Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones Review
Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones Review

Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones Review

4.6
Available On

The Beats Solo3 Wireless headphones by Dr Dre lets you feel your music with a wide range of sound and clarity. Streamlined, lightweight, and durable, this compact over-the-ear headphone is crafted from high quality materials and designed with comfort in mind. Take your music to a new level with the Beats Solo3. The RemoteTalk cable performs a wide range of functions on a slim three-button remote, so you dont have to fumble with your device. You can change the Song, Change the Volume, Answer/Decline Calls, use Voice Command, And so much more. Beats are made to work with most devices. However, functionality may vary by product.

The Beats Solo3 Wireless is one of the first headphones with Apple’s new W1 wireless chip. It makes Bluetooth connection literally seamless. Power on your Solo3 Wireless headphones, and move them near your iPhone, and the connection just happens. Instantly, your new headphones are linked to your iPhone, and any other Bluetooth-toting Apple device you own, whether it’s an Apple Watch or an iPad or a MacBook. It’s that simple.

Design

Available in glossy black, white, gold, rose gold, or silver models, the supra-aural (on-ear) Solo3 Wireless feature exceptionally comfortable earpads and a slightly less comfortable headband—its underside is notably less padded. During short listening sessions, the headphones are quite comfortable, but you might feel a bit of fatigue during longer listening periods.

The left earcup houses a 3.5mm connection for the included audio cable, as well the on-ear control panel. While the outer panels for both ears look nearly identical, the left ear’s Beats logo is actually a functional button—pressing it controls playback, answers or ends calls, or navigates tracks, depending on how many taps you give it. Tapping above or below the logo controls the volume levels, which work in conjunction with your device’s master volume levels. The right earcup houses the power/pairing button, as well as the micro USB port for the included charging cable.

Performance

On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the Solo3 Wireless deliver powerful deep bass response that doesn’t distort, even at top, unwise listening levels. It’s the bass-forward sound signature that Beats is known for and will appeal to lovers of boosted low frequencies, but the high-mids and highs are also well represented, and compared with previous Beats products, the bass here seems less in-your-face.

Battery Life

So Beats claims that the battery on the new Solo 3 Wireless will last you an insane 40 hours. For reference, the previous Solo 2 model lasted 12 hours. The difference is, again thanks to the new W1 chip. These get pretty loud and testing them on max volume got us about 31.5 hours. So it’s easy to see how you can 40 hours if you listen to music at normal human levels. If you do manage to deplete your battery, throwing them back on a charger for 5 minutes is enough to get you another 3 hours of battery life.

Overview of the Features:

  • Connect via Class 1 Bluetooth with your device for wireless listening
  • The award-winning sound and design youve come to love from Beats
  • Up to 40 hours of battery life for multi-day use
  • With Fast Fuel, 5 minutes of charging gives you 3 hours of playback when battery is low
  • Adjustable fit with comfort-cushioned ear cups made for everyday use
  • Sleek, streamlined design thats durable and foldable to go everywhere you do
  • Take calls, control your music and activate Siri with the multifunction on-ear controls
  • Connect via Class 1 Bluetooth with your device for wireless listening
  • With Fast Fuel, 5 minutes of charging gives you 3 hours of playback when battery is low
  • Adjustable fit with comfort-cushioned ear cups made for everyday use

 

Beats Solo3 HeadphonesShould you buy it?

Bluetooth hasn’t got the best reputation for being especially easy to use over the past few years, but Apple’s new chip and associated software smarts means that if you’re using an iPhone, your next headphones should have this chip inside. It’ll take some time for W1 to filter outside of the Apple family, but until then there’s a genuine reason for you to choose a pair of wireless Beats if you’re in desperate need of new headphones right now.

 

 

Solo3 Review
Conclusion
The Beats Solo3 Wireless are capable headphones, are well built and versatile, and sound good. You're paying for that very distinctive logo and the distinctive rounded-plastic styling; sure, you're also paying for some new smarts and some excellent battery life, and a surprisingly powerful pair of on-ear headphone drivers for their small size, but you're buying Beats. So you're probably also buying them because they're Beats.

If you're looking for a new pair of on-ear wireless headphones and you don't care for the extra utility of noise cancelling, you owe it to yourself to give a pair of Beats Solo3's a listen. Try the nifty Bluetooth, too. If you're deadset on a pair of Beats, just get the Solo3 Wireless and be done with it. You'll have made the best choice possible considering the circumstances.
Sound Quality
Durability
Technology
Pros
Rock-solid wireless performance
Entertaining sound, especially with modern electronic music
Light and comfortable
Incredible wireless range
40 hour battery life
Cons
Flimsy, plastic-rich construction
Not great at handling acoustic music
You won't get the most out of these without an iOS device
4.6
Available On