JayneOne of my favourite past times no matter what I am doing is listening to Music. It could be while I’m driving, cleaning, getting ready in a morning, cooling off after a hard day, working or just lounging around in my pj’s, I am even listening to music whilst writing this review. I find it helps me concentrate and get into the metaphorical zone. It soothes me. So when beats came out and brought back the retro headphones that sit on your ears rather than in your ears I didn’t know what to think. I have to give them credit in bringing back into fashion the big headphones which for so long have been considered a fashion no no unless you are actually a dj. They were considered too big and clunky and completely uncool for us normal folk to be using on a normal day to day basis. Having said that Beats have managed to pull it off and make them big enough to be fit for purpose but also small enough to tuck away into your hand bag and back pack when not in use. I have seen so many people though that do just wear them around their neck as a fashion statement. They have become so popular the brand is now instantly recognisable on any wearer or user. After a trip to Miami I saw the staff in a fashionable department store using the Beats as their way of communicating with others in different departments and I was excited to see one of the pairs in a bright yellow and it was a limited edition Lamborghini Edition. After seeing these with my own eyes I couldn’t help but think if they were good enough for Lamborghini they definitely had to be good enough for me and my snobbery for only good quality music. Only the best will do when it comes to listening to my favourite tracks.
With this new excitement I finally got a pair for Christmas, of course I had been good that year and Santa had also obviously decided this too and granted me my wish list. I got them in bright pink. I may love great music but I am also a girly girl at heart and I couldn’t resist the idea of the two being combined. I have to say after using these in various states of play I love them.
On opening the box they came beautifully presented in the middle of the box and with a lovely soft case to store them in. The case itself I can’t say is as durable as others as it is made of soft material rather than a hard case made out of plastic, but with a little bit of care this shouldn’t be an issue and so far hasn’t caused me any immediate problems. I would just suggest putting them in the top of your bag just in case.
It also came with the signature beats red cable which included the hands free option for you to be able to use with your mobile as well as other music devices whilst on the go. I am not entirely sure what it is made of but this is truly durable stuff as far as wiring for headphones go. My pet hate with headphones is how they curl around and around with age and you find yourself spending eternity trying to unravel them just to make them somewhat usable again. Even then they end up curling up around your face and getting up your nose and just generally causing you more irritation than it is really worth, that is if you have managed to unravel the tangled mess before reaching your destination. With the beats they have created a sturdy wiring that is heavy enough to weigh itself down to a degree and not bend so easily into curls. This means when it comes to the plug in and play moment, it really is just as easy as plug in and play, no detangling, no fuss and no irritation. There is also a cute little pocket inside the headphone case which you can store the wire to the headphones easily and conveniently without damaging it and without forgetting it. It is all easily compactable.
The sounds are crystal clear and they have a great balance between the bass and mid range. I prefer a little more bass but being honest that is just my preference but I honestly can’t complain the balance is just right.
The beats solo hd so far have served me well and I have had them for 9 months now and they have been subjected to various situations. I do tend to take care of my things but they have been on various trips and have proven to be quite durable.
The main reason for the big headphones for me is due to flying. As you know I also love a good trip but no matter what flight I have ever been on it is almost pretty much guaranteed that I also end up next to the child that screams the whole way round the world. I have even moved seat before and ended up sat next to the only other child on the whole flight. I guess with these things you have to take the good with the bad so I decided investment in a good pair of headphones would definitely be worth it. The beats although they don’t advertise noise cancellation are wonderful in their help in battling this issue. I only listen to what I want to listen to with these. The screaming child on the flight is no longer an issue. The beats really do help in eliminate all unwanted noise around you. Please remember though the safety instructions on a flight are very important so always listen to this but otherwise the rest of it you can remain blissfully unaware to should you wish to.
Ok so we have come to the downfall, the comfort. They are great for short periods of time but after an hour or so the pressure on my ears becomes a bit painful so I find myself needing to take them off for a while or re-arrange them so my ears don’t become so sensitive. It is also really difficult to try lying down or resting with them on because they are so big so if you are going on a long haul flight and you want to take your own headphones, because we all know that the ones on these flights are never very good the beats do make it difficult to lounge with them on. You find yourself partly wishing you had your in ear headphones to doze off in.
All in all I do love them and a massive credit to Beats in making them not only functional and cool for the average jo as well as a dj and appealing to the majority of the market through various technological means and marketing choices, colours and options. I hope I have left with you with food for thought and some things to take into consideration on purchasing the beats. You have to decide what is more important to you as a user. For me it is clarity of sound which beats definitely deliver however there is the small downside relating to comfort.
I guess I truly adore that beats have managed to incorporate something which many of use on a day to day basis into something that is now hugely fashionable. They have successfully managed to bring back an old retro look into something bright, young and fun and for a change also functional in modern day to day life. It takes huge ambition and ideas into making a product not only functional, but top of the range that is also desirable and fashionable. They have combined these very well and more so in the funky colours and Limited Edition ranges they have brought out.
I have tried various types of headphones for music including the likes of Bose. I realise they are quite an expensive option for what they are in comparison to other types and models on the market, and I know that also in this day and age unfortunately you don’t always get what you pay for however this time I do think you are getting what you pay for. You are paying for the brand, the clarity and the fashion aspect. Neither of these have let me down as of yet. I guess being a bit of a fashionista I have obviously favoured the element of fun and colour the beats have brought along with the quality of sounds they deliver. Genius yet totally fashionable.
Whatever you decide to choose, Happy Listening.