[SHAMuuu]

The new ones look pretty cool. I won't buy them, but they will only move up in popularity.

They survived so much H8

Its surreal how powerful their marketing campaign was at their peak.

 

[MICHAELSD]

The new ones look pretty cool. I won't buy them, but they will only move up in popularity.

They survived so much H8

Its surreal how powerful their marketing campaign was at their peak.

Their newest headphone in that GIF, Studio3, didn’t survive on marketing alone. Many retailers are currently in the process of clearing them out...

 

[SHAMuuu]

Their newest headphone in that GIF, Studio3, didn’t survive on marketing alone. Many retailers are currently in the process of clearing them out...

Well i wasn't super clear, as it is hard to get all the points through in forum posts, but i am referring more to the brand power overall than specific models per se.
Their EP 79$ model, surely was a smart move. And the new models seem to be a little better overall (both sonically and build wise). In saying that, with the number of sales, they will have many faulty units.
And yes quality overall for price is questionable with their more expensive models.

But, i don't think this brand will weaken any time soon, as they also are starting to have Beats packages in cars. Which is just plain funny someone would ask for a Beats package, but it shows the growth of brand power / expansion in terms of what it offers products wise (with all the other speakers etc.)

Other audio brands had their opportunity to take the headphone game. It took a "real doctor" to change the game,

AKG could've made a Michael Jackson headphone or something lol, but they didn't. Yeah they with Quincccey but , .. well i'm not going to get into Quinceeeyyy

 

[Roderick]

I think Beats has the best headphones in the on-ear market and Rtings objectively supports that claim.

What other on-ear headphones have you compared beats with?

I had beats Solo 2 for a while. Comfortable and good sounding headphones but easily surpassed by kef m500 and (modded) Martin Logan mikros 90.

Also how do you people who enjoy beats feel about the build quality per dollar spent? Imo it is a travesty to charge $199 for a headphone that has build quality and materials equal to $10 headphones. For less than $30 one can buy headphones made entirely out of metal. For that reason I would never consider beats good value.

 

[vantt1]

Also how do you people who enjoy beats feel about the build quality per dollar spent? Imo it is a travesty to charge $199 for a headphone that has build quality and materials equal to $10 headphones. For less than $30 one can buy headphones made entirely out of metal. For that reason I would never consider beats good value.

Any recommendations?

I wish there were more aluminum/stainless steel headphones around.

 

[god-bluff]

It’s all subjective anyway. I think Beats has the best headphones in the on-ear market and Rtings objectively supports that claim.

I think you should add the proviso 'closed back' to your already dubious statement.

Otherwise I think any pair of Grados ever made including the lowly and very good new generation Sr60e/80e, the Yamaha HPH 200 or even the little Jays v-Jays (both among the current favourites of mine) will beat the living Schiiiiit out of your beloved Beatsies (or even your Sennibeats or Beatsheissers for that matter)

 

[samvafaei]

I think you should add the proviso 'closed back' to your already dubious statement.

Otherwise I think any pair of Grados ever made including the lowly and very good new generation Sr60e/80e, the Yamaha HPH 200 or even the little Jays v-Jays (both among the current favourites of mine) will beat the living Schiiiiit out of your beloved Beatsies (or even your Sennibeats or Beatsheissers for that matter)

It depends on what your target/reference for a headphone frequency response is, but based on our target (which is quite similar to the Harman target), not only the Grados have too much treble and not enough bass, but all headphones in the Srxxxe series measure basically the same.

 

[Roderick]

I wish there were more aluminum/stainless steel headphones around.

Any recommendations?

First that comes to mind is dick Smith premium headphones. They sound better than average for inexpensive headphones but are not anything spectacular. There are dozen rebrands. Most priced between $20-50. I think pioneers version is most well known. Here is a picture of rock muma version.
Another headphone that surprised me with it's build quality is Marley ttr. Allmost everything is metal even the baffle! Plastic parts are covered in pleather which is also nice. Earpads are advertised as genuine leather. This is how you build a proper $299 fashion headphone! At current $35 price it is worth trying out. Sound is pretty good on active mode.

