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Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Brutally overpriced

Written by BS from Savannah

Jul 26, 2008

Very colored, hyped at the high and low end, and only begin to wake up with Hip-hop and Rap only. (Go figure, a headset created in collaboration with a rap producer.) The average joe will listen to them and might be impressed because of the qualities I described in them and then they will see Monster and Dr. Dre on the box and will scrounge every last penny to get a pair and go on thinking they are the best headphones on the market. "I paid $350 for these and they are by Monster, they must be undeniably good." Along the same exact lines that Bose does with their QC2s and the incessant hype commercials on TV.

I now have a much better understanding of exactly who these are marketed to and it is too bad that they screwed up such a great concept by being so cheap. Ideally they would have been more reasonably priced, designed and sound significantly better. They want to awaken the average joe to how moving good sound quality can be and develop an appreciation for fidelity in audio and with such an easily recognizable name they could get that exposure. I think we all get it but it is like trying to convince a vegan to eat an overcooked $3 steak. OK, so not that bad, they do have their moments when they sound nice but there must be some sort of on-the-fly adjusting DSP built into them because the SQ seems to vary even in the same song.

The packaging is quite smart because it is fairly well designed and clever which adds to the illusion of a "quality" product. Once you hold them in your hands you can tell they are cheaply made. The design of the actual headphones is nice but holding them in your hands alone instantly tells you that they should cost ~$100 at most.

Back to the sound, they are very forward and exhibit distortion in the strangest frequencies even at low levels, yet exaggerate others. (It is almost as if the frequency response curve is a roller coaster.) There is a lot of bass and every now and then it can sound nice but it seems you feel the drivers through the ear cups more than you hear the actual output. To briefly sum up the overall SQ, they sound synthetic.

Now, they aren't horrible and they will absolutely smoke stock earbuds and headphones that come with portable players but it is the people coming from lower end sound gear that Monster is hoping these will appeal to.

1502 of 2017 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

wonderful and should be

Written by VN

Jul 24, 2008

When I received this as a gift, being an avid music nut I fully appreciated the quality and comfort styling.But to be perfectly honest the cost is excessive for this product.I myself would not buy it and I am sure could find something just as good in quality for alot less.So if you can blow the money go ahead, but for those needing value as well as quality keep looking.

942 of 1297 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Great sounding headphones, but overpriced

Written by KS from Toronto

Sep 4, 2008

So I bought the beatsbydre headphones and after listening to them for two days on my commmutes to and from downtown Toronto via bus and subway I have the following to say..

Pros:
1. Sound - the bass is not overwhelming, very well balanced sound
2. Appearance - they look really stylish, definitely an eye catcher
3. Comfort - can be worn for extended periods of time. my commute is over an hour and it felt just fine
4. Noise cancelling - does a decent job of cancelling external noise. keeping the volume of my music at the halfway mark drowned out conversation noise. i could still hear the train. u could probably get better noise cancelling from the Shure line or from the Sennheiser PXC 350.

Cons:
1. Price - at $400 other better headphones are available from manufacturers such as Shure, Sennheiser, AKG etc.
2. Sound leakage - ppl around you will be able to hear whatever ur listening. the CNet review also recognizes this. i noticed this at even minimal volumes.
3. Right headcup shakes a bit. also noted by CNet.

Would I recommend this to others? Probably not. you can get something better for a cheaper price, although they may not look as nice as the beats. I will be returning this item cuz its too overpriced. The headphones aren't bad for Monsters first attempt. I look forward to see what they do next.

105 of 126 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Disappointingly fragile...

Written by AV from Campbell

Sep 29, 2008

Got a pair last week. Liked the sound, they look good, the constant hiss might be a nuisance for some, but overall these are fairly good headphones, albeit pricey.

This morning, I put on the headphones, and actually cracked the headband (right where the silver Monster logo is)... The headphones still work, but they do not sit right on my head anymore.

Some will say I have a big head... maybe. Still, I now understand why most headphones don't have hard brittle plastic as headband material.

I wanted to love these headphones, can't anymore... guess I am off to a nice pair of HD650 (which are actually cheaper than these)!

97 of 112 people found this useful

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

Next To Nothing!

Written by RG from Deira

Jul 12, 2009

I’ll make this simple as much as I can and make it fair as much as possible. I am a music addict, maybe an audiophile, I listen to any kind of music and can’t go a day without it.

