It's now easy to find the Beats range displayed in shops, most notably the Apple stores. Monster seems to have enough confidence in Beats to let people try before they buy, but is this anything more than just appearances? The last time I went into an Apple store I saw people crowding around the Beats line, while the Sennheiser Momentum (to name but one superb sounding headphone) was left ignored, directly opposite.
Being the cheapest of the Beats line, the Solo model has always been the most popular. This has now been mostly replaced by the Solo HD, which was a slight improvement, but is essentially the same model with a 'cool' new name. Beats' flagship 'Studio' model is a better headphone still, but it too is cleverly named to make people believe it's better than it really is. It's not actually used in any recording studios for a start. Active noise cancelling is not a feature needed or wanted in a studio.
OK, let's get back on track, on to the sound quality in detail for the Solo...
The sound signature of the Solo is dark, the bass being the most bold feature. The midrange is rather recessed and the treble is very lacking. There was a general feeling of listening to music in a tunnel and this wasn't a subtle sensation. Detail rendition is downright terrible throughout the frequencies, any subtlety that was in the music is lost here. There is often a feeling of mushy, muddled and splashy sounds where instruments used to be. All this culminated in a sound that was dull, lifeless and even distressing when compared to other headphones in this price range.
The bass has weight, but this is not going to impress many bass-heads, certainly none who've heard any other headphones in this price range. This is bass in it's worst form, by that I mean: muddy, woolly, flabby, bloated - every word you've ever heard used to describe bad bass - it's just not enough to illustrate the complete mess the Solo displays. It has a little deep bass, but most of the effect is relegated to the upper bass. This is not good in general, but the upper bass of the Solo is not a pleasant experience.
The midrange is muddied by the bass, it's also noticeably recessed behind it and the lack of detail only compounds this undesirable aspect. The soundstage is below average, not very wide, mostly lacking in depth, but this was still mostly destroyed by poor detail rendition and messy instrument separation. Isolation is certainly the Solo's strongest point. The soft pads are just the right size to get a very good seal. Normally I would say this is a good thing, well it is, but I'm just not convinced this is a sound that you'll want stuck in your head.
AMPLIFICATION
Power wise the Solo drives easily from portables and my smartphone was loud at the default setting, which doesn't happen often. I stress that I'm purely talking about volume here and not quality. Portables obviously gave the lowest audio quality, compared to dedicated and powered amplification, but that's not saying a lot. Amping the Solo isn't really necessary, it will gain a little coherence, but it's not a solution for any of it's shortcomings. Any money you could spend on additional amplification would be better spent on another set of headphones.
The Noontec Zoro (review coming soon) is essentially a legitimate copy of the Solo. It has been made in a similar external style, but has considerably better drivers, much more robust joints / build and still manages to have a cost only one third of the Solo's. This is what happens when companies like Monster clearly don't care about customer satisfaction and value. The audio quality of the Zoro is far, far superior to the Solo. The joints and folding mechanism feel much nicer too. The pads, isolation and materials are not quite as slick however, but you have to remember this is nearly 70% cheaper than the Beats equivalent!
The Solo HD is better than the original Solo, but it's really not a lot better and the fake copies still manage to eclipse this headphone's audio quality. If you got duped by some questionable eBay seller, while trying to get a bargain on your Beats purchase, the chances are you're in possession of superior audio quality. I know this sounds like a joke, but this was told to me by someone who used to sell official Beats headphones in his shop. I haven't heard any fake Beats myself, but my experience with the Zoro leads me to believe that it's entirely possible.
So where should you put your money if you do want to spend this much on a portable, fashion headphone? Actually this's an easy one, firmly on the top of your list should be the V-Moda M-80. This headphone doesn't fold up, but here ends the things you don't get with this beast of a street headphone. Here's what you do get: Killer styling, customisable metal shields (which you can put your own artwork on), military grade build quality, two kevlar cables with buttons and a mic and a hard case. What did I forget? Oh yeah the sound quality. The bass is weighty without being bloated, the midrange is great and full of detail, while the treble sparkles without being harsh. For more info on this headphone click the link on it's name (above), but just a quite note: I chose this headphone for it's audio quality alone over the famous 'Sennheiser HD25-1 II'. Now this is how you make a fashion headphone!!
MUSIC
Here are some individual music tracks and how I felt the Solo coped with them. Most tracks were listened to in CD format with lossless compression. Some were in HD format (24bit / 96khz, lossless compression). All tracks were also tested on Spotify at the maximum quality available.
- Vex Red: "Can't Smile" - The vocals sound recessed here, which is unusual because it's normally quite forward. The drum beats sound very soft and undefined.
- Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog: "Next Episode" - There is a little sense of imaging from the background vocals, but it should be more obvious than this. The tunnel effect was rather evident here too, especially when the bass picks up.
