Monster Beats by Dr. Dre
Manufacturer: Monster Cable Part number: 127801
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones deliver the trifecta of sleek, comfortable design, useful features, and top-notch sound quality. If you can afford them, they're a worthy investment toward an improved listening experience.
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CNET editors' review
Monster Beats by Dr. Dre price range: $263.88 - $299.95
- Reviewed by: Jasmine France
- Reviewed on: 11/03/2010
The good: The Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones offer a stylish and comfortable design as well as an exceptionally crisp and balanced audio response with a tight low-end and warm mids. Included are a nice carrying case and a music-phone-compatible cable.
The bad: The Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones cannot be used without batteries, they're expensive, and the glossy black design is very smudge-prone.
The bottom line: The Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones deliver the trifecta of sleek, comfortable design, useful features, and top-notch sound quality. If you can afford them, they're a worthy investment toward an improved listening experience.
It's not always easy to get excited about a pair of headphones at first glance. Generally, the listening experience, which is gathered only after putting a set on and sitting down with some favorite music, is what draws people in. Not so with the Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones, a sweet-looking set that will relieve you of $350 (or closer to $300 if you shop around). Though their sound quality is nothing to scoff at, their appeal as eye-candy is undeniable. For audio enthusiasts who are tired of the same old look, the Beats Studio headphones are a must.
The Monster Beats may not be all about style, but you wouldn't know that just by looking at them. If you wear these headphones in public, you will turn heads. The thick and padded glossy black headband descends seemingly seamlessly into the circles that hold each earcup, which are oblong and padded in a leatherette material that is obscenely cushy. (They also swivel slightly in their supports in order to provide a comfortable fit.)
Closer inspection of the headband discloses a seam on each side where it expands, revealing the metal support band within. This same metal accents the inside of the headband and rings thinly around each earpiece, which also features deep red accents. The outside of the earcups also have a metallic disc containing a red "b" (the one on the right will mute your music when pressed). The overall effect is a sleek and stylish design that is not ostentatious. However, the padding on the band is a bit stiff and may take some breaking in to be truly comfy.
In addition to the Beats Studio by Dr. Dre headphones, Monster includes a variety of accessories in the slick, red packaging. There are two ultrathick 3.5mm audio cables--one red for standard MP3 players and one black with a built-in mic and ControlTalk remote for iPhones and iPods--each measuring 4 feet long. You also get a dual-pronged airplane adapter and a quarter-inch adapter for use with your home audio system, as well as a hard-shell carrying case with a carabiner attached. In addition, the Beats Studio come with a cleaning cloth, and you'll need it: these headphones are highly smudge-prone. Also necessary are the included AAA batteries; the headphones are noise-canceling (activated via a switch on the right earcup) and need power to work.
Of course, a pair of headphones may be the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen, but if they don't hold water when it comes to audio quality, the shine is quickly diminished. Luckily, this is not an issue with the Beats Studio, which offered an exceptionally--one might say shockingly--crisp response. Maybe we're pigeonholing here, but we expected Dr. Dre's headphones to be excessively heavy on the low-end. That's not to say there's no bass--it does thump--but these 'phones are nicely warm and balanced in the mids and truly impressive in their delivery of high-end detail. At no point did we suffer through the muddiness that can ail bass-heavy headphones.
The genres that really shine are electronic, dance, pop, hard rock, and hip-hop, although other genres are also very good for the most part. No matter what the music, be forewarned that these headphones have a fair amount of sound leakage, so your listening experience won't be entirely private. We are happy to report, however, that the Beats Studio headphones don't suffer from the noise cancelation module rattle of their predecessors. Overall, these provide a fantastically comfortable and enjoyable listening experience.
User reviews
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Great for Hip Hop & Techno! Monster Impressive!
by Kevin-Riley on September 17, 2011
Pros: + Sound quality is fantastic
+ They fit very comfortable on your head and ears
+ Good Bass and overall good sound quality
+ Comes with a travel case and a clean cloth.
