Hands-On with Beats Solos by Monster
Beats Solos are the latest in the popular Beats by Dr. Dre headphone
line by Monster. While they appear to
simply be a smaller version of the Beats Studio model, there are a number of
distinctions that separate the two models in significant ways.
First and foremost, the Solos are a commuter’s over-ear headphone. In addition to the built-in Control Talk feature (making them compatible for use with media playing phones), the Solos are significantly smaller and lighter weight than the Studios, which is a nice change. As great as the Studios sound, their size eats up a lot of space in a backpack, even when collapsed. The Solos, on the other hand, collapse into a smaller package and, due to their smaller profile, fit more comfortably if worn around the neck.
Another change intended to benefit people using these headphones on the go is that the Solos are powered entirely by the device they are attached to, meaning that there is never a need to change a battery. Having listened to these through an iPod and a Blackberry, I can say that both devices had no trouble powering the surprisingly robust speakers.
If there is a downside to the Solos construction versus the Studios, it would be that the ear-cups do not isolate noise as well on the Solos. The padding is comfortable and does a fair amount to block out ambient noise, but street noise and conversation still float in. This, however, is probably intentional on the part of Monster, considering that these headphones are meant to be used in situations where complete noise isolation would be a bit of a danger.
Solos are available in black and white and have much of the same aesthetic as the Studios – so much so, in fact, that they can be easy to confuse.
But, of course, the ultimate question is how do they sound? In particular, how do they compare against the Beats Studio model?
For my initial reference song, I chose to listen to “Feel Good Inc.” by the Gorrilaz. The Studio model had a deep bass that managed to be powerful without being muddy. The mids and highs were still there, crisp and clean. As I listened to the Studios, I started to think that it might be an unfair comparison for the Solos – They sound that good.
When I listened to the same track with the Solos, the first thing I noticed was that they were just not as loud – which is to be expected when comparing them against powered cans. The next thing I noticed, though, was that the bass was not as present – but not in a bad way. The mix seemed more balanced through the smaller speakers and, while the song was exactly the same, the slight change in levels transformed the track. The mids and highs were replicated in much the same way between the two models, but the bass was significantly different.
It appears that the Solos are a great option unless you are trying to rattle out your own fillings. They deliver a lot of quality for the price point and provide an over-ear alternative for commuting music lovers.
Beats Solos are currently available for $179.95 from Amazon.com
discount air jordan 1 shoes onlines sales on February 27, 2010 at 12:19 AM
You may have not intended to do so, but I think you have managed to express the state of mind that a lot of people are in. cheap air jordan 22 shoes http://www.nikejordanshoes2sell.com/ The sense of wanting to help, but not knowing how or where, is something a lot of us are going through.
france wholesale dropshippers on February 09, 2011 at 03:01 AM
Great development in headphones technology, the sound becoming good by time, nowadays 3d and sound with bass comes in almost all new head phones.
Brad Hidden on June 22, 2011 at 01:03 AM
headphone is best product of solo i like it .