Beats Solo 3 Wireless Review

When it comes to audio devices, Beats by Dre is one of the most known brands. So it shouldn’t be surprising that they also have the most famous headphones. The Beats Solo 3 is part of their signature wireless headphones line. And this is now their 3rd generation, so it has received a lot of upgrades over the years. But is the Solo 3 Wireless actually worth the high price tag? That’s what we will try to find out.

In The Box

Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones

MicroUSB – USB cable

3.5mm audio cable with remote and mic

Carrying case

Carabiner clip

Manual & Beats stickers

Design

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless are one of the best looking headphones. Which shouldn’t be surprising, considering that design has always been the strong point of Apple. If you are familiar with the previous Solo 2 version, then they look almost the same. They come in different colors, from glossy black to gold. The amount of different colors is definitely a plus for Beats. I have the glossy black version, which does look really nice but also comes with some set backs. For example it loves fingerprints. That’s why I personally suggest getting the matte version if you plan on getting black headphones.

The headphones itself are made out of high quality plastic. Everything about them feels solid. For example the headphones are adjustable and the sliding part is made out of steel. So you don’t have to worry about then snapping. Instead the headphones can also be folded to a much smaller size. That’s great for travelling. Hence it even comes with it’s own carrying case. As far as the overall build quality goes, it’s definitely worth the price in my opinion. At least I haven’t noticed anything about the design that’s not up there.

The earcups are super comfortable and they are made out of leather. They stay pretty tight against your ears but not to the point where it comes uncomfortable. There is also a padding on the headband, which keeps the headphones from moving on your head. I personally use them at the gym as well, and they stay on pretty well. Only time I have a problem with them is while deadlifting. But other than that, they stay on really well.

As you can tell from the name, these are wireless headphones. Despite that the headphones still come with a 3.5mm audio cable. The left earcup has the 3.5mm input on the bottom. There is also a large “b” logo on both of the earcups. The left one however is also a button, which is used for picking up a call, changing songs and adjusting the volume. The right earcup has the button for turning on wireless mode, led lights for checking the battery level and a MicroUSB port.

Wireless Performance

This is where the Beats Solo 3 really displays it’s quality. The real reason to buy these headphones is the wireless feature. And honestly the Beats Solo 3 have the best wireless connectivity out of all other wireless headphones I have used. It comes with a new W1 chip that pairs your phone instantly via Bluetooth. It works so well every single time and I haven’t had a problem once at pairing.

Besides pairing, is the overall wireless performance. And again, the Beats Solo 3 beats all of it’s competition. The gym I go to is rather big and I can easily leave my phone on one side of the area and just walk around without disconnecting once. And not even just disconnecting, I haven’t had any breaks in the audio either. Everything is crystal clear even when going through different rooms. So as far as the wireless feature goes, I’m extremely happy with it. I have no complaints what so ever.

Besides the amazing wireless quality, the headphones also have a pretty insane battery life. According to Apple / Beats, the headphones should last up to 40 hours of music. That’s pretty crazy as most wireless headphones can’t even get half of that. And my personal experience is that it’s pretty true as well. I rarely find myself charging my headphones and I use them a lot. Even 5 minutes of charging gets you 3 hours of music in battery life. So the overall wireless feature has been really well thought out and not once will you miss having a cable.

Sound Quality

All of the Beats headphones share a similar sound type. They have pretty strong lows, which makes them good for genres such as Hip-Hop and EDM. Which doesn’t mean that other genres don’t sound good. As long as you don’t set the volume to the maximum level, you can comfortably also listen to any other genre, including rock and alternative. Beats love to emphasize the bass and that’s just the way they are.

A positive side for the Solo 3 Wireless is that it doesn’t matter if you are listening wirelessly over Bluetooth or with the cable. The sound quality is the same. Also there is quite a bit of sound leakage. So people next to you will hear what you are listening to when the volume has been turned above 50%.

Conclusion

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless are a great example of what wireless headphones will be like in the future. Out of all the other wireless headphones I have used, they have the best connectivity and battery life. My only issue is the sound quality. The sound is good but I don’t feel like it’s as good as I’d expect from $300 headphones. But if money isn’t an issue and you ain’t an audiophile, then the Solo 3 Wireless headphones are fantastic for everyday use.