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Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Overpriced for sound quality and looks

Written by GK from Silver Spring

Sep 21, 2008

My friend has a pair of these headphones. He was so enthusiastic about them and how good they sound. I own a pair of AKG K701s, AKGs flagship pair, as well as Bose triport on-ears. The Dr. Dre Headphones were absolutly destroyed by the AKGs in terms of Bass, Midrange, Treble, and overall balance. The Bose bass, while overbearing occasionally, was deeper, and tighter than the Dr. Dres. For portable listening get Bose, or better yet, Sennheiser or Grados, for Home listening Get Senns or AKGs, or any other respectable brands. not this mainstream junk. The bass is muddy, treble harsh, mids almost nonexistent. dont buy them.

112 of 146 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

hisssssss....back they go!

Written by RH from Burnaby

Aug 2, 2008

These Beats by Dr. Dre headphones have a constant, low level hiss noise floor. That is really all that you need to know. There is absolutely no chance - zero - that any professional music artist would use these for professional recording/mixing purposes. There is a noise floor, a constant hiss and distortion.

These headphones are marketed as being "studio quality", "high resolution" and "the way [Dr. Dre] hears it [music]". All of that is pure marketing BS and completely untrue! If this is the way Dr. Dre hears his music (hint: it isn't!) then the only explanation is that he has hearing loss and cannot hear the constant noise floor hiss that these Beats headphone produce!

The exact volume of the hiss depends on the source that is connected as well. Surprisingly, plugging them into a home theatre receiver (Onkyo TX-SR705) resulted in overwhelming hiss! These absolutely cannot be used for home theatre in this way, which is disappointing considering their claim to fame is deep bass.

All I can say is, anyone who is genuinely impressed with these headphones must be playing constant, loud music that drowns out the hiss and never has a silent moment during which you would notice it. Many people have never heard any true bass before, so in that regard, I could understand (somewhat) some people thinking these sound good (or at least different).

But for $350, for claiming to be "high resolution" and for utterly failing to meet that claim, these get a 1 star rating from me. While they may have decent bass and treble extension, there is constant distortion, constant hiss, a constant noise floor and all of that leads to totally unacceptable sound quality for a mid to high end price.

I've returned these to Apple and I only hope that anyone who is seriously looking for "high resolution" headphones will see this review and avoid purchasing these disappointing headphones in the first place!

89 of 125 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Not worth the money

Written by DP from Pen Argyl

Dec 22, 2008

I had a chance to sample these at the Apple store last night. I listened to several different tracks, these lack presence, and sound like headphones...meaning you hear more of the electronics and less of the music. Do yourself a favor, go listen to a set of Grado SR60's (69.95), or a pair of Grado SR80's (89.95), available at most higher end audio stores. They are worth every penny. Then use the left over money to download a bunch of good tunes on iTunes!!!

70 of 111 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Absolute worst headphones EVER

Written by GM from Cos Cob

Feb 22, 2009

I'll begin with the sound quality. its alright. yea its obviously good, you're spending 300+ dollars but its nothing that says "these headphones are out of this world." Within ONE week of owning these headphones, the plastic on the top snapped in half because they are made of the cheapest material on earth. I am very careful with expensive things that I purchase, and these headphones broke even with my extreme attentiveness. Seriously, for a company to charge the money they do for these headphones and to use such second-rate quality is just unacceptable in my opinion. Also the wires are just as substandard. Within a months use I was already having problems with only hearing music in one ear.

Save your money and buy something else. These headphones are very low-grade.

68 of 109 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Don't buy these, you can have much better sound for less

Written by CK from See address

Nov 29, 2008

I tested these at the Apple store and can safely say that they are not worth your money. There is a constant hiss, which is slightly audible even during music playback (which makes it very hard to listen at low volumes). There was too much bass and the mids were empty, leaving vocals sounding very unlifelike. These seem to go with the same method of using accentuated highs and lows to impress people. Bose does this too, and both Bose and these headphones are bad when you know your audio. The untrained ear will spend so much time wowing at the deep bass and the "clarity" (which is just the accentuated treble, it's not true clarity) that that person won't notice the faults. And if you're thinking that I'm some rich guy who tried these and freaked out, you're wrong. I own a pair of $100 V-Modas that beat these (which I'd recommend, by the way), I'm just trying to help people not blow so much money on these bad headphones.

64 of 101 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Terrible...

Written by DM from Costa Mesa

Jul 31, 2008

I Strongly dislike these headphones. I tested them out at one of the many fine apple retail stores, but i was shocked when i heard these headphones. Everything sounded terrible, my Sennheisers sound ten times better and i picked those up for $50. The price that they are asking for is just rediculous, much respect towards Dr. Dre, but I dont like his name thrown on bad headphones so they could be sold for more. People, take my advise and pass.

67 of 110 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Too much bass

Written by CL from Rockville

Aug 1, 2008

I find it extremely ironic how the box says "people are going to hear what the artists hear and listen to the music the way people should."

These headphones are pretty heavy on the bass, HOWEVER it doesnt drown out the midrange completely like how boss speakers/headphones do. However bass is still way too much. If you plan on listening to anything else other than hip/hop, rap, or dance music these ARE NOT for you. I really cant imagine how terrible they would be to listen to classical, country, rock or even any of the other genres of music out there.

