Choosing a new set of headphones these days is ever more challenging. The vast array of headphones now available thanks to the popularity of MP3 players and mobile phones is simply mindboggling. It seems everyone is trying to cash in on this lucrative market. So what, if anything, makes the Monster Dr. Dre Beats Solos worthy of consideration?
Firstly, many of you may not be familiar with the "Monster" brand. Monster is a privately owned American company with annual sales of around $500M that, for many years, has focused its attention on high-quality audio connectors, power conditioners and high spec home cinema/audio set-ups. I first met their charismatic owner Noel Lee a few years back. The lasting impression I got from a few days at CES courtesy of Monster was the pure drive and determination Noel imparts to his team. If anyone I ever met is likely to suceed then it's Noel and his Monster attitude. Monster has apparently teamed up with Dr. Dre and I'm not quite sure whether these are Dr. Dre Beats, Monster Beats or Monster powered Dr. Dre inspired Beats. Either way the Solos are the smaller on-ear headphones that complement the slightly larger, over-ear noise cancelling Monster Dr. Dre Beats Studio headphones.
So are they a worthy opponent for the popular Bose on-ear headphones? Can they outshine the Sennheiser HD238 on-ear headphones and outclass SkullCandy? What about BeyerDynamic or AKG? The answer is of course entirely subjective. Everyone in my office has their own opinion; their pick of the bunch. Given the fairly high price tag placed on the Monster Solos they certainly need to perform well if they are to be at all successful here in the UK. I found them to be very good. Amongst my favorite of all on-ear headphones, while others found them to be disappointing. Opinions are divided. A lot of this can be put down to your individual choice of music. If you listen to classical symphony ochestras or have a library full of acoustic noodlings slash classic rock and roll, then the Monsters are unlikely to appeal. If however you listen to Rap, Hip Hop or Pop music then I think the Monster Solos are the best choice.
The Monster (Beats by Dr. Dre) Solo headphones are solidly built and the cable is particulary good (as you would expect from Monster). The sound reproduction has plenty of bass. I get the impression they can cope with the dirtiest of Hip Hop beats, perhaps in tribute to Dr. Dre, who I presume put his name to the products in return for cash. Me cynical of celeb endorsements?.. never. Let's face it: if people will buy a fragrance endorsed by Britney Spears, then they should be queuing around the block to buy headphones from Dr. Dre!
The real decider for me is street credibility. These headphones, like all on-ear headphones, are a reflection of the wearers character. Bose succeed across the globe because they represent quality and innovation. Sennheiser are the bench mark amongst audiophiles; they whisper more discreetly that the wearer is well-informed and un-pretentious. Skullcandy are cheap, plastic accessories for the iPod generation strapped for cash but wanting to look cool, while BeyerDynamic, AKG and other sound engineering companies are still struggling to find a definition of 'street cool' in their dusty old encyclopedias.
If you do decide to invest in the Beats by Dr. Dre Monster Solo headphones I very much doubt you'll be disappointed. They fold up fairly small and come complete with a carry case and you can try them for yourself in any of our retail Stores dotted across the South of England.
