In 2022 , the expectation of buying a set of orchard apple tree - designedwireless earbudsfor less than $ 100 seemed like a pipe dream . Apple and its supplementary mark , beat , are famously protective of their client experience and profit gross profit . bewilder under that $ 100 threshold would signify dancing dangerously close to upsetting both corporate finish . And yet , here we are , with the $ 80 Beats Solo Buds .
The situation cue me of Steve Jobs ’ response when involve why , in 2008 , Apple had n’t yet launched a netbook - style budget laptop computer . “ We do not know how to make a $ 500 data processor that ’s not a spell of junk,”he say earnings call attendees , “ and our DNA will not let us to ship that . ” Less than two years subsequently , Apple shipped the first iPad , for $ 499 .
Did something fundamental modification at Apple that made Jobs step back from his characteristically colorful program line ? No . Apple simply calculate out what it needed to keep ( a great blind , intuitive software system , Wi - Fi ) , and what it could safely discard ( a keyboard , USB port , memory plug-in reader , and a webcam ) to make a $ 499 twist that would still delight its customers .
In the Beat Solo Buds , we can see that same calculus at work . beat charter its successfulBeats Studio Buds+and viciously snub every feature it could . A charging fount with its own battery ? Gone . dynamic noise cancellation ? Nope . transparentness modality ? pledge . handwriting - free Siri ? Buh - bye . That lilliputian piddling USB - C transmission line for charge ? Go buy your own .
By the fourth dimension Beats was done slashing and burn , it had indeed create a sub-$100 set of wireless earbuds . The question is , did it go too far ?
Let ’s start with the biggest change : the instance .
It ’s rightfully tiny . I use the give-and-take pocket-sized a lot when describing face size and it could n’t be more appropriate when discussing the Solo Buds ’ case . The only other earbuds that come close to this level of portability are theJLab JBuds Mini . Ditching the character battery not only reduces the cost , but also clearly extinguish the want for a self-aggrandising case .
I wish that Beats kept the snotty-nosed - top lid design . When Skullcandyintroduced its EcoBuds(which also lack a case barrage for recharging the bud ) , it kick the bucket with an receptive charging wharf , which does n’t protect the earbuds as well as a unsympathetic case . It also makes it more likely to catch on other objects in your bag or pocket . Still , the EcoBuds dock has a built - in USB - C charge cable , which Beats should have found a way to do on the Solo Buds ’ showcase .
The other thing you wo n’t find on the case is an light-emitting diode charging indicator . Instead , the case communicate relevant information using hearable smell , just like the ones Apple introduced on theAirPods Pro Gen 2 . There ’s a tone when the case starts to charge , another when the earbuds ’ barrage extend to a low-pitched or critical state , and still more shade to permit you bang when the earbuds are ready to pair or have been successfully copulate . ( Gone , too , is a pair / reset push . alternatively , you ’ll press the right - manus bud button for that functionality . )
beat says that citizenry find it hard to interpret LED index number correctly , peculiarly as they touch to a case ’s charge versus the charge level of the earbuds . I run to harmonise . From ship’s company to company and sometimes from simulation to model , these fiddling lights seem to be their own rules .
And yet , I ’m not convince that hearable timber are better . After the initial tone to affirm charging once you plug in the case , if you want to see the level progress , you ’ll need to bring your phone near the case and launch the case eyelid . orchard apple tree equipment will show a card on the screen ( even when lock ) with the Solo Buds remaining shelling life and charge status . Android devices will do the same via the Beats app when unlock .
I let in I did n’t push the envelope on custom in my short time with the Solo Buds — no ultra - long flight of steps where I might have been without a way of charging . So while I ca n’t say for sure if the lack of case - based barrage will examine an annoyance , I can say that I ’ve in person never gone longer than about 12 hours between cud - ins on any Seth of wireless earbuds . plain , your mileage may variegate .
I can also say that round ’ claim of 18 hours per heraldic bearing seems to be fairly accurate , give or take 30 minutes . After using them for around three time of day , my phone reported 80 % armorial bearing remaining . That ’s a little less than you might bear , however , I was hear at a 60 % volume level most of the meter , and battery estimates are always based on 50 % loudness .
Design - wise , the Solo Buds cleave to a successful formula , but this time you get a miscellanea of color pick including the red and black variance seen here , plus gray and purple versions . Much like theStudio BudsandStudio Buds+ , the Solo Buds have a gently kink embodiment that I find very well-situated even for farseeing stretchability of up to a few hours . Folks with modest ear might find them more well-heeled than Beats ’ previous models : the Solo Buds are a tiny act smaller . Four sizes of eartips are included , and I powerfully advocate trying several — a good seal will better audio character ( especially bass ) and enhance the peaceful noise closing off .
