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are Beats headphones actually any good?

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1/2 the price and better

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ATH-M50

+1 love these so much.
 
I've seen posts saying "They are good, but not $300 good." so if I was able to get them half off, should I?

And are they good for PC gaming at all or just too bassy for that?
 
In my experience and preference, yes. Assuming other things are equal of course, like price range obviously. I have given up trying closed headphones and just stick to IEMs for portable listening now.

That I can agree with. No driving issues, not large and clunky and im largely preferential to the iems specific sound.
 
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I have these, SHL9600. They're pretty good for the price but I don't use them for editing or mixing. Sadly they're a bit fragile, had to fix em up :-/
 
I've seen these things everywhere on campus, and I honestly didn't even know what brand they were until this thread, lol. Sometimes I feel way out of touch with pop-culture.
 
I've seen posts saying "They are good, but not $300 good." so if I was able to get them half off, should I?

And are they good for PC gaming at all or just too bassy for that?
Assuming you're considering them because you want something with an exaggerated bass presence .... no, get the SOL Republic Tracks HD for less than half.

http://www.solrepublic.com/


Rationale:
  • Actual articulate bass instead of muddy boom
  • Easily replaceable parts, and the band is practically indestructible. Makes for a great everyday set of cans
  • Likely upgradable
  • If you're willing to spend more, you can get insane customization via ColorWare (still less than $300)

http://www.colorware.com/p-290-sol-republic-tracks.aspx

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If you are looking for more accuracy (linear frequency response), there are a number of options in the $100-$200 range. It depends what your needs are (open, closed, over-ear, etc).
 
I like my M 11's I bought last holiday season, they even survived a night outside my house buried in the snow :| (I was drunk stumbling home and they fell off at the door, oops)

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Headphone GAF really does make excellent recommendations
 
Hate to sound so superficial as everyone says such good things about these, but god damn they're ugly

They also are completely useless outside you can hear people three seats away talking. I bought the 35 (I think) but sent them back and went back to earplugs. Might sound shitty (to me they don't) but at least I don't hear shit besides my music no matter how loud my surroundings are.

has anyone mentioned how dumb they look when you actually wear them?

As stupid as all other headphones designed for home use..

Shit, I just bought a $50 pair Sennheiser in ear buds

Which ones? Need (well more like want) new ear buds..
 
Assuming you're considering them because you want something with an exaggerated bass presence .... no, get the SOL Republic Tracks HD for less than half.

http://www.solrepublic.com/


Rationale:
  • Actual articulate bass instead of muddy boom
  • Easily replaceable parts, and the band is practically indestructible. Makes for a great everyday set of cans
  • Likely upgradable
  • If you're willing to spend more, you can get insane customization via ColorWare (still less than $300)

http://www.colorware.com/p-290-sol-republic-tracks.aspx
Got a pair of HDs at BB during lunch based on your recommend and love them. Might get a custom color headband at some point down the road. Thanks!
 
Got a pair of HDs at BB during lunch based on your recommend and love them. Might get a custom color headband at some point down the road. Thanks!
No prob ... I'm glad you like them. :) Which color did you get?


I'm looking to get a pair after Christmas. I need an everyday beater with some good bass extension. Just trying to decide whether to get custom or not. They're pricey but oh so pretty. The amount of combinations is almost daunting though. I want like 10 different designs lol
 
Have only heard the Beats Studio, and was not impressed to say the least. Bass is never the main thing I'm looking for in a headphone, and in this case it's so overbearing to the point of being distorted that I really couldn't stand it. I didn't have an amp to test it with, but I quite doubt that would make enough of a difference to drastically change my opinion.

For home use, I've still got my tried and true Sennheiser HD600s that have served me well for something like 7 or 8 years now. For portable use, I doubt I'll ever go with anything but IEMs.
 
No prob ... I'm glad you like them. :) Which color did you get?


I'm looking to get a pair after Christmas. I need an everyday beater with some good bass extension. Just trying to decide whether to get custom or not. They're pricey but oh so pretty. The amount of combinations is almost daunting though. I want like 10 different designs lol

Needs an OLED band that changes color based on what you're listening to. =)
 
No prob ... I'm glad you like them. :) Which color did you get?


I'm looking to get a pair after Christmas. I need an everyday beater with some good bass extension. Just trying to decide whether to get custom or not. They're pricey but oh so pretty. The amount of combinations is almost daunting though. I want like 10 different designs lol

They only had the HDs in black headband. Would love to customize but they are pricey at that point. Like I said, probably get a headband down the road.
 