I thought I already had the best when I bought the Bose Headphones. I was wrong. Truly, Bose raised the bar when they introduced their QC2’s and QC3’s. Bose gave us an experienced and technology that we haven’t seen and experienced before. It’s like having a superb product which will not be beaten for the next years or so. That’s why I bought them, there’s nothing you can ask for that time. To those who have QC2’s and QC3’s like me, they know what I mean on how great they are. And please don’t get me wrong, I still love them.

But of course, technology and eagerness never stops. Now we have Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster Cable Products, Inc. A different product which for me and many others believed surpasses the experienced Bose gave us. You can’t really tell how this Headphone performs until you try and listen to them. Like what they advertised, you can really hear the smallest detail of sound you can imagine. Many good things were said and negative too. But believe me, they are way good than what you think.

The clearness of sounds they produce is just more than realistic. I won’t speak about how well the bass, the lows and highs, I won’t speak about the quality, the noise cancelling, and accessories included, or how fashionable they are, or about the battery issue anymore. We won’t finish if I will. Like what I said, they are way good than what you think.

I just want you to know that they are remarkable and a very good investment when it comes to headphones. Like Bose, one day, other company will develop a product that is better than the Beats. It’s just a matter of time.

So to wrap up, they are by far the best. If you love music, you have to have them. If you bought them, you’ll be glad you did. Me, I’m enjoying them each and every use.

75 of 87 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Hype...

Written by NK from MELBOURNE

Dec 15, 2008

Yep I've read most of the reviews on this site and the guys giving five stars I'm sure haven't had the chance of hearing top quality studio monitoring headphones and for the price that these are going for frankly there are a lot more options that will provide excellent clarity across the audio spectrum and some good background noise cancelation. I've compared the beats Vs some of these and this is my personal conclusion.

My personal preference are the Sennheiser HD 25's around $450AU [I was lucky and picked them up for $250AU] if you've got the cash; or even a Pair of Sennheiser HD 202's for $69AU are excellent for the money and still better than the beats in my opinion.

Also check out Bayer Dynamic DT 100's for $300AU or 990's for $350AU, the AKG K141's for $249AU....

Hope this helps...
Oh and stay away form little headphones that fit in your ear, ear piece style, they're all exceptionally bad! never enough bass and the quality no matter how good the head phones is never on par with all the head phones I've just mentioned!

cheers
:K

82 of 101 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Why all the bad reviews?

Written by RB

Aug 14, 2008

I feel most of the hatred is not the product itself, its because for some idiotic reason, you don't like Monster Cable. Monster is always about quality. Forget the prices, if you like it and appreciate it, then buy it. If not, don't buy and don't complain for no reason.

I have heard these headphones and they are exceptional. I am a music producer. I went to a press event last week where these were being showcased next to another top manufacturer £800 set (yes, UK Pounds) and Beats made them look and sound positively dull. Even this other manufacturer said to me that Beats were better and were worried! I don't want to say who they were as they are a top company. And for all those going on about them not being comfortable? What shape is your head? These are the most comfortable cans i have ever worn and when you are producing music for long periods of time, you seriously need comfort. The mute button on the side is also simple, but genious.

I have never heard a better set of headphones which are supposed to be for Hip Hop, but i find amazing from classical right through to heavy metal. And as for the price? I think they are under priced compared to its competition.

Rather than read all the Monster haters reviews, why don't you check out what the music professionals actually say about these from the reviews in magazines.

117 of 175 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

WAY overrated

Written by BT from Eufaula

Dec 22, 2008

I tried a pair out at an Apple store. Way overrated compared to its price tag. All these people saying Bose is better, are wrong. They are just fanboys. If you want true audiophile phones, go with AKG, Grado, Sennheiser, etc... These Beats do sound good, but not good enough for the steep price tag.

These are not very good for acoustic music.

My only advice, TRY THEM BEFORE YOU BUY THEM!

96 of 137 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!

90 of 126 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE MUSIC LOVER'S SOUL

Written by MG from New York

Jan 24, 2009

Ok.. I'm a professional deejay and have had enough experience with headphones. Had 3 pairs of Sonys which sounded crisp (all broke), 2 pairs of Technics which sounded warmer (broke too), Shure SE530 in-ears (loved but lost ON an airplane!), V-Modas (hated) etc.

I am not one to write reviews, but I just got these in the mail & can say that I am truly blown away. I ran a comparison test to my current Allen & Heath XONEs, and the beats destroyed them.

