RSS
Monster Cable Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones Reviewed
- By: Andrew Robinson
- - Reviewer's System
- Category:
- Audio Reviews, Equipment Reviews, Headphone Reviews
- Resources & Links:
- View Andrew Robinson's Reviews
- January 1, 2009
You can call Monster many things, but subtle they are not. They are arguably the most successful "garage brand" in the consumer electronics industry and, while Monster may have started from humble beginnings, their presence in the AV business is anything but shy. You can't throw a rock or a Wii controller, for that matter, in a Best Buy or any other big box store without hitting something with a Monster label on it. From batteries to amplifiers, Monster is everywhere. So it should come as no surprise when Monster decided to stick their toes into the headphone business, as the iPod market is brimming with consumer demand these days.
Typically, when Monster launches a product, they tend to do two things: partner up with a high-profile event and/or celebrity and proclaim the product's brilliance at every turn. To put this in perspective, allow me an analogy. Sony is to Peyton Manning what Terrell Owens is to Monster Cable. The question is, with so much brouhaha over everything, the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones being no different, where does the marketing end and the performance begin? Are they any good? The answer ... not really.
Retailing for $349, Beats by Dre headphones are among the more expensive electronic ear warmers money can buy. They are rather stylish, if you're into that look the runway attendants at LAX have, with a high gloss black finish, accented by spots of red and silver capped off by a large lower case "b," symbolizing the product's name. I must say, for headphones as large and bulky as the Beats by Dre are, they are very lightweight, weighing a spry 270 grams with batteries installed. Surprisingly and rather tastefully done, the Monster logo is small and silk-screened in silver along the headphone's arch. Monster claims that the Beats by Dre headphones will bring you closer to the recorded event, the way the artist intended, than any other headphone money can buy. However the "artists" Monster is using in their testimonials for the headphones do little make this seem like something you would want.
Beats by Dre are isolating headphones, using a powered system not unlike other brands that require two AAA batteries that install in the headphone cups themselves. Along with active isolation, the Beats by Dre phones feature a mute or "Push to Listen" button, which effectively cuts the music and isolation to let you hear what is going on in the outside world. Between you and me, this may be the product's greatest feature, but more on that later. The Beats by Dre feature Monster's own Advanced Driver Design (whatever that means) and use extra-large speaker drivers for superb bass response in a headphone design. The headphones themselves are wired entirely with Monster Cable, including the Quadripole cable that is terminated with a Micro Mini jack that, unlike other Monster Cable connectors, is said to put less strain on connected audio components. The Beats by Dre headphones come packaged with one-eighth-inch and one-quarter-inch adaptors to allow for a variety of connection options with other components beyond an iPod or iPhone. The Beats by Dre headphones are collapsible and can be easily stowed in their included Touring Case and come with a Anti-Microbial Cleaning cloth to help keep them shiny and new all the time.
High Points
• The Beats by Dre headphones are surprisingly comfortable and lightweight, making long periods of use, ahem, wear rather pedestrian and non-fatiguing.
• The Beats by Dre headphones are fairly attractive-looking, I must admit; they are clearly designed to speak to a young, hip audience and, to that extent, they succeed. While my father would probably never buy or wear a pair, my two younger brothers will eat up the visual style.
• The Beats by Dre headphones have impressive levels of bass output and are among the most truly full-range headphones I've ever listened to, at any price.
• The active isolation works very well with the Beats, arguably better than that of the reigning king of isolating headwear, Bose. The mute button is a nice touch and a welcome and useful addition. I also quite like that the battery unit to power the Beat's isolation is housed in the ear cups themselves, as opposed to a dongle located somewhere on the cable.
Low Points
• I did my evaluation of the Beat by Dre headphones at a Monster Cable-sponsored event, so if they were going to sound their best, I have to imagine it was going to be in Monster's own house. This said, the Beats are atrocious. Because of their isolation, you have no escape from the ice-pick-to-the-ear drum effect the Beats are so good at reproducing.
• The high frequencies are so glaring and harsh at moderate, never mind stupid, volume levels I didn't last but 30 seconds in my listening test before tearing the Beats from my head. I literally couldn't stand to listen much longer than that, although I went back repeatedly to prove I wasn't being a baby about auditioning these headphones.
• The midrange, normally a headphone's strong suit, is flat, lifeless and rather digital-sounding, reminding me more of a boom box's output than audiophile fare.
• The bass output from the Beats is impressive, I won't lie. However, like everything Monster does, it is so overpowering in a "look at me" way that it becomes more a distraction and a nuisance then an attribute. Then again, the Beats' bass does mask a fair bit of its overall sonic shortcomings.
