure fan for years, I have tested all SE line iems and i find that all are bass light for my tastes, except SE215 and SE846 which is a unique iem but too expensive for what I need.

 

[Gintaras]

I agree with your remarks. I just wanted to add that since I have been a huge Shure fan for years, I have tested all SE line iems and i find that all are bass light for my tastes, except SE215 and SE846 which is a unique iem but too expensive for what I need.

glad we agree, Shure is good name in music gear and legendary for their "old school" microphones i also used long in the past
 
you must start saving pennies for se846, i heard many good things about them

 

[Gintaras]

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