Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)SHORT VERSION: Highly recommended. Great audio quality for on-ear headphones. Highly portable and convenient to store. More comfortable than most on-ear cans. Works great as a headset for both the iPhone 3GS and iPad.
LONG VERSION: The Beats by Dr Dre Solo HD (RED) headphones are exactly what I expected: high-quality, portable on-ear headphones with an above average mic. At the time of writing, the only other review on Amazon gives these a 3-star rating and compares the headphones to the Beats by Dr. Dre Studio edition over-the-ear headphones. The problem with that is the two headphones serve completely different purposes. The "Studio" edition headphones are meant primarily for audiophiles who aren't going to be wearing them on the bus/subway or walking around the city, as--like the name suggests--they're studio headphones which are meant for stationary audio consumption (generally indoors). By contrast, the "Solo" line is just the opposite. While they're not nearly as portable as in-ear headphones like those that come with the iPhone or , they make listening to music during a commute on the bus/subway much more tolerable than the tinny sound that you get from the baseline Apple headset. If I were looking to buy a pair of stationary audio consumption headphones, I'd be buying a pair of over-the-ear (or on-ear powered) headphones. Now that I'm done ranting about the previous review, let me give you my take on the Beats by Dr Dre Solo HD (RED):
My Use Case: I commute from around the Haight in San Francisco to around 2nd and Market with about 10 minutes of walking and about 20 minutes on the bus. I am an audiophile tech geek who rarely is not listening to music either on my iPhone, iPad, or Macbook Pro; if I am without one of those three devices, it probably means I'm not interested in listening to music, or I'm at a concert, so take into account that 1) I am an Apple fanboy who is willing to pay a little extra for high-quality products and good design aesthetics, and 2) I commute approximately 10-12 hours a week.
My Previous Cans: My previous on-ear headphones are the Grado SR125s, which I replaced because 1) they don't have a mic, 2) the cord is too long, 3) one of the cans now has a slight bit of static from an unfortunate fall off my desk. If it weren't for points 1 and 2, I'd likely have just gotten those again and continued swapping them out with my iPhone headset every time I needed to answer the phone or make a call. I'm very glad that I investigated on-ear cans that have both a mic and remote on the wire, as I would have likely never considered these headphones without those features mostly because of the higher cost. It should also be noted that SR225s (which are roughly the same price as the Beats by Dr Dre Solo HD) sound slightly better than the Beats but are not nearly as portable and lack the mic/remote.
- Price vs Quality (5 stars): These headphones are expensive. There's no denying that. You pay a premium for Dr. Dre's name, the Monster brand, and the fact that a portion of the sale is donated to charity; however, the fact is that my previous pair of on-ear headphones (the SR125s) were about $60 cheaper, but they did not sound as good, were not nearly as convenient of a product, and were significantly less stylish (if you care about that sort of thing).
- Audio Quality (4 stars): They're not over-the-ear headphones and there is no powered noise reduction, so the music will be slightly less crisp (especially on softer/higher music) and there will be slightly more noise (but not much, especially if you listen to music at a "moderate" volume [i.e. 50% on the iPhone/iPad's Headphones volume meter] like I do). When I'm listening to music on these, I cannot hear people talking to me. With my previous pair, I was often having to turn the volume up to drown out the noise if listening to podcasts or softer music. Now, I don't have to do so. The complaint that these headphones have a "muddy" sound is the same complaint that every pair of headphones that aren't over-the-ear headphones get when someone who is used to over-the-ear headphones reviews them. The Beats Solo (not HD) admittedly did suffer a bit moreso with this problem than most on-ear headphones, but the Beats Solo HD (RED) seem to have corrected this slight issue. If Audio Quality is the sole motivator for your headphones and you're looking to spend $200, you may want to look into over-the-ear headphones instead, as similarly priced over-the-ear headphones will provide a noticeably better Audio Quality.
- Portability (5 stars): This is one of the two features that drew me to this product (the other is the mic/remote that is compatible with my iPhone 3GS and iPad). The fact that the headphones break down separately into the cans and the wire combined with the folding capability of the cans makes these headphones invaluable if you want a pair of on-ear headphones you can easily stow when you get to work or at a function where it would be improper to be wearing cans on your head or around your neck. The little pouch that is bundled with them simply sweetens the deal, as these would get 5 stars in Portability regardless of an included pouch.
- Built Quality (4 stars): While I've only had the headphones for a couple of months, there is no difference in the paint job, the padding, or any of the other components that can often deteriorate with frequent use. It does get one star removed because the band does feel a bit brittle by comparison to previous headphones that I have owned, and I feel like I need to be more careful with them because of it. I haven't had any problems so far, but if you're expecting to be rough on your cans, you may want to look elsewhere.
- Comfort (4 stars): Compared to my previous pairs, these are just a bit above average. I don't think I'd want to wear these all day, every day, as the fit is a little bit tighter than I'd like it to be, I don't notice it during my normal use case (~35-50 minutes of use at a time). The band's tightness has loosened up a bit over the last couple of months of use, so now I'd be more willing to wear them for longer periods of time than during the breaking in period. I wear a size 7-7.5 hat, which is pretty big, so I've had this issue with most headphones. The ear padding, on the other hand, has not changed at all and is significantly better than all previous cans I've owned.
- Style (5 stars): I love red. I won't lie that when I see items by PRODUCT(RED), I smile. It isn't a driving factor in my purchases, but it definitely is a consideration. These cans are sleek, polished, and very attractively designed products. They're definitely an eye-catching accessory both because of their color and the overall look.
- Microphone Quality (4 stars): This was an important part of my decision to get these headphones. My Apple iPhone headset has always treated me very well as a microphone (although it has always lacked as headphones). Before purchasing, I did a side-by-side comparison recording voice notes with the two microphones (as well as a Bluetooth wireless headset). The Solo HD (RED) headphones produced easily the best quality recording, but the volume was a bit lower than I expected because the placement of the microphone is a little bit higher up and further off to the side than the Apple microphone (the Bluetooth wireless headset sounded like crap by comparison to both so I won't bother comparing it). This form factor decision is the main reason that it gets 4 stars. The other reason is because I've had better sounding microphones from V-moda on their in-ear headsets.
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Product Description:
High Definition Sound Anywhere You Want ItCommitted to giving music enthusiasts the best in sonic performance, Beats Solo HD gives you a high definition sound experience. Our advanced proprietary titanium coated driver technology provides ultra precise highs and mids, plus deep, distortion-free bass, so you hear every detail, the way the artist intended you to hear it.Solo HD (RED)MAKING A DIFFERENCE THROUGH MUSICBeats Solo HD (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition headphones allow you to listen to great music while also helping to eliminate AIDS in Africa. The Beats family is committed to help stop the spread of this devastating virus. When you buy Beats Solo HD (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition headphones, Monster gives a portion of the proceeds directly to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa. THE GLOBAL FUND IS SAVING LIVESIn sub-Saharan Africa, over 3,800 people die every day from AIDS and more than 1,000 children are infected daily with HIV. Contributions from the sale of the Beats SOLO HD(PRODUCT) RED Special Edition headphones help fund treatment for those living with HIV in Africa. It can cost as little as 40 cents to buy the two pills a day that someone living with HIV needs to stay alive. (RED), The Global Fund and the contribution from this purchase can help make that treatment available to those who need it.Buy (BEATS)RED Save Lives.Monster, (RED)TM, and the entire Beats family sincerely thank you for your purchase.
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