Then there is meizu hd50. About $50-60 and supposedly sounds very good. They also have biocellulose driver which is uncommon at this price range with the expection of CAL!.

My personal favorite for good build quality is Masters & dynamic mh40. What is not metal is covered in authentic leather. At $399 it is pricey but but luckily second hand prices are quite tolerable. Equally gorgeus on-ear version is a bit cheaper.

My favorite on-ear and portable regardless of wear type is kef m500. I prefer kef's sound over mh40, b&w p7, Solo 2, momentum over ear, oppo pm3, ML mikros 90, focal Pro&classic etc. I have not yet heard audeze sine or any of the b&o headphones.

Frame that goes around the pleather covered cups is magnesium so it is like 60% metal even If The cups are not. Sony used magnesium on on sa-5000 and mdr-fi. Those are also lovely metal headphones but expensive+discontinued. Kef cost about $200 and are worth every penny imo

Other metal headphones that come to mind are aedle and California headphones. Msur n350 is not a metal headphone but uses wood for cups. Headband and hinges are metal. Priced at only $60 it deserves to be mentioned. I have the fullsize version n550 which is excellent. N350 has the same beryllium coated drivers so it is very likely that n350 also sounds better than anything by beats. Wood, metal, beryllium coated drivers, $60.

 

[MICHAELSD]

What other on-ear headphones have you compared beats with?

I had beats Solo 2 for a while. Comfortable and good sounding headphones but easily surpassed by kef m500 and (modded) Martin Logan mikros 90.

Also how do you people who enjoy beats feel about the build quality per dollar spent? Imo it is a travesty to charge $199 for a headphone that has build quality and materials equal to $10 headphones. For less than $30 one can buy headphones made entirely out of metal. For that reason I would never consider beats good value.

I was quite impressed with the build quality of the Solo3. I think it definitely lives up to the sale price I paid. It’s a high-quality plastic build. Definitely feels closer to $199 than $10 headphone’s. Plastic isn’t all bad in headphones as it reduces the weight.

To be fair the only other on-ear headphone I’ve tried is the Audeze Sine which is another league above the Beats but I’m so satisfied with the Solo3 and the reviews I’ve read that I can’t imagine there are many better on-ear headphones. Somebody who dislikes a bass tilt may prefer a different pair though.

 

[MICHAELSD]

The Beats EP was a step in the right direction as it has an Apple-like aluminum build and builds upon the Solo3 to produce a more detailed sound without a bass bias. All for under $99 typically.

I actually enjoy on-ear headphones so I’d be willing to try more but paired with the W1 chip the Solo3 is still a great buy that makes me skeptical to try more. If I wanted a wired pair I’d re-buy the Audeze Sine.

 

[vantt1]

First that comes to mind is dick Smith premium headphones. They sound better than average for inexpensive headphones but are not anything spectacular. There are dozen rebrands. Most priced between $20-50. I think pioneers version is most well known. Here is a picture of rock muma version.
Another headphone that surprised me with it's build quality is Marley ttr. Allmost everything is metal even the baffle! Plastic parts are covered in pleather which is also nice. Earpads are advertised as genuine leather. This is how you build a proper $299 fashion headphone! At current $35 price it is worth trying out. Sound is pretty good on active mode.

Then there is meizu hd50. About $50-60 and supposedly sounds very good. They also have biocellulose driver which is uncommon at this price range with the expection of CAL!.

My personal favorite for good build quality is Masters & dynamic mh40. What is not metal is covered in authentic leather. At $399 it is pricey but but luckily second hand prices are quite tolerable. Equally gorgeus on-ear version is a bit cheaper.

My favorite on-ear and portable regardless of wear type is kef m500. I prefer kef's sound over mh40, b&w p7, Solo 2, momentum over ear, oppo pm3, ML mikros 90, focal Pro&classic etc. I have not yet heard audeze sine or any of the b&o headphones.