• Monster will have you believe, if you believe anything advertising says, that the Beats will play loud (remember, like the artist intended) without distortion, which just isn't true. In fact, if you listen to the Beats at an authorized store kiosk, there is no volume adjustment other than LOUDER available to you, just to make their point. Problem is, the starting volume at those displays is already brain-busting. Hitting the LOUDER button results in almost assured and potentially immediate hearing loss. Consider yourself warned.
Conclusion
To sum the experience of listening to the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones from Monster Cable: they're a bit like getting punched directly in the ear canal by a very attractive woman bejeweled in Cartier. The Beats by Dre headphones are ungodly expensive and, while stylish, do not appear nor feel solidly built. While the Beats by Dre possess good sound isolation, you never want to use it in conjunction with listening to music, turning the headphones into earmuffs more than listening devices. Would I recommend them? It all depends on how much I hate you. Seriously, look elsewhere for your iPod and beyond.
Keywords
Monster Cable, Monster Cable Reviews, Monster Headphones, Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones, Beats by Dre Reviews, Audiophile Headphones, Good Sounding Headphones, Headphone Reviews, Bose
- Audion Lo Sfizio Headphone Amp...
- Audio-Technica ATH-PRO5VA Close...
- Bang & Olufsen Form 2 Headphone...
- Etymotic ER4-P MicroPro In-ear ...
- Etymotic Research ER-4 In-ear H...
- Grado SR40 Headphones Reviewed...
- Grado SR80i Dynamic Headphones ...
- Home Theater Review 2009 Best o...
- Monster Cable Beats by Dr. Dre ...
- STAX SRS-2050 II Basic Headphon...
- Sony MDR-RF970RK Wireless Headp...
- Sony MDR-XB500 Headphones Revie...
- Stax SR-001 Mk 2 Headphones Rev...
- Ultimate Ears UE11pro In-ear He...
Featured Audio-Video News
Experiencing Your Dream Home Theater While On Vacation -
It isn't any news that the economy is in the dumps. Morphing your living room, garage or basement into the...
Latest Headphone Reviews
Home Theater Review 2009 Best of Awards -
For the first time, Home Theater Review com's editors have picked a select list of the best gear from many of our AV equipment categories. The winners are picked subjectively by our staff. In today's economy, value matters - this... Click for more...
Ultimate Ears UE11pro In-ear Headphones -
So you want to live like a rock star? Then you need Ultimate Ears UE10pro in-ear monitors, as they are the absolute reference standard in-ear monitor for performers of all ages, genres and beyond. These ultra-high-technology speakers are designed to... Click for more...
Etymotic Research ER-4 In-ear Headphones Reviewed -
I will never forget the day I got my first Apple iPod. It was from Apple's PR firm and it came to my old office on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles. Inside there was a small note saying "if... Click for more...
Sony MDR-RF970RK Wireless Headphones Reviewed -
The $99 Sony MDR-RF970RK headphones look like most other over-the-ear headphones, with one subtle difference. These Sonys have no wires and are designed to allow the user complete freedom from the audio source. They also incorporate noise-canceling technology designed to... Click for more...
Sony MDR-XB500 Headphones Reviewed -
The MDR-XB500 headphones occupy the middle spot in Sony's "extra bass" trio of headphones. As the name suggests Sony designed these headphones to kick out serious low-end response while also providing excellent performance through the rest of the frequency range.... Click for more...
Grado SR80i Dynamic Headphones Reviewed -
The Grado name is no stranger to audiophiles, and it's a name that deserves wider recognition among the public at large. That's because, in addition to a line of well-respected phono cartridges, Grado makes high-quality headphones - including attractively priced... Click for more...
Audio-Technica ATH-PRO5VA Closed-Back Dynamic Headphones -
Audio-Technica is a name that's familiar to virtually everyone in the pro audio industry, and to many audiophiles as well. Since 1962, the company has been offering a wide range of products including phono cartridges, microphones, mixers, accessories - and... Click for more...
Grado SR40 Headphones Reviewed -
Down-pricing surely must have its limits. I mean - just how inexpensive does something have to be before the masses will accept it as justifiably priced? Or, to get to the point, what's the name 'Grado' worth in the headphone... Click for more...
Stax SR-001 Mk 2 Headphones Reviewed -
Oh, me of little faith. Worried as I was that Stax, that great Japanese purveyor of no-compromise, high-end headphones and Keeper Of The Electrostatic Faith, might have left us for good, I never really expected it to come back so,... Click for more...
