Professional’s Score
Execs
- Wonderful Apple & Android assist
- Nice battery life
- USB-C and three.5mm audio assist
Cons
- No ANC
- Design is dated
- No on-ear detection
Our Verdict
It’s been too lengthy since Beats up to date its extra reasonably priced on-ear Solo headphones, and whereas there are many enhancements on this model it appears like a missed alternative to actually push the class ahead. A dated design and “simply okay” sound make this a superb purchase on sale, however not at full worth.
Value When Reviewed
$199
Greatest Costs Immediately: Beats Solo 4
The Beats Solo 3 have been launched in late 2016, and seven.5 years is unquestionably too lengthy to attend for a refresh of the “reasonably priced” on-ear mannequin of one of many world’s hottest headphone manufacturers.
As you’ll anticipate, rather a lot has modified. Gone is the traditional Apple W1 chip in favor of a proprietary expertise platform that helps numerous trendy options for each Apple and Android gadgets. Sound high quality is improved and the battery lasts 25 % longer.
However they nonetheless appear like Beats, and sound like Beats, and do little or no to maneuver the model or class ahead. There’s nothing improper with the Solo 4 headphones—they’re good. However with such a protracted hole from the prior mannequin, they solely simply meet expectations fairly than surpass or redefine them.
Usual Beats appear and feel
Beats headphones have a sure look. The colourful plastic, lowercase “b” emblem on all sides, and the final form of the earpieces. Once you see somebody carrying Beats, you realize it.
Having stated that, the brand new Solo 4 appear and feel just a bit too acquainted. Exterior of the brand new Slate Blue and Cloud Pink colours, you’d be hard-pressed to acknowledge this mannequin from the one designed nearly 8 years in the past, with out taking a detailed take a look at the ports.
Foundry
I don’t anticipate Beats to desert its design solely, but it surely’s time for a refresh, and the thought that we is likely to be caught with this similar appear and feel for the subsequent seven years makes me cringe.
As with the Solo 3, I discover the headphones don’t fairly contract sufficiently small for my small head, and simply a few millimeters much less headband on all sides could be extra comfy. The earpads are gentle sufficient however the spring stress makes the strain somewhat uncomfortable after lengthy listening intervals once I put on my glasses. That’s a typical downside with on-ear headphones and one more reason why I desire over-the-ear cans.
Foundry
As earlier than, the Beats Solo 4 fold as much as match into somewhat carry bag. In actual fact, the bag is sort of similar to that of the Beats Studio Pro. I needed to do a detailed side-by-side comparability to substantiate that the Solo 4’s bag is only a tiny bit smaller.
They arrive with a USB-C cable and three.5mm audio cable, however no energy adapter.
New options
In fact, we might anticipate the Solo 4 to have a giant replace to their characteristic set after nearly 8 years, they usually do. That is true for Apple customers, who get personalised spatial audio with head monitoring and hands-free “Hey Siri” assist along with all of the older stuff (one-touch pairing, iCloud pairing, and Discover My assist).
The transfer away from Apple’s W1 chip to Beats’ a lot newer electronics now helps Google Quick Pair, cloud pairing together with your Google account, Discover My Machine and multi-point pairing for seamless audio switching.
Beats hasn’t modified the best way you management the Solo 4, although. There’s an influence button on the underside of the fitting earpiece (no on-ear detection means it’s a must to energy them on and off by hand), and the left earpiece has a giant button the place the “b” emblem is that’s used for play/pause/ahead/reverse and to set off the voice assistant. Urgent above or beneath that button adjustments the amount.
Gone is the annoying micro-USB plug in favor of USB-C. You’ll be glad to understand it’s not only for charging, too. The Solo 4 helps USB-C audio output and enter, and might even cost and play USB-C audio on the similar time. Over USB-C or 3.5mm you possibly can take heed to lossless audio, even (not that the sound copy of those headphones is anyplace near adequate to inform).
Foundry
All this and higher battery life, too. Beats claims 50 hours of battery life, up 25% from the Solo 3. I actually haven’t had lengthy sufficient listening classes to confirm that, however modest drop in battery life over a number of days of testing makes me assume it’s an affordable declare. It’s simply implausible battery life, sufficient to take you thru a complete weekend journey with out plugging in.
In fact, that’s partly as a result of the Solo 4 presents no energetic noise cancellation, and ANC is what actually stresses battery life in trendy headphones and earbuds.
Mid-tier sound for a mid-tier product
That’s proper, there’s no ANC, which is simply barely on the cusp of acceptable for $200 wi-fi headphones lately. It’s a characteristic that’s quickly turning into anticipated on all however the least expensive earbuds and headphones, and the worth of the Solo 4 is true about the place you would possibly begin to anticipate it. Any extra they usually’d have to have ANC.
Beats says they’ve accomplished rather a lot to enhance the acoustics, reducing distortion, tuning output, and bettering voice name high quality with higher microphones. It’s undoubtedly a step up from the Beats Solo 3, but it surely’s 2024 and we anticipate extra.
Foundry
However the sound high quality is what I might solely think about good for this worth vary, not nice. Nothing is means out of stability or something like that, there’s only a normal lack of crispness and punch to all of it.
To a point that may be anticipated from on-ear headphones, which don’t have the bigger diaphragms of over-the-ear fashions or the tight in-ear match of earbuds. In a tune like OK Go’s “This Too Shall Go,” they only can’t sustain with the booming bass, which as an alternative sounds somewhat mushy. The brilliant mids on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s “Tin Pan Alley” are crisp and clear, however a “crank all of it to 11” steel tune like “Kickstart My Coronary heart” begins to lose readability in a few of the devices.
Must you purchase Beats Solo 4?
None of these items are dealbreakers, not in a $200 pair of wi-fi headphones. Nevertheless it’s not spectacular, both. It’s simply…wonderful. Good, even. However not nice. That’s not very a lot enjoyable to jot down about, however some issues are simply good, and the Beats Solo 4 matches the invoice.
On the $200 worth, they’re solely a superb purchase for those who’re in love together with your getting old Solo 3 headphones and have been dying to replace them. For everybody else, look forward to a sale. The Beats Solo 4 are inoffensive on the checklist worth, however a steal at $150 or much less. When you’re prepared to spend somewhat extra, you’ll get much more out of the Beats Studio Pro. When you’re prepared to attend, the Beats Solo 4 shall be a terrific purchase by Black Friday.