Beats by Dr. Dre Solo 3 Wireless

Classic Beats Sound

When it comes to sound performance, Beats headphones generally tend to divide opinion. Fans of the line appreciate the powerful bass, while Dr. Dre goes perhaps too far in suggesting that only with these headphones can one truly hear music. However, there’s plenty of naysayers with the opposing opinion that the sound of Beats headphones leaves a lot to be desired. I count myself in this critic category. The bass is powerful, but tends to outshine almost everything else to the detriment of these headphones. The mids aren’t finely resolved, while the highs are simply too quiet for my preference. I’d sum it up as an unbalanced sound and continue to be astonished that people pay in excess of 200 Euros for these headphones for such a compromise in audio quality. The Solo Wireless provides sufficient volumes for playback on all mobile devices, with volume controls integrated into the left earpiece.

Iconic Accents

The Beats headphones series, with models bearing that unmistakable “b”, have become a staple of the street scene. In fact, the Beats brand has become as much a fashion trend as audio accessory, particularly with younger users. The new model has remained true to the classic design details of the Beats brand. The Solo 3 is made from a quality plastic that’s easy to keep clean, with individual components looking sturdy and the overall level of workmanship impressive. What’s more, they sit firmly on the head and are therefore a worthwhile choice for those looking for sport headphone applications.

Bluetooth Connectivity and Battery

Connection via Bluetooth with mobile devices and laptops (in my case, Apple devices) went without a hitch in this test. Only Apple device owners have access to the full suite of support features and functions, like hands-free functionality without using a cable and start/stop control. Beats only guarantees this for Apple devices, with Android users subject to restrictions that can hamper the overall user-friendliness of these headphones significantly. The battery stood out as a particular plus point during the test. After only about five minutes of charging time via normal USB, the battery was sufficiently charged to provide around three hours of music playback. According to the information supplied by the manufacturer, a fully charged battery can, in theory, allow for more than 40 hours of music playback. The previous model in the Beats series didn’t even deliver half of this max battery life spec. It’s Apple’s Bluetooth W1 chip that can be thanked for this efficiency enhancement. Video playback also proved to be problem-free, with no issues with lip-sync.