Bang & Olufsen Form 2 Headphones Reviewed -
Bang & Olufsen is one of the oldest brands in the consumer electronics business, manufacturing products ranging from loudspeakers to telephones. Throughout the years, the B&O creed has been simple: create quality, user-friendly products for everyday use. B&O has been... Click for more...
Latest Headphone Reviews
Home Theater Review 2009 Best of Awards -
For the first time, Home Theater Review com's editors have picked a select list of the best gear from many of our AV equipment categories. The winners are picked subjectively by our staff. In today's economy, value matters - this... Click for more...
Ultimate Ears UE11pro In-ear Headphones -
So you want to live like a rock star? Then you need Ultimate Ears UE10pro in-ear monitors, as they are the absolute reference standard in-ear monitor for performers of all ages, genres and beyond. These ultra-high-technology speakers are designed to... Click for more...
Etymotic Research ER-4 In-ear Headphones Reviewed -
I will never forget the day I got my first Apple iPod. It was from Apple's PR firm and it came to my old office on Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles. Inside there was a small note saying "if... Click for more...
Sony MDR-RF970RK Wireless Headphones Reviewed -
The $99 Sony MDR-RF970RK headphones look like most other over-the-ear headphones, with one subtle difference. These Sonys have no wires and are designed to allow the user complete freedom from the audio source. They also incorporate noise-canceling technology designed to... Click for more...
Sony MDR-XB500 Headphones Reviewed -
The MDR-XB500 headphones occupy the middle spot in Sony's "extra bass" trio of headphones. As the name suggests Sony designed these headphones to kick out serious low-end response while also providing excellent performance through the rest of the frequency range.... Click for more...
Grado SR80i Dynamic Headphones Reviewed -
The Grado name is no stranger to audiophiles, and it's a name that deserves wider recognition among the public at large. That's because, in addition to a line of well-respected phono cartridges, Grado makes high-quality headphones - including attractively priced... Click for more...
Audio-Technica ATH-PRO5VA Closed-Back Dynamic Headphones -
Audio-Technica is a name that's familiar to virtually everyone in the pro audio industry, and to many audiophiles as well. Since 1962, the company has been offering a wide range of products including phono cartridges, microphones, mixers, accessories - and... Click for more...
Grado SR40 Headphones Reviewed -
Down-pricing surely must have its limits. I mean - just how inexpensive does something have to be before the masses will accept it as justifiably priced? Or, to get to the point, what's the name 'Grado' worth in the headphone... Click for more...
Stax SR-001 Mk 2 Headphones Reviewed -
Oh, me of little faith. Worried as I was that Stax, that great Japanese purveyor of no-compromise, high-end headphones and Keeper Of The Electrostatic Faith, might have left us for good, I never really expected it to come back so,... Click for more...
Bang & Olufsen Form 2 Headphones Reviewed -
Bang & Olufsen is one of the oldest brands in the consumer electronics business, manufacturing products ranging from loudspeakers to telephones. Throughout the years, the B&O creed has been simple: create quality, user-friendly products for everyday use. B&O has been... Click for more...
Latest Equipment Reviews
Mapleshade Time-Correcting Maple Bedrock Speaker Stands Reviewed -
For ages the adage with bookshelf and/or monitor speakers has always been getting the tweeter or tweeter/midrange as close to ear height will yield the best results. Of course proper placement in a room as well as in relation to... Click for more...
Mapleshade Samson V.1 Equipment Rack Reviewed -
Seemingly everyone makes an equipment rack of some form or another these days with varying degrees of success, however for best results you're better off going with a third party or specialty equipment rack. The problem with going with an... Click for more...
Oppo BDP-83 Special Edition Universal Player Reviewed -
Oppo Digital's first Blu-ray player the BDP-83 entered the market in mid 2009 to numerous accolades. A mere half year later, Oppo Digital, not satisfied with the untapped performance potential of the player, released the BDP-83 Special Edition reviewed here.... Click for more...
Parker Audio 95MK II Loudspeakers Reviewed -
Chances are you've never heard of or seen a pair of Parker Audio 95MK II loudspeakers. Because of that fact, you're probably thinking they're some sort of uber-esoteric, high-end, ultra-expensive loudspeakers from some designer's garage in Munich. Well, you'd be... Click for more...
Bel Canto e. One S300iu Integrated Amplifier Reviewed -
Integrated amplifiers have always been an effective and affordable way to get into two-channel audio. However, in recent years, integrated amplifiers have come into their own, offering performance and simplicity that even high-end separate systems have trouble matching. Case in... Click for more...