+ Noise Canceling is a nice addition
+ Cool styleCons: - Price
- Needs batterySummary: Before trying these headphones, I was skeptical that anyone would need such an expensive set. After giving them a run, however, I have to say that I finally get it! ...
Summary: Before trying these headphones, I was skeptical that anyone would need such an expensive set. After giving them a run, however, I have to say that I finally get it! Monster Beats let you rediscover the impact, nuance and fun tucked away in your music! That privilage comes with a heavy monetary price, however.
Edit Link!
The first thing that strikes you about these cans is the quality of materials and thoughtfulness of the design. The headphones mix several metalic components where they are needed to bolster the sturdiness and style of these headphones.
Furthermore, the design includes such thoughtful features as the ability to fold into themselves and fit neatly into an included carrying case, which sports an already-included caribiner. Nice!
As far as the audio performance, Beats impresses from the get go. Slipping the headphones on, you instantly recognize how well they reduce the volume of your surrounding noise. You even get the sensation that you're speaking with your ears severely plugged up when you're talking!
The sound quality is fantastic, also. Music is crisp, clean, the bass hits hard and there's no distortion even at very high volume. It may sound corny, but these headphones were enough to bring an involuntary smile to my face listening to some old favorites that sounded new again as the hidden subtlety and thump came out in full splendor.
I will disagree with some other reviewers, however, and say that you get maximum enjoyment from these headphones with music from particular genres, namely anything that has a strong beat like hip hop or techno.
Mind you, it's not that music of all genres isn't improved with Beats, it's just that you don't really get knocked on your butt by each and every song you listen to, and if you're going to invest $350-400 on headphones, you want to be REALLY impresed. Monster Beats' bassy strengths don't tend to come out, for example, when listening to songs consisting primarily of acoustic guitar riffs.
Therefore, my recommendation, for what it's worth, would be to consider what kind of music you listen to before purchasing Beats.
I also wish that these headphones featured automatic shutoff and rechargeable batteries with a charger, but those features are a forgivable omission considering how Beats overwhelms in other areas.
Otherwise, the only signifigant drawback to Beats is the price! Certainly you get the quality and the style, but you also get the endorsement fees and the sort of markup that only a company making $100 HDMI cables can provide.
That said, if you're looking for an amazing set of headphones and you have several hundred dollars burning a hole in your pockets, I'd recommend these in an instant. You won't be disappointed!
P.S. If you will buy these headphones I suggest for best deal at: www.amazon.com/exec/******/****/B001DD55OE/cnet-offer-20
Updated on Sep 20, 2011
*** If you will buy these headphones I suggest you have to compare prices before you decide at: ********.com/Beats-Studio
Updated on Sep 27, 2011Edit Broken Link:
I suggest for best deal at: http://beam.to/Beats-Studio13 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Should have been better. You are paying for the brand.
by ScorpioKing1990 on November 3, 2010
Pros: Lightweight. Looks good. Sounds good for Hip Hop and some Alternative Rock and certain Techno tracks.
Cons: Sound is muddy, especially for the price. Might be uncomfortable for some. Too plasticky for my taste.
Summary: If you are a casual listener, are a fan of Dr. Dre, want pretty good sound but don't need the best, and have a good amount of money to ...
Summary: If you are a casual listener, are a fan of Dr. Dre, want pretty good sound but don't need the best, and have a good amount of money to spend....get these. You should be pretty content.
BUT, do not get these if you are a producer... Yeah, seriously.
Producers deal with a variety of music gear of different levels constantly. It gives a pretty good impression of what to expect at a certain price point. I've been a producer for close to 10 years and, sadly, I have to report that, overall, these are not worth the price.
Considering that Dre is a producer, any headphones branded with his name ought to be atleast O.K. for producers, even if not perfect. Considering that said headphones are labeled "Studio", they ought to be better than just O.K. And, finally, considering they are $350, they ought to be pretty damn good. The thing is, as far as production goes, they aren't. Not even close. This price point is approaching the low to mid range of the professional market, depending on how dedicated you are to the industry. And compared to the competition here, these are pretty subpar.
