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100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2013
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Well, I never thought I'd do this in my life. This is my first (kind of) review of any headphones, and it has to be a Beats one! Please note that I was born and raised in French, so be indulgent with my English 
First, let me say that I'm in no way an audiophile. I enjoy my KEF M500, and I just adore my B&O H3. I could say I prefer bright over warm.
The first ever Beats headphones I tried was the Solo HD. They sounded horrible. All that was previously said here about these is veridic. Too much of a bass-boost in a region that don't really need a boost, around 200 to 900 Hz or so. This upper bass fails through the mids, and for the highs, well, they just don't have. Cohesion of the entire frequency range was just a big mess. Lack of clarity and zero definition, even with a "HD" in their name. Et cetera… So, if a normal guy (me!) dislike them, then they must be very bad indeed.
Then, I needed (ok, I just wanted) a new pair of portable, light, easily carrying headphones. Not a Momentum-like portable, since I don't think these Senn are really portable, even if they claim to be. So, while at Futureshop, I passed by the headphones aisles, and I thought I had nothing to loose to give the new Solo HD 2.0 a try, between a lot of other offerings. I also took some time with the new Studio, which I found too piercing/harsh for my taste, even if I prefer bright headphones. They made me feel aggressive. Not for me.
But! When I tried the Solo HD 2.0, I was literally shocked. I still don't know if they sounded really good, or if they just sounded much better than their previous iteration and this is why I "think" that they sounded really good… maybe someone can confirmed this. One thing for sure, they are way better than the original HD. I don't know about burning, they just have less than 10 hours of play, but right out of the box, I was pleased with the sound. Could only be better with time. Bass is still very there, but less present than before, and better rendered. Keep in mind though, that I'm only comparing the old Solo HD with the new Solo HD 2.0. I will always prefer my M500 to them, and I'm sure almost anyone here possesses a pair better than these. But, man, Dr. Dre did make a major improvement with these new Solos. Like they are, soundstage in pretty thin, you have your songs pretty much right in your brain. Maybe a better job with the upper-mids/highs would have helped here. The highs may roll off a little early too. But since I wanted a pair of phones for commute, at work, on the go, I can live with this. The positive thing with this, is that they are non-fatiguing at all. I wore them for 2 or 3 hours now, listening to Cat Stevens and Dire Straits, and I feel as I can continue all night long!
The comfort is sublime. No joke. They are so lightweight, you barely feel them on your head. The ear-pads may be small, but the are like little pillows for your ears. The built quality, fit and finish are good. Far from the likes of M500 or P5 though. This is normal since they are way cheaper than those two (130 and 80$ cheaper respectively (all from their MSRP, here in Canada)). And I like my portable headphones to be lightweight, so yes, they are almost entirely made out of plastic. So I'm good with that too. If I'm not wrong, a lot of companies use plastic on their more-than-entry-level headphones (HD558?).
I always detested the glossy look of the first Solo HD, but now they are finished in matte colors. I've got the black ones, and yes, they look great. I actually understand how a headphones can be "sexy", 'cause they are indeed. This only detail made a huge difference. I don't pretend they are sturdier than before, but the in-hand feeling seems to be reassuring. I'm 32, and I'm sure that with minimal care, these can last a while. Ear-cups make some plasticky sounds (clack/clapping) inside the arms' holes when you manipulate them, but you hear nothing while they are on your ears. Cable is one of the best I've seen: really thick, just as robbery as it needs to be, not too much that it would stick to your clothes. The right-angled plug is perfect for iDevices usage (I can't use my P5 as a portable, since I'm always scared to break the plug when in pockets). Remote is flawless, give good feedback, and don't have any rough angles (again, the P5s' always tends to snag on my shirt). Nonetheless, and despite all I said about them, P5s is a very good home-use headphones
Finally, I want to note the price. I paid 190 (reg. 220). They are still not cheap. At all! But they fulfilled almost all of my needs. This is the most important thing I think. If someone want to buy them only for the fashion statement, go ahead! If you want them because they represents what you are looking for, go ahead (that's what I did). And if you think they are overpriced for what they are, and/or how they sound, don't go ahead. As simple as this! It's fun though how someone can't justified to pay 200$ on Beats, but are completely willing to spend out over a grand on an elite pair of headphones. Is a thousand dollar headphones worth it? Not for me. But if it is for you, go ahead!
All in all, I'm very happy with my buy. That's what counts. And please, before commenting anything negative, give them a try. Or at least, judge them for what they are : a simple pair of good-looking, and portable headphones.
