Just kinda curious, are Beats really that bad?
Jul 16, 2011 at 1:44 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 30

Shuriko

New Head-Fier
Joined
May 26, 2010
Posts
12
Likes
0
I know they're overpriced but are they actually low-quality headphones like skullcandies or something? If you had to compare them to another headphone what'd be the closest comparison?
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 2:47 AM Post #2 of 30
lol
Some Sony earbuds?
 
I've no idea, but if you are considering something better, portable, and bassy, then read up on ATH-ESW9, ATH-ES10, HD25-1 (or its even bassier little brother, HD25-SP), or T50p.  They'll get you started in this hobby. 
evil_smiley.gif

 
Jul 16, 2011 at 2:50 AM Post #3 of 30
I really do think they are downright bad. I know a lot of people claim they are "decent, but overpriced", but "decent" would not be a word I would use to describe them at any price point. Their mids just suffer too much, and their highs are nothing short of unpleasant. They really are just a drag to listen to. I think something like the Koss KSC75 are superior in just about every way, with the exception of bass quantity.
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 3:03 AM Post #4 of 30
I don't think they're terrible for what they are, which is a colored headphone meant to be inaccurate for the sake of typical consumer pleasure. All things considered, I prefer my modded Koss Portapros' sound signature, but if you're into that stuff...

I think they're at the same level as the original around ear Triports. Comparing them to anything we like is unfair because even the most "fun" popular headphone here still strives for some accuracy.
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 3:13 AM Post #5 of 30
They're aimed at an entirely different demographic.  It's really impossible to put a definitive answer to this because it's essentially an item that derives its own value from its price tag.  It's a fashion item, and as a bonus it's possible to play normal-consumer-acceptable music through it.
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 3:25 AM Post #6 of 30
Yes, they are that bad.

They add bass where it isn't present on the recording and that drowns out the mids and highs.

Just get a good pair of headphones. We can help you with that.
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 5:30 AM Post #7 of 30
I auditioned a pair of 279€ and another pair of 379€ beats yesterday (no idea which beats versions they were). It was in an electronics store and I had my iPhone and my E11 (EQ off) with me.
As soon as the music started playing the only thing I was hearing was "BOOM BOOM BOOM". As you can probably tell the bass was earthshaking.
Mids were very muddy and highs were recessed as hell (could barely hear cymbals)...

certainly not worth 279 and 379€, more like 30-50€

oh yea and the funny thing was, unlike all the sennheisers and other headphone brands the beats had "incredible sound" written on their pricetags by employees lol, maybe they meant "incredibly bad sound" :D
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 7:06 AM Post #8 of 30
I had someone say my Grados were much better even though part of me disagreed due to their overall bass presentation and what it must sound like to noobs. Shrug.
 
Then again I had someone tell me my Grados looked really cool (SR-80i)
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 7:23 AM Post #9 of 30
i had another listening session to some beats studio yesterday, and yes they are that bad. First i tried some acoustic dashboard confessional, terrible muddy mess with very recessed mids and bass everywhere, then some paramore, exactly the same, huge bass everywhere, shrill highs and recessed mids. I let my mum try them with the display music (bass heavy music) then showed her the price, she was shocked, she thought they sounded really bad and that her PX100 II sounded better. I much prefer my AKG K518 DJ's than the beats, at least they work well with more genreserday, and yes they are that bad. First i tried some acoustic dashboard confessional, terrible muddy mess with very recessed mids and bass everywhere, then some paramore, exactly the same, huge bass everywhere, shrill highs and recessed mids. I let my mum try them with the display music (bass heavy music) then showed her the price, she was shocked, she thought they sounded really bad and that her PX100 II sounded better. I much prefer my AKG K518 DJ's than the beats, at least they work well with more genres
 
Jul 16, 2011 at 7:24 AM Post #10 of 30
sorry for the double text nd whatever, my phone messes it up sometimes.
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 1:46 PM Post #11 of 30
Yes they really are as bad as people say they are. Bloated overpumped bad quality bass, and nothing else really. Not to mention they break more than a yugo.
As for comparison I'd have to compare them to the skullcandy skullcrushers. Actually I liked the skullcrushers more(yes it makes me sick to say that I actually like the skullcrushers vs anything but the junk that came with my ipod). Trying out the beats was the worst listening experience I've ever had the misfortune of putting my ears through, and I've used maxell 5 dollar headphones before.
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 2:00 PM Post #12 of 30
I'm going to my friends house to compare his beats studio to my ath m50s and i wanted to know if they will be a clear difference on which sounds better overall. Note that my m50s have the foam removal mod and i put electrical tape(another mod) under the pads to add more comfort. With these things in mind, will my ath M50s have anything over his beats studio's?
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 3:00 PM Post #13 of 30
The Beats are decent, I don't know why anybody would consider them plain bad.  It's just another over-exegerration of many that you'd find in the world of audiophilia if you ask me.
 
Keep in mind this site deals with hi-fidelity, where the ultimate goal is to produce something as accurate and realistic as possible to the real deal.  So, right off the bat, the Beats would get a terrible rep for their exaggerated mid-bass bloat.  They are decently fun headphones to listen to however, and their form factor and styling are also another thing that must be taken into consideration for their target audience.  
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 4:52 PM Post #14 of 30


Quote:
The Beats are decent, I don't know why anybody would consider them plain bad.  It's just another over-exegerration of many that you'd find in the world of audiophilia if you ask me.
 
Keep in mind this site deals with hi-fidelity, where the ultimate goal is to produce something as accurate and realistic as possible to the real deal.  So, right off the bat, the Beats would get a terrible rep for their exaggerated mid-bass bloat.  They are decently fun headphones to listen to however, and their form factor and styling are also another thing that must be taken into consideration for their target audience.  



Honestly, I really do think they are just terrible. Their mids are just so, so recessed, with their upper-mids and highs way too spiked up. It sounds like it's forcing all the instruments and vocals to one extreme of the spectrum or the other. I just can't accept this as even "decent" at any price range.
 
Jul 23, 2011 at 4:58 PM Post #15 of 30
Well, the Dbi Pro 700 is only $40 bucks and upstage the $250-300 beats in every single way, shape and form.  So, yes.  I would say BAD is a light term to use when describing them.  
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top