Beat Headphones

Recently I took a trip to England on a grueling 12 hour flight. As many of you know, overseas flights are even less exciting than cross country flights because there’s simply nothing to look at below except water- for thousands of miles!

As our flight progressed into the fifth hour, I managed to strike up a conversation with a fellow passenger who owned some very unique looking headphones. Turns out his headphones were Beats Studio headphones that not only had hi-def sound, but the highly-sought after noise-canceling feature.

When I found out that my new friend had only paid $300 for his headphones, I was astounded and just had to investigate these headphones further.

Not All Headphones are Created Equal

Serious music hobbyists are always looking for ways to improve their listening experience. After all, conventional headphones are based on technology from the late 1960s. Is there anything else in your home from the 1960s? Probably not.

Just a few years ago, a line of headphone came out with a feature called “noise-canceling”. This feature works by matching outside noise frequencies with an exactly opposite frequency, which flatlines the audible noise (i.e. “cancels” the wave). What you get in return for this technology is pure silence.

A problem with this technology is that you cannot use an external headphone amplifier. You are stuck with the internal headphone amplifier within the headphones themselves. Many brand skimp on this internal headphone amplifier and use lower quality parts. As a result, many noise-canceling headphones have less outside interference but lower overall sound quality.

When buying a high quality set of headphones (anything over $50) be sure to investigate the following features carefully:

•   Ability of headphones to be used with smartphones

•   Noise-canceling quality

•   Cord construction

•   Folding design and material construction

•   Ability to quickly mute speakers

Smartphone Ready? Only With Dr. Dre’s Beat Studio Headphones

Many people purchase headphones without thinking about using them with their cell phones. Since music players are quickly becoming one with smartphones (i.e. iPhone and DROID models), it’s important to make sure the headphones you buy can be used with your smartphone.

Beats Studio by Dr. Dre Noise-Canceling Headphones is perfect for whatever smartphone you sport. There are multiple adapters you can purchase for these headphones so you can not only listen to your calls but answer them without fumbling for your phone. Compared to Bose and other comparable models, this is the only set that comes with this feature built-in.

Noise Canceling Quality: No Cheap Amps with Beat Studios

Remember how we addressed cheap internal amp parts in cheaper noise-canceling headphones? Well, with Beats Studio, you get both high quality noise-canceling and a high-quality internal headphone amp that gives you excellent sound quality. This is because Beats Studio uses a higher power amp within these headphones that delivers the following:

•   More bass that’s not too overpowering

•   Crisper instrument separation

•   Less overall treble influence

The end result is a deeper, richer listening experience not typical of noise-canceling headphones.

Sturdy and Foldable: These Headphones Will Travel

For $300 headphones, you’re getting the sturdy and innovative design you’d expect from a Beats Studio product. These headphones have a very rigid center headband and the cups fold up nicely to fit in an included rigid travel case. The gently rounded headband guarantees a nice fit to your head, essential to effective noise-canceling. Of all the reviews found in popular media of this set of headphones, there’s only one report of the headband breaking or cracking.

Another feature of these headphones is the replaceable cord design. After many trips and many listening excursions, it’s not uncommon to have a cord tear or fray. The cord on the Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones is fully replaceable. So just one tear, fray or accidental cut won’t destroy your $300 headphones.

The cups of these headphones are molded with very soft material that breathes and cradles the shape of your ear. This is especially important if you’re going to be wearing these for an extended period of time. Many of the professional grade headphones are not comfortable for extended wear, but these Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones definitely break the mold of comfort and durability.

Not Just Convenient- But Safe

A unique feature of the Dr. Dre Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones is the innovative “Listen” feature. Just by tapping and holding the Beats Studio logo on the outside of the molded ear cup, the music will immediately mute and stop all noise-canceling.

This provides the following safety features:

•   Accidental volume overload protection

•   Quick emergency response without having to take off headphones

•   Easy access to mute music for driving

In some states in America and countries in the EU, a quick mute button is required by law to prevent issues with emergency management. Check out your local laws as part of the headphone buying process to choose wisely.

Considerations Before Buying Noise-Canceling Headphones

An important thing to remember when buying any noise-canceling is that they require batteries and will not work without having the noise-canceling feature enabled. The Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones require two double-AA batteries and need to be turned on before they transmit sound. Also, these batteries will last approximately 72 hours of continuous operation.

In addition to turning on your Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones, make sure you remember to turn them off because this will suck the power right out of the batteries. Some customers find the maintenance and power management required with noise-canceling headphones to be too bothersome. Take this into consideration if these will be your first noise-canceling headphones.

Mixed Reviews But Perfect for the Right Customer

The Beats Studio Noise-Canceling Headphones are perfect for the young traveler and adventurous professional who loves the deep bass of hip-hop/modern rock and wants a high quality noise-canceling product.

Popular reviews for this product are mixed. Customers love the sound quality of these headphones while others aren’t happy with the battery life required with noise-canceling headphones. The beginning ‘audiophile’ will love these headphones. For the price of $299 on Amazon, these headphones are very high quality and rated an overall 4.0 out of 5.0 stars.