Although Beats has produced a number of headphones that are overpriced and sound quite a bit worse compared to similarly priced headphones, the Beats Solo 2 changes all that. Besides having a supurb bass response it also does a remarkable job with the mids and highs.
That being said, there are some reasons you might want to go with something else which I’ll talk more about as I get into the features, sound quality and compare it to other headphones.
Accessories
Included with the headphones are an in-line mic, a 3-button remote audio cable, and a soft travel pouch.
The headphone cable is 53” long with a 3.5mm plug going into the headphones, and it terminates in a 3.5mm plug at a 90 degree angle for connecting with your audio device. The plugs on both ends are plastic but still nicely designed. The cable, plugs and 3-button remote are all color coordinated to match whichever headphone color you choose. The in-line remote control works with most Apple products, and just the play and pause will work for Android devices.
The included soft-sided case looks nice and does a great job protecting the headphones but this one doesn’t have an internal pouch or handle like the previous Beats Solo case.
Design, Features & Build Quality
Regarding the design, the Solo 2 is available in 6 different colors. It’s pretty much an all plastic construction though there are some metal parts such as within the headband adjustment. The ear pads are made of a soft memory foam and covered in a protein leather. There is only a small range of motion with these but it’s enough to find a comfortable position on your ears.
The headband padding has a soft, grippy feel to it that works well. The sliders are easy to move and stay in place once you get them adjusted.
The Solo 2 also folds up nicely which make them great for portable use. When you fold them up you do get some creaking noises, but overall they do have a solid feel to them and the durability and quality of construction of these is quite good.
Comfort
When I first put these on they feel very nice on the ears. There’s just the right amount of softness with the ear pads. The pads themselves are very soft and supple. But these headphones have a firm clamping force to them, so I found that initially they did start to become uncomfortable after wearing them for a short while. But the longer you wear them and stretch them out, the clamping force lessens and as a result they become more comfortable to wear for longer and longer periods of time.
Now one of benefits of a higher clamping force is that these work great if you want to use them while jogging or working at as they’ll stay put on your head.
Also, If you’re using these while wearing glasses, they will pinch a bit, so these aren’t as comfortable for wearing glasses unless the frames are resting on top of your ears, and then it works fine that way.
The headband is comfortable but I noticed just a touch of discomfort can build underneath over time. But again, the longer you wear these the less you’ll notice that is you break them in.
So the bottom line on comfort is that although the ear pads are super comfortable, just be prepared for a higher than average clamping force at least initially.
Noise Isolation
Regarding noise isolation, these are above average for an on-ear headphone and do an excellent job of blocking out surrounding noise. They actually do a better job over the previous Beats Solo. So you can hear what you’re listening to even in a noisy environment. They also don’t leak much sound so you can use them with the volume turned up and not bother anyone else around you.
Sound Quality
Next I’ll talk about the sound quality which is remarkably good and as a result, these are one of the best sounding Beats headphones on the market. The Beats Solo 2 is a moderately warm sounding headphone, with extra bass, a relatively natural sounding midrange and highs that are a bit laid back. The soundstage is a bit compressed sounding which isn’t surprising or necessarily a flaw for this type of headphone.
The bass is solid, tight, well extended and impact-full, though moderately over-emphasized. It’s much more controlled compared to the Beats Solo HD, but it is a bit thick do to the extension of bass into the lower mids. If you like bass you won’t find this overpowering or drowning out the mids and the highs. It’s not boomy, muddy or loose but instead brings a nice punch which you can really feel when listening to music that emphasizes the low end, like rap, hip-hop, dance, pop music and so on.
The midrange is very natural sounding with incredible sounding vocals that are well balanced and not to forward sounding. The response from the mids to the lower treble is actually quite good and smooth.
The treble region isn’t harsh or bright but instead is just a bit laid back, particularly in the upper treble. Even though it is just a bit low, it makes for a rather forgiving headphone and easier to listen to at louder volumes. So because the highs aren’t as crisp and bright these headphones are excellent for anyone who likes to listen to music loudly as it won’t be as harmful to your hearing. Also, there’s some good articulation and ultimately I think the treble is well tuned especially for anyone who listens to streaming or downloaded music which can sound too harsh on brighter or more revealing headphones.
Comparison to other headphones
Now compared to other headphones such as the V-Moda XS, the Solo2 has the more natural midrange, better vocals and the more impactful bass response. However, V-Moda has more treble presence and has a clearer sound overall.
Then if you compare these to the Urbanite by Sennheiser you’ll find the Urbanite excels at having a very good bass to mids transition whereas the extra bass emphasis with the Solo2 bleeds into the mids and highs producing a slightly thicker sound. But the Urbanite has a slightly veiled treble compared to the Solo2 which makes the Beats headphones sound a little more lively up top.
REASONS TO CONSIDER SOMETHING ELSE
Now even though these are a solid choice among on-ear headphone, there are a few reasons you might want to go with something else.
First, if you prefer a more neutral sound or sound signature that doesn’t emphasize the bass quite as much then might want to consider something else such as the V-Moda XS which has a more balanced sound by comparison.
And from a comfort standpoint, if your ears are more sensitive to headphones with a higher than average clamping force or if you wear glasses and want an on-ear headphone that would be more comfortable to wear then I’d recommend going with the Sennheiser Urbanite if you want to keep that additional bass emphasis and impact or consider the Bose SoundTure On-ear headphones if you want something that’s just as comfortable to wear as possible.
BOTTOM LINE
So the bottom line on whether you’ll like the sound of the Solo 2 or not is that it will depend on what you listen to primarily and what you like to have emphasized. For example, I found listening to songs from Will I Am, Lindsey Stirling, Blackmill, Flo Rida and so forth all sounded really good. But then if you switch gears to something like Nikolai Rimsky – The Snow Maiden – Dance of the Tumblers, you find that you’re not playing to the strengths of this headphone and the lack of detail and presence in the treble region causes this to song and other classical pieces to fall short.
So although the extra bass, the nice bass extension and incredible vocals really gives a lot of life to contemporary genres of music like rap, hip-hop, house, and so on, classical music doesn’t benefit in the same way and instead comes across as being more lackluster.
BUT OTHERWISE
But otherwise, the Solo 2 is really an excellent choice for anyone looking for a great sounding on-ear headphone that emphasizes the bass without taking over the mids and highs. And if most of what you listen to is from contemporary genres, if you prefer deep, impactful bass and a natural midrange including beautiful sounding vocals then the Solo 2 will make your ears very happy.
And of course, If you’re already a fan of Beats and just want one of the best sounding headphones Beats has made so far, then this is the one to get.