Beats Solo Pro. Still the best on-ear headphones to buy for work and play.

So, you’ve been eyeing out some tasty new headphones for 2021, and you’ve started to do your research, and so you should. With so many options on the market nowadays, it’s worth getting every ounce of bang for your buck. In this article, we will take a look at the Beats Solo Pro, it’s main features, and why the trusty Beats Solo Pro’s are still worth a hard look.

The Beats are classed as “on-ear” headphones. On-ear headphones sit with the cushions pressing against the ear, as opposed to the larger over-ear headphones that enclose your ear and sit against the side of your head.

Main Features

If there is one thing the Beats Solo Pro are known for, it’s their ultra cool fold to switch off feature, which makes storing and transporting them oh so easy. What’s particularly magical is that when they are unfolded, Bluetooth pairing to your devices is lightning quick, so Beats (now owned by Apple Inc) must have some mighty fine tech under the skin.

Sound quality is above average, with rich bass and crisp tones in the midrange. These are certainly the right pair of headphones for music lovers who appreciate quality. The outside of the right ear cup hides volume and playback controls under the large Beats-logo disc. Press it up or down to adjust volume. Press the logo in once for pause/play, twice to skip forward and thrice to skip back. Press and hold it to activate Siri on an iPhone, iPad or Mac, or Google Assistant on an Android phone.

For work from home (WFH) warriors, there is active noise cancelling when you need to block out the surrounding sounds, as well as transparency mode foe when you need to have a quick conversation with your child, about not throwing the remote at the tv. Alas, I digress.

Charging is via Apple’s proprietary Lightning cable, including those supplied with iPhones. A USB-A to Lightning cable is included in the box. A 10-minute charge provides enough battery for up to three hours of playback, while a full charge takes one hour and 45 minutes.

Build Quality

If there was ever a hard wearing set of headphones, then these would be them. Beats have gone with nothing but high quality components, from the metal arms that hold the speaker pods, to the soft rubber band that sits comfortably on your head - these feel great.

When new, the on-ear leather ear muffs at first feel a little hard, but after a few days use they ease up nicely and your ears embrace their new buddies with a welcoming embrace. Now, you are joint at the ear for life.

If you are looking for a great pair of headphones to place and receive calls, the Beats Solo Pros are going to do a fine job in that department. With 4+ hours of talk time I do everyday, these headphones hold up superbly, with my clients regularly commenting on the audio clarity.

Specifications

Weight: 267g

Drivers: 40mm

Connectivity: Apple H1 chip, Bluetooth 5.0, Lightning charging

Bluetooth codecs: SBC, AAC

Battery life: 22 hours ANC on, 40 hours ANC off

Price

The Beats Solo Pro cost £269.95 and are available in a range of single and two-tone colours.

Alternatives

A few options to consider include:

Poly’s Backbeat Pro 2

These are over-ear headphones with many of the same hallmarks of the Beats Solo Pro, but introduce

Apples AirPods Max

Apple is renowned for quality, and nothing shouts quality quite like the AirPods Max. These are heavy headphones, with style at the forefront. They produce fantastic sound too. One draw back is that they are less portable.