Bel Canto e.One S300 Power Amplifier Reviewed -
Stereo amplifiers have been a staple since music went from single speakers to two-way back in the day. Over the years, we've seen stereo amplifiers go from simple, manageable black boxes to over-the-top, larger-than-thou space heaters for the home and... Click for more...
OmniMount Link Series A/V Stands Reviewed -
As its name suggests, OmniMount's Link Series is a modular line of A/V stands that you can mix and match to craft the exact entertainment solution you need. You can also add on as your system grows. The Link Series,... Click for more...
Paradigm Reference Studio 20 v.5 Bookshelf Speaker Reviewed -
I've been a fan of Paradigm for years, owning and enjoying seemingly every speaker in their product line from the awesome and affordable Atoms to their flagship Signature S8s. Over the years there have been two Paradigm speaker designs that... Click for more...
Bel Canto REF 1000M Mono Amplifier Reviewed -
When one thinks of a 500-Watt mono amplifier you probably picture a large, heat sink clad hunk of steel that weighs more than the car you drove it home in and probably costs more too. What if I told you... Click for more...
OmniMount VideoBasics TV Mounts Reviewed -
You've spent the extra money to buy an ultra-thin HDTV. The last thing you want to do is hinder the minimalist look by mating the TV with a bulky wall-mount. OmniMount designed the VideoBasics line of flat-panel TV mounts with... Click for more...
Comment on this article
18I can speak directly to this review. I was surprised to see them on display last week at my local Best buy. Bass shy they are not, loud they are. And yes, the display on the right has a red rectangular button that lights up, to make it louder. I`m sure these phones were intended for those who like, soul, r&b, and hip hop. Maybe even trance and techno!!
However, without being able to try other forms of music, I can only say that if your looking to spend this kind of money on a great pair of cans, get the Sennheiser HD600`s, or AKG 701`s. Both can be now had for $299.99. And both will bring you the overall great sound from all forms of music, most of us are looking for.
These Dr. Dre`s, must be for his and Snoop Dog`s music only.
i love these headphones. i listen to a variety of genre's and am totally happy with these...not too mention they work great with my iphone.
With all due respect I have THREE WORDS FOR YOU ----
House Ear Institute....
Learn about it.
If there was ever a headphone I wanted to like it was the Beats by Dre. I think they look okay, they are uber comfortable and while expensive would warrant the price if they were good, but they just aren't.
Andrew
It pains me to say this as Noel Lee, I consider a friend - but these were the worst headphone I have ever heard in terms of their display. The LOUD and LOUDER buttons could have taken me deaf.
They are good looking. They are comfortable. But they sound yuckie. Spend 1/2 the $$$ on Etymotic in-ears or something from say Sennheiser.
Stick with Monster for cables. For the dollar - they are a GREAT value.
j
Well Let Me start by saying this To all the Clowns That talk smack saying monster only makes good cables . well cable deals with signal dum asses so if monster makes great HDMI cables and other top of the line Audio cables well why wont they make Great Head phones?? Don't be stupid. The cable men came threw HUGE ..I got a pair of the Monster Turbine in ear speakers and let me say this INCREDIBLE... when i first open them i was like wow they package these babies like they were for 007..I did not think they would be that good but i was blown away. I set for hours playing them with the rubber ear pieces that come with them as soon as you open them.and i was very happy Then i happend to put my fingers on each turbine and it got ridiculous .Thats when i went threw all the rubbers that came with them to find the perfect fit for my ear .Once i did that i was took away to another world.it was like having the best sounding system planted in side of your Head .No words for how good the turbine head phone are wordless.. they leave you in a state of shock..finally the perfect head phones for a ipod .. so light so right so real dammmmmmmm.
the Bass drops on a hip hop track like thunder in your dome. you can hear prince fingers pluck the strings on his recording. you hear things you never herd before with these head phone..and keep in mind ipods are MP3 so imagine turbine listening on a master copy HELLO. Who is this Noel Lee guy. They say he the head monster that made these ear speakers.it is a must i meet this guy .HE NAILED it with these i would love for this guy to make a home system for Blu ray .Monster came correct scale of 1 to 10 i will say 1,000 Now since im about to record a album i really want to hear the over the ears Beats By Dre Head phones.. Monster is a sound company not just the cable men.So far best head phones i ever herd on a long tour bus ride.
I appreciate your enthusiasm but DUDE - you are going to go deaf if you have "thunder in your head"
Seriously. Its a major issue. Be CAREFUL....
