Many of you might be a brand lover who buys a product because it belongs to your favourite brand. For instance, you will find thousands of people purchasing an iPhone or AirPods because they love Apple. They believe that only Apple products are best for them. If you are also from those groups, today's review is for you. It's the review of Beats Solo 4.
As I said many times, I ask a question to myself before buying any audio gear. Is this product worth buying? But, if you love a specific brand this question won't mean much. After acquiring by Apple, beats headphones became more Apple-friendly. So, it undoubtedly adds more value if you are an iPhone user but is it worth spending $200? let's review Beats Solo 4 and try to get the answer.
Pros:
Cons:
Sound
Build
Battery
Value
Whatβs in the box?
- Beats Solo 4 headphones
- USB C cable
- 3.5mm cable
- Carrying case (not a hard carrying case)
Who should get Solo 4 ?
If you are a commuter, traveler Solo 4 is the perfect partner due to its insane battery life, form factor, and portable design.
Bottom Line:
If you're short on time, reading the conclusion will provide you with a good idea of the Beats Solo 4. Let's begin with the design and build. The build quality is premium, made of high-quality plastic.
You won't encounter durability issues at all. They look like $200 headphones. The form factor has its pros and cons. The small size and portable design are pros for commuters but cons for those who prefer long listening sessions.
These are On-ear, not Over-ear. They aren't comfortable due to the clamping force on the ears and head. They won't easily fall off due to the clamping force, but it can be uncomfortable for extended periods of use.
In terms of sound quality, it's okay but not extraordinary. They aren't for bass enthusiasts. The lack of noise cancelling for a $200 price point is disappointing.
Even a $100 headphone like Soundcore Space One offers decent noise-cancelling performance. Overall, I would say these aren't for everyone. The Solo 4 is suitable for commuters who are busy all day and don't want to run out of power.
It boasts more than 50 hours of battery life, which is more than enough for a week. Fast fuel charging also helps if you're in a hurry. If you love listening to music, look for something else.
They also missed the movement detection sensor which anyone would expect in a $200 headphones. It means Beats Solo 4 won't automatically pause the music if you take them out. you have to pause the music manually or it will drain the battery.
However, if you are a working professional or commuter looking for premium, highly durable headphones and the absence of noise cancelling doesn't bother you, the Beats Solo 4 can be your companion.
If you love Apple products, these are good headphones. Overall, I don't find them to be a good value for the money. I mean, they cost $50 more, but you're paying for the brand, and that's okay.
How is the Design and Build Quality of Solo 4?
The Beats Solo 4 has a very simple design, much like any other on-ear headphones. They're lightweight and portable, making it convenient to wear them around your neck when not in use.
They sit comfortably, and the headband is adjustable. However, the clamping force of the headband and ear cups can be a little troublesome when used for more than a couple of hours.
This isn't a fault specific to this headset, but rather a common issue with on-ear headphones. The ear cups have enough padding, but they don't feel very plush, although this isn't bothersome.
The headphones are entirely plastic built, but the plastic looks premium and durable. Twisting or bending the headband won't break the headphones, which is important for durability. This level of build quality is expected for a $200 headphone. The ear cups aren't large, but they fit snugly and work like passive noise-cancellation.
There are three color options available: Cloud Pink, Slate Blue, and Matte Black. All three colors look premium, and I chose Slate Blue. The headphones have a 3.5 mm audio jack, which means you can also use them as wired headphones.
Let's talk about the control. Beats Solo 4 has one button to perform all the necessary functions like Playing and pausing music, changing the track, answering a phone call, and activating Siri. the logo of beats on a left ear cup will work as a button.
you can also increase and decrease volume with the volume button which is also on the left ear cup. Though it's not a big deal, I would prefer these buttons on the right ear cup for more convenience.
Turn on the headphones by pressing the power button for a second. It has a USB C slot to charge. which means it comes with a USB C cable and a 3.5mm audio cable to make these wired headphones.
I shouldn't forget to tell you that these Beats Solo 4 come with a carrying case too. but this isn't a hard case. which means you get limited protection against any damage.
Beats Solo 4 are foldable and easy to pack in a bag. My honest opinion about Beats Solo 4 is that they aren't for everyone. Spending $200 and not getting a high level of comfort may disappoint you. So, it's clear that these aren't for long listening sessions.
The second thing is that these aren't IP-rated headphones which means no guaranteed protection against dust, sweat, and water. though it won't get damaged with a few drops of sweat I don't dare to suggest them to use in the water.
for workouts, these have an ideal fit. no matter how you shake your head or run, Solo 4 doesn't leave their position. My overall rating for build and design is 7 out of 10. Beats Solo 4 has a Premium build and portable design but it's not so comfortable. I prefer comfort as a top priority and these lack comfort.
How is the Sound Performance of Solo 4?
If you are a Beats lover and checked our Beats Solo 3 or Solo Pro, you will notice that these were bass-heavy headphones, but in the case of Solo 4, they missed the punch. though other areas of sound like clear vocals, bright bass has improved and they maintain the same level of loudness as its predecessors.
and the fact is that it needs to be loud enough as it doesn't have active noise cancelling so to overcome the outside noise and hear the clean sound they need to be loud. The noticeable and worthy feature of Solo 4 is Apple's spatial audio with dynamic head tracking.
head tracking uses the sensors used in headphones to track the movement of your head. this feature truly gives you the experience that you have sitting in a cinema hall and sound is coming from all directions.
But does it sound like a $200 headphones? probably it doesn't. you can go for other rivals like Sony for the enjoyable sound signature for the same price but for casual listening, Solo 4 is ok. overall rating for the sound quality is 7 out of 10.
Call quality: for calling purposes I would recommend Solo 4. It has multiple digital beamforming microphones combined with voice-targeting algorithms. even in a windy condition, your voice will reach the person opposite to you. if you are a working professional, I would suggest using these headphones for calling.
How is the Connectivity of Solo 4 ?
You know that connectivity is a big plus for any Apple audio gear and Beats Solo 4 has the same technology because Beats is now a part of Apple. It has class-1 Bluetooth you get in Airpods and advanced 5.3 Bluetooth compatibility.
moreover, you can play these through a 3.5mm audio cable or USB C cable. With the USB C, you can play lossless audio. this isn't only on paper but you feel the difference when using it through USB C. A fun part for me is once you connect these with any Apple device, it will automatically connect to all other Apple devices.
like once you connect it to an iPhone, it automatically connects to an iPad or MacBook. the best feature of Beats Solo 4 is its cross-compatibility means now it works with the same efficiency as Android devices. feature like "find my device" now also works with Android devices.
to pair your Beats Solo 4 with the iPhone, turn on the Bluetooth of your Apple device. then press and hold the power button until a white light flashes on the right ear cup.
How is the Charging and Battery performance of Solo 4?
One reason I can give you to think about Beats Solo 4 is its insane battery life. Solo 4 could stretch up to 53 hours in our testing. We played all genres at 60-65% of the max volume. Maybe it will run more if you play at 50% volume. A quick 10-minute charge serves you for 5 hours. Which means you won't run short of power at any time. As I said, it's a perfect go for audio gear design especially for commuters.
It takes almost 2 hours to charge the Solo 4 100%. USB C cable comes in the package to charge the headphones. red light on the right ear cup shines as soon as charging starts. The same light turns white when the battery is charged more than 95%. I would rate Beats Solo 4 9 out of 10 for the battery performance.