The new Beats headphones

[AngieNunez]

Has anyone used the new Beats headphones? What do you think?

These have an amazng sound, it's true, however, everyone else can hear everything you are listening to. They are fine for a noisy bus ride, but they would never do for a plane or waiting room or any place where not disturbing others is required. I would've returned them but my husband decided he'd use them on the riding mower in the summer!

[An · Accepted solution]

I'll start out by saying I collect mid-priced headphones(between $50 - $300). It may be an odd hobby, but it gives me a certain perspective that others may not have. I'm also an engineering major, and I found the general lack of objective, in-depth headphone reviews on Amazon to be disconcerting. So, here I am, taking a shot at reviewing some of the headphones I either own or have spent a lot of time listening to. I've devised a simple six-song test and rating system, where 0 - 2 is abysmal, 2.1 - 4 is poor, 4.1 - 6 is mediocre, 6.1 - 8 is above average, and 8.1 - 10 is excellent. The songs are very diverse; I was trying to represent a wide range of genres. They are "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac(encoded in 256 kbps Ogg Vorbis), "Every Planet We've Reached is Dead" by Gorillaz(256 kbps .ogg), "Concerto Grosso #26 in D major" by Handel(256 kbps .ogg), "I Know You Are, But What Am I?" by Mogwai(500 kbps .ogg), "Afro Blue" by Triplexity(192 kbps .ogg), and "The Patient" by Tool(500 kbps .ogg). I listened to everything on an iAudio 7 with the equalizer set to flat and all the sound effects turned off. Sound Quality(6.8/10) The Chain(6/10) - bass is nice and deep, slightly exaggerated, but still pleasant to listen to. Distortion is present, but very minimal. Mid tones and highs are somewhat underrepresented and bland, but otherwise sound decent. Instrument separation is a bit muddy. The main negative here is the sound stage, which is tiny. Every Planet(8/10) - lows and highs both sound very smooth and rich in this song. Mid tones, as before, are underrepresented and bland. Instrument separation is good, but the sound stage is very underwhelming. Concerto(6/10) - the bass in this song is deep and vibrant

[Ants]

I have been really satisfied (and still using) with the Sennheiser HD-595 Premier Headphone (which cost about $300 at the time; the most expensive headphone I've ever spent). Sennheiser is known for making leading professional headphones/microphones/etc. ...And then there's MONSTER. As far as I'm aware, I've only known MONSTER for selling really really expensive overpriced cables for TV/home theater/audio input components. Well, Monster has teamed up with hip hop artist/actor/record producer, Dr. Dre (made Eminem famous) and created this "High-Definition" headphones, which they call BEATS. I'll be comparing the Monster Beats headphone with the Sennheiser HD-595, since it's the most expensive headset that I own (till this one), and I'd be shocked to find something that sounds better than the HD-595 (that's around the same price range or less). I think it's obvious most people will expect the bass to be the #1 priority with this headphone, considering it's by MONSTER + Dr. Dre and called Beats. Well, it definitely doesn't disappoint there. The Monster Beats definitely wins in terms of bass. (Of course, Dr. Dre's genre relies heavily on it). If you listen to lots of rock/rap then you'll love the bass on these. If you get headaches with bass or you just can't stand it, then obviously, these aren't really for you. The Monster Beats headphones require two AAA batteries to listen. You cannot use the headphones if no batteries are inserted, or if you don't have the switch to ON (located on the right side of the headphone). The batteries go inside the left compartment of the headphone.