Beats: What so special about them?

[TheCount]

Nothing. They're a fashion accessory. You can get better sound quality at the $75 mark.

Yep, fashion accessory for sure. I might buy Beats resale, used, if reasonably priced, but never new at a store when they are so obviously WAAAAAAAAAY overpriced.

I disagree.

I know it's really cool and trendy to hate on Beats, but they are actually good headphones.

Yes, you pay extra for the marketing, branding and looks - but since when is that something new.

One thing I do know is that some of their models (like the solo), aren't particularly durable.

I was into headphones for a while, and anyone that thinks $300 is unheardof for headphones only thinks so because Dre's are the only premium-priced headphones they've heard about - specifically because their marketing and branding is so good.

Companies like Denon, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone, Sennheiser and Sony have pairs that cost well north of $300, they just aren't as well known. The Ultrasone Edition 8 can cost as much as $1,600, if you want to talk insane prices.

 

[iceberg]

Branding. They aren't bad from what I hear, just way overpriced. Most generic $5-$10 earbuds aren't that hot though. There are actual differences in quality. If I was going to spend $300 on earphones, I'd be looking at Sennheiser.

branding is about it. one of my dj's works at best buy to pay the bills and he said beats are the worst out there in returns. quality, sound, they're an accessory, not a useful tool. if you want good music, stick with the good brands that while may be expensive, backs it up. if I were ty pay money for a brand name, I'd be getting sennheiser, jbl, and the like.

 

[Idgit]

I disagree.

I know it's really cool and trendy to hate on Beats, but they are actually good headphones.

Yes, you pay extra for the marketing, branding and looks - but since when is that something new.

One thing I do know is that some of their models (like the solo), aren't particularly durable.

I was into headphones for a while, and anyone that thinks $300 is unheardof for headphones only thinks so because Dre's are the only premium-priced headphones they've heard about - specifically because their marketing and branding is so good.

Companies like Denon, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone, Sennheiser and Sony have pairs that cost well north of $300, they just aren't as well known. The Ultrasone Edition 8 can cost as much as $1,600, if you want to talk insane prices.

I actually used to work for Monster Cable, and I know the guys who created that product pretty well. They're not junk. But the $75 in-ear buds Apple was selling on the website had better sound quality than the Beats on-ear headphones.

I'm not knocking the Beats line for marketing it well. But if you just look at it objectively, it's expensive to run that sort of promotion and to support that level of product diversification. There's definitely markup in the headphones to offset the branding costs. And I don't think there's any denying that Beats became a serious fashion accessory there for a while.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I just don't like style of those head phones. The big head phones that pretty much cover the whole ear and have the leather (real or fake) on them.

I had a high priced pair of sony's someone let me borrow a few years ago...I don't know how to explain it other than they made my ears too hot and almost felt like they were going to get sweaty.

So I just stuck with the cheaper phone ones that do not cover the whole ear.

For some time I hated the ear bud ones, mostly because the iphone/ipod buds were the ones I had at the time. I could not wear them more an hour without it making my ears hurt.

However I like the style of buds that came with my samsung. They are bugs but they are not as fat or awkward shaped going into my ears. I am sure there are better brands and quality that have similar shapes so If I ever decided to pay more it would be for that style that was bluetooth.

 

[WoodysGirl]

I'm cheap and only wear ear buds. I've never spent more than $20 on a pair and only because I was at an airport and didn't bring mine with me.

 

[iceberg]

I just don't like style of those head phones. The big head phones that pretty much cover the whole ear and have the leather (real or fake) on them.

I had a high priced pair of sony's someone let me borrow a few years ago...I don't know how to explain it other than they made my ears too hot and almost felt like they were going to get sweaty.

So I just stuck with the cheaper phone ones that do not cover the whole ear.

For some time I hated the ear bud ones, mostly because the iphone/ipod buds were the ones I had at the time. I could not wear them more an hour without it making my ears hurt.

