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

tubular said:
I agree, this product should certainly have it.
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lol this?

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My "old" Sennheiser HD485 set of cans not only cost me significantly less than those Dr.Dre/Monster P.O.S., they sound a LOT better too. Hell even the cheaper HD465 has better frequency response than a piece of s**t Beats headset.

http://www.sennheiserusa.com/media/productDownloads/productSheets/HD485_ProductSheet.pdf

I stopped buying anything made by Monster Cable a long time ago. Their products are overpriced and mediocre at best.
 
I have a friend who bought these despite getting advice to buy Sennheiser, AKG or Beyer Dynamic models with better sound.
He liked the look of the product more than he cared about sound....
 
So are these the Bose of headphones then? Oh wait, i forgot Bose made headphones too .. and they seem reasonably priced compared to these Beats.
 
You want good headphones that are DURABLE? Get a set of AKG K-240 studio headphones. They're practically indestructible, 55 ohm impedance, frequency response of 15Hz to 25,000Hz, and everything sounds like it should. The entire audio range is present, crisp, and clear, and they sound the same after two year's worth of use as they did on day 1. I listen to everything from Gregorian Chants to Rachmaninoff to Slayer in these, as well as using them for gaming and entertainment. As for position, it's a pure, unprocessed stereo signal so everything is always where it should be - left, right, or center on screen. Depending on your sensitivity to sound and how loud you want to listen to things you might need to amplify them since they are 55 ohm, but I have found that running them off a standard stereo output from a PC or portable CD player that they're plenty loud. I do not listen to music so loud that it hurts my ears, and I tested my headphones about 6 months ago using an FM synthesis generator to make sure the frequency range had not degraded. They're not noise canceling or anything fancy and they're not very portable, but they sound excellent and you can wear them and wear them and wear them, plus they have a 10 foot detachable and replaceable cable that fits 1/8" or 1/4" jacks. The 1/4" adapter threads on and both the 1/8" and 1/4" plugs are gold plated. They'll set you back a mere $99. They're made in Austria.

A little background about myself in regards to audio. I can hear the entire frequency range of my headphones from 15Hz to 25,000Hz and I can hear frequencies above this as well. I can detect 1Hz differences in waveforms, for example, a 10000 Hz sine wave vs a 10001 Hz sine wave. I also have what is referred to in music as "perfect pitch". I'm not a musician or audio expert, but I do have excellent hearing and I am very difficult to impress. To date these are the only headphones I have tried that are as close to what I would consider perfect sound, plus you could literally beat Dr. Dre's headphones with them until they shattered and the AKG's wouldn't break.
 
I got my HD650's for $350 brand spankin' new...and they're way better...not sure what else I can say about the subject, just that most other ans mentioned in this thread are also way better. :I
 
Monster is one company that should be investigated for defrauding it's customers with its bogus marketing claims...

One comment about the review, and this worries me a little...

You say "If you are accustomed to a flat EQ setting, we felt the Beats highlighted highs and lows but totally attenuated the mids. We compensated for it with the EQ setting below"

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Now when you look at the screenshot of the EQ, it is setup the completely wrong way. You say the high and lows are to loud, and the midrange is recessed, yet look at the EQ curve, you are making it even worse! That EQ curve should be inverted to reduce the problem which you say that you are having with the frequency responce of these headphones.

But appart from that, great review, and hopefully will stop people with a brain from buying this kind of crap. I would bet a years pay on the fact that "Dr." Dre has never even put these 'phones on his head. I always make a point of never buying anything with a so-called "celebrity" endorsement. Just pure marketing bullshit.

Advice for those with a brain... If you want audiophile headphones, buy Sennheiser or Grado.
 
I bought a pair Studio Beats when they were launched in 2009 based on a glowing from from Which (a UK consumer magazine) who said they were probably the best headphones on the market!!!

Initially I was very happy with the headphones. I tend to listen to mainly Hip-Hop/RnB and Drum & Bass so they were very suited to that kind of music.

After only 6 weeks of VERY careful use, cracks started appearing in the plastic around the screws and also on the headphone itself.

After several emails to Monster customer services, having to sent away my faulty pair at my own cost, I had to wait 6 weeks for a replacement pair, due to stock issues.

After 2 months the second pair started getting cracks in the same places. This time I went back to my original retailer for replacements.

Guess what.............after another 6weeks of use, cracks appeared in the same places in the third pair.

