Beats Solo 4 Headphones Debut With Improved Acoustics, Longer Battery Life, and More

[MacRumors]

Apple's Beats brand today is announcing an update to its most popular line of headphones with the new Beats Solo 4. The on-ear headphones have been re-engineered inside and out to deliver upgraded performance and fit while featuring even longer battery life compared to the previous generation.

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On the acoustic front, Beats Solo 4 feature custom-built 40 mm transducers specifically tuned for music and designed to minimize artifacts and distortion, and the on Apple devices the headphones support Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to immerse you in your audio environment while keeping the sound source anchored to your device as you move around.

Upgraded digital beam-forming microphones and an intelligent noise-learning algorithm trained in over 7,000 hours of exposure to real-world environments help deliver excellent call quality and voice assistant performance.

Beats Solo 4 support three different modes of connection: wirelessly over Bluetooth, wired over USB-C, and wired over a 3.5mm audio connector. Most users will likely opt for wireless connectivity for convenience, but connecting over USB-C offers support for lossless audio and the ability to charge the headphones while listening, while the 3.5mm jack offers a simple connection method for battery-free listening.

If you're connecting wirelessly, Beats Solo 4 will deliver up to 50 hours of playback, up from 40 hours in the previous generation, while you can take up to 36 hours of phone calls on a single charge. A 10-minute Fast Fuel charge will give you up to five hours of playback time if you're low on battery.

Active noise cancelation (ANC) is not included on Beats Solo 4, but the on-ear design offers fairly solid passive noise isolation in our testing, keeping even rather loud environmental sounds from intruding much on our listening experience.

Beats Solo 4 include a proprietary Beats chip platform to support both iOS and Android with one-touch pairing, automatic setup across devices, and support for Apple's Find My and Android's Find My Device services. iOS users also get access to always-on "Hey Siri" functionality and support for Audio Sharing. The iconic Beats 'b" button on the ear cups can be configured for music and phone call controls and voice assistant activation, while volume can be controlled by pressing above or below the "b" button.

Overall, Beats Solo 4 retain the same iconic design that has led to over 40 million units sold since the introduction of the original Beats Solo headphones in 2009. Offering a more compact form factor and a cheaper price point than the over-ear Beats Studio Pro, Beats Solo 4 weigh just 217 grams while delivering a comfortable fit thanks to durable UltraPlush ear cushions, infinite-rotation gimbals on the ergonomically angled ear cups, and a flex-grip headband with customizable sliders. We did notice a bit of ear fatigue due to the on-ear design, but adjusting the headphones slightly definitely helped extend our listening session with out too much discomfort.

The case design is essentially the same as that for the Beats Studio Pro, which may not appeal to all users. It's a compact nylon case with a low-profile carrying/attachment loop and a side zipper, and the interior features a main compartment for the headphones and two small pockets for the included USB-C to USB-C and 3.5mm to 3.5mm cables. As with the slightly larger Studio Pro case, it can be a bit difficult to get the headphones in and out of the case.

Beats Solo 4 come in Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink color options and are available to order starting today from apple.com, Best Buy, and other retailers for $199.99 ahead of a May 2 shipping date.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Article Link: Beats Solo 4 Headphones Debut With Improved Acoustics, Longer Battery Life, and More

 

[MayaUser]

40 mm transducers thats nice to try for $199

 

[iamgalt]

We can get a 4th version of Beats, but we can't get a 2nd version of Airpods Max?

 

[McWetty]

No H1/H2 chip? Didn’t see mention of it in the article so I guess that’s a no.

 

[CrashTestWalrus]

Is audio sharing a typo here? I have the Beats Studio Pro with the beats silicon and it doesn’t support audio sharing on iOS. If it’s not a typo does beats plan on bringing audio sharing to the Studio Pros?

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

Case or bra-purse?

 

[rymc02]

Not sure how long Apple can continue to offer subpar options for twice the price of the competition. Anker's new headphones are $100 and are arguably better. So are many other options. The same thing is happening with earbuds. There is becoming less and less of a reason to stay in Apple's audio ecosystem.

The Apple Tax is way too high for the lack of features in these devices now-a-days. Competition is too good.

 

[magbarn]

We can get a 4th version of Beats, but we can't get a 2nd version of Airpods Max?

Not only that, this one has lossless audio.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I wonder why the Beats Solo 4 doesn't use the W1 or H1 Bluetooth chip, unless Apple had success with the proprietary Bluetooth chip used by the Beats Studio Buds and Studio Buds+ models.

 

[iGeek2019]

No H1/H2 chip? Didn’t see mention of it in the article so I guess that’s a no.