Frame that goes around the pleather covered cups is magnesium so it is like 60% metal even If The cups are not. Sony used magnesium on on sa-5000 and mdr-fi. Those are also lovely metal headphones but expensive+discontinued. Kef cost about $200 and are worth every penny imo

Other metal headphones that come to mind are aedle and California headphones. Msur n350 is not a metal headphone but uses wood for cups. Headband and hinges are metal. Priced at only $60 it deserves to be mentioned. I have the fullsize version n550 which is excellent. N350 has the same beryllium coated drivers so it is very likely that n350 also sounds better than anything by beats. Wood, metal, beryllium coated drivers, $60.

I’ve seen the first and last ones on AliExpress before and thought about getting them, but at the time the sellers weren’t able to provide any headphone measurements. Then again, can they be trusted?

I have the Xiaomi Mi Headphones which are all metal and have 50 mm beryllium coated drivers, and they are weird. Sound quality-wise, everything is there - but it lacks depth or impact. I can tell you right now that the Beats Solo2 sound better.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Also @vantt1 reminds me of a good point, I could go through quite a few models just trying to find a better headphone than the Solo3 which I’m already happy with and has solid build quality, a nice design, and unmatched wireless performance — and may not even find a better-sounding on-ear (besides Sine) for my use. I’ve gone down that rabbit hole and have realized that just because it says Beats doesn’t mean an audiophile brand will be automatically better. Solo3 is best-in-class. Let’s deal with it instead of being biased.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I’ve heard several thousand dollars worth of headphones and I still am quite fond of the Solo3. Putting brand names aside, it’s perhaps the most natural-sounding wireless headphone for those that don’t mind some warmth.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Tyll from InnerFidelity literally bought the Solo3 for his retirement in his “ultimate review.” If Beats toned down the bass a tad, I think snobby audiophiles would appreciate the excellent imaging and Total Harmonic Distortion. That may be the Beats EP (haven’t heard it, no reason though) which audiophiles still find reasons to hate even though it’s priced fairly with an aluminum build.

 

[vantt1]

Also @vantt1 reminds me of a good point, I could go through quite a few models just trying to find a better headphone than the Solo3 which I’m already happy with and has solid build quality, a nice design, and unmatched wireless performance — and may not even find a better-sounding on-ear (besides Sine) for my use. I’ve gone down that rabbit hole and have realized that just because it says Beats doesn’t mean an audiophile brand will be automatically better. Solo3 is best-in-class. Let’s deal with it instead of being biased.

Another point I would like to make about the Xiaomi Mi Headphones; there are many other aspects which make daily use a bit cumbersome. First of all the cable is the exact length and the inline remote is the exact shape/position to get caught on anything and everything. Granted, the quality of the cable is much better than that of Beats', with braided insulation and an aluminum remote and jacks. But in the event that I need to replace it I'm sure to have an immensely difficult time finding a replacement, because the Y-cable terminates in a 2.5 mm jack on the headphone end. From memory the only other brand to do this is SOL Republic, and their cables are perpetually out of stock. The headband is too tight for prolonged use and the on-ear cushions are not soft enough. The supra-aural cushions are comfortable but sound quality noticeably suffers, with even more sound leakage than before. They are large but not plush enough to provide a good seal around the ear at the top and bottom. And don't get me started about the foam cushions.

I much prefer to use my Solo2's for daily use because its headband is not too tight but not too loose, and the cushions are perfectly plush to provide a good seal without feeling stuffy. And while I do know its inline remote is fragile, I use them wirelessly most of the time and it's easy to get the cable covered under warranty/buy a replacement.

Tyll from InnerFidelity literally bought the Solo3 for his retirement in his “ultimate review.” If Beats toned down the bass a tad, I think snobby audiophiles would appreciate the excellent imaging and Total Harmonic Distortion. That may be the Beats EP (haven’t heard it, no reason though) which audiophiles still find reasons to hate even though it’s priced fairly with an aluminum build.

S T A I N L E S S S T E E L