- Edit: "If You Crump Stand Up" - The darkness seems to work quite well on this track. I can see how these cans stand up better to heavy bass Electronic music. When music is as dynamic as this a sense of it does still come through. With good amplification here I managed to ramp up the volume quite far to reasonable effect. Since the treble is so lacking this didn't produce much initial fatigue, but the bass will eventually get on your nerves. The main issues with this headphone are still evident, even here. This is pretty bad considering how forgiving this music is with poor quality technicalities in headphones. All this track needs to shine is big, decently defined bass, but it just doesn't deliver.
- Stevie Ray Vaughan: "Little Wing" - The coolness of the guitar is coming through a little but the rendering is still too soft. The pace is lacking and it's unable to get the right sense of aggressive attack from instruments.
- Radiohead: "Paranoid Android" - All the instruments seem congested here, at times almost completely blending together. The guitar feels so bloated that I can hardly hear where the notes are being struck. When the pace of the guitar goes up it's just a huge mess, it goes from mushy to splashy. The vocals are are also blending into the background noise.
- Queen: "Bohemian Rhapsody" - The imaging of the initial vocals is apparent but rather messy. The clean mastering of this track means the vocals are easier to differentiate, but all the instruments are so congested the tunnel effect is back with a vengeance It's hard to get much sense from the soundstage in general so when there is some it feels quite frustrating.
This is an area which I expected the Solo to redeem itself, if only a bit. I'd assumed there was a reason for the Solo's high price tag underneath it's basic shell, but the more I look, the harder it is to justify. The build is not totally awful, but it is a let down and even quite rough at a glance. Moving parts (the folding mechanism and the arm adjustments) feel weak and loose. The rubber on the underside of the headband is more interested in aesthetics than function. When the headband flexes there are audible creaking noises as the two materials rub against each other. Although this doesn't happen much in general operation it's still not a great sign and doesn't feel very well considered.
The folding mechanism may not be the best piece of engineering or use of materials. It does allow them to fit into a nice small soft-case, but I would prefer to see a hard case considering the average build quality.
COMFORT
The fake leather cups are quite soft, but like any small (supraaural) headphone, the Solo is not the most comfortable while being worn. I lasted about 30 minutes before needing to take them off. It's light weight and clamping force help keep the pain levels down for as long as possible. While being worn around the neck it's very friendly indeed and this is perfect for those who bought the Solo as a fashion accessory.
FINAL WORDS
The Solo styling may not be for me, but I can see why people want to wear them. The folding mechanism feels a bit weak, but it's a nice feature, as is the removable cable. The fact that you get two cables (Apple + Normal) and a soft case is also a nice touch.
It's just a shame then that the audio quality doesn't match up to the marketing promise. This is quite possibly the worst pair of headphones that I've ever heard. I seriously think you'd be able to find better by grabbing a random pair of headphones from your local supermarket. Honestly, I have nothing against any brand being popular, if they're actually good, but they do have to try and it's clear that Monster don't. What' worse is they don't seem to respect their customers. Neglecting a headphones sound quality as much as this is simply abusive.
The Beats brand (the Solo model in particular) has seen a lot of negative attention on forums lately too. The knowledge of Beats lacking audio quality and poor value seems to be spreading far and wide, but is it having a huge effect on their target audience? Many seem happy to buy them purely as a fashion statement (and that's fine). However, there will always be some who assume they have good quality audio because they see so many around. To all the disgruntled ex-owners of Beats who were fooled by the marketing nonsense surrounding this abysmal product - I hope you find peace in some quality headphones and never touch this brand again because what they did to you is unforgivable!
EQUIPMENT USED
Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, iPhone4, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Fostex HP-A3, Arcam rPAC, V-Moda M-80, V-Moda M-100, Noontec Zoro, RHA CA200
It's just a shame then that the audio quality doesn't match up to the marketing promise. This is quite possibly the worst pair of headphones that I've ever heard. I seriously think you'd be able to find better by grabbing a random pair of headphones from your local supermarket. Honestly, I have nothing against any brand being popular, if they're actually good, but they do have to try and it's clear that Monster don't. What' worse is they don't seem to respect their customers. Neglecting a headphones sound quality as much as this is simply abusive.
The Beats brand (the Solo model in particular) has seen a lot of negative attention on forums lately too. The knowledge of Beats lacking audio quality and poor value seems to be spreading far and wide, but is it having a huge effect on their target audience? Many seem happy to buy them purely as a fashion statement (and that's fine). However, there will always be some who assume they have good quality audio because they see so many around. To all the disgruntled ex-owners of Beats who were fooled by the marketing nonsense surrounding this abysmal product - I hope you find peace in some quality headphones and never touch this brand again because what they did to you is unforgivable!
EQUIPMENT USED
Desktop PC, Dell Vosto Laptop, iPhone4, Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Fostex HP-A3, Arcam rPAC, V-Moda M-80, V-Moda M-100, Noontec Zoro, RHA CA200
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