The problem mainly has to do with definition. I didn't find the soundstage to be adequate, especially in terms of the representation of the stereo field. Also, the 'phones seem to put out a fair amount of detail, yet it all gets washed away and/or de-emphasized by the bass, which is just too biased for this kind of work. If you're using these and sit with a project for a while, you get used to it and you can hear some decent high-end details. But that is not a good thing. It's called listening fatigue and it leads to poor translation, the difference in sound you'll hear after a break and a listen to it over different speakers.
Beyond that, I found the design to not be very functional, despite how aesthetically pleasing they may be. On the plus side, they are very lightweight. On the downside, the ear cups are pretty bulky. I'm also not happy about the way they swivel. It's difficult to describe and may sound like a stupid issue, but the moment I picked them up, I almost gave up on them right there. Basically, the cups themselves are almost the only things that move....which is fine on most headphones, but the plasticky, bulky design, and stiff headband contribute to a confined feeling. I suppose maybe they'd stay on your head better than other headphones, but anyone that needs that isn't using headphones this size anyway. The most egrious thing about the design in this aspect, though, is that the swivel mechanism is a ring, essentially, with the cup moving up and down inside of it, rather than it being used as a hinge, as in most designs. What ends up happening is the "ring" doesn't get out of your way. Whereas, with every other headphone I've ever used, because the cup hangs from a hinge, it does get out of your way because it's, well, swinging. You'll simply have to hold a pair to see what I mean. Maybe I'm crazy. I could write many paragraphs about this. The point is, I hate it.
In short, if you are a producer eyeing these, even for casual use, you probably won't be happy with them. You probably already have equal or better equipment, even if it costs much less. And since that is what you are used to, you'll get pretty upset about what your money got you.
The frequency response sounds like it was tuned by someone listening to a handful of their favorite tracks, having fun bumping their head. Not by someone trying to achieve any kind of accuracy or other beneficial purpose. I'm dissapointed at this. I like Monster, I like Dre. I do not, however, like these headphones.
To end on a happy note, I do have to give props to whoever designed the cord. It's thick, it looks and feels good, it doesn't tangle, it's even detachable. It does use a 1/8" plug, but it comes with a 1/4" adapter in the box. Cool.7 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good. But Overrated
by juanbeale on November 30, 2010
Pros: Comfort Looks cool
Cons: Muddy low end and muddy mids. Fairly crisp highs. Low end is overpowering and overall sound is poorly balanced. Poor durability. Poor durability and cheap plastic design.
Summary: These are really bass heavy, but the bass is muddy and not very tight with a lot of roll off. Thhe mids are fairly muddy as well. The highs are ...
Summary: These are really bass heavy, but the bass is muddy and not very tight with a lot of roll off. Thhe mids are fairly muddy as well. The highs are pretty crisp but still lack. Needing batteries for these is another reason I said overrated because other headphones at the same price do not require batteries and sound just as good if not better. The plastic is cheap and easily broken as well as the drivers can eventually pop or blow in a short period of time. These are pretty comfortable on my head. I bought the V-Moda Crossfades and they were over $100.00 cheaper with a coupon and sound a lot more blanced with tighter bass and the don't need batteries. My Studios went out and the people and Monster Cable have taken over 1 month to send me a new pair after sending mine to them for warranty. Richelle and Shawn Carwin the customer service manager can be to blame for this as they just were rude and led me on as if my new pair has been or will be shipped out. Monster Cble really has the worst customer service on the planet.
5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Students beware...read this before you buy!!!
by AZMed10 on December 27, 2010
Pros: overall style, comfort, sound, packaging, accessories, carrying case, did I mention style?
Cons: noise cancellation, batteries, feel a little flimsy in comparison to competitors, SOUND LEAKAGE!!!!!
Summary: I want to love these headphones, but they are honestly useless for any student that is considering them for the library. I got these as a Christmas present from my ...