At that point I had enough. I got the fault pair replaced and then sold the new replacements on eBay.
After careful research I decided on a pair of Denon AH-D5000.
http://usa.denon.com/us/product/pag...roductId=9626a80f-b109-4a3e-b9c1-87ef177af929

These headphones are not only beautiful to look at and very comfortable despite their size, the sound quality is out of this world.
They have impedance of 25ohm and a frequency range of 5 - 45,000hz so they not all sound amazing but the low impedance means they are just as happy being driven by a portable device like an iphone as they are if they are linked with a hi-fi amp.
They come with a 3.5mm jack with a 1/4" adapter for hi-fi use.

I don't class myself as an audiophile but I do have a good ear for music and what I listen to sound incredible with these headphones. I have found myself expanding my taste in music to Classical and Opera because the headphones allow to hear instruments and sounds that lesser headphones would pick up.
They have no problem being driven by my iPhone and they work great with PC games or Bluray movies via from Onyko AV amp. They just sound incredible with whatever you throw at them.
I have had them for over a year now and have had ZERO problems.
I would say the only negative is the length of the cable which is 3m long. I have to wrap the cable round my neck like a scarf when I use them when I am out and about :)
They are most expensive at £400 ($600-$700) but they are worth very penny.
I virtually spent days researching the headphones and everywhere I looked they got glowing reviewers, from consumer sites to hardcore audiophile sites.
Their big brother, the AH-D7000 are even better, but at £800 ($999) and with only a 1/4" jack they were not suited to my needs.
 
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I found that only the original Dr.Dre Beats was of some interests when I tried it a while back. The rest of the Monster headphones do not make a striking impression on me, especially with the prices that they command. It is very hard to actually recommend these based on C/P, end of story. Heck, the Bose becomes the lesser evil if you were to choose between the two brand names... (QC15, IE2...)
 
PoopsMacClaude said:
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.
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I use Shure SE530 IEM's with Westone custom ear molds and I believe that they are much safer than anything else I have ever used. The isolation is so good that I can play listen with the volume set as low as 4 even in noisy environments. With earbuds the volume was set at 20 constantly.
 
You are correct. The thumb is correct, the full-size is literally inverted......:D My mistake. We will try to get that corrected.


Stimpy88 said:
Monster is one company that should be investigated for defrauding it's customers with its bogus marketing claims...

One comment about the review, and this worries me a little...

You say "If you are accustomed to a flat EQ setting, we felt the Beats highlighted highs and lows but totally attenuated the mids. We compensated for it with the EQ setting below"

Now when you look at the screenshot of the EQ, it is setup the completely wrong way. You say the high and lows are to loud, and the midrange is recessed, yet look at the EQ curve, you are making it even worse! That EQ curve should be inverted to reduce the problem which you say that you are having with the frequency responce of these headphones.

But appart from that, great review, and hopefully will stop people with a brain from buying this kind of crap. I would bet a years pay on the fact that "Dr." Dre has never even put these 'phones on his head. I always make a point of never buying anything with a so-called "celebrity" endorsement. Just pure marketing bullshit.

Advice for those with a brain... If you want audiophile headphones, buy Sennheiser or Grado.
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mkygod said:
So are these the Bose of headphones then? Oh wait, i forgot Bose made headphones too .. and they seem reasonably priced compared to these Beats.
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I have a set of Bose triports that I got for next to nothing. The only thing they are good for is rap. They so grossly exaggerate the bass that it is not even funny. The interesting thing is that you can mod them by plugging a port or two to eliminate some of the bass. But who want to spend a bunch of money on something to fix it.
 
Ok... one more pair of earphones we can label as a NOT BUY. Just being under the "Monster" name was enough for me... but the review confirms it.

I'm the market to buy a new pair of mid-high end cans, and have to say it's a lot more research than I care for to find something I would consider acceptable. Having a comprehensive list of some kind would be great.
 
I've listened to these things...They suck. But I will give them two positive points, one, the noise cancelling was on par with the Bose product (I hate Bose, but the QuietComforts stuff is pretty good), and the fit was nice. But for sound...any $150 pair of cans will kick the snot out of them.
 
Good review. I agree with most points. Avoid Monster Beats and Bose headphones if you can...both are overpriced for what they provide.