However I like the style of buds that came with my samsung. They are bugs but they are not as fat or awkward shaped going into my ears. I am sure there are better brands and quality that have similar shapes so If I ever decided to pay more it would be for that style that was bluetooth.

that's why I really don't listen to a lot through headphones. earbuds for the most part just don't carry the quality of sound I'm used to from growing up in a time a 15" woofer meant something. i'll spend $500 on a stereo system for my truck, 2 weekends to put it in, but i'll listen to music from jack in the box? now I realize not all earbuds sound bad but you just can't make music sound the same on earbuds as you do with full speakers.

that said, I fully prefer the over the ear because it blocks off unwanted sound and they stay put. earbuds tend to pop of my ear.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

that's why I really don't listen to a lot through headphones. earbuds for the most part just don't carry the quality of sound I'm used to from growing up in a time a 15" woofer meant something. i'll spend $500 on a stereo system for my truck, 2 weekends to put it in, but i'll listen to music from jack in the box? now I realize not all earbuds sound bad but you just can't make music sound the same on earbuds as you do with full speakers.

that said, I fully prefer the over the ear because it blocks off unwanted sound and they stay put. earbuds tend to pop of my ear.

That's fair.

I will say that I don't worry too much about sound quality if I am listening to MP3's or Podcasts on my phone because frankly the sound quality is already crap in order to make it go faster and take up less space.

So now it just comes down to what I find to be both comfortable and affordable and by affordable I mean free to really cheap.

Now in my younger days when there was a world of hardly any bills and insurance...sure I would pay more and not think of it. Paid for a very good stereo system (piece by piece) and nice infinity speakers to go with the bose speakers I already had and so on.

Now...Just can't bring myself to justify paying that kind of money on a pair of speakers.

Now for someone that is in the business, like you with your station, I could understand it.

 

[visionary]

Beats(a big holiday gift for a friend who mostly listens to today's boring music): whats so special about those headphones? and why so so SOOOOO expensive?? some of them are around $300. $300???!!!! thats insane! i rather buy me a simple set of earphones at a dollar store for $5 or headphones for around $10 or $15.

marketing

sometimes paying more for something makes it seem better (Psychology 101)

 

[iceberg]

That's fair.

I will say that I don't worry too much about sound quality if I am listening to MP3's or Podcasts on my phone because frankly the sound quality is already crap in order to make it go faster and take up less space.

So now it just comes down to what I find to be both comfortable and affordable and by affordable I mean free to really cheap.

Now in my younger days when there was a world of hardly any bills and insurance...sure I would pay more and not think of it. Paid for a very good stereo system (piece by piece) and nice infinity speakers to go with the bose speakers I already had and so on.

Now...Just can't bring myself to justify paying that kind of money on a pair of speakers.

Now for someone that is in the business, like you with your station, I could understand it.

there does seem to be some form of "reset" in all this. gain portability, lose 15"subwoofers...in high school I remember looking at our car stereo of 1982 buick lesabre greatness and thinking it would be cool to have music on computer chips like Atari cartridges. but I've always been into the production of the music in as much as the music itself. you get like 70% of the song through earbuds and yea, I can certainly see where that's good enough for what you're doing.

best sound I ever heard was a musical in vegas, but that's another story.

 

[TheCount]

I actually used to work for Monster Cable, and I know the guys who created that product pretty well. They're not junk. But the $75 in-ear buds Apple was selling on the website had better sound quality than the Beats on-ear headphones.

I'm not knocking the Beats line for marketing it well. But if you just look at it objectively, it's expensive to run that sort of promotion and to support that level of product diversification. There's definitely markup in the headphones to offset the branding costs. And I don't think there's any denying that Beats became a serious fashion accessory there for a while.

Are you saying you know Dr. Dre? It's well established that Dre lovingly hand crafts every pair of headphones that bear his name. The man is a wiz with a soldering iron.

As far as quality, I don't disagree there - the originals were pretty filmsy but they've come a long way since then. Even the solo, which I think was absolute garbage, got an overhaul. The Pro line actually has very good construction and sound.

There's certainly no doubt that the biggest asset Beats has is the branding and marketing, that's what Apple paid for.

 

[Idgit]

Are you saying you know Dr. Dre? It's well established that Dre lovingly hand crafts every pair of headphones that bear his name. The man is a wiz with a soldering iron.

As far as quality, I don't disagree there - the originals were pretty filmsy but they've come a long way since then. Even the solo, which I think was absolute garbage, got an overhaul. The Pro line actually has very good construction and sound.

There's certainly no doubt that the biggest asset Beats has is the branding and marketing, that's what Apple paid for.

