Here is a shortlist of the good and the bad that you can expect from these headphones. There is a control panel on the device body, so you can easily access the volume control or remote without having to interact with a cable or another device it’s connected to. AptX HD is an audio codec for Bluetooth devices that is developed by Qualcomm. Battery power, or battery capacity, represents the amount of electrical energy that a battery can store. More battery power can be an indication of longer battery life. To charge the device, you simply put it down on a compatible charging pad.
Once you login to your Apple account, the Beats Solo Pro will pair with your entire iOS library. Road noise, engine drone and background office noise was reduced, while noisy commuters were slightly quietened. The headphones do a fairly good job of passively blocking out noise without noise cancelling active, too. They can’t quite match B&W, Bose or Sony but the Beats aren’t that far behind. The ear cups do a good job of passively blocking out sound, even if you don’t want to use noise cancelling. Thanks to the H1 chip, the Solo Pros are capable of Audio Sharing with other Beats headphones and earbuds – provided they have either a W1 or H1 chip.
The lows are powerful, and they don’t distort at top, unwise listening levels. At moderate levels, they still pack a punch, and the highs are quite sculpted as well, so things are balanced out. The AKG N60NC on-ear noise-cancelling headphones are nothing new, but the recent beats solo pro wireless price drop to $100 makes them a tempting alternative. Listeners who aren’t bothered by the micro-USB input and dubious pivot points, should save a buck and go with AKG. Its headset is much cheaper than the Solo Pro and is more comfortable than Beats headphones too.
On the train, I can ward off the sounds of my morning commute with Spotify or Tidal playing at approximately 40% volume wearing the 700s. And if I just wanted to sit in quiet repose, it was just a few decibels above whisper quiet and it felt like I was watching the world on mute. At home, I managed to get my Note 8’s volume down to around 30% before I could slightly hear the television. And when I muted everything, the Bose’s dedicated six microphones reduced everything to a barely there peep. “It’s so simple, a child could do it.” The bulk of the Solo Pro’s controls are accessed via the hidden multifunction button in the right earcup. Press the center of the b once to pause and once again to play.
With the noise cancelling turned off, they are rated to last up to 40 hours. Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable, including those included with iPhones, is used for charging. A 10-minute charge lasts up to three hours of video playback, while a full charge takes one hour and 45 minutes.
But that largely has to do with the 700s being over-ear headphones not on-ear cans. The 700s’ large oval cups sit over my ears, creating a comfy seal that meant hours of pillowy-soft comfort. After a while, the smallish cups tend to put uncomfortable pressure on my tiny ears. The more I wore them, however, the more comfortable they became. After breaking the Solo Pros in, I could wear them for 2 hours with no real discomfort. For audio, on tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife’s “Silent Shout,” the headphones deliver an impressive low-frequency response.