In my line of work, I play everything from Hip Hop to Rock to Fela, and listening to all these different genres on these headphones, I haven't been disappointed. I even tried them with the Nutcracker Pas De Deux and heard the arm movements of the violinists plucking, and the conductor taking a breath in! I could even tell what side of the room each instrument was.

I haven't taken these off my head yet. I'm hearing elements I didn't hear before and it's opened me up to more creative possibilities. Plus I love the fact that they come with an iPhone mic cord so I can rock these in the street. But I have to agree with someone who said they might hate you on the A train! =)

GET THEM, GET THEM, GET THEM

53 of 58 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Only if you really want them!!!

Written by DG

Oct 28, 2008

These headphones are great quality, the sound is exceptional, personally I think they are better than Bose, but you can be the judge of that. I tried them on at my local apple store I could not hear anything around me except the music of corse. They sounded way better than the Bose that I already own. I considered to buy them until I saw the price and said do I really need them. They are great quality headphone if you are willing to spend some more money for them. The price keeps it from getting a 5/5 from me.

62 of 77 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Know what you are looking for

Written by JH from seattle

Aug 15, 2008

If you dont need closed cans or noise cancellation and are used to hooking up to headphone amps because you enjoy high-impedence cans, please dont write your reviews with an up-turned nose because clearly you are not the target market and its funny you would even try these headphones out.

These are noise cancelling, low impedence, closed cans. Perfect for when I'm on the go. I'm in the yuppy QC2 crowd who takes comfort knowing the I and only I am the one hearing my music bumping when I'm riding the bus with people who wont want to hear my tunes as loud as I do. While marketed as the "Producers" can is stupid, you ought to have known that by
A: Noise Cancellation
B: Low Impedence
C: Its a Monster product LOL

If you really like bose qc2's, I would say you would like these too.

I give these a 4 on the basis that they meet the qualifiers that I am looking for - NC, low-impedence, design, and a closed can design. It seems to meet those needs and I'll only knock it because of its Monster price, again- not a surprise.

When I get home, I'll be using the SennHD595's

77 of 107 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Not as bad as others say.

Written by ET from Baltimore

Mar 21, 2009

I recently bought the Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster. The sound quality is excellent! My only concern is that they leak sound, which means anyone around can hear EXACTLY what you are listening to. I don't like being in public or on public transportation and being forced to listen to other people's music, which is probably why I won't wear these in public. Likewise, I don't want to be a target for robbery because someone else is stuck on a name brand.

I listen to many different genres of music that sound good on the Beats Headphones. I'm not sure why others were complaining that these are only good for Hip Hop/Rap music. Lastly, I do think these are worth no more than $225 rather than the $300 dollar price tag.

42 of 51 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Amazing Head Phones!!!!

Written by JL from Toronto

Jun 9, 2009

First off id just like to say I never write reviews for products but my love for these drove me into it. Dr. Dre's 'Beats' headphones are the best noise canceling headphones on the market. I feel they surpass the quality of the Bose, which compare closely in both price, quality, and comfort. Though it is a little expensive, the quality compares to headphones that are a lot more.
A great product... recommend for everyone!

52 of 72 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Amazing headphones, worth the money, Try them before judging them!

Written by SD from Norwalk

Nov 4, 2008

I have had these headphones for about 4 weeks now and i think they are great. I have already read so many reviews that said that bose is better, and that these headphones have terrible sound with for example movies. Understand though these were made for an amazing music experience, not for a video experience. Also you must keep in mind that they are studio headphones so they will be loud on the outside. But the sound these produce is great, and the bass gives u goosebumps once you turn them up, really, i have owned and tried so many headphones, but these are totally worth it when you can turn the music up, and have the headphones almost vibrating on your head because of the bass, and the sound is still amazingly clear. Just about no headphones compare to these, GOOD JOB Dr. Dre and Monster, amazing headphones!!!!!

45 of 58 people found this useful

Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones from Monster

Not Worth The Money

Written by CN from Fairburn

Aug 2, 2008

I was intrigued when I saw that Dr. Dre was endorsing these headphones. Obviously the $350 price tag screamed that these headphones must be amazing. Not so, too much treble, not enough bass, and no where near the clarity of my $100 Sony MDR-V600 pair of headphones and even further away from sounding as clear as my Shure E3c earbuds. And the flimsy plastic design is ridiculous! If you want a great pair of headphones there are many, many other choices that are a fraction of the price of these phones.

51 of 70 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