[Dumachi]

they suck

[sharelle]

Thanks for all your comments. Keep them coming.
Could you also complete my short survey on them:


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KKX3WMQ

Thanks

[Wilfred Little]

(Original post by sharelle)
Hi people,

I am just interested to know your feelings and thoughts about Dr Dre beats headphones - Specifically the solo and studio versions.


Whether you own a pair or have tried a pair on then let me know what you think:

Do you like them?

Kinda. Well no. But Monster's advertising and business execution has to be acknowledged, they've created a demand for headphones costing hundreds of pounds in people who 1) know little about audiophilia and 2) would never have spent half the money they spend on Beats prior to them coming out. Monster knew exactly how to sell them and they did it very well. The demand is for Beats specifically though, not expensive headphones, which is why it's a waste of time for the anti-Beats brigade trying to convince Beats wearers they wasted their money.

One tiny positive may be the trickle-down effect Beats can have on a select few individuals (like myself) who research a product before buying it when that much money is involved. A year ago I had only heard of Beats and never knew about expensive headphones, I researched other brands and now own Sennheiser HD 25-1 II and HD 25 SP II, both of which are much better than Beats in performance and value for money.

(Original post by sharelle)
Do you like the style of them?

It's a tough one. They do look sleek and stylish but I like my headphones to look like headphones and not faddy, tacky, fashion statements. I think my HD 25-1 II look very smart and would choose them over Beats any day.

(Original post by sharelle)
Do you appreciate the celebrity endorsements?

No. You're buying a brand and not a quality product, which is stupid. I don't expect everyone to research every little thing they purchase but anything over £50 on headphones and you'd be stupid not to imo. Beats wearers look at each other like they are cool and stylish, I just see someone who just bought into the mass advertising and paid a hell of a lot more than they should for what they got. Go somewhere like Head-Fi forum and see what people say on there. These are people who know headphones and audio equipment, spend thousands of pounds and compare for themselves. I don't think anyone on there would recommend a pair of Beats. If you do comparisons, you'll find that the sound quality is not amazing. It's probably amazing relative to what people who buy Beats usually wear, which is Apple's stock headphones. Also why pay hundreds of pounds for Beats if you're gonna listen to 128kbp/s MP3's through an iPod? That is what most Beats owners do. It's bizarre.

(Original post by sharelle)
Why choose these headphones rather than other headphones?

Well, I wouldn't unless you got them massively discounted. They are worth around £40-50 in terms of the sound quality. People who buy beats buy them because:

• They look nice
• They cost a lot of money
• The sound is better than their £10 Apple headphones

And that's as far as their knowledge of headphones goes, it's like celebrities who buy Lamborghinis, they buy them because they're expensive and look nice when they could buy a Ferrari for half the price that is a better car, Lamborghinis don't win races. There's a reason you don't see many, if any, radio DJ's using Beats.

[Gofre]

(Original post by Wilfred Little)
There's a reason you don't see many, if any, radio DJ's using Beats.

I've seen a few, although Beats are notorious for throwing ungodly amounts of money at product placement.

[Wilfred Little]

(Original post by Gofre)
I've seen a few, although Beats are notorious for throwing ungodly amounts of money at product placement.

Yep, I've seen a couple too mate but I assume sponsorships and things like that are involved like you say. Generally you won't find DJ's wearing them though. You definitely wouldn't get music producers or sound engineers wearing them.

[Gofre]

(Original post by Wilfred Little)
Yep, I've seen a couple too mate but I assume sponsorships and things like that are involved like you say. Generally you won't find DJ's wearing them though. You definitely wouldn't get music producers or sound engineers wearing them.

Oh definitely, like I said on the previous page not even Dre himself does studio work with them.

Going back to your previous post, how do the HD 25 SP II compare to the actual HD 25-1 II? I've heard conflicting reports on whether or not they use the same drivers.

[Wilfred Little]

(Original post by Gofre)
Oh definitely, like I said on the previous page not even Dre himself does studio work with them.

Going back to your previous post, how do the HD 25 SP II compare to the actual HD 25-1 II? I've heard conflicting reports on whether or not they use the same drivers.

The HD 25-1 II are superior in every way from the build to the sound. I have no idea about the make up of the headphones or what's inside them but the main differences to my ears are the SP are slightly bassier and and HD 25-1 II are a bit more "punchy", the sound is clearer and more defined. The grip is tighter on the HD 25-1 II, it's like they're locked on to your head, it can get slightly uncomfortable after a few hours wear but you just take them off and put them back on and it's fine.

