Unfortunately for Beats, these compete directly with another Apple product, the AirPods Pro, which costs less ($250). Yes, the Solo Pro sound better and have more effective noise-canceling. But while the tiny AirPods Pro also don’t plug into an in-flight entertainment system, they’re a lot easier to carry around, and I’d rather drop $250 on them than $300 on these.
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 beats solo pro wireless 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.
The audio is crisp, though it still has some typical Bluetooth fuzziness around the edges. The mic’s signal is also strong, avoiding the common pitfall of faint signals from Bluetooth headphone mics. Before that, I was PCMag’s lead audio analyst from 2006 to 2011. Even though I’m a freelancer now, PCMag has been my home for well over a decade, and audio gear reviews are still my primary focus. Prior to my career in reviewing tech, I worked as an audio engineer—my love of recording audio eventually led me to writing about audio gear.
However, for all but the most discerning of listeners, I’d argue the Solo Pro are detailed and energetic enough to make up for any shortcomings in this regard. Black headphones are getting boring, and while the other available colors are a bit more bold, I prefer the subdued but luxurious beats studio3 look of the gray-and-copper pattern. The Solo Pro is the successor to Beats’ best-selling headphones, the Solo 3 Wireless. Act fast to save nearly 50% on the model that nearly 18,000 shoppers are crazy about. Each headphone set comes with its own respective audio pros and cons.
The arms fold into thirds to collapse down but the thick ear cups means they do not get quite as small as I would like for travelling. They ship with a soft recycled-felt case for protection but they feel robust enough to just toss in a bag. The £269.95 Beats Solo Pro blends the design of the firm’s existing Solo with the wired EP headphones for an attractive, modern and fairly sleek design. The call quality was noticeably better on both ends when I switched over to the Bose 700.
You can pair your headphones using the app – it will show battery level when you turn them on in a little on-screen pop-up and manage various settings. Sherri L. Smith has been cranking out product reviews for Laptopmag.com since 2011. In that time, she’s reviewed more than her share of laptops, tablets, smartphones and everything in between. The resident gamer and audio junkie, Sherri was previously a managing editor for Black Web 2.0 and contributed to BET.Com and Popgadget.
One of the greatest tools in the Beats Solo Pro’s audio arsenal is its amazingly effective noise-canceling properties. The Beats Studio 3 is made using a blend beats flex review of high-grade plastics and softer finishing materials. The headset has a soft-matter finish that provides both cushioning and passive grip for studio use.