Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones Review - Few brands of headphones have achieved popularity and consumer adoption as quickly as Monster's Beats by Dre series. We recently purchased our own pair of the Beats' Studio Edition headphones to tell you if these are merely marketing fluff or the "real deal."
 
This is my first pair of cans with closed cups...... HD 202 II

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826106508

For the price I am sure they give the $300 pair a run for the money..... only $20-30 bucks....... heck sometimes at $15.00 price point. Since than I have moved on to priceir Sens..... but only so I could get the snap away cord...... my fat ass is always tripping and ripping out the cord from cups. Bah.

I currently keep 2 pairs of HD 518's in the crib. One connected to PC and one to my consoles.
 
So Monster has released another product tall on price but short on performance? I'm so confused! </sarcasm>
 
I especially liked the customer service detail. Why would Monster not want the specs smeared all over the internet? There is only one reason I can think of.

The headphones are cool. Too bad function doesn't seem to measure up to the form/fad.
 
They are jumping on apples bandwagon...shiny looking things for an outrageous price.
 
"You are wasting your money on these unless you find the branding alone to be worth a couple hundred dollars."

I couldn't have summed that up better myself.
 
How the hell is he an "actor"!? The only films they've been in they were playing...themself...:confused:

One part of the review didn't make any sense...

Initially, we were really enjoying the Dubstep tracks we listened to
Click to expand...

Surely this is a mistake :D

also so is this...

$449.95
Click to expand...
:confused:

You could buy 4 sets of MDR-7506 for that...all with better bass...well...better everything. Instead of some crap that you can hardly use. If I was paying 4x the price of reference quality headphones i'd expect at least reference quality...:p

Also...the signs of a good producer/engineer is someone who can make stuff sound good on anything...kind of unsurprising his crap sounds shitty...if this is what he uses...:D
 
Outside of Dre's name being attached I'm not sure why these things even have a cool factor. I think they're fugly looking. The Creative WoW headset is pretty hideous looking, but I think those look a hundred times better than the Beats. I saw the price any my first reaction was "there is no way in hell these things will be worth it". With them being made by Monster it's no surprise that they are over-priced and under perform. The customer service was rather shocking though. You'd think Monster could afford some well trained CS staff with how badly they rip people off.
 
I have the PowerBeats exercise headphones. The sound is really good, but more importantly, I have weird ears and these are the only ones I have found that fit and actually STAY ON when working out. These + ZuneHD=win.
 
And the award for laugh maker of the day goes to..........Aaron.

thank you brother, I needed to laugh.;)
 
Now, the Beats-Headed Sneetches had ears covered with beats.
The Plain-Headed Sneetches had nothing so neat.
The beats weren’t so big. They were really so small.
You might think such a thing wouldn’t matter at all.

But, because they had beats, all the Beats-Headed Sneetches
Would brag, “We’re the best kind of Sneetch on the beaches.”
With their snoots in the air, they would sniff and they’d snort
“We’ll have nothing to do with the Plain-Headed sort!”
And, whenever they met some, when they were out walking,
They’d hike right on past them without even talking.

When the Beats-Headed children went out to play ball,
Could a Plain Headed get in the game? Not at all.
You only could play if your ears had the beats.
And the Plain-Headed children had nothing so neat.

When the Beats-Headed Sneetches had frankfurter roasts
Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts,
They never invited the Plain-Headed Sneetches
They left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches.
They kept them away. Never let them come near.
And that’s how they treated them year after year.

Then ONE day, it seems while the Plain-Headed Sneetches
Were moping and doping alone on the beaches,
Just sitting there wishing their heads had the beats,
A stranger showed up with a marketing plan complete!

“My friends”, he announced in a voice clearer than Bose,
“My name is Dr. Dre, I've banged thousands of ho's.
And I’ve heard of Your troubles. I’ve heard you’re unhappy.
But I can fix that, I’m the Fix-It-Up Chappie.

I’ve come here to help you.
I have what you need.
And my prices are low. And I work with great speed.
And my work is one per cent guaranteed!”

Then, quickly, Dr. Dre with tats so obscene
Put together a very peculiar machine.
And he said, “You want the beats like a Beats-Headed Sneetch?
My friends, you can have them for three hundred dollars each!”
 
You guys surprised? I have never seen anything of quality coming from the Monster brand.

Grado SR325 FTW. :)
 
Check out a pair of Phiaton headphones sometime, I've got a pair of the MS400s and they're freakin' awesome in comparison to the Beats. More bass than Sennheisers typically have, little less high-end treble, perfect for DJing or if you're looking for a bit more boom in your shooters.
 
I had an inexpensive pair of Sennheiser headphones (~$40) that, despite their price, had great sound. Plastic and bereft of a lot of fluff, they were still sturdy and comfortable.

So I bought a pair of high-end Sennheiser HD 600s because of high ratings and having a balanced sound. Currently $320 at Amazon. They ooze quality and workmanship and would probably stomp all over the Beats for only $20 or $70 more.

I'm sure the headphones listed by others are also great.

P.S., Draygonn wins the internets for the day. Sneetches on Beaches is about the best Dr. Seuss out there.
 
Boggles the mind how anyone would buy these over a similarly priced (or even at half the cost) set of senns or grados.
 
Monster and Bose are reviled by the audiophile community for a reason.

Both advertise their products as the pinnacle of high quality audio. In reality, their products produce poor audio quality given the prices that they charge. I can only imagine why they refuse to release specifications.
 
