Beats Solo Pro vs Solo 3 Impressions

[MattBP]

Haven't seen much discussion on this so thought people might appreciate some (quick) feedback.

Quick context - not a snobby audiophile, but love good quality sound, guitarist of 20 years, produce/record music, have studied audio engineering, own custom mould in ear monitors which are phenomenal. Much prefer wireless headphones since the technology got good enough for quality to not take a hit, for me this was the Beats Solo 2 Wireless, and then even more so with the Beats Solo 3 Wireless, which have been my daily driver since release.

Given the Solo3 was my favourite headphone, I of course was going to try the next product evolution, the new Beats Solo Pro. I used them for 2 weeks before returning to Apple, quick thoughts below.

- First impression was that I was disappointed in the eq curve, this feeling did not change. Compared to the Solo3 they are lacking quite significantly in the bass department (which is by no means overwhelming on the Solo3 but is a fun, punchy eq curve). This can be EQd back in on Spotify and they sound great, but then when I plug into my car it sounds terrible. I figured out over the course of the two weeks that it is the ANC that is causing the bass cut, when ANC is off they sound basically identical to the Solo3.
- Wind noise is a serious problem. On either ANC or transparency mode it is very prominent. Of course turned off it disappears, so if wind picks up can turn off ANC.
- Not a big fan of the no power button, auto on/off with hinge. I typically take the headphones on and off a fair bit throughout the day and do not fold closed while off. I often leave them turned on and this isn't a problem because standby power usage is so minimal. However with ANC on they sit there draining unless you fold them up. Yes habit change may make this a non issue, but prefer the power button on the Solo3.

As for positive notes
- ANC is very good, completely cut out external noise on my daily bus commute. I did start to get used to this over the two weeks and miss it going back to Solo3. If it wasn't for the bass cut, I would quite possibly have kept them.
- Clamping force is overblown, I feel the Solo3 is just as tight when you first buy it but relaxes after use and people/reviewers have forgotten this. In fact with the Solo3 it was common to put the headphones over the box while not using for the first few days to stretch them out a bit (which I did).
- The softer case is much nicer than original which I do not use.

If they can adjust the eq curve in a firmware update so it is the same with ANC on as off that would be awesome and I may buy another.

Instead I have a set of APP on the way to trial which may be a nice complement to the Solo3.

Any questions fire away.

 

[aloper]

Thanks for the info...I went back and forth a few weeks ago between the studio pro’s and the studio 3’s. I ended up getting the studio 3’s because (they were also on sale for 199), it seemed every review I found online or on YouTube complained about the clamping force on the pro’s. Most mentioning they are good for maybe an hour or a little more before they get uncomfortable. Granted, these are short term reviews so they may loosen up over time as you mentioned...What’s your experience as far as wearing long term, comfort wise?

 

[MattBP]

I wore them for extended periods of time and never found them uncomfortable. Granted everyone has different shaped heads, but I feel these are no tighter than the solo3 when brand new.

I would wager (but of course cannot guarantee) that they will loosen up with use.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

Thanks, have been going back and forth on a few pairs, but I think I will go for these when they start to get discounted. Tried Beats when they first came out and wasn't a fan, but last year was in store listening the the Studio 3 for a bit and enjoyed them. All the headphones I have are neutral so am wanting something fun and the H1 chip to go between my phone, iPad and Apple TV will be good.

 

[cdcastillo]

Have you tried to compare the solo 3s with the studio 3s?

 

[MattBP]

Have you tried to compare the solo 3s with the studio 3s?

A long time ago, wasn't as big a fan of the Studio 3s sound signature, bigger ear cups, lesser battery life, and low level hiss.
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Update

Just received AirPod Pros, initial impression is very disappointing. Fit 10x better than original Airpods, but sound is incredibly lacking.

Perhaps the Powerbeats Pro is the product for me?

Will update after some extended usage.

 

[ipponrg]

Perhaps the Powerbeats Pro is the product for me?

Yeah I think the PBP will sound better than APP for you, especially since the APP has additional tech that affects how things sound (e.g transparency and ANC). The AirPod Pro sound is exaggerated by people who don’t have a comparison

 

[Populus]

Hello. Long time Beats Solo³ user, I just purchased a pair of Solo Pros (because due to coronavirus I have to stay in home and my upstairs neighbors aren’t civilized enough to live on a building block and they are all day with loud -and disgusting- music, the walls tremble and the noises from furniture relocations, are unbearable, so I needed a good noise-canceling headphones), so I can compare them.

The first thing I noticed is that the volume on the Solo Pros is much lower than on my Beats Solo³. I don’t know if they are defective, but it is not fault of the software, because the equalizer is disabled and the volume limiter is off as well.

Another thing I didn’t like is that, after updating the firmware (which is the first thing I’ve done after opening them), I was in the living room with a loud TV, with ANC on, and suddenly, after 30 or 40 minutes using it, the ANC lowered its strength, and I started to listen more to the TV on the living room. It is like the ANC lowered the noise cancelation strength after a while. This was solved changing to Transparency mode and going back to ANC mode.

Now, the good things: It isolates much more than my Beats Solo³, I mean, passively. The materials make this headphones much better isolated from the outside. Once I turn ANC on, the most of the noise from the outside disappears. Those heavy noises from the neighbors moving their furniture won’t magically disappear, but other noises and frequencies do disappear.

I’m honestly happy with this noise cancelation, although you can hear a subtle hiss when you’re not listening anything, but the “pressure” feeling is one of the most subtle from all the noise canceling headphones I’ve tried. It is there, but it is barely noticeable.

Finally, the sound quality: If I have to be honest, I still prefer the Beats Solo³. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to them, but I do notice the lack of bass on the new Beats Solo Pro. Maybe on some styles they will sound better, but so far, lower volume and the bass is not punchy, like they say. But it is still early to judge because I received them today, and they have to be used for some weeks to draw a conclusion.