Beats Studio 2 vs Solo 3
Beats is one of the leading brand in the headphone industry since the last few years. Both of their headphones, Beats Studio 2 and Solo 3 are the example of their success. Coming with stylish design and powerful bass, these two are rival from the same company. If you prefer your music comes with strong bass or just love how cool these two look, you may want to check our article below to know which suit you better.
In this article we are going to give you information about:
– What are Beats Studio 2 and Solo 3
– How Beats Studio 2 and Solo 3 Look Like
– What you can expect from Beats Studio 2 and Solo 3
– Beats Studio 2 vs Solo 3
About Beats Studio 2
Beats Studio 2 is an active noise cancelling headphones from Beats that was released a few years back to continue its original Studio line. Coming from one of the leading brand in the industry, the unit is very popular even until now. When this article is written, there are already next gen from the line and if you were hesitated to purchase it back then when it was still priced so high, it is far more affordable now.
This headphone is suitable for you if you are the type who often spend your time in crowded environment, such as in public transportation since its main point is to cancel the outside noise that will disturb your music. What you have to consider first before deciding on any active noise cancelling headphones is whether you have sensitive ears or not, because ANC headphones tend to give some pressure to your eardrum.
Beats Studio 2 Design
Coming from Beats, design is something it has been strong since the beginning. This one still comes with the same style as its predecessor with sleek and stylish design and an accent of metal in the headband and ear cups. Beats Studio 2 headphones were originally released in a wide array of colors, but since the newer version released, it might be hard to get the less popular colors.
Unlike the older version that somehow a bit bulky, this headphone is lighter and slimmer, which is very suitable to be used on the go. Coming with the unit, there are two cables; one with inline controls and one without as well as carrying case to keep your headphone safe especially if you purchase the glossy version to prevent it got scratched. The padding is thick enough to makes your ear comfortable when listening to it.
Beats Studio 2 Abilities
Now let’s talk about how Beats Studio 2 performs and how it sounds. When you try listening your music with the headphone in a crowded or noisy environment, you will notice that those outside noise are indeed reduced. It is quite good but not the best in its class especially against Bose QuietComfort 25. Go check our article for the product in Bose QuietComfort 25 vs 35 here.
Beats Studio 2 will significantly reduce the background noise when you choose music with substances but if you try listening to delicate tracks, it can’t perform as good. Some people also notice a hiss when they listen to classical music using the headphone.
As another Beats headphones, this one also better for lively music like pop, hip-hop and rock while it is definitely not suitable for purist and audiophiles. Compared to the older version, the Beats Studio 2 has refined bass, so it is more balance in the frequency range as well as not overwhelming the midrange or sounds heavy-handed in the mix. The bass is pretty strong but still comes out with full bodied feeling while the treble is clear and crisp without sounding hard even when playing complex rhythm.
In the battery life, the company claims that the headphone is able to stay up to 20 hours with active noise-cancelling, which is lower than its rival, but it still can cover most situation. The battery is charged using a microUSB and since there is no passive playbacks, when the battery dies, you can’t use it to listen to your music, which also unfortunate. To see the battery life, you can press the multifunction button on the left ear cup and an LCD light will show how much power left.
When you connect the headphone with the that one cord with inline remote, you can use the buttons to navigate your music, adjusting the volume as well as take a call without even touching your phone.
About Beats Solo 3
Beats Solo 3 is the latest version of headphone from Beats continuing its Solo line that was first released back then around 2009. The newest version is said to be more advanced than its predecessors and sound better. Coming from Beats, this one is not affordable either, some of you may be in for the price and some may not but as time goes by and the company may release their newer version soon, the price continue to be more affordable.
After Apple purchased the brand in 2014, we can see Beats headphones getting more and more like Apple product now including this new Beats Solo 3. As what you can expect from Beast headphones, it still comes with a strong bass, which is loved by many people and not by the other. If you are the type who loves their music to have a heavy low end, this headphone might be the one for you.
Beats Solo 3 Design
Looking at Beats Solo 3 from the outside, you will notice that the design hasn’t change from the previous Solo 2 and if you lay them down together without knowing which is the newer version, in a glance you may wont notice their difference. The company said that the upgrade was mainly on the inside, but you probably can tell which if you know what color available in the line because this version are seems to be iPhone pair rather than just regular headphone.
The slight different design on this new version is the “b” logo color that was matched with the headphone, so it looks somehow more elegant and mature. The color option also becomes even more wide and Apple-ish. Now you can have a headphone in gold or rose gold color, which is very cool when paired with the same color iPhone. Coming with the unit, there are RemoteTalk cable, carrying case, and the charger.
Beats Solo 3 Abilities
Leaving how good Beats Solo 3 look, now let’s talk about how it can performs. As it has been mentioned earlier, this headphone will have a strong low. It depends on how you likes your music, so we can’t say if it is too strong or just enough, but it does powerful to make some people who are not into it feels uncomfortable or too boomy. However, if your taste matches this quality, this one will be a great option.
In the treble, Beats Solo 3 did performs better than its previous versions, because it now has smooth mids, which means there is none to cut through the low-end in tracks with strong bass lines or those mixes with boisterous kick drums and even though the bass is very strong, it doesn’t cloud other parts of the mix though it is still hard to focus on them. Another issue is there seems to be a slight clag that somehow adheres to those instruments in the lower-mid registers.
Since Beats Solo 3 is a wireless headphone, you can listen to it through Bluetooth and when paired with Android it works just as good but try pairing it with an iPhone and you may get a different experience. This headphone comes with W1 chip that will communicate directly with your iPhone. When you turn the headphone on within the vicinity of your iPhone, there will be a pop up message appears prompting for pairing and this feature works with iOS 9 or later.
One of the best things in this headphone is how long it can last. The company said that when in full charge, Beats Solo 3 would be able to play for 40 hours without stopping, which is awesome. They also said with only 3 minutes of charging, the headphone can operate for the next 3 hours while the full charge will take about an hour. Unlike some Beats headphones that can be used after the battery dies, this one works just as good with cable intact without power from battery.
Comparison
Now, let’s compare Beats Studio 2 with Solo 3. The most prominent difference between them is that Beats Studio 2 is an active noise-cancelling headphone while Solo 3 is a regular wireless headphone. Solo 3 may able to block noise too but not as effective as Studio 2. From the sound, Solo 3 is said to be better than Studio 2 but your taste might be different.
Another difference is even though they are the same wireless headphones; Beats Studio 2 can’t be used when the battery runs out while Solo 3 is able to play even without battery power. The battery life is also improved in Solo 3 with almost 2 days non-stop play while Studio 2 only able to stay half of it.
Beats Studio 2 vs Solo 3
Conclusion
All in all, the decision is all yours to make. In our opinion, if noise-cancelling is what you are looking for Studio 2 is the better option here, but if sound quality is what you are seeking, Beats Solo 3 is the one for you. Not only it comes with enhanced sound quality, the battery life is also far superior to Studio 2.