That modest shape and smooth credit card finish make them a moment wily to extract from their case , but I eventually master the technique .
Normally I ’m a fan of physical buttons on wireless earbuds . Their haptic nature feel more intuitive and I wish that you do n’t need to take out a glove in frigid weather to practice them .
The Solo Buds ’ controls , while strong-arm , are n’t as easy to use as those on the Studio Buds / Studio Buds+ . Those models use their entire prohibited Earth’s surface as a button . Clicking them is effortless . The Solo Buds , by contrast , have a much smaller click mechanism that sit beneath a golosh tissue layer . It takes more military group to push it , and I found it harder to do double- and ternary - click with accuracy .
I might give Beats a offer on this design if the rubber tissue layer offered enhanced water supply underground , but the opposition is true : the Solo Buds have no official evaluation for either detritus or urine tribute , whereas the Studio Buds+ are ratedIPX4 .
Still , Beats says you could use the Solo Buds for exercising and no harm will come to them .
The click motion are simple : once for play / break , double for track omission forward , and three fourth dimension for caterpillar tread skip back . you could then pick out what a long - press does : volume up / down ( depending on the earbud side ) or activate your sound ’s vox assistant . Why ca n’t you have both ? I ca n’t reckon of a individual good reason , specially as there are no ANC or transparency fashion corrode up one of the other gestures .
Note : In the screenshots below , you ’ll see a reference to Automatic Ear Detection . Ignore it ; our preproduction evaluation unit was still going through some growing pain in the neck as I test them .
There are some definite drawback to Solo Buds ’ vivid culling of characteristic , but sound quality is n’t one of them . Beats say it build up them with the same driver as the much more expensive Studio Buds+ ( which were the same as the original Studio Buds ) and I can confirm that they sound really good .
lucidity is brilliant , especially in the upper mids and highschool , while the lows are pleasingly full-bodied .
You ’re not go to get the kind of massive bass that the Beats firebrand was once hump for , but unless you ’re an absolute freshwater bass rabid , I doubt you ’ll finger like something ’s missing .
For upright or worse , the Solo Buds have no EQ hold . It ’s something I ’ve gotten used to with both Beats and Apple wireless earbuds , but that does n’t mean I ’m happy about it . At the very least , I think we should have access to bass and treble adjustments . Still , with the exception of the most intense hip - hop or rap , the Solo Buds have the kind of effectual touch that works well with nearly every genre .
Stereo separation is excellent , and I think Beats has managed to widen the soundstage from the Studio Buds+ . This helps make all music feel more lifelike and immersive , but it ’s especially helpful when listen tospatial audiolikeDolby Atmos Music .
Call quality is a real surprisal . The Solo Buds ’ mics ( plus whatever algorithmic thaumaturgy is taking place behind the aspect ) are fantastic at occlude loud phone that might overwhelm your vocalization and nark your telephoner . As I walk past some very busy intersection , there was hardly a hint of the traffic roll just a few feet away .
At times , this interference suppression is too powerful — if an especially loud dissonance materialise while I was talk , intact words would get swallowed up . If this fall out , your callers may object and order you to speak up , think that you ’re mumbling . They plainly wo n’t know that a Mack truck just about ran you over .
Indoors , where thing are normally quiet , your spokesperson will descend through with very full limpidity .
However , the want of a transparence mode keep the Solo Buds from being a great companion for calls . Your vocalization will always fathom softened to you due to the closing off provided by the eartips , and that ’s a formula for weariness after a few minutes .
The bottom line on these new Beats buds ? They dead pinpoint the basics , in an ultraportable pattern that is both comfy and , candidly , more sustainable . Their 18 - hour bombardment biography is amazing — it makes me wonder why we ca n’t have that sort of stamina on all wireless earbuds . And , by Beats / Apple criterion , the Solo Buds are remarkably low-priced .
To attain their sub-$100 price , however , the Solo Buds give up too many widget feature . ANC , transparency , Bluetooth Multipoint , wireless charging , and EQ control are all commonplace onsimilarly price modelsfrom Soundcore , 1More , JLab , and Earfun . Unless you ’re driven to sport a set of earbuds with the Beats “ b ” logo , I think you should spend your $ 80 elsewhere .
Am I being too rough ? I do n’t think so . In 2021 , when Jabra insert its Elite 3 earbuds for $ 80 , they had more features than the Solo Buds , and abominable snowman still founder them a 6/10 . Three geezerhood later , I think we should expect more , not less , for our money .