I always like to check out reviews and comparisons on Head-Fi...they helped me get my first pair of good earphones (IEM's) in the Shure E3c way back in 2004 :)

I'll keep rocking with my set up: Audio Technica ATH-M50's + Fiio E7 (DAC/Amp) + Fiio L9 Line Out Dock + FLAC files...

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The review of the Audio-Technica M50 studio monitor headphones is coming very soon......
 
mkygod said:
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.
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I wouldn't call them similar at all. I've listened to the Beats Pro and wasn't impressed with the clarity or fit, although they look beautiful. The D2000s are night and day better IMO.
 
This review takes me back to the days when HardOCP did complete computer system evaluations ... man, I miss those. They were always great reads: I loved reading about companies' foul-ups in pre-sale inquiries, shipping, and post-sale support, and I loved reading excellent accounts of all those even more. Would HardOCP ever consider bringing those back? I know they were axed a long time ago for financial reasons...
 
Hizaki said:
Good review. I agree with most points. Avoid Monster Beats and Bose headphones if you can...both are overpriced for what they provide.

I always like to check out reviews and comparisons on Head-Fi...they helped me get my first pair of good earphones (IEM's) in the Shure E3c way back in 2004 :)

I'll keep rocking with my set up: Audio Technica ATH-M50's + Fiio E7 (DAC/Amp) + Fiio L9 Line Out Dock + FLAC files...

e5h8gl.jpg
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That is the exact same set up I am listening to right now. Creepy.
 
Corporate Goon said:
@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.
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Sorry, that is utterly wrong. Expensive headphones like the Denons I used had much more powerful bass drivers than found in your ordinary models. Coupled with a high quality source like a DAC, your ears are going to be getting bombarded with more sound at the same volume than they would with shitty headphones or speakers. I'm not really looking for an argument, but regardless of your opinion on the matter, headphones and tinnitus go hand in hand and one must exercise quite a bit of caution. I am only warning people of this beforehand as I wish I had received such a warning before I bought the Denons. The benefit of headphones is getting big, expensive sound for a fraction of the cost of a speaker setup, but there are caveats.
 
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Phoenix333 said:
A little background about myself in regards to audio. I can hear the entire frequency range of my headphones from 15Hz to 25,000Hz and I can hear frequencies above this as well. I can detect 1Hz differences in waveforms, for example, a 10000 Hz sine wave vs a 10001 Hz sine wave. I also have what is referred to in music as "perfect pitch". I'm not a musician or audio expert, but I do have excellent hearing and I am very difficult to impress. To date these are the only headphones I have tried that are as close to what I would consider perfect sound, plus you could literally beat Dr. Dre's headphones with them until they shattered and the AKG's wouldn't break.
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You sir are a braggart and a liar (or are incredibly self-deluded).
 
ThisIsTheNewSound said:
Boggles the mind how anyone would buy these over a similarly priced (or even at half the cost) set of senns or grados.
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Simple...The Beats are sold at various stores around the nation, have a celebrity attached to them and the grados are not.
I had never heard of the grados until patrick norton of tekzilla mentioned them.
 
I enjoy Dre's music but he was never the kind of person that would inspire me to buy something. The kind of music he makes often focuses on the topic of making money at any cost (cash money, dolla dolla bills, I'm rich!). Making money is a common theme of hard core rap and I'm fine with that. This doesn't inspire brand loyalty though. It just shouldn't surprise anyone that he would put his name on any piece of trash because he's all about getting paid.

The Chronic is one of the best rap albums of all time though.
 
PoopsMacClaude said:
Sorry, that is utterly wrong. Expensive headphones like the Denons I used had much more powerful bass drivers than found in your ordinary models. Coupled with a high quality source like a DAC, your ears are going to be getting bombarded with more sound at the same volume than they would with shitty headphones or speakers. I'm not really looking for an argument, but regardless of your opinion on the matter, headphones and tinnitus go hand in hand and one must exercise quite a bit of caution. I am only warning people of this beforehand as I wish I had received such a warning before I bought the Denons. The benefit of headphones is getting big, expensive sound for a fraction of the cost of a speaker setup, but there are caveats.
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If your ears are being bombarded by sound, then it's not the same volume, is it? Your post had me shaking my head. It's not like you can't tell what's going on while you're wearing them.
 
Aluisious said:
If your ears are being bombarded by sound, then it's not the same volume, is it? Your post had me shaking my head. It's not like you can't tell what's going on while you're wearing them.
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I'm trying to understand what you are saying as it comes off as rather crazy. Your post had me shaking my head. I guess by using the word "bombard" you immediately think of "loud" or something. That's all I can seem to get from your strange remark.