Summary: I want to love these headphones, but they are honestly useless for any student that is considering them for the library. I got these as a Christmas present from my fiance and was initially blown away. The packaging is amazing and these headphones ooze style. As an owner of the Bose original quiet comfort's and QC2's, I can tell you that the sound quality of the Beats is unmatched. However, the Beats still require 2 AAA batteries. The noise cancellation on the Bose is also far superior. And one problem I have noticed with noise-canceling headphones in general is that listening to music at low volumes has a sort of muffled quality to it.
The fatal design flaw is the enormous amount of SOUND LEAKAGE from these headphones!! While listening to music on my computer at a 40 to 50% volume, I was asked numerous times by family members to turn my music down because they couldn't hear the tv!! I thought they were crazy, but later in the night my fiance used them to watch a movie on her computer while I read. I was able to hear everything as if it was playing through the speakers on her computer. After closer inspection and comparison to the Bose models, I realized that the plastic on Beats' ear cups is very thin with many movable hinges that make sound leakage possible.
I am sad to say that these will be going back to best buy and would warn anyone that is considering buying these headphones to ask yourself these questions:
Will I be using these in a quiet place?
Do I live with other people from whom I would like isolate my music?
Do I want headphones that are actually headphones and not speakers strapped to the side of my head?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, they probably aren't the headphones for you.
P.S. - Very disappointed that this wasn't addressed in the review, especially considering that the major user demographic for these headphones is probably college students, who have roommates and would probably use these to study.5 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Overpriced, Stylish, Not great performance
by elijahps on September 5, 2011
Pros: 1. Pretty good bass, especially if you listen to a lot of dubstep.
2. Stylish in my opinionCons: 1. Despite the bass sounding great, it drowns out everything else and these headphones have a little too much bass
2. Overpriced for what you pay for, SQ is very average
3. Hardly any sound isolation which is annoying since you have to use batteries.Summary: All about the Look, poor performance in sound quality. Too bad most people these days won't see that...
Summary: All about the Look, poor performance in sound quality. Too bad most people these days won't see that...
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Grossly overpriced... Fashion accessories to teenagers
by jamesnay on December 21, 2011
Pros: Good and strong bass, but the bass is overwhelming. You can find better headphones with better bass that doesn't drown out the mids and highs. Nice design.
Cons: Just flat out not a good value for the price. Mids and highs are bad. Build quality stinks. You can find BETTER headphones for less. These are all image due to Monster's marketing blitz.
Summary: Beats are made by Monster who is infamous for making hugely overpriced cables. You can buy similar quality cables for 1/10th the price of a Monster cable. Yet people ...
Summary: Beats are made by Monster who is infamous for making hugely overpriced cables. You can buy similar quality cables for 1/10th the price of a Monster cable. Yet people think this same company, who is new to the headphone market, is going to over a great product for a great value. How the marketing blitz isn't obvious to so many is a bit sad. You see these things everywhere on tv and in magazines. They give them to celebrities and athletes to pump up their product image.
Anyone gloating about how great these are and how they are "the best" have never heard what a truly great headphone sounds like. Read any reputable audio forum (head-fi, audioholics) and you'll see the overwhelming majority of knowledgeable audiophiles would not recommend Beats, Bose or Skullycandy to anyone.
If you really care about sound quality and NOT being cool amongst your peer group then learn about headphones here: http://audioproheadphones.blogspot.com2 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The amount of sound leakage is unacceptable.
by 11201ny on March 28, 2012
Pros: Very beautifully designed, though crappy construction. Very nice sound quality.
Cons: I don't care what anyone says, the amount of sound leakage is completely unacceptable. These headphone are made for portable devices, yet they are not doable in the presence of other people because they leak so much sound.
Absurd.Summary: Got my pair today in the mail. Hooked them up, sounded great. Then my lady wanted to try them. That's when I noticed that I could hear everything she ...