The SP's are worth the money imo, I like that if you break any part of the SP's or the HD 25-1 II, you can just replace it instead of buying a whole new set of headphones.

[Gofre]

(Original post by Wilfred Little)
The HD 25-1 II are superior in every way from the build to the sound. I have no idea about the make up of the headphones or what's inside them but the main differences to my ears are the SP are slightly bassier and and HD 25-1 II are a bit more "punchy", the sound is clearer and more defined. The grip is tighter on the HD 25-1 II, it's like they're locked on to your head, it can get slightly uncomfortable after a few hours wear but you just take them off and put them back on and it's fine.

The SP's are worth the money imo, I like that if you break any part of the SP's or the HD 25-1 II, you can just replace it instead of buying a whole new set of headphones.

Ah ok, I've just been looking for insights on whether or not sound signature differs. I've got a budget that I'm trying to split between some combination of entry level custom IEMs and a larger set. Would have been nicer if I could have gotten the sound signature of the lauded HD 25-1 IIs for £50 less =P

[Wilfred Little]

(Original post by Gofre)
Ah ok, I've just been looking for insights on whether or not sound signature differs. I've got a budget that I'm trying to split between some combination of entry level custom IEMs and a larger set. Would have been nicer if I could have gotten the sound signature of the lauded HD 25-1 IIs for £50 less =P

It's worth posting a thread asking on Head-Fi.org mate. That's where I go if I need info on headphones.

[Gofre]

(Original post by Wilfred Little)
It's worth posting a thread asking on Head-Fi.org mate. That's where I go if I need info on headphones.

Already a member there doesn't seem to be much on the SP though.

[davidbain]

My problem with 'Beats' is they cost a lot yet sound cheap, you're just paying for the name. My recommendation would be Sennheiser based on 5 years of good experience with their quality.

[James A]

people only wear them for the style and to show off

It's more of a gesture to say to the robber, 'come rob me, im rich and i wasted my money on these headphones'

[diggy]

After trying the most expensive beats by dre, I really don't see what all the hype is about surrounding them .Personally I think the in ear headphones that came with my galaxy s2 are better than the solos, I also own the sport beats by dre and they broke within 4 months.

If you looking for something better than beats by dre go with these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDRZX30...4052513&sr=8-4

Quality for a good price. No set of headphones should be worth £400 - £500

[Wilfred Little]

(Original post by diggy)
After trying the most expensive beats by dre, I really don't see what all the hype is about surrounding them .Personally I think the in ear headphones that came with my galaxy s2 are better than the solos, I also own the sport beats by dre and they broke within 4 months.

If you looking for something better than beats by dre go with these http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-MDRZX30...4052513&sr=8-4

Quality for a good price. No set of headphones should be worth £400 - £500

Why not? Recording studios don't have thousands of pounds worth of equipment for the fun of it.

Other than that I agree, with Beats they slap a ****load of bass in them and charge you £100 more than what they're worth for the privelege.

[Gofre]

(Original post by diggy)
No set of headphones should be worth £400 - £500

I very much disagree with this. Proper audiophile gear can be leagues ahead of anything else most people will get the chance to experience, and if you're invested in music, whether that's by profession or simply passion, dropping the better part of a grand can be perfectly justifiable. I'm about to spend £400 on a set of IEMs and my only concern is whether I should wait a bit longer and get a £475 set. I can see why most people will think I'm insane and I can appreciate how people can be with a comparatively budget setup, but if the quality's there I don't see why buying a high end set of headphones is any different in principle to buying other luxury products.

[Wilfred Little]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Grado-PS1000...4054078&sr=1-1

I one day hope to listen to them.

The comments

[Marshyy]

Use these to produce when i'm away from my monitors and they do the job perfectly, really flat response but with punchy bass. Can get them for £70 if you look around.

[DomWall]

House Of Marley. much better.

[MaceyThe]

silly fashion item.

Remember, half the time you'll be listening to .mp3 files - i.e. a compressed file with a reduction in sound quality anyway, so top end audio quality headphones may be wasted.

[Tahooper]

(Original post by sharelle)
Hi people,

I am just interested to know your feelings and thoughts about Dr Dre beats headphones - Specifically the solo and studio versions.


Whether you own a pair or have tried a pair on then let me know what you think:

Do you like them?

Do you like the style of them?

Do you appreciate the celebrity endorsements?

Why choose these headphones rather than other headphones?

Thank you, all your comments will be appreciated

No.

No.

No.

I certainly would not.