I did happen to push beyond the pain to the two-hour mark, and the headset’s removal made me keenly aware of my sharp headache. But even as they are, the Solo Pros are perhaps the best headphones Beats has produced. The noise cancellation isn’t best in class, but it’s still quite good. Frequent travelers or people who care most about comfort might want to stick with Bose or Sony.
Turning the ANC on can sometimes change the sound signature. Here, there’s the slightest change in bass response, but it’s not at all obvious, so there are no issues on that front. It would be nice to have software that allows you to adjust ANC or EQ levels. Most headphones in this price tier tend to have something along these lines. The outer panel of the right earcup houses the clickable control panel. The central Beats logo is a multifunction button, controlling playback, call management, or summoning Siri when held in.
When I’m wearing Solo Pro, it feels like my head is in a vice, or like the headphones are bookends to my head. Thanks to Apple’s H1 chip, Solo Pro will instantly pair with your iPhone if it’s nearby as soon as you unfold the ear beats studio3 cups. I love the design, with the sliding headband over the metal structure, and the clean lines and logo. Hilda Scott uses her combined passion for gadgets and bargain shopping to bring you the best prices on all things tech.
Other than the included charging cable, these are the only accessories. An audio cable would have been nice, but since Beats is owned by Apple, and Apple has disowned the 3.5mm headphone jack, this exclusion should come as no surprise. When you need to keep an ear out for those trying to get your attention, Transparency mode filters outside noises in while still providing the signature Beats sound quality.
The Studio 3 Wireless headphones are two years old now, but they’re still the best pair of headphones you can buy from Beats. The Solo Pro is a notable set of headphones for a few reasons. First, its earcups sit on your ears; they don’t envelop them like over-the-ear headphones. The advantage there is a more compact, travel-friendly size, but you also lose that added bit of noise isolation.