PROS: Excellent sound • iPhone and Android compatibility • Neat design • Epic battery life
CONS: Very expensive • Can get uncomfortable • No ANC or auto pause
Beats Solo 4 review
Beats is back with a big refresh to its hugely popular Solo cans and I've got to be honest, these on-ear headphones are a bit of a mixed bag. Having had them glued to my ears for a number of weeks there's no question that the Beats Solo 4 offer some seriously impressive audio with music sounding rich, packed with detail and booming with the usual bass we've come to expect from Apple-owned audio firm.
Tucked inside the cups are custom made 40mm drivers and I have no complaints about the music quality produced by these speakers - the Beats Solo 4 hold up incredibly well when pitched against their rivals and it's a big thumbs up for the way they sound.
Clever Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking is also included which makes the sound appear to hit your ears from all directions making things feel more immersive. You'll have to find compatible songs (apps such as Apple Music and Tidal support it) to make the most of this feature but it definitely makes a difference to the playback experience.
They really do sound very good and the playlists will keep going for hours on end thanks to a whopping 50-hour battery life on a single charge. That's seriously impressive stuff plus there's quick charging should they run flat.
Millions of Android owners could slash 'vampire bills' – how to save money
New Beats Solo 4 (BEATS)Right out of the box, they connect instantly with both Apple and Android devices - via one-touch pairing - so there's no need to go digging around in the Bluetooth settings menu to get the music started.
There's also a 3.5mm headphone port - a cable is included in the box - so you can easily plug them into laptops, music players and airline entertainment systems. That wired connection means they will continue to work even if the battery runs flat.
The design also remains pretty iconic and the Beats branding will please those who want to stand out in a crowd - the cans also fold neatly into a soft carry case which makes them easy to pop in your backpack.
Another nice bonus is full compatibility with Find My (iOS) or Find My Device (Android) which helps track them down if you leave them at the gym.
It all sounds mightily impressive and, despite Beats being owned by Apple, the Solo 4 offer plenty of features for both iPhone and Android users.
Beats Solo 4 (BEATS)Before you rush to hit the buy button, I do have some issues with Beats Solo 4.
First of all, I found these on-ear headphones really uncomfortable to wear for long periods. That might be because I wear glasses but the tight fit - and the fact they don't cup your ears - becomes very noticeable pretty quickly.
Even with a light design and "UltraPlush ear cushions" they simply aren't as comfy as other cans and there's no way I could wear them all day.
Then there's the price as the Solo 4 will set you back £199.95 - that's a lot of money for headphones that don't even feature Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) technology.
Right now, you can pick up Sony's brilliant WH-1000MX4s for the same price (£199) with these headphones getting that all-important ANC.
Millions of iPhone and Android phone owners must check settings immediately
Another thing that left me feeling flat is no auto-pause when you remove them from your head - it's really annoying.
Unlike most AirPods, they don't get Apple's clever chip inside which means they don't switch between devices automatically and there's no way to dig into the settings to adjust the sound to suit your preference.
Beats Solo 4: Verdict
Overall, the Beats Solo 4 are not a bad pair of headphones. They sound really good, offer ludicrous battery life and work just as well on Android as they do on iPhone. We also like the 3.5mm connection, neat design and bonus extras such as Spatial Audio.
However, they simply cost too much when you consider the features they lack - no ANC, auto pause and EQ settings are all missing.
Those who wear glasses might find them pretty uncomfortable and they won't switch easily between your iPhone and MacBook.
If you love the Beats Solo brand and the cost drops in the Black Friday sale they are worth considering otherwise I think you can find better cans for a similar price.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
