Beats has always been a maverick brand in the headphone industry. At the beginning of the brand, Beats leveraged the influence of founder Dr. Dre in the musician circle to launch collaborations with a large number of famous musicians, transforming headphones from a function-first consumer electronics into a trendy fashion item.
But after building the brand awareness of Beats, Beats did not "ignore what is going on outside the window and only change the case" like V-Moda, but began to work sound performance. For example, the Studio Pro, Flex and Fit Pro launched after Beats was acquired by Apple, the sound performance is very good, and the Studio Fit Pro is even Xiaolei's first choice TWS earphones for a long time, and in recent years, it has even launched the Solo Buds series of earphones adapted to the Android ecosystem.
But although Beats has almost divided the Solo product line into the Android ecosystem, the Beats Solo 3, which has laid the "half of the country" for Beats, has not been updated for many years, as if it has been forgotten by Beats - it is not until 2024 that Beats finally remembers this long-dormant series and launches the new pillar of the Solo series, the Beats Solo 4.
Image source: Ray Technology
So can this new Beats pillar, priced at 1799 yuan, be able to take over the heavy responsibility of Beats Solo 3 and create a new world in the Android ecosystem with a new product of the Beats Solo series?
Unfortunately, I don't think so.
Good design doesn't need to be updated constantly
In terms of configuration, the Solo 4 upgrades the acoustic architecture of the Solo 3 Wireless with a passively tuned dynamic diaphragm sensor. Although it is a bit awkward to read, this passively tuned dynamic diaphragm is actually a very classic solution with high requirements for assembly accuracy.
In general, active tuning is the electronic adjustment of an audio signal, usually involving a digital signal processor (DSP) or other form of electronic circuitry. This technique adjusts the frequency response to suit a specific listening environment or user preference before the headphones amplify the signal. Active Tuning dynamically adjusts audio to provide more precise and varied audio control, and is commonly used in noise-cancelling headphones to optimize the listening experience in different environments.
Image source: Ray Technology
Passive tuning, on the other hand, usually refers to influencing the sound quality through the design of the headphones themselves, such as the physical structure of the headphones, the design of the driver units, and the use of materials inside the headphones. Passive tuning does not rely on external power sources or electronics, and relies solely on the physical properties of the headphones to adjust the audio output.
For the Beats Solo 4, a Bluetooth wired dual-mode earphone, the passive tuning design can ensure that the earphones have a consistent sound performance in any working conditions, so that some headphones do not have one sound for noise cancellation, one sound for noise cancellation off, and another sound when plugged in and used with a cable. Of course, the passive solution also comes at a price — although the Solo 4 costs a whopping 1799 yuan, it doesn't have active noise cancellation.
The wearing comfort is good, and the sound has room for improvement
In terms of styling, the Beats Solo 4 continues the design style from 2016 to the present. Despite the thinness of the headband, there is still a thick enough cushioning underneath. Combined with the Solo 4's round, not egg-shaped, headband curves and floating ear cups, it's very comfortable to wear.
Image source: Ray Technology
It's worth mentioning that the Solo 4 doesn't fully switch to an over-ear scheme like mainstream headphone brands, but retains the essence of Solo – pressed ear cups. Compared to full-size ear cups, the ear pressure headpiece does not completely cover the ears, and it is better ventilated when worn for a long time, so it is less likely to make the ears feel stuffy or sweaty. Due to their small size, the earbuds as a whole are more convenient to store than the earcup solution, and at the same time, it is not easy to press down on the temples, which is more friendly to users who wear glasses.
However, in terms of sound, the performance of the Solo 4 can only be described as "barely satisfactory". Despite the upgraded acoustic unit, the Solo 4 40mm is still very "sing-provoking". In "BOOM", the bass orientation of the Solo 4 is not aggressive, due to the lack of psychoacoustic design such as low-frequency compensation, the derivation of the Solo 4 in the low-frequency region is not obvious, and the low-volume control is also decent, without the "cheapness" of "True Music" and "verb hitting". In terms of low-midrange, I think the Solo 4's performance is very good, and the feeling of low-end impact is very noticeable and direct, although there are a few glitches in the detailing.
Image source: Ray Technology
While the Beats Solo 4 is still a little loose in the midrange and high frequencies, it can handle most common pop tracks, even flashy metal tracks with a metallic bias. In Cheery Pie, for example, the Solo 4 still offers some panning without Apple's post-production spatial audio technology, with complex but not cluttered elements.
In other words, the Beats Solo 4 is a well-rounded headphone that still has the signature Beats color. Listening to Hikaru Utada and YOASOBI on Solo 4 won't feel like a drama, but if you want to experience the full performance of Beats Solo 4, tracks from OneRepublic, Blitzkid, or AC/DC are better choices.
But if you're looking for "raw soup" and listen to Dr. Dre's G-Funk tracks on Beats Solo 4, it's even better.
