Beats Solo 4
Strong sound for rather small heads
The new Beats Solo 4 have hardly changed visually.
© Beats by Dr. Dr
What can the Beats Solo 4 do? Pure lifestyle product or high-quality headphones? As is often the case, the truth lies in the middle.
First, a sentence about the price: Beats keeps it stable compared to the previous model. The Beats Solo 3 were also recently sold for 229.95 euros. And this despite the fact that they were technically a little old and had been on the market for eight years. Despite the lack of a price increase, the Beats Solo 4 remain slightly more expensive compared to similar products from competitors in the same segment. However, it has always been this way: Anyone who buys Beats also wants to be part of the lifestyle behind them and therefore has to dig deeper into their wallets.
Good wearing comfort for small heads
At first glance, you notice the good workmanship of the Beats Solo 4, which comes in high-quality packaging and an attractive case. Included: the foldable on-ear headphones, a USB-C charging cable and a jack cable. Visually, the latest generation of Solos only change marginally: the typical shape of the shell with the iconic B on the outside has of course not been touched. Three colors will be available at launch: Matte Black, Slate Blue and Cloud Pink. At first glance, the black version is basically indistinguishable from the Solo 3 version. The pink version now has the leather shells in pink instead of white and there has not yet been a blue version.
The wearing comfort of the headband headphones is once again a good compromise between a firm and comfortable fit. The extremely soft ear cups in particular ensure a pleasant feeling, which, coupled with the firm contact pressure from the headbands, guarantees a proper fit even during sporting activities. Fear of losing your beats when moving quickly is not appropriate. However, the perceived comfort depends extremely on the head size. What was noticeable in the test was that people with wider heads found the Solo 4 to be too small – both visually and because of the uncomfortable pressure they felt after wearing it for a short time.
The sound of the Solo 4, on the other hand, is convincing and makes a big leap forward, especially compared to the previous model. Bass sounds much more powerful than before, even if there is still a gap to high-end devices such as the Beats Solo. Somewhat surprisingly, the manufacturer did not include an active noise canceling function that filters out external noise. A transparency mode is also missing. This is anything but ideal for listening on busy streets or in louder environments such as on planes and trains.
Very strong battery performance
Although the Beats company has been part of the Apple Group for some time and communication between Beats headphones and iPhones works flawlessly, Android users can now also access almost all of the same features as iOS users. These include, for example, the “Find my device” function or one-touch pairing but also 3D audio. However, some functions are reserved for iOS devices, such as the use of the voice assistant or the audio sharing function. Although an Android smartphone is no longer a real exclusion criterion, iPhone users can fully enjoy all the gadgets and technical gimmicks on offer.
Beats has made a leap in battery performance with its Solo 4. According to the factory information, the Solo 4 only breaks down after 50 hours. After ten minutes of charging, you can enjoy five hours of music again. This information was easily achieved in the test. For example, the Solo 4 were used extensively for an entire weekend without refueling at the charger once. You can’t really ask for more from headphones when it comes to battery performance.
Conclusion
The Beats Solo 4 are without a doubt a high-quality product at an understandable price. However, they are not recommended for everyone. The target group is clearly defined: People who value high-quality lifestyle products, like to listen to bass-heavy music while doing sports and, ideally, are still iPhone users, will really enjoy the new product. However, if you have a wide head, you should try out the on-ear headphones first to see if the pressure doesn’t become too much for you in the long run. Anyone who travels a lot by plane or train would also have to consider whether it would be better to use a product that supports active noise canceling in order to be able to suppress annoying background noises.