WHY does this headphone disussion always pup up
the answer is simple

have price in mind------------------> buy sennheiser of said price
done
 
WHY does this headphone disussion always pup up
the answer is simple

have price in mind------------------> buy sennheiser of said price
done
No not really. It's not like they're the torch bearer of all price-points and styles.


For example ... if a pair of open-air cans is usable for your situation, I'd get a pair of Grado SR-80's over any Sennheiser $100 offering.



It would be nice and convenient if there was a go-to company for all price points in CE devices. Unfortunately, it's an oversimplification. It's like assuming all Panasonic Plasmas are the best at their price point.
 
WHY does this headphone disussion always pup up
the answer is simple

have price in mind------------------> buy sennheiser of said price
done
Almost every Senn product has a superior rival at a similar or lower price. If you want headphones AT or Beyer are usually your best option, for in-ears there are a gazillion companies making far better stuff than Senn.
 
The monster turbines series at street price are Monster's best... and most reasonably priced products.

This. I bought a pair on amazon gold box for about 60 bucks and they are pretty incredible. Bass is excellent if you find the right size earpiece. Monster should create a new brand to sell them under so people don't think they are another crazy overpriced Monster product.
 
Assuming you're considering them because you want something with an exaggerated bass presence .... no, get the SOL Republic Tracks HD for less than half.

http://www.solrepublic.com/


Rationale:
  • Actual articulate bass instead of muddy boom
  • Easily replaceable parts, and the band is practically indestructible. Makes for a great everyday set of cans
  • Likely upgradable
  • If you're willing to spend more, you can get insane customization via ColorWare (still less than $300)

I want those so bad and have been following from the beginning but you can't buy them in Netherlands.

So, these SOL Republics...sure they look cool and are customizable, but how is the sound quality?

Google for sol republic review. Almost all of the reviews are good. For the price they are better than most other brands.
 
Is it safe to assume that only an audiophile would pay $100+ for headphones now? Beats are like Skullcandy with more bass, so I'm not so sure what's up with the overcharging on shit product when superior brands such as Grado, Sennheiser, Denon, and Audio-Technica offer true audiophile quality at the same price range.

The M50's posted by IceCold are a fine example. Stay away from Beats. They're ugly as fuck and sound just as bad as they look.
 
So, these SOL Republics...sure they look cool and are customizable, but how is the sound quality?
Impressive for the price, but it matters what you're looking for.

From what I've read:
  • These do not have a flat frequency response. They intentionally have hyped bass ... however the bass is notably more articulate than Beats (which are muddy/boomy in comparison).
  • They do not image particularly well
  • Mids and highs are a bit thin for the standard Tracks model. The Tracks HD however take care of this.

If you're looking for audiophile cans, you can get more accurate pairs from companies like Grado, Sony, Sennheiser, etc. Though depending on which you go with, those may be either open-air or over-the-ear. It comes down to your use-case.


The pros are they are customizable, (likely) upgradable in the future, durable as hell, awesome looking, etc. So if you're looking for an on-ear pair with these features ... it seems to be the go-to. To me, they seem like a great pair to buy as an every day 'beater' given the fair price and durability. Obviously you have to be looking for the type of sonic signature they offer.
 
Just be aware that custom colour combinaton SOL headphones cost $225 as opposed to $100 for standard colour variations.
Correct. They do offer 3 color choices for each type normally ... but the custom stuff is handled by another company that specializes in coloring CE products (they do iPhones, consoles, etc IIRC).
 
Correct. They do offer 3 color choices for each type normally ... but the custom stuff is handled by another company that specializes in coloring CE products (they do iPhones, consoles, etc IIRC).

Do they only ship to the US? I've been searching for some nice looking + sounding relatively inexpensive headphones for a while as well :(
 
If you're gonna spend $200 get TMA-1's or HD25's or HFI-580's...So weird seeing so many pop into this thread looking for headphones, and not the headphone thread, where those even more knowledgeable than myself usually frequent.
 
So you can only buy the Sol Republic headphones on their website, Apple's or Best Buy... and none of them have international shipping. Great.
 
If you're gonna spend $200 get TMA-1's or HD25's or HFI-580's...So weird seeing so many pop into this thread looking for headphones, and not the headphone, where those even more knowledgeable than myself usually frequent.