I just bought the Beat Tours, and they sound awesome! Does anyone know how they compare to the Monster Turbines?
after receiving these headphone they were put to the test. we used them for all our music editing as well as
all the DJ backed performances on our TV shows. All the users were very pleased with the sound quality exhibited by these headphones. The most amazing aspect was the bass response, which is something that
is lacking in other head-sets. BEATS is what they call them, Beats is what you can heard and feel.
This is Rick Lee The Dragon from 106 KMEL & SBC DJ’s...and I just wanna say these are the most cleanest lookin headphones out on the market today...besides its looks the sound is out of this truly out of this world...very crisp and bass driven...on top of that the headphones are light weight and very portable on its fold up design! If your a true DJ I definitely recommend the use of these on and off the road for your music desire!
I've been using monster cables since '88 on my home hi-fi set-up, their intricate & tuneful Bass is legendary compared to audio technicas or even solid core # 12s. the Tours i just bought hours ago reminded me this attribute. Now I can turn down my n95 8gb volume level to 70 even 60 ! now ALL the sound I listen to make sense from a reproduced audio point of view. I can think the Turbines may sound better, or not.............
bonjour a vous I'm happy to share the pleasure of his French pure craftsmanship of French products in very fine speaker back to scene very good audio and hautrendement even if the pictures attached and address of our site If you're interested to distribute or purchase one of our product coordialement kelihorn handshake of France my adress site visite http://www.kelihorn.com/hifi/
I can only imagine how crazy you would go if you actually listened to some good headphones. The Beats are nothing more than sizzle, booming inarticulate bass and too much of it all. They are in no way accurate and are honestly obnoxious to listen to.
I would like to say that I completely disagree with the negative statements regarding the sound produced by these remarkable headphones. First off the bass is insane, to say the least. Secondly the sound that would likely be made by tweeters on regular speakers is also very clear. Since owning these headphones, I've heard the music I used to listen to completely differently. I have noticed miniscule details in the music that I would have never noticed when using standard headphones. The isolation these headphones provide is also incredible, when listening to the headphones I can't hear a single interruption from the outside world. Most importantly, the statement pertaining to the quality of the headphones at higher volume is entirely inaccurate. As loud as you turn these headphones up the quality remains the same, without distortion. I do agree, however, that the drum claps and high pitched sounds can be a bit overwhelming when at high volume, but that can be easily fixed with the 'treble reducer' EQ setting found on all iPods. In summary, the author of this article is terribly mistaken when he says many things about the headphones quality. Maybe if he took the time to listen to them outside of a public event, and on top of that listened to them for longer than a mere 30 seconds, he would realize how truly ignorant and incorrect his article and opinion is. If you're considering buying these headphones, don't let this guy's negative article influence you. Take heed of advice from a more educated source.
As the publisher of the site and someone with a degree in music and recording from USC - I will suggest that the demo of these headphones with their "loud" and "louder" button is not just horrible but it is outright dangerous.
Moreover, you will note when talking about trusted sources that Monster has a "street crew" to do promotion and SEO that tries to manipulate the press and social networking. We will not fall for their tricks or shills.
Overall Monster is an excellent company. The idea that they can market on HomeTheaterReview.com for free is not something I am going to allow to happen - especially not for bad headphones. I recommend Ultimate Ears and or Etymotic ER4 for a better sounding, more safe solution in the world of high end ear phones.
I sampled these at Best Buy in my search for "affordable" audiophile quality headphones and like the reviewer was unable to listen for more than 30 seconds. I walked away wondering what I was missing. I was terribly disappointed with them and thought that there must be something better out there. Was glad to know that I am not the only one who thought this product was pretty lame.
bonjour a vous I'm happy to share the pleasure of his French pure craftsmanship of French products in very fine speaker back to scene very good audio and hautrendement even if the pictures attached and address of our site If you're interested to distribute or purchase one of our product coordialement kelihorn handshake of France my adress site visite http://www.kelihorn.com/hifi/
best headphones you have ever used.. L oh fulkin L.
Then you have never used a set of high end headphones.
Ultrasone
Sennheiser
Denon
Audio Technica
Ultimate Ears
These are high end headphone companys..
The beats by dre are marketed at teen's and early twenty somethings who have listened to crap headphones their entire life, with no experiance to judge the acually quality of the sound.
Ask anybody on Head-fi.org about beats by dre and you will get get 10,000 laughs.
Just make sure to put your flame retardent suit on.
Post a Comment