You guys messed up your monster math. You gotta remember to divide by five (if it's a cable, you divide by five²) to calculate their inflated price. For example, $450 / 5 = $90. So you could have probably found a better comparison model by searching in the $75-$150 range ;)

These (Beats) sale simply because of the looks. The only thing lacking is the Apple logo with that regard. I've asked people why on earth they bought them and they said "because they were the best looking", they didn't care that a headphone 1/4th the price had much better sound. It's a status item.
 
For that same $300 I can think of three different sets I would have rather bought. Then you and two of your friends could have had a better listening experience.

My rule with audio, if there is something of better quality for less money, then go by that. For $300+ you can get some damn fine headphones.
 
Marketed by Monster Cable guys tells you all you need to know.

I went a search for over the ear headphones a few years back and tried many models locally (Sony, Sennheiser, Audo-Technica).

The best sounding bang/buck were Lowly Koss R80. These were a closed back design that didn't have boomy annoying bass. They sounded clean and sharp, there were the best I heard of anything I auditioned, but they were poorly constructed and the plastic eventually snapped just putting them on one day.

I have yet to find any bang/buck headphone worthy of replacing them. I don't think there is any reason that great sounding headphones need to cost more than $99. I just laugh when I see $300 fashion headphones under the "Monster" brand.
 
For a similar sounding headphone I would recommend the Denon Ah-D2000.

The sound signature is not too different and cheaper (~$225-250), has better seperation and extension in the bass department, less sibilance/brightness, more durable, same comfort w/ less sound leakage, and next to no resonance on the earcups during heavy playback. Only draw back is that it isn't as stylish and can't fold up.
 
THANK YOU [H]. I really love that you test the customer service, as this is extremely important to me when I make decisions. When plopping down a good amount of cash on a new GPU I usually do this myself to decide which company I like best. But I LOVE that you include this in your evaluations.
 
Interesting- I had obviously heard of beats, but had no idea they were such the hot item with da kidz. Not surprising to find they are all fluff and little substance.

Apparently, according to an article in WSJ today, HTC is on the train though. They are buying the beats brand.
 
I think it needs to be said that for anyone interested in purchasing and using 24/7 headphones that the risks of getting tinnitus is much, much higher, especially when you're looking at getting some expensive audiophile-grade headphones. I decided to buy some very expensive reference quality headphones at around $700 (Denon ADH-7000)and it took me about two weeks to develop tinnitus in my right ear from normal listening volumes. The bass drivers in these headphones and other sources channel a lot of energy directly into the ear canal that does not get there the way speakers do. When getting into the realm of expensive headphones they are not meant for all-day listening like speakers and it is very easy to permanently damage your hearing. If you don't know what tinnitus is, its permanent ringing in the ears that usually very debilitating and results from a damaged inner ear (hair cells in cochlea) and currently incurable. With headphones, it is very easy to get this condition if you are not very, very, very careful. Expensive headphones with more powerful components will further increase this risk.
 
@PoopsMacClaude

Yes, you can damage your ears with headphones, and more easily than with speakers. But no, more expensive headphones do not increase this risk when listened to at the same volume.

My favourite headphones are the AKG 271 MkIIs. Their MSRP is $269 but you can find them on sale for about $100 less than that (I think I got my set for about $180). I haven't heard the headphones in question but I'd be shocked if they managed to sound even close to as good as my AKGs.

There are lots of great headphones out there - models by Sennheiser and Denon mentioned in this thread are certainly worth listening to (though Denons tend to be overpriced IMO). Even Sony makes some very solid headphones in the $50-150 range (the MDR-V600 is the best closed headphone I've heard in the $60-$80 price range - it's an excellent buy).

So yeah. Balls to Monster.
 
hyperion0101 said:
Monster and Bose are reviled by the audiophile community for a reason.

Both advertise their products as the pinnacle of high quality audio. In reality, their products produce poor audio quality given the prices that they charge. I can only imagine why they refuse to release specifications.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it any better.
 
Stick with my Beyerdynamics any day.

Not paying $400 for some crappy Bose/Dr.Dre/Monster Cable branded kid BS.
 
colinstu said:
Stick with my Beyerdynamics any day.

Not paying $400 for some crappy Bose/Dr.Dre/Monster Cable branded kid BS.
Click to expand...



We are like an internet/home phone/cable deal. We just saved you a bundle!

;)
 
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Why buy those when you can get ADH700s for $89 on Amazon? I saw many people wearing Beats and noticed numerous were broken or missing pieces at university. I'm not quite sure how busted, mediocre, overpriced headphones are a status symbol but I certainly saw them enough to draw the conclusion that they must be.
 
Not sure on the model of my Senn's, but god they sound great, all for $50. Compared them to the dre's beats at BB, 100x better.
 
Did anyone honestly expect any different?

Way too much money goes to marketing (Dre, Monster) to make any halfway decent product.
 
I walked through the park at a large nearby university with these on my head for two hours. I was stopped 22 times during a four mile walk. People said, "Oh cool, Beats! I want those....I hear they're great"

Never heard them, touched them, or listened to them. And they all wanted them.

We had to see why..........

Thanks for reading
 
I have had these for a year now, has my kids got this for my bday last year.

If you are a pedobear, these are worth the price.... all the kids come up to talk about them.

BTW, I agree with the review 100%. The most annoying for me are the leakage, and the battery to listen to music.

But for some reason, there is a bit of cool feeling about them. No it does not make it sound better, but when you are an older person like myself, feeling a bit younger can be worth a couple of bucks ;)
 
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