The Playback editorial staff has been increasingly impressed with the efforts that Monster is applying to its burgeoning line of headphones and earphones. The Monster Turbine Pro Copper Edition and Miles Davis Tribute in-ear models in particular have captured our attention. Meanwhile, the Beats By Dr. Dre headphone line has been entertaining, if not exactly the thing for maximum accuracy.

Recently, Monster sent us the Beats Solo HDs, which are on-ear headphones priced just under $230. On ear headphones slot into the market between full circumaural (surrounding the ear) headphones on one hand and in-ear ‘phones on the other. Some people find that circumaural models feel oppressive. They may also find in-ear headphones uncomfortable or too hard to insert and remove (especially in an office). On-ear headphones have neither of these problems, and so they have their proponents and a niche in the market. In addition, on-ear designs can be much more compact than full-sized headphones, making them more suitable for use when traveling.

In keeping with the mobile usage them, Monster has designed the Solo HDs to be driven by a portable music player or phone. They also have Monster’s ControlTalk system to integrate phone and music usage. ControlTalk provides music playback control, including volume, play/pause and tracking, as well as a microphone. This feature works with iPods, iPhones and some Blackberrys.

Monster claims that the Solo HD is designed for highly accurate music reproduction. Titanium coated drivers are employed, and a good level of sound isolation is claimed. We admit to having some doubts about headphones co-branded with a rap star, even one with extensive studio production credits. But, proof is in the listening not the label on the box.

OVERVIEW

Consider this headset if: you want headphones with a warm, relaxed sound yet you don’t want to give up much in the way of resolution or balance.

Look elsewhere if: you need maximum detail and ambience, or if you demand the punchiest dynamics on wide bandwidth music.

Ratings (compared to similarly-priced headphones)
• Tonal Balance: 9
• Clarity: 8.5
• Dynamics: 8.5
• Comfort/Fit: 9.0
• Sensitivity: 9.5
• Value: 9.0

SONIC CHARACTER

The Solo HDs provide a sound that can be characterized as smooth, warm and inviting. If you listen to them without comparison to other headphones you might conclude that there is little room for improvement. This unobtrusive aspect of the Solo HDs can be a big deal if you listen to a lot of music, because it equates to a lack of listener fatigue. However, like every headphone we’ve heard, the Solo HDs have limits, and in the case of the Beats these are subtle, but may be very important to music lovers.

First let’s catalog the strengths of the Solo HDs. As we noted in our recent review of the Shure HD 440s, clarity without edginess is tough to achieve. The Solo HDs focus resolutely on controlling edginess while sacrificing only a bit of clarity. That’s because they have excellent instrumental separation and thus avoid the musically disastrous muddle that can be imposed by some headphones in this price range. Add to that a tonal balance slightly tilted to the bass end of the spectrum (imparting a slightly warmish sound) and you have a musical presentation that matches what many people can intuitively connect with the experience of live music. The Solo HDs also lack the more obvious frequency balance bumps and plateaus of some of the competition, which is very helpful in avoiding distracting unnaturalness.

A more analytical exploration of the tonal curve reveals a few small issues. First, some of the sense of smoothness results from a small upper midrange dip. This makes voices sound a little closed in at times. Second, the mid and upper treble seems slightly rolled off. This means that cymbals, for example, don’t shimmer as much as they do in live music. More importantly, it removes some of the sense of ambience from well-recorded music. Finally, bass on the Solos lacks the ultimate articulation and depth. Balance is good and the sound isn’t bloated, but definition and impact aren’t quite up to the sound of the real thing.

The beauty of all this is that we’re mostly talking about small subtractive errors that don’t really annoy. Of course, what is minor to one listener can be aggravating to another, so you’ll have to judge this for yourself. But, importantly, the nature of the Solo HD’s errors is unobtrusive. The downside here is that music sounds somewhat less dynamic than you might hope for, though not so diminished in this regard as to be even remotely boring.

We would add that the warmish frequency balance is beneficial in the real world for masking external sounds. Put another way, headphones without this balance often sound amusical and overly lightly balanced when heard in the noisy environs of an airplane or on the street.

MUSICAL EXAMPLES

On Jen Chapin’s song “Visions” [Jen Chapin – Revisions, Chesky], the bass to treble balance is excellent and instrumental definition is quite good. Chapin’s voice, however, seems over-dampened and so we don’t get the feeling of being present with the singer in a real room. The voice and instruments evince very low grain, which you realize is not the case with a lot of headphones (which have a slight feathery distortion when played at very low levels).

On Beth Ortons’s “Worms” from Comfort of Strangers [Astralwerks], top to bottom balance is lovely and well proportioned. That said, here we have another singer whose voice sounds a bit hooded if you listen carefully. This is a studio recording, to be sure, but when you hear the modulated attack of the snare drums through the Solo HDs you realize that the transient edges of sounds are being slightly polished off.

Another example of information management in the service of smoothness comes on the Radiohead song “Paranoid Android” [OK Computer, Capitol], which opens with an array of high frequency sounds that could easily be harsh and gritty, but are not on the Solo HDs. You can argue about the artists’ intent here, but the Solos make the track very listenable and clear with excellent instrumental separation.

On Jack Johnson’s On and On [Universal] the song “Dreams Be Dreams” has a solo bass line that can be (and should be) powerful and well defined. On this track, some headphones deliver a rendition that sounds very like what one would hear from a real bass on stage, so this is a good test of balance, dynamics and resonance control. The Solos present the bass in balance with the rest of the instruments, but they don’t get the rising edges of the notes quite right and so deliver less bass power and depth than is fully realistic. In short, some definition has gone missing.

COMPETITIVE COMPARISON

Below, we’ll try and put the performance of the Solo HDs in context by comparing them first to a strong, like-priced competitor—the Shure SRH840, and then to a less expensive headphone that has earned a reputation as a bit of a “giant killer”—the Grado SR60i.

Solo HD vs. Shure SRH840
• The Shure SRH840 ($200) is nearly the same price as the Solo HD, and makes for a useful comparison.
• Overall, the SRH840 offers a more linear and extended sound, especially in the bass and upper treble.
• It isn’t obvious that the SRH840s give up anything, though the tonal balance of the Solos may be preferable in noisy environments (and the on ear design may be preferred as well).

Solo HD vs. Grado SR60i
• The Grado SR60i is much less expensive, both in terms of MSRP and street pricing, but comes from a very different philosophical camp. The Grados have a mid-range emphasis and a quite lively sound.
• By comparison the Solo HDs seem more balanced, warm and smooth.
• The Grados are on-ear headphones but with an open design that provides less isolation than the padded coupling that the Solos offer.

COMFORT FACTOR/ACCESSORIES

The Solo HDs are comfortable within the obvious limitation of putting pressure on the outer ear. The ear cups are soft and the clamping force is low, in fact low enough that they may not be ideal for use in workout situations.

The Solo HDs fold up and can be carried in the small cloth case that is included. A detachable 52” cord terminated with mini-plugs is also included.

BOTTOM LINE

Monster’s Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD is a smooth, low distortion headphone that delivers admirable warmth. Errors are mostly subtractive, which leads to an inviting musical experience.

SPECS & PRICING

Monster Beats By Dr. Dre Solo HD Headphones
Accessories: carrying case
Weight: Not specified
Sensitivity: Not Specified
Impedance: Not Specified
Warranty: One year, parts and labor.
Price: $229

MONSTER CABLE PRODUCTS INC.
(415) 840 2000
www.monstercable.com
www.beatsbydre.com