For $350 I would much rather just spend the money on some REAL studio headphones. Even ear buds from Ultimate Ears sound a lot better than this.

However if your music thrives on bass and if you actually find boss headphones good, you might actually like them.

44 of 69 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

leaks noise

Written by KR from wading river

Jan 8, 2009

I couldnt decide between these headphones and the Bose Quiet Comfort 2 or 3 but I decided to buy these upon reading reviews that stated the Beats produced better sound quality then the Bose. Well after receiving them and trying them out, I was very impressed with the sound quality and the noise cancellation. However, you cant use them in public! They leak noise! Say you use them on the plane or on a bus, the people next to you and even further away can hear every single word of what you are listening to. Even at the lower volumes they still leak. They leak so much that it sounds like a radio, everything is crystal clear, not muffled or anything. And after learning this I read more reviews and others wrote the same thing that I am now writing. So I returned them to Apple and purchased the Bose Quiet Comfort 2s. Couldnt be happier. I do not know why a company would release a product that leaks so much noise, unless they are specifically supposed to be used in the comfort and privacy of your own room where no one is around, but who would want $350 headphones just to use in your house...?

24 of 36 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Not recommend to buy

Written by PP from providence

Sep 8, 2008

Nice in design and packaging but poor quality of sound in many aspects if compare with Bose Qc 2,3. I will keep it for my headphone collection but so disappointed about its sound and price. If you looking for all around quality for Nc headphone, I would recommend Bose not this one.

51 of 90 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

'Beats' nothing.

Written by PK from Concord

Aug 9, 2008

Do not waste your money on these headphones. The only thing nice about them is the look. I have another pair of AKG K271 headphones, and they DESTROY these. If you're already spending such a wad of cash, invest in quality brand headphones. Not some no-name brand one-timer made by Dr. Dre.

38 of 65 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

listen to some good headphones

Written by BP from Brooklyn

Jul 27, 2008

The people writing these reviews are either hyping this product up or have never heard good sound. Get an amplifier and get yourself a real set of headphones and these headphones will sound horrendous in fact they do. I was in the apple store in nyc and i hooked them up to my portable amp and they sounded horrible. I'm a huge dre fan and i am disappointed.

32 of 54 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

High priced, good, but not really worth it...

Written by BP from Rockville

Aug 26, 2008

I tested these headphones compared to Bose at Best Buy. Bose is more worth buying considering that these headphones are wayyy overpriced. Bose has a clearer sound and are more comfortable. I like Dr.Dre and his music but I doubt he helped make these headphones...:)

25 of 41 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Horrible, Don't Buy.

Written by ZA from jackson heights

Aug 10, 2008

I Bought these from the apple store today, and these are not one bit spectacular. The sound might be different from others but overall it's not a wow sound. These headphones are only popular because Dr.Dre endorses it. The Sound quality is mediocre and are very uncomfortable to wear. The Price is not worth the money. $350 is overpriced. Don't buy these, You can get cheaper ones and they sound 1000x better than these.

41 of 73 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

AKG is the way to go

Written by LD from Palos Verdes Estates

Jan 8, 2009

As a response to another review, this product is not the way to go if you are looking for a product that can deliver for its price. Trying this at the store really showed me that the average consumer bases their reviews on the bass which is a mistake. A headset should cover not only just the bass but all the highs and lows that you should hear! Being a part time DJ, I was looking for a replacement to my other headset (for everyday listening) which had worn out and I turned to AKG. They have by far the best sound quality for their prices.

If you are looking for something in this size range, I would take a look at the AKG K 514. Its a quarter of the price yet double the sound quality. Plus they are extremely light on your head which means you can wear it for hours.

24 of 42 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

way over priced

Written by JD

Dec 6, 2008

I tried these in the apple store when i went to get new headphones. I thought they would be something special having a price of $350, thats almost more than my ipod. I tried these and the bose headphones. The bose headphones were a lot cheaper and head better sound. The beats headphones had very poor sound on music that had little or no bass.

37 of 70 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

The Worst Ever!

Written by RC from Edinburg

Aug 2, 2008

I tried these headphones at an apple stoe and they were the worst in the world. I prefer my BOSE HEADPHONES over this and any others. The sound was nothing like the bose and they did not sound clear.

32 of 63 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Sorry. Not good enough for your money.

Written by PP from Houston

Dec 7, 2008

Testing: Yay $300+ on listening towards bass heavy hip-hop listening. For an average listener and mainstream fans these may be a hit. But true audiophiles at this cost will go for phones from Sennheiser, Grado or Beyerdynamic. It's disappointing listening to these headphones as they lack the quality of the above mentioned, are over priced and over marketed like many Monster products.

23 of 48 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Terrible for the price!

Written by BV from saraland

Aug 14, 2008

I currently own Bose qc3 and they out play these for about the same price. They keep saying they were made for the WHOLE range...I only heard highs and mids... the lows were not there at all. Also, one of the cables that came with it had an answer button on it foor use with a cell phone...first time I used it, the cover came off the button... It's made pretty cheap but looks real good. You are paying for looks and a big name behind it..Dr. Dre. Returned them the next day, waste of money.

27 of 56 people found this useful