It's a proprietary Beats chip so no H1/H2 chip.

Is audio sharing a typo here? I have the Beats Studio Pro with the beats silicon and it doesn’t support audio sharing on iOS. If it’s not a typo does beats plan on bringing audio sharing to the Studio Pros?

Just checked out Apple's website and they mention Audio Sharing on the tech specs - quite why these seemingly support it but the dearer Studio Pros don't....

 

[sfwalter]

We can get a 4th version of Beats, but we can't get a 2nd version of Airpods Max?

That is correct.

 

[steve09090]

I wonder why the Beats Solo 4 doesn't use the W1 or H1 Bluetooth chip, unless Apple had success with the proprietary Bluetooth chip used by the Beats Studio Buds and Studio Buds+ models.

Yeah. I don’t know how they’re doing instant pairing and device switching. But hey, it’s the best feature.

 

[sw1tcher]

We can get a 4th version of Beats, but we can't get a 2nd version of Airpods Max?

Beats Solo 3 came out in Sept. 2016. These (Beats Solo 4) are replacing them nearly 8 years later.

AirPods Max came out in Dec. 2020... 3 years and 4.5 months ago.

 

[jrlcopy]

0 mention on Apple's home page for either new Beats product, you have to go to the "Accessories > Beats by Dre." tab to even see then.

Pretty nuts how we've watched the brand shrink over the years.

 

[Beerstalker]

I see that it mentions Find My Device functionality, but not precision finding. Are they keeping that exclusive to AirPods, or is it just not mentioned?

 

[NT1440]

I see that it mentions Find My Device functionality, but not precision finding. Are they keeping that exclusive to AirPods, or is it just not mentioned?

Precision finding requires UWB, which this likely does not have.

 

[jb310]

Every time I see news about new Beats headphones, it makes me wish for a new model of the AirPods Max. 😭

 

[bloomfeld]

No H1/H2 chip? Didn’t see mention of it in the article so I guess that’s a no.

Owning the Beats Solo3 Wireless predecessor which had the W1 chip, I wonder if the new model provides a better/faster connectivity experience. Probably will use the Solo3 a little longer after having exchanged the ear cushions recently.

 

[bloomfeld]

I wonder why the Beats Solo 4 doesn't use the W1 or H1 Bluetooth chip, unless Apple had success with the proprietary Bluetooth chip used by the Beats Studio Buds and Studio Buds+ models.

Especially since the Beats Solo3 Wireless had the W1 chip. It still works very well within the Apple ecosystem.

 

[BollywooD]

I wanted to like Beats, and went through 4 pairs of Beats solo3's (a brand new pair, and 3x second hand) before giving up and buying a cheap Sony headphone. Ironically the Sony headphone is much more robust than the Beats.

 

[GarethR]

Yeah. I don’t know how they’re doing instant pairing and device switching. But hey, it’s the best feature.

In the exact same way they do with the W1/H1 (and the many knock offs which have hacked the same protocols). I just don’t get the hang up over W1/H1 thing as the Beats ‘Proprietary Silicon’ is essentially the same thing (with some features maybe artificially limited) but it also has the benefit of working with Android

 

[AlmightyKang]

Bought the kids the previous ones. Hardware (mechanical) failure in under a year on both of them. Turned out that Apple had recorded the sale date incorrectly when they sold both of them to Amazon rather than the end user and denied my warranty claim. Spent a whole month arguing over it and just ended up buying them some Anker ones instead which are much better!

Eventually I won with a prime cancellation and threat of a chargeback from Amazon. Works every time. They refunded me the full price I paid for both pairs so they didn't lose me as a customer.

Obviously I will be staying the hell away from these too.

 

[bradman83]

No H1/H2 chip? Didn’t see mention of it in the article so I guess that’s a no.

I wonder why the Beats Solo 4 doesn't use the W1 or H1 Bluetooth chip, unless Apple had success with the proprietary Bluetooth chip used by the Beats Studio Buds and Studio Buds+ models.

The Beats brand is marketed as being more platform-neutral compared to the AirPods line, so the custom Beats silicon used in these headphones is likely designed to work better with Windows and Android systems versus the W or H series chips which has features specific to Apple's ecosystem.

 

[progx]

Looks like some of the Beats Solo Pro items came over to the Solo 4. Looks promising for that price point.

 

[jayducharme]

I had the Beats Studio 3 and wasn't very impressed. I switched to a highly-regarded Grado wireless set, but they too have been underwhelming at nearly twice the price of the Beats Solo 4. I like how the new Beats can work with USB-C or a headphone jack. I might give them a try.