Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Headphones Review - Intro

The Beats are a set of over-ear headphones created by Monster, with collaboration from renowned rapper, Dr. Dre, and are currently available for $349. The headphones feature active noise cancellation and detailed audio. They also come with a good set of extras, including multiple adapters and two cables, one of which has a microphone. These cords are detatchable, which allow the Beats to easily connect to a home stereo system, providing the user has a long enough audio cable lying around. For those who like portability, the Beats can fold up to minimize the amount of space they take up.

While we thought the Beats had good detailing, they didn't score particularly well on our audio tests. They had a good frequency response: the bass was loud, but not overpowering, and had an even, well-rounded emphasis. The high-mids were a little weak compared to the surrounding frequencies, however. There was a fair amount of distortion present in the middle frequencies, which tailed off towards the high-end, so these headphones probably won't be a good choice for music purists. The headphones also have relatively weak isolation and poor leakage control. Keep this in mind when you're in a quiet public area, like a museum or library.

Overall, if you're a mainstream consumer, and you're considering the Bose QuietComfort headphones, you should seriously consider the Beats. They might not have as much versatility as the Bose offerings because of their isolation and leakage issues, but chances are you'll be impressed with the detailing. Experienced ears, on the other hand, will likely only hear the issues with noise and distortion.