The Solo 4 headphones are a revamp of the fan favorite that helped make Beats a family title, upgraded with longer battery life, higher sound and trendy Apple and Android-loving options.
The unique Solo HD launched in 2009 and was most just lately up to date because the Solo 3 in 2016 after Apple’s buy of Beats. Now of their fourth technology, the Solo are the corporate’s smallest and lightest headphones, costing £200 (€230/$200/A$330), and sit under the £350 Studio Professional.
The design has basically remained the identical however it has been up to date with premium supplies and color choices. At a time when rivals have veered away from the shape, the Beats stay on-ear headphones sitting on high of your ears moderately than round them.
A slight discount in clamping pressure on the aspect of your head and a few smooth ear cushions makes the headphones extra comfy than their predecessors, however like all on-ear designs they do damage after some time. The headphones fold up for journey and include a very good, compact case.
The left ear cup has the Beats button that handles playback controls and a quantity rocker. A tiny and easy-to-miss white LED reveals energy and connectivity standing subsequent to a 3.5mm headphones socket for the removable cable – a rarity for wi-fi headphones nowadays.
The proper cup has the ability button and a USB-C socket for charging the headphones, which will also be used for wired listening and calls with USB-equipped gadgets. The battery lasts for as much as 50 hours of Bluetooth playback. The headphones can be utilized with out battery energy with the included 3.5mm analogue cable.
Specs
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Weight: 217g
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Dimensions: 177 x 158 x 68mm
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Drivers: 40mm
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, 3.5mm, USB-C audio and charging
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Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC
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Battery life: 50 hours
Superior system options for Android and iPhone
Much like current Studio Buds+, the massive benefit of the Beats is their intensive cross-compatibility with Android and iOS.
They’ve higher integration with an iPhone than their opponents, together with hands-free Siri, entry to controls via fast settings and prompt pairing.
For Apple merchandise you solely have to pair with one machine to make use of them throughout your iPhones, iPads, Macs and different gear. You additionally get audio sharing for utilizing two units of headphones with one machine and the corporate’s personalised spatial audio tech with head monitoring for encompass sound.
For Android or Google gadgets, in addition they assist most of the similar options, together with prompt pairing, syncing and switching between Google gadgets. The Beats Android app affords controls, battery widgets, settings and different options.
Lastly, the headphones combine into Apple’s and Google’s Discover My programs, so you’ll be able to find them in the event you misplace them, no matter platform.
Cleaner Beats sound
Beats sound high quality has improved dramatically in recent times and the Solo 4 are not any exception. They produce a clear and clear sound with good separation of tones that’s simple to take heed to throughout genres, however they require a little bit of quantity to sound their greatest.
They emphasise treble, which accentuates vocals, and lack the bass-heavy lean of their predecessors, producing a flatter response with bass solely when required. These in search of large, booming bass could wish to look elsewhere.
They lack noise cancelling and have comparatively poor passive isolation, so aren’t the best choice for quiet listening. Name high quality is great in quiet or loud environments, coming via clearly with a comparatively pure sound whereas stopping background noise from bleeding into the decision for the recipient.
Sustainability
Apple doesn’t present an anticipated lifespan for the batteries however typical lithium batteries final in extra of 500 full-charge cycles with no less than 80% of authentic capability.
Apple will exchange the battery out of guarantee for £95. The headphones are constructed from recycled plastic however Apple doesn’t publish environmental influence experiences for equipment reminiscent of headphones. The corporate affords trade-in and free recycling schemes, together with for non-Apple merchandise.
Value
The Beats Solo 4 value £199.95 (€229.95/$199.99/A$329.95).
For comparability, the Beats Studio Professional value £350, the Sony ULT Put on value £150 and the Marshall Main V value £130.
Verdict
The Beats Solo 4 are an incredible replace to a preferred set of headphones. Not a lot has modified on the design entrance, with simply small refinements right here and there, however upgrades throughout sound and performance are very welcome.
Full cross-platform assist throughout Android and iPhone is a killer characteristic in the event you dwell in each camps. USB-C charging and audio plus the three.5mm headphones socket are all very welcome. The match is fairly comfy, however like all on-ear headphones they are often fatiguing for lengthy listening classes.
The improved, much less bass-dominated sound is an improve for all however these in search of large, booming low-end. The dearth of noise cancelling and smaller options, reminiscent of wear-sensors to pause the music when eliminated, makes them much less interesting than equally priced rivals.
You’re definitely paying for the model, however the Beats Solo 4 are a strong entry that can little doubt show simply as standard as their trend-setting predecessors, significantly given the decline in competitors for the on-ear type.
Professionals: good sound cross-platform compatibility with enhanced options for iPhone and Android, head-tracking spatial audio, can use USB-C or 3.5mm cable in addition to Bluetooth, lengthy battery life, good button controls, recycled supplies.
Cons: costly, don’t pause music on removing, no noise cancelling, design hasn’t considerably modified in years, no higher-quality Bluetooth audio format assist.
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