Yes, you are hearing MORE at the same volume with a pair of cheap headphones versus a pair like the Denons. It's simple: a wider range of (read: more) frequencies are being reproduced. Your ears and brain are getting more information and working harder. How can it be easier to understand than that? It can't - your post is foolish and flamebait.
 
Ark :o said:
This review takes me back to the days when HardOCP did complete computer system evaluations ... man, I miss those. They were always great reads: I loved reading about companies' foul-ups in pre-sale inquiries, shipping, and post-sale support, and I loved reading excellent accounts of all those even more. Would HardOCP ever consider bringing those back? I know they were axed a long time ago for financial reasons...
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Those were INCREDIBLE EXPENSIVE to produce. We spent a little over $250,000 in the first year of doing those. We made ZERO money. Advertisers would not touch us. The big ad agencies flat out told me that we were too critical no one wanted their ads on our site. End of business. I do not see ever going down that road again. If you want to bank roll the first year though, I will give it a try.
 
Great review! I've been curious about these headphones since I first heard of them. I wonder how long until Monster sends a C&D to the [H] to remove the negative paragraph near the end :p
 
PoopsMacClaude said:
I'm trying to understand what you are saying as it comes off as rather crazy. Your post had me shaking my head. I guess by using the word "bombard" you immediately think of "loud" or something. That's all I can seem to get from your strange remark.

Yes, you are hearing MORE at the same volume with a pair of cheap headphones versus a pair like the Denons. It's simple: a wider range of (read: more) frequencies are being reproduced. Your ears and brain are getting more information and working harder. How can it be easier to understand than that? It can't - your post is foolish and flamebait.
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I can only guess you think "volume" is something indicated by a dial or a number on a sound system. So if you had 5 "volume" with a cheap headphone, you have the same "volume" with an expensive headphone. Seems to me most people recognize volume as being how much sound energy you're hearing, which is something you figure out by ear.

You're oddly upset by a simple post, too.
 
Corporate Goon said:
You sir are a braggart and a liar (or are incredibly self-deluded).
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I suppose it's only natural for you to be jealous of my superb hearing ability to the point of not being able to accept it, however the tests do not lie and though it pains me greatly, especially being the humble and modest fellow that I am, I'm afraid I can do nothing to repair the damage done to your ego in this matter. You have my sincerest apologies. Alas, not everyone can be as gifted as I am. It's a difficult burden, I know, but I will bear it bravely none the less!
 
Corporate Goon said:
You sir are a braggart and a liar (or are incredibly self-deluded).
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I think the way he phrased it was arrogant as hell, but actually, he could very well be. I'm a musician with perfect pitch, and the difference between 1Hz is quite clear. With a proper A note being tuned at 440Hz, the difference between 440 and 441Hz is really noticeable not to just me, but many of my musician friends. We try to tune pitch perfectly (of course). At 10,000Hz, I think Pheonix was just giving an example; I very much doubt many, if any, can detect the difference at 10,000Hz. To be honest, .1 differences in frequencies are noticeable too.

However, perfect pitch and whatnot has nothing to do with a judgement of what is accurate or reference, and how good something sounds. Blatant trolling when it comes to that. That's a bit like being amazing at estimating the speeds of passing cars, then claiming that makes you a racing driver.

Anyway, back on topic, I did get a quick demo on these headphones. As expected, bloody awful. A bit like a not-so-shitty Skullcandy, in a way. Not much in the level of clarity, coupled tons of boomy, uncontrolled, slow bass.
 
You guys should have reviewed the Beats Pro. This article felt like an extension of some of the arguments on head-fi.org. I have read alot of bad reviews about them too. I tried warning my friends. Theirs just hasn't broken yet.
 
I am kind of shocked that you guys reviewed this. When I saw it at the top of the page, I assumed it was a paid review. Well, if they did, they sure failed hard on that marketing scheme.
 
Simply put, good headphones, regardless of price, convey a more accurate description of the source.

In other words, they sound live.

Compare sitting at you pc listening to a song or movie and then think about how different it sounded live or at the movie theater.

Beats, like bose, are simply overpriced. Nothing more to it. Give me the same amount of money and I can get you two pairs of different headphones which compliment each other well and give you far more value for your money.

"don't believe the hype"
 
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