This man knows the truth
 
I've seen posts saying "They are good, but not $300 good." so if I was able to get them half off, should I?

And are they good for PC gaming at all or just too bassy for that?

I got mine for 129 on Amazon. They are good at that price and they sound.fine on my gaming laptop
 
I forgot to mention something about the Sol Republic headphones. They have a built-in mic as well as a 3-button remote on the chord

Mic and 3-Button Remote Compatibility All SOL REPUBLIC headphones put you in control of your music, allowing you to play or pause your music and answer your calls. Plus, if you’re using an Apple product, you can control the volume or skip forwards and backwards through your songs and videos.

The remote and three button microphone are compatible but not limited to the following devices

Apple
  • iPod nano 4th-6th generation
  • iPod shuffle 3rd and 4th generation
  • iPod classic (120GB and 160GB from 2009)
  • iPod touch 2nd-4th generation
  • iPhone 3GS and 4
  • All iPads
  • MacBooks for talking on gchat, Skype, aim, and other video chatting services.
Blackberry
  • BlackBerry Curve
  • BlackBerry Tour
  • BlackBerry Storm
  • BlackBerry Pearl
  • BlackBerry Flip
  • Palm Treo Pro
  • Palm Pre

    Android

    There are too many to count but our headphones should be compatible with most Android devices that have 3.5mm jacks


  • I sent an email to see if they work with WP7 as well.





    Do they only ship to the US? I've been searching for some nice looking + sounding relatively inexpensive headphones for a while as well :(
    Directly from SOL Republic appears to be US only. However, Best Buy and Apple carry them in stores and online if that helps at all.

    The high-end customized ones from ColorWare offer international shipping though.
 
Spoiler: Went and checked out the Sol Tracks.

Sounds like shit. Accurate bass, but it's like someone turned up the low-end EQ to 11. Mids are being stabbed to death by the bass. Highs are equally meh in turn. No soundstage or separation to speak highly of either. My one word answer would be.... conjested.

And if your head is anything like mine, these will be uncomfortable as fuuuuuuck. Especially with my glasses on, the clamping for is unbearable after a few tracks.

At over $100, there's much better cans on which you should spend your money. Over $200 for the custom colors? I text back.... L.O.L.
 
Spoiler: Went and checked out the Sol Tracks.

Sounds like shit. Accurate bass, but it's like someone turned up the low-end EQ to 11. Mids are being stabbed to death by the bass. Highs are equally meh in turn. No soundstage or separation to speak highly of either. My one word answer would be.... conjested.

And if your head is anything like mine, these will be uncomfortable as fuuuuuuck. Especially with my glasses on, the clamping for is unbearable after a few tracks.

At over $100, there's much better cans on which you should spend your money. Over $200 for the custom colors? I text back.... L.O.L.

Still want. I've been using iPod headphones for the past 6 months and I've put up with them until the left side broke.
 
Spoiler: Went and checked out the Sol Tracks.

Sounds like shit. Accurate bass, but it's like someone turned up the low-end EQ to 11. Mids are being stabbed to death by the bass. Highs are equally meh in turn. No soundstage or separation to speak highly of either. My one word answer would be.... conjested.

And if your head is anything like mine, these will be uncomfortable as fuuuuuuck. Especially with my glasses on, the clamping for is unbearable after a few tracks.

At over $100, there's much better cans on which you should spend your money. Over $200 for the custom colors? I text back.... L.O.L.
The HD's reportedly have much improved mid and highs.

Obviously whether someone wants a lot of bass is personal preference and generally based on the type of music they like



I'm gonna see if any of the local Best Buys have some to test out this weekend.
 
I need a good pair of rather cheap buds. The kind that fit in your ear, unlike those that come with iPods. Any recommendations? Hopefully $20-30. I've tried Skullcandy but they ended up breaking apart. I need something to used for snowboarding.
 
Looking for some decent headphones under $50 to wear at the gym. Any suggestions here? The official thread seems a bit too "elite" for what I'm looking for.
 
I need a good pair of rather cheap buds. The kind that fit in your ear, unlike those that come with iPods. Any recommendations? Hopefully $20-30. I've tried Skullcandy but they ended up breaking apart. I need something to used for snowboarding.

check the budget earphone section of the headphone thread...The official thread isn't too elite for anyone willing to listen.
 
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