Beats Solo 4, Buds and Pill: Can these new audio devices beat the competition?

Taking into account the fact that none of the devices offers active noise-cancellation (ANC)—frankly a bit of an aberration among listening devices today—let us see where on the graph of sound quality, noise cancellation and price these new Beats devices fall.

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Beats Solo 4

The Beats Solo 4 are comfort-first headphones with UltraPlush cushions and a lightweight design. They weigh just 217 grams, fold neatly into a small case and have customisable sliders. They come with 40mm transducers for high-fidelity sound (reduced distortion and latency). There’s also Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking. Furthermore, there is a ‘b’ button for touch controls like volume rocker, music/call and a multi-function button.

The Solo 4 comes in three flamboyant colours (Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink) and has a matte plastic casing, with the signature Beats logo.The Solo 4 fits like a glove. They’re comfortable for hours (though a step behind the Sonos Ace in comfort levels), and have a nice grip so they don’t fall off even when you’re running. The firm grip also allows for a good amount of passive isolation (a necessity, since these lack any form of ANC). It has support for native software features like Find My Device, one-tap pairing on both iOS and Android and audio switching. It supports wired, lossless listening over the 3.5mm headphone jack or the USB-C port. It has a good wireless range: I was able to listen to my music while leaving my smartphone two rooms away without any interruptions. It’s got a restrained, and warmer sound signature than most other headphones I’ve recently tested.

The lack of ANC/transparency mode aside, there are a few things I like:

The Solo 4 has support for native software features like Find My Device, one-tap pairing on both iOS and Android and audio switching.

It supports wired, lossless listening over the 3.5mm headphone jack or the USB-C port.

It has a good wireless range. I didn’t measure the exact distance but I was able to listen to my music while leaving my smartphone two rooms away without any interruptions.

It’s got a restrained, and warmer sound signature than most other headphones I’ve recently tested. The bass isn’t overpowering, and the midrange and treble aren’t overtuned. It’s a sound tuning that works for all sections of life. From music to podcasts and from work meetings to voice calls,I was able to enjoy it all.

Though they may sound flat, at times, they do have great instrument separation. Listen to any jazz song - Take Five (which is my favourite) - and you’ll instantly realise it. Guitars, horns, saxophones, drums, piano, they’ll all shine brightly.

The one thing lacking with the Solo 4’s is a fuller sound. What I mean is that you don’t get that feeling of being amidst a concert like you do with some of the competitors’—Sony’s WH-1000XM5 or Sonos Ace in particular—headphones.

At ₹22,900, the Solo 4 is an expensive sell. But there’s enough to like about it so that when the price drop comes, the purchase will be a much easier decision.

Beats Solo Buds

 

The Beats Solo Buds are a pair of compact truly wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds with an advanced acoustic architecture for an overall richer sound quality experience. The earbuds have dual-layer transducers that minimize the distortion and deliver a clean sound.

These earbuds have ergonomic nozzles for a comfier fit. They come with the same compatibility and native software features as the Solo 4 and provide up to 18 hours of charge, with a 5-minute Fast Fuel charge for one hour of playback. It’s got a single multi-function button on both earbuds. A more compact design, coupled with fewer moving parts, makes TWS earbuds one of the most comfortable I’ve tried in a while.

It’s been months or even years since I’ve used a pair of TWS earbuds that lack any sort of active noise cancellation. Honestly, in a noisy city like Delhi (yes, the end-of-year festivities have begun), it feels slightly strange, since I was bopping to Coldplay’s new album Moon Music while Bengali music slipped through from the outside.

The charging case is smaller than most I’ve seen and the earbuds are supremely lightweight. They easily fit into my jeans’ pocket without creating any sort of bulge. There’s a tactile button hidden behind the ‘b’ logo, that works as advertised. Again, these lack the auto play/pause feature.

Without ANC, the buds rely on the silicone eartips to block out the noise. These do a poorer job than the Solo 4’s and definitely can’t cut out the honking cars or noisy neighbours at a cafe. For the money though, these are a much better bet than the Solo 4. They have drivers like Beats’ more expensive earbuds (which haven’t launched in India).

To put it simply, these earbuds are earbuds that’ll please the common consumer but won’t wow the audiophiles out there. It’s a soft and easy-to-listen sound without an overpowering bass. It’s got a well-balanced soundstage and works for most genres. Sometimes though, like on James Brown’s ‘I Got You (I Feel Good)’, you’ll feel the need for a deeper and firmer bass, which these Solo Buds lack.

Again, like the Solo 4, you won’t be getting that feeling of being at a concert, but you will be able to enjoy solid instrument separation on your favourite jazz tunes. These Buds’ sound sometimes lack the finer details. The OnePlus Buds 3, the Solo Buds’ closest competitor, beats it with sound quality and tuning, and has ANC to boast. The Solo Buds are a good shout, but won’t be winning the fight.

Beats Pill

I have saved the best for last. Straight off the bat, these are the Beats product that I’d wholeheartedly recommend out of the three. Available in three colourways—Matte Black, Statement Red, Champagne Gold—these might be slightly more expensive than you’d expect. Nonetheless, they punch above their weight for a supreme audio experience that is great for both indoor parties.

The Pill weighs in at 680 grams and is easily portable. It comes with a USB-C port, a detachable lanyard, a power button, a universal control button, volume controls and a rubber finish. Something to cheer about is the fact that the Pill comes with an IP rating (a rating that grades the resistance of a device against dust or liquids) of IP67 rating. The Pill comes with a fantastic 12-hour battery life (24 hours with 50% volume) and there’s also a 10-minute Fast Fuel charge that’ll get you 2 hours of playback.

While the bass is big and loud, it isn’t overpowering on most tracks. I listened to The Weeknd’s Starboy and the speakers gave me a vibrant treble and snappy experience. The mid-range was crisp and detailed. The Beats Pill may lack an adjustable EQ, but the tuning out-of-the-box is incredible and comes close to being the top choice (the Bose SoundLink Flex is right up there) in this price range. It’s tuned for the chart-topping songs of Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh and many other artists. It’s a sound quality that’ll please a wide array of people. It’s good for EDM, hip-hop and many other genres alike. Sometimes the treble can be a little too sharp for my liking and on some older tracks, the voice can be a little muddled. Still, after an hour-long playlist featuring my parents’ favourite songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s, we were all in a happy mood. Punchy and energetic is the best way to sum it.

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The Pill is a tad bit expensive, as is the case with the other Beats’ products. At ₹16,900, it may be a hard pill to swallow at first glance, but once you play a few tracks, you’ll be immersed in no time. For a satisfying audio dose, keep the Beats Pill near the top of your shopping list.

In my opinion, with a pleasing sound quality, great battery life, and a rugged build, the Beats Pill competes with and even outshines the competition (Sonos Roam, JBL Flip 6, and others). This is the product to get if you want a concert-like experience in the comfort of your home.

Sahil Bhalla is a tech writer based in New Delhi