Beats headphones - are they really as good as hyped, and for all genres and styles of music?

[Buried Alien]

When it comes to high-end earphones these days, the hype is all about Beats. They're very expensive and very trendy, but do they actually offer superior sound quality that justifies their price and hype? In particular, do they offer any notable improvement for users whose tastes run towards older classic rock type recordings originally made on analog? As far as I know, Beats proponents tend to be fans of newer, digitally recorded music from the hip hop and techno-inspired genres, and the Beats might very well enhance the listening experience for those styles of music, but would they do the same for older analog recordings in a more guitar rock vein?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Pharozonk]

I've never bought into the hype behind Beats. I usually prefer Skullcandy headphones over other brands simply due to the price and quality both being fair.

[Kid A]

No, they're absolutely overpriced. They're not terrible in sound quality, but there are better brands that sell at lower prices. Both Beats and Bose sell at high prices on basically reputation alone.

I'd personally go for Sennheiser.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Well, I bought into the hype, and I think Beats are pretty damn good as they make my music sound better than ever to me.

[Buried Alien]

What about durability? Do they endure normal wear and tear well? Will they function well for at least five or six years of normal use?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[dupont2005]

I bought a pair of Studio Beats a few years back. I liked them. I purchased them because I was actually able to try them on. I'm very particular about a headphone's fit, and these ones fit and felt nice. probably the nicest fitting headphones I've ever tried on. I would have liked the cone to be a bit larger so it didn't rest on or up against my ears, after wearing them about an hour my ears are sore. I used them mostly on the computer. I sold them recently to fund a purchase of some 7.1 channel wireless headphones that operate off a USB port rather than the headphone port (I hate that headphone jack). The sound is better, the cones are larger and do not rest on my ears, but the headphones don't have that snug firm fit that the Beats did, and they don't look as cool.

The thing about high priced headphones, I'd never drop $300+ on something I couldn't try on first. Brands I've never heard of that aren't stocked in any local stores will never get any business from me.

[clayholio]

I ended up getting a pair of Skullcandy Aviators - they're about half the price of the top end beats, and to my ears they sound great. I listen to a range of stuff, from classic rock to current hip-hop, and I've had my pair for a year or two, and they work great for that.

Beats' rep has always been that they're very bass-heavy, which is awesome if you're listening to rap and electronic music. I don't know that they're a perfect fit for classic rock. If you are able to get to a Best Buy, you can plug whatever you want into their variety of headphones (so you can compare using a track and device you're familiar with). But I wouldn't automatically go for Beats.

Also, if you keep your eyes open, you can find last year's models for a considerable discount. I've seen those top end Beats at places like Ross or Marshalls for under $200, if you don't mind not having the most recent version.

[harpier]

First of all, the sound quality and relative value of the Beats headphones varies significantly between different models. The crispness and range of sound is typically exceptionally for Beats models, but the features aren't always ideal, most notably the noise-canceling feature, which seems to create a background hiss. I find on-ear models preferable to over-ear ones, whose seal makes the ears uncomfortable in warmer temperatures.

To your more specific questions: the sound quality is very, very fine, and notably better than other serviceable but unexceptional brands—like @¡Pharozonk! recommended, Skullcandy, which I find poor and rattly in the lower registers—but you'll want to check out the specific model you're interested in at a local electronics store. This is true for any genre of music recorded in any format, especially since analog records more detail and information in higher definition than digital, which gets slightly minimized (like digital video) when it's transferred into digital code. The trends in Beats users is probably more a consequence of marketing and style than any inherent feature of the sound design.

My suggestion: If you're interested in buying a new pair of high-end headphones, take your own music to a store with all of the relevant models available to test. Try out several different songs of different types and take your time deciding. Beats are worth checking out, but they're not the only suitable option.

[Buried Alien]

Thanks for the observations. I will take it all into consideration.

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Hiromi]

As others have said Bose and Beats are typically brands to avoid as you're paying a good deal for the name alone

I wouldn't recommend Skullcandy either, they can get pretty badly overpriced for the quality of the product(and you'll go through the cheaper ones like candy)

Recommend these guides
http://komidol.imouto.org/2011/06/20...e-guidereview/
http://i.imgur.com/2GI2h.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NvbTb.jpg

Basically the sweet spot for quality headphones tends to be around the 100 dollar mark.

[DrewTheXenocide]

Don't do it!

Question -- are these primarily for at home use or bumming around town? If at home, I recommend AKG K 240, Grado SR80i, or even Sony MDR-7509 (industry standard, I believe, for sound production folks).

And I haven't tried these on personally, but my buddy who works in music and audio production says these Panasonics are great:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...140515010332:s

[James]

I'd personally go for Sennheiser.

this is exactly what i was coming into this thread to say.

[thespianphryne]

I don't know know about the hype. But for me they are definitely not worth the cost. My hearing is a little sensitive in the lower frequencies and to me they sound wayyy too bassy. And a little tinny in the mid frequencies. For me they're not the right hardware, and not definitely not worth it at the price.

I still have my $99 Sennheiser over ear headphones I bought in 2001 that are still rocking and have certainly paid for themselves by now. Amazing sound - good frequency response, bass, low distortion at high volume. But not exactly stuff in your pocket material. So they stay home. Love Sennheiser.

For my portable needs, I use my $50 Klipsch S3(?). They're great. High impedance, low distortion, v responsive. good driver matching. And they're sound isolating.

In fact, if you're buying head/earphones I'd recommend running this hearing sensitivity test on yourself just so that you have some idea of your own hearing sensitivities. And to test your 'phones for dynamic range, spectral flatness, stereo imaging, driver matching etc., go to this page.

[Scarlet Frost]

What about durability? Do they endure normal wear and tear well? Will they function well for at least five or six years of normal use?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

I have a friend who sells them and the way he talks about them you're lucky to get 6-7 months out of them. The cord is usually the first thing to go.

[ExcelsiorPrime]

No, they're absolutely overpriced. They're not terrible in sound quality, but there are better brands that sell at lower prices. Both Beats and Bose sell at high prices on basically reputation alone.

I'd personally go for Sennheiser.

Well, I bought into the hype, and I think Beats are pretty damn good as they make my music sound better than ever to me.

I have both Sennheiser and Beats and I found them to be equal. Sennheiser if you like range of sound not too much Bass or Treble--but an excellent mid range. Beats if you like your music with harder tones. Bass. Treble and a softer midrange.

I use Senns when I listen to Movie soundtracks--sweeping violins, horns, etc. Beats for Rock. Hip hop. Jazz. Dub. Guitar riffs/