Can't wait to read others' impressions about these!
First, let me say that I'm in no way an audiophile. I enjoy my KEF M500, and I just adore my B&O H3. I could say I prefer bright over warm.
The first ever Beats headphones I tried was the Solo HD. They sounded horrible. All that was previously said here about these is veridic. Too much of a bass-boost in a region that don't really need a boost, around 200 to 900 Hz or so. This upper bass fails through the mids, and for the highs, well, they just don't have. Cohesion of the entire frequency range was just a big mess. Lack of clarity and zero definition, even with a "HD" in their name. Et cetera… So, if a normal guy (me!) dislike them, then they must be very bad indeed.
Then, I needed (ok, I just wanted) a new pair of portable, light, easily carrying headphones. Not a Momentum-like portable, since I don't think these Senn are really portable, even if they claim to be. So, while at Futureshop, I passed by the headphones aisles, and I thought I had nothing to loose to give the new Solo HD 2.0 a try, between a lot of other offerings. I also took some time with the new Studio, which I found too piercing/harsh for my taste, even if I prefer bright headphones. They made me feel aggressive. Not for me.
But! When I tried the Solo HD 2.0, I was literally shocked. I still don't know if they sounded really good, or if they just sounded much better than their previous iteration and this is why I "think" that they sounded really good… maybe someone can confirmed this. One thing for sure, they are way better than the original HD. I don't know about burning, they just have less than 10 hours of play, but right out of the box, I was pleased with the sound. Could only be better with time. Bass is still very there, but less present than before, and better rendered. Keep in mind though, that I'm only comparing the old Solo HD with the new Solo HD 2.0. I will always prefer my M500 to them, and I'm sure almost anyone here possesses a pair better than these. But, man, Dr. Dre did make a major improvement with these new Solos. Like they are, soundstage in pretty thin, you have your songs pretty much right in your brain. Maybe a better job with the upper-mids/highs would have helped here. The highs may roll off a little early too. But since I wanted a pair of phones for commute, at work, on the go, I can live with this. The positive thing with this, is that they are non-fatiguing at all. I wore them for 2 or 3 hours now, listening to Cat Stevens and Dire Straits, and I feel as I can continue all night long!
The comfort is sublime. No joke. They are so lightweight, you barely feel them on your head. The ear-pads may be small, but the are like little pillows for your ears. The built quality, fit and finish are good. Far from the likes of M500 or P5 though. This is normal since they are way cheaper than those two (130 and 80$ cheaper respectively (all from their MSRP, here in Canada)). And I like my portable headphones to be lightweight, so yes, they are almost entirely made out of plastic. So I'm good with that too. If I'm not wrong, a lot of companies use plastic on their more-than-entry-level headphones (HD558?).
I always detested the glossy look of the first Solo HD, but now they are finished in matte colors. I've got the black ones, and yes, they look great. I actually understand how a headphones can be "sexy", 'cause they are indeed. This only detail made a huge difference. I don't pretend they are sturdier than before, but the in-hand feeling seems to be reassuring. I'm 32, and I'm sure that with minimal care, these can last a while. Ear-cups make some plasticky sounds (clack/clapping) inside the arms' holes when you manipulate them, but you hear nothing while they are on your ears. Cable is one of the best I've seen: really thick, just as robbery as it needs to be, not too much that it would stick to your clothes. The right-angled plug is perfect for iDevices usage (I can't use my P5 as a portable, since I'm always scared to break the plug when in pockets). Remote is flawless, give good feedback, and don't have any rough angles (again, the P5s' always tends to snag on my shirt). Nonetheless, and despite all I said about them, P5s is a very good home-use headphones
Finally, I want to note the price. I paid 190 (reg. 220). They are still not cheap. At all! But they fulfilled almost all of my needs. This is the most important thing I think. If someone want to buy them only for the fashion statement, go ahead! If you want them because they represents what you are looking for, go ahead (that's what I did). And if you think they are overpriced for what they are, and/or how they sound, don't go ahead. As simple as this! It's fun though how someone can't justified to pay 200$ on Beats, but are completely willing to spend out over a grand on an elite pair of headphones. Is a thousand dollar headphones worth it? Not for me. But if it is for you, go ahead!
All in all, I'm very happy with my buy. That's what counts. And please, before commenting anything negative, give them a try. Or at least, judge them for what they are : a simple pair of good-looking, and portable headphones.
Can't wait to read others' impressions about these!