Summary: Got my pair today in the mail. Hooked them up, sounded great. Then my lady wanted to try them. That's when I noticed that I could hear everything she was listening to! What? How can that be, I must have missed something. Nope. They leak sound like a sieve. Moments later I boxed em back up & printed out my return label.
Point is, not only do they leak a little sound, they leak almost all of it. They are not open back headphones either. Why on earth would I spend $$$ on a set of headphones I can't listen to in ANY indoor public (or private) space? A car? Nope. A subway? Nope. My bedroom? Only if I am alone.
Some will say that this isn't an issue because you don't need the volume to be high... to this person I say, you should stop making excuses for poorly designed headphones and return them. In public spaces listening to them above 40% isn't even an option. That's not right. And for those of you that like to be enveloped by sound, forget about it with these headphones!1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Big, beautiful headphones. Good sound Quality
by Nicholastran213 on January 12, 2012
Pros: Good sound quality
Looks
Long battery lifeCons: Pricey
Big1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Mediocre headphone at high end price
by Mr_Blonde2 on November 14, 2011
Pros: sounds better than Apple ear buds, fresh design
Cons: high bass quantity with no quality, bass swaps into mid range, build quality disappointing, crazy pricing for its quality, batteries needed to run them, alrhough it offers noise cancelling technology bad isolation result
Summary: I really was shocked, how this product performs straight against its advertisement promisings given by Dr Dre. If you do such big mouth advertising, you should better deliver. Monster-Dr Dre ...
Summary: I really was shocked, how this product performs straight against its advertisement promisings given by Dr Dre. If you do such big mouth advertising, you should better deliver. Monster-Dr Dre failed.
There are plenty of headphones with a similar signature in sound either for less money or delivering much, much better sound and build quality. I can't recommend this product unless you fell in love with it's design.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Dr Dre, You Are No Bose!
by Gene Taylor on July 7, 2011
Pros: In my travels I have noticed that two types of headphones seems to be predominant on aircraft. Bose series 2, 3 and 15 and the Dr. Dre headphones. I have the Bose 15, yep! Borrowed a friends Dr. Dre's headphones for a little workout. The sound was def
Cons: However, the negative was that unless I wanted to keep them cranked up high and ruin my own hearing, you could still hear the outside environment. When I paid this kind of money for headphones, I want the outside world gone.
Summary: Dr. Dre's have a nice sound for hip-hop style music. But a fine violin in the background will be washed away. I like to hear the full spectrum as ...
Summary: Dr. Dre's have a nice sound for hip-hop style music. But a fine violin in the background will be washed away. I like to hear the full spectrum as it was created, not with a funky emphasis.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Monster Cable
- Part number: 127801
- Description: Experience music the way the artist wants you to. Beats high definition headphones are precision-engineered to reveal the full sound of today's digital music including the most sonically demanding rock, hip hop and R&B. with advanced speaker design, powered amplification, and active noise canceling, Beats delivers all the power, clarity, and deep bass today's top artists and producers want you to hear.
General
- Recommended Use The noise canceling feature keeps out ambient sounds on buses and airplanes. Plus, they are portable for easy transport.
- Product Type Headphones
- Weight 9.2 oz
- Color Black
- Recommended Use Portable audio system
- Additional Features Foldable
Headphones
- Headphones Type Headphones - Binaural
- Headphones Form Factor Ear-cup
- Connectivity Technology Wired
- Sound Output Mode Stereo
- Response Bandwidth 20 - 20000 Hz
- Dynamic Range 115 dB
Remote Control
- Type None
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headphones ( Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm )
Miscellaneous
- Cables Included 1 x Headphones cable - 4.3 ft,
1 x Headphones cable - External - Included Accessories 6.3 mm (1/4") stereo adapter,
Cleaning cloth,
Storage case Power
- Power Device None
- Battery 2 x Headset battery - AAA type
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Monster Cable products on Shopper.com
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- Manufacturer:Monster Cable
- Address:
455 Valley Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005 - Phone: 1-877-800-8989
