[bengewarmer]

I know the beats headphones aren't the most popular around these parts, and with good reason, but I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with the new HP laptops that feature "Beats Audio". Is it the same kind of sound, or is it better since you can use your own choice of headphones?

 

[kyuuketsuki]

Wouldn't this be more suited to the computer section?

 

[keanex]

You're more than likely paying for the name to be honest, just get the Envy if you really want a good Windows laptop, and then a USB DAC/Amp or something.

 

[bengewarmer]

Sorry for posting in the wrong place. I was just wondering if the beats audio came with all the complaints of its headphone series of the same name do. It piqued my interest since I started hearing about it.

 

[funkmeister]

I'm coming in way late on this, but the Beats edition ENVY has a few things going for it, mainly aesthetic. It has a license for using all kinds of software to give your Windows version an entirely different look and feel... very dark but very organized and attractive.
 
Anyway, back to the sound. I like Beats Audio (not the headphones) because the analog circuitry is silent... very clean. The software is a bunch of SRS technology that can be toggled on or off.

 

[NamelessPFG]

There's a YouTube video someone linked in the Computer Audio section that I can't seem to find, where it showed exactly what ticking on and off that Beats Audio checkbox in the interface actually does.
 
Now, in the sound control panel, there's a rudimentary EQ with bass and treble sliders that most people aren't going to notice. When you click on the Beats Audio checkbox, those shoot to +4 bass and +4 treble, despite the EQ in the Beats Audio interface supposedly being flat.
 
The nasty part, though? Check off the Beats Audio checkbox, and the driver EQ settings suddenly get skewed to a massive -12 to bass while treble remains at +4. That's right, they try to make it sound WORSE with it off so that you think it's better with it on!
 
I just hope they've improved the analog circuitry, at least. Most of the time, it's a bit of an afterthought on computers, with lots of hiss and noise, though on my HP EliteBook 2730p (a business-class machine with no frills as far as audio goes), the output is surprisingly clean with none of the noise that plagues most desktop motherboards regarding integrated sound output...

 

[aleki]

I have a touchpad; which has this alleged beats audio "built in". Sounds like just an EQ to me; and the DAC isnt even that good. I get more interference with my tablet that has "beats technology" than I do with my phone

If this is how they are marketing all their products, then I would expect the laptop audio to be just as good as any other midrange out there.
You'll only be paying for the name.

 

[funkmeister]

akeli, I don't have the interference problems that you've noted. I found my TouchPad to sound slightly better than my iPad2 through the headphones but it was hard to determine that. The iPad2's mono speaker is better than the TouchPad's stereo speakers. Both of them are vastly superior in headphone and speaker quality to the iPad (1).
 
Yes, the TouchPad doesn't incorporate any of the SRS technology that the laptops do, so I'm quite certain it's just EQ... and it's more subtle than I expected.

 

[Byakushiki]

Quote:

There's a YouTube video someone linked in the Computer Audio section that I can't seem to find, where it showed exactly what ticking on and off that Beats Audio checkbox in the interface actually does.
 
Now, in the sound control panel, there's a rudimentary EQ with bass and treble sliders that most people aren't going to notice. When you click on the Beats Audio checkbox, those shoot to +4 bass and +4 treble, despite the EQ in the Beats Audio interface supposedly being flat.
 
The nasty part, though? Check off the Beats Audio checkbox, and the driver EQ settings suddenly get skewed to a massive -12 to bass while treble remains at +4. That's right, they try to make it sound WORSE with it off so that you think it's better with it on!
 
I just hope they've improved the analog circuitry, at least. Most of the time, it's a bit of an afterthought on computers, with lots of hiss and noise, though on my HP EliteBook 2730p (a business-class machine with no frills as far as audio goes), the output is surprisingly clean with none of the noise that plagues most desktop motherboards regarding integrated sound output...

Yup, they actively sabotage your audio to make it seem like Beats audio is "better". I've got an older DV7 pavilion at home, and it's fairly clean in terms of output. No Beats audio or anything on it, instead, there's IDT Audio which is actually decent. You can make it look nice too since it accepts backgrounds.
I also have the TouchPad at home, and yes, the Beats Audio is merely a simple EQ. Nothing Audiophile HD player can't fix at least. Sadly, CM7's DSP Manager is still rather broken at this moment, for some reason, the bass boost is set on extreme until you force close it.

 

[Hifianddrumming]

 I was actually really looking at an HP Envy with Beats Audio, but from what I can tell, they're just 300 dollars more for an eq and interface. I tried one out in a store and couldn't even notice a difference, or at least nothing notable. I will say however, that I found the source files and they mere MP3s at 128kbps, so it wasn't a very fair test.

 

[NamelessPFG]

I found that video I was looking for!
 

 

[rezel]

^ 'Nuff said
 
Why bother when you'll be using a DAC anyway. Spend that extra $300 on a shiny new DAC.

 

[aleki]

 
Quote:

akeli, I don't have the interference problems that you've noted. I found my TouchPad to sound slightly better than my iPad2 through the headphones but it was hard to determine that. The iPad2's mono speaker is better than the TouchPad's stereo speakers. Both of them are vastly superior in headphone and speaker quality to the iPad (1).
 
Yes, the TouchPad doesn't incorporate any of the SRS technology that the laptops do, so I'm quite certain it's just EQ... and it's more subtle than I expected.

Really? You dont notice the hissing? Next time its playing music or a video, try muting the sound while your headphone is in. Its easier to detect the noise with IEM's.
If you guys arent having issues, then perhaps my TouchPad is a bum unit

 

[funkmeister]

Quote:

 
Really? You dont notice the hissing? Next time its playing music or a video, try muting the sound while your headphone is in. Its easier to detect the noise with IEM's.
If you guys arent having issues, then perhaps my TouchPad is a bum unit

 
I think you may have a bum unit. My Shure IEMs show me no hiss anywhere on my TouchPad. The iPad 1 had horrible problems with the headphone port, especially loud EMI hum. iPad 2 is clean.

 

[nierika]

Beats means its awesome! Dr Dre fabricates the chips in his garage.