Different ecology, same experience
Just like the Beats Studio Pro that Xiao Lei experienced before, the Beats Solo 4 and Apple-branded headphones provide spatial audio features, iCloud account quick match, Find My find networks, and other features.
Image source: Ray Technology
But because the Solo 4 doesn't use the Apple W2 chip, even on the Android platform, the Beats Solo 4 offers features such as one-click pairing, account syncing, device finding, and more. Considering that most phones don't offer 3.5mm headphones right now, the Beats Solo 4 is dual-mode even when wired — you can connect the Solo 4 with a 3.5mm headphone cable or a USB-C cable. Coupled with the passive tuning design of the Solo 4, even if the Solo 4 is connected through an audio cable, the sound performance of the headphones will not deviate, which is praised.
Just getting the sound right isn't good enough for today's headphones
With that out of the way, it's time to talk about what I'm not happy with about the Beats Solo 4, or what I think could be improved.
First of all, I think the pricing and features of the Solo 4 are seriously out of touch with the domestic market. Even from the perspective of the Beats brand characteristics, a Bluetooth headset priced at 1,799 yuan ($199) does not offer active noise cancellation, which is unjustifiable in 2024.
Although the Beats Solo 4 is a "trend symbol", except for the "hipsters" who don't turn on the headphones for a year, the vast majority of consumers who have been in contact with and understood the domestic headphone market obviously have higher expectations for the Solo 4.
Image source: Ray Technology
Of course, Beats may also look at the "passive solution" of headphones. But at the end of the day, the headset has a passive approach, which in itself is a cost-saving consideration. Yes, because of the use of passive audio solutions, the Solo 4 has higher requirements for the assembly and quality inspection of the headphones, but this additional cost does not bring a better experience to consumers, and even lags behind other brands of lower-priced products in terms of functionality.
In my opinion, the passive solution is not an excuse for the Beats Solo 4's "precise knife" at this point. Of course, Beats can also say that "the Solo headset series has never had noise cancellation." Indeed, in the product lineup of Beats, noise cancellation is an exclusive feature of the Pro. But just as the Beats Solo series of products began to contact the Android ecosystem, the Android accessories ecosystem is changing, and Beats is also actively seeking changes, and the "ancestral charter" is not, and should not be, a reason for Beats not to improve its competitiveness.
Image source: Ray Technology
Also restricted by the "ancestral charter" are some details of Beats' design: as an international brand headphones that will be launched in mid-2024 and priced at 1799 yuan, the Beats Solo 4 is still using a "bright line", and the cable connecting the unit has no reinforcement design at the hinge of the head beam folding, only a small gap is opened on the inside, leaving room for the earphone cable to fold repeatedly.
Image source: Ray Technology
Not to mention the Beats Solo's ancestral "storage problem" - because the earbuds are folded inward, although the storage volume is not large, the Solo 4 still can't be "flattened" in the storage slot on the back of the airplane seat like the AirPods Max or Bose 700.
Image source: Ray Technology
Plus, the Beats Solo doesn't include wear sensors or fold-out recognition contacts on the earcups or hinge, which means the Solo 4 can't be taken off or stowed away to automatically pause playback like other headphones in the same price range. In 2024, when Sony and Bose are in the price range of 2,000 yuan, "fairy fights", "second-tier" brands have dropped to the 1,000 yuan level, and hand accessories brands such as Baseus and Anker are "eyeing up" below 1,000 yuan, the competitiveness and pricing of products like the Beats Solo 4 seem to be a bit "too optimistic".
It's true that the Beats Solo 4 performs well in terms of sound and has its own unique competitiveness in terms of software features, but in terms of user experience, the Beats Solo 4 does have a bit of a lot of points. In contrast, the Beats Studio Pro, which is priced at the same price as the Solo 4 on e-commerce platforms, is clearly more competitive.
Image source: Ray Technology
Three years ago, the pricing and product power of the Beats Solo 4 were actually quite good, but in the headphone market in 2024, if Beats wants to use the Solo 4 to attract more new users, or even rebuild everyone's brand perception of Beats, then Beats obviously needs to continue to work hard.
In 2024, the implementation of AI large models will be accelerated, cars will become a golden scene, and "the second half is intelligent" will become the consensus of the industry.
On April 25, the Beijing Auto Show became a watershed for new energy vehicles to move towards the second half, with intelligence becoming the absolute protagonist, domestic brands rising strongly, entrepreneurs "new car models" becoming landscapes, and fuel vehicles, joint venture vehicles, foreign brands, and functional vehicles completely lonely.
During the auto show, Lei Technology's new media tram of "pay attention to electric vehicles and understand intelligence better" sent a luxury reporting group to Beijing to conduct a systematic front-line professional in-depth report, with a total of 8 videos, 8 in-depth analysis and massive short content, the whole network received millions + readings, and won a number of WeChat 100,000+ explosive models (real traffic), which attracted great attention in the professional media of the industry.