There’s plenty of competition, but I expect these to become just as prevalent as their predecessors everywhere you look — so long as your head isn’t as big as mine. Listeners who want something even more compact than the Solo Pro while remaining within the Beats family should consider the Beats Studio Buds. This set of true wireless noise cancelling earphones works just as well on Android as it does on iOS. Still, the Studio Buds is a fine pair of earbuds for daily use if you appreciate the Beats design. If you’re not willing to sacrifice comfort for a slightly smaller build, the Sony WH-1000XM4, rather than the WH-1000XM3, are our go-to ANC headphones. You get plenty of features like Ambient Aware mode, touch controls, and granular EQ adjustments.
With the noise cancelling turned off, they are rated to last up to 40 hours. Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable, including those included with iPhones, is used for charging. A 10-minute charge lasts up to three hours of video playback, while a full charge takes one hour and 45 minutes.
You will clearly hear individual instruments and elements across genres. This is backed up by long battery life at 40 hours without ANC and 22 hours with ANC. Users can also get 3 hours of use from a 10 minute charge. 1Testing conducted by Apple in August 2019 using preproduction Solo Pro units and software paired with iPhone XS units and prerelease software. 10-Minute charge testing conducted with drained Solo Pro that were charged for 10 minutes, then audio playback was started until Solo Pro stopped playback.
Headphones are a very personal purchase, and that seems doubly-so with the Beats Solo Pro. As well as the fit and comfort factor, there’s the fact that for both sound quality and active noise cancellation it’s Beats’ way or the highway. Apple has continued to refine the Beats brand with new designs and features. Beats Solo Pro is the latest incarnation of that effort, and does a great job pushing the popular brand forward.Beats Solo Pro active noise canceling headphonesUnboxing the… Both sets of headphones match up relatively equally in the battery life and wireless functionality. The Beats Solo Pro and Studio 3 each offer 40 hours of battery life with noise canceling.
The greasy, glossy plastics seen on the Solo 3 and earlier headphones are now history, replaced by matte textures and exposed aluminum. These headphones are still predominantly plastic, but they feel sturdier and more robust than the Solo 3s. They have 40mm drivers just like the Solo 3s did, but the actual bits and pieces are all new. The ear cup cushions have increased in surface area by 70 percent compared to the Solo 3s, so there’s more padding making contact with your ears for better comfort and seal. And since these headphones have proven surprisingly popular at the gym and on runs, Beats has made some internal tweaks to improve their sweat resistance. The end result is headphones that still look the part but feel more deserving of your $300.
To avoid hearing damage, make sure that the volume on your music player is turned down before connecting your headphones. After placing headphones in/on your ears, gradually turn up the volume until you reach a comfortable listening level. Noise levels are measured in decibels , exposure to any noise at or above 85 dB can cause gradual hearing loss. Monitor your use; hearing loss is a function of loudness versus time.
The Solo Pro are Beats’ most impressive headphones to date. They have a lot of attractive features, from constantly adapting Pure ANC to always-on Siri, that make them a solid all-around set with great audio quality. But for me, a person with a large melon of a head, they can become quite uncomfortable in less than an hour.
Compared to the Bose 700, I got cleaner details and an overall warmer presentation. Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox. Lesley Chen is a San Francisco-based freelance writer who covers shopping, tech, health/fitness, travel, and general lifestyle topics. She’s written for BuzzFeed, Byrdie, PureWow, and Well + Good, among others. When not writing, she’s out looking for the flattest walking route around the city.
Powered by Apple’s H1 chip, the Solo Pros pair seamlessly with Apple devices including MacBooks, iPads, and iPhone. And with Audio Sharing support, the Solo Pros make it easy for you and a friend to enjoy streaming content together. Share songs, podcasts or movies with someone else wearing Beats headphone or AirPods. Beats Studio3 Wireless over-ear headphones deliver premium sound while blocking external noise with Active Noise Cancelling.
And yes, you can still get a colorful, eye-catching pair of cans. All you have to do to start the party is swipe up on the notification screen on your iPhone and hit the Airdrop symbol. From there, tap the Share beats studio3 Audio prompt and you’ll get a notification telling you to bring the second pair of headphones close to the iPhone. When I used the Powerbeats Pro, I was prompted to press the button inside the charging case.