Yeah. I bought one of the first pairs for my wife for Christmas (I knew a guy, but he wasn't doing me any favors). The plastic frame snapped after about 15 uses. They fixed the production flaws pretty quickly and replaced them, but, still. There's no excuse for that at that price point.

They sound nice, though. I don't happen to like buds in my ears, so I like the on-ear feel a bit better. I almost never use them, though. Not exactly and audiophile. I just stream to wireless speakers for the convenience.

 

[gmoney112]

Beats are turrible. My 80$ Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's are better.

Don't even get me started on the Beyerdynamics I had that were similarly priced. The comparison was laughable.

Also, I'm sorry Idgit but I've never noticed a difference in quality between Monster cable or the 5$ HDMI cable I get off the web. And this is on my 70 inch.

Maybe I'm just hatin'.

 

[Idgit]

Beats are turrible. My 80$ Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's are better.

Don't even get me started on the Beyerdynamics I had that were similarly priced. The comparison was laughable.

Also, I'm sorry Idgit but I've never noticed a difference in quality between Monster cable or the 5$ HDMI cable I get off the web. And this is on my 70 inch.

Maybe I'm just hatin'.

Don't apologize. I have no loyalty to MC. In fact....

http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/03/audiophiles-cant-tell-the-difference-between-monster-cable-and/

 

[iceberg]

Beats are turrible. My 80$ Sennheiser HD-280 Pro's are better.

Don't even get me started on the Beyerdynamics I had that were similarly priced. The comparison was laughable.

Also, I'm sorry Idgit but I've never noticed a difference in quality between Monster cable or the 5$ HDMI cable I get off the web. And this is on my 70 inch.

Maybe I'm just hatin'.

well, while I love and respect the HD 280s at my standard DJ headphones, they'd fall down in use if I had to plug 'em up to a phone, tablet or the like. too heavy and of course, the cable. but all my microphones and headphones are normally sennheiser unless I'm trying to save money for a particular purpose where any mic/headphones will do.

beats tell you you'll look cool wearing their headphones. the trouble to me is their advertising makes fun of wires. is anyone in this generation NOT aware of wireless headsets? it's like selling you a feature that should be "standard" at that price. when you have to tout that vs. quality, that tells me all I need to know.

 

[Future]

Yeah, Sennheiser for me. You can spend the same you would on Beats and get more out of the music.

That's my choice.

Beats = iPhones.

 

[RonSpringsdaman20]

I disagree.

I know it's really cool and trendy to hate on Beats, but they are actually good headphones.

Yes, you pay extra for the marketing, branding and looks - but since when is that something new.

One thing I do know is that some of their models (like the solo), aren't particularly durable.

I was into headphones for a while, and anyone that thinks $300 is unheardof for headphones only thinks so because Dre's are the only premium-priced headphones they've heard about - specifically because their marketing and branding is so good.

Companies like Denon, Beyerdynamic, Ultrasone, Sennheiser and Sony have pairs that cost well north of $300, they just aren't as well known. The Ultrasone Edition 8 can cost as much as $1,600, if you want to talk insane prices.

I got a free pair of beats, the pros, when they first came out. The top plastic band broke in like 2 months.
They sounded okay, definitely solid sound... but far far from the best...
I never use them.

 

[arglebargle]

What you hear is always bounded by the weakest link in the audio chain. If it's poor earphones, it doesn't matter much what else is inline. If it's starting out at 96kbps MP3 files, it probably wouldn't help much to have top dollar headphones.

And Pam Grier sure does rock that double barrel.....!

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I have to hand it to everyone involved in creating the Beats brand.

They're like a lot of products out there where the value of the product transcends the actual parts and labor that goes into making them... It's an enviable position for any company.

Beats, Mercedes, BMW, Coach, Apple, Nike

I could list many more, but those are great examples.

 

[Jenky]

I wonder if Beats has gotten any better since Apple bought them.

 

[Pessimist_cowboy]

Beats(a big holiday gift for a friend who mostly listens to today's boring music): whats so special about those headphones? and why so so SOOOOO expensive?? some of them are around $300. $300???!!!! thats insane! i rather buy me a simple set of earphones at a dollar store for $5 or headphones for around $10 or $15.

Skull candy crushers. They are MUUUUCH better and have the most unreal base ever. They literally vibrate your head. Ive tried both and its not even close the crushers blow the beats away.