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Apple’s latest Beats headphones offer the sound, fit, and Android features of its popular Studio Buds, but in a smaller, much cheaper, and more durable package.
The Solo Buds follow in the footsteps of last year’s Buds+ and offer full integration with various Apple and Google Android devices, taking advantage of the best of both platforms.
But Beats has trimmed a few features here and there to bring the price down to £80 (€90/$80/A$130), which is half the cost of the brand’s other truly wireless headphones.
They look a lot like the Studio Buds and Buds+, maintaining the compact shape of the pickup but with a bit of refinement to the shape that touches fewer parts of my ear for even greater comfort. They feel lightweight and fit great, with a choice of four sizes of earbud tips included.
A hidden button just above the “b” logo handles playback controls and access to your phone’s voice assistant, or adjusts the volume. However, they don’t pause the music when you take them out of your ears, like AirPods do.
Unlike most earbuds, the Solo Buds don’t have a battery in their case from which they charge when not in use. Instead, each earbud contains a robust battery that lasts a good 18 hours of playback between charges.
The case still recharges the headphones when connected to a USB-C cable, but without a built-in battery it’s 40% smaller and 55% lighter, making it much more portable. The earbuds beep when charging or put into pairing mode instead of an indicator light on the case.
Specifications
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Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3, SBC, AAC
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Battery duration: 18 hours
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Waterproof: none
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Drivers: 8.2mm
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Headphone weight: 5.7g each
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Headphone dimensions: 16.7×18.5×18.9mm
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Box weight: 22g
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Box dimensions: 34.7 x 66.1 x 23.7mm
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Charging: USB-C
Great for Android or iPhone
As with the recent Studio Buds+ and Solo 4, the big advantage of Beats is its wide cross-compatibility with Android and iOS.
They have greater integration with an iPhone than their competitors, access to controls through quick settings, and instant pairing that only needs to be done once to use them on your iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple products. You also have the option of audio sharing to use two sets of headphones with one device.
For Android or Google devices, they support many of the same features, including instant pairing, syncing, and switching between Google devices, plus spatial audio with compatible Pixel devices. The Beats app for Android offers controls, battery widgets, settings, and other features.
The headphones also integrate with Apple and Google’s Find My systems, so you can locate them if you misplace them, regardless of platform.
Good sound but no noise cancellation.
One of the biggest things that’s been cut to achieve a cheaper price is noise cancellation, so the Solo Buds rely entirely on the silicone tip of the earbud to block out the outside world. With music playback, they do a reasonable job, but they can’t eliminate travel noise like the Buds+.
However, they have the same drivers as Beats’ more expensive headphones and therefore sound very good for their price. They produce excellent, easy-listening sound with decent bass that is well balanced with the treble and high notes. The buds sound good in a variety of genres and never sound strident or tinny. They have solid tonal separation, but are missing a bit of detail here and there, so they won’t bother the best in the business.
There’s no equalizer or other settings available, and they also don’t feature the spatial audio technology of the company’s more expensive headphones, making watching movies and TV shows less immersive on Apple devices. However, the Solo Buds are compatible with Google’s spatial audio system on Pixel devices.
Call quality was very good in quiet or noisy street environments, successfully blocking background noise from reaching the call, although my voice sounded slightly compressed.
Sustainability
Apple doesn’t provide an expected lifespan for the batteries, but they should last more than 500 full charge cycles with at least 80% of their original capacity.
Apple will offer a product out of warranty “battery service”, but does not publish environmental impact reports for accessories such as headphones. The company offers free exchange and recycling programs, even for non-Apple products.
Price
The Beats Solo Buds cost €79.99 (€89.95/$79.99/AU$129.95).
For comparison, the Beats Studio Buds are £160 and the Studio Buds+ are £180, the Apple AirPods 3 are £169, the Fairphone Fairbuds are £129and Nothing Ear (a) is £89.
Verdict
The Solo Buds are a set of budget earbuds that straddle the line between the Android and Apple platforms better than their competitors.
You get a lot more than the basics for just £80, with good sound, very long battery life, a small case and a very comfortable fit. Full integration on an iPhone is something only a product made by Apple can achieve, and they offer something very similar on Android using the Beats app.
There are a few things missing compared to the brand’s more expensive headphones and some competitors, the biggest being the lack of noise cancellation, which may be a deal breaker for some. They also don’t have hands-free Siri support or Apple’s water resistance rating or spatial audio. But these are things you may be able to overlook because of the price.
The battery is not replaceable and the headphones are not repairable, ultimately making them disposable and losing them a star.
Advantages: good sound, cross-platform compatibility with improved features for iPhone and Android, excellent battery life, small case, small and comfortable for long periods, solid button controls, lower cost.
Cons: no noise cancellation, no Apple Spatial Audio, does not pause music when removed, not repairable.
