I want to preface this review by stating that this is my first pair of "high-end" headphones. Prior to this I was using the regular ipod headphones that almost everyone in the world has. Take that for what it's worth.
Okay, so I decided that I should treat myself to a luxury set of headphones as I frequently ride public transportation and am tired of hearing all the craziness associated with riding the NYC buses and trains. So I did the trendy thing and purchased a pair of beats. Yeah, I know there are probably comparable headphones for a fraction of the price, but, and for reasons similar to why I'm a MacBook Pro user, I opted for style and trendiness. So I did some empirical research and saw that almost no one has the silver Studio version of Beats. This is probably because Best Buy is selling that version for 349.99. Anyway, I ordered off of Amazon and after some delays in shipping, I finally recieved the product.
What I loved:
The sound clarity, bass, highs, lows, and all that other stuff just sounds so effing good. I've played everything from Paul and Oates, Journey, Jay-Z and Kanye, to Sade and everything sounds just so crisp and crystal clear. Sound aside, these headphones will really stand out. You can't help but be noticed. Now I'm not sure if owning a pair of ostentatious headphones is your thing, but you'll definitely turn heads, especially from other Beats owners. Again, the silvers are not that common and tend to stand out. When I first put the headphones on, I knew I was in for something special. The headphones are designed to have a suction effect over your ear. Even without music playing you'll notice how diminished your hearing capacity is after simply putting the headphones on. When you actually play a song it's unreal. The only way I can describe it is to say you are actually immersed within the song. You'll hear notes and chords you hadn't heard before. Sometimes I find myself singing out loud to my favorite songs because I can't hear anything but the music. It's like being at your own personal concert starring your favorite artist.
What I'm okay with:
The build quality of the device was a source of concern prior to purchase. I went to Best Buy and played around with the headphones at their Beats center, but I really didn't get an accurate idea of what these headphones would be. I was under the impression that the silver Studios were made of metal. I was wrong. They are plastic just like the other Beats. Now, that's not as bad as you may think, but these things are not indestructible by any means. Put it this way, if you were wearing them and for whatever reason lost your footing and fell to the ground, you would probably have a pair of broken headphones. That said, the build quality is not a deal breaker. It would be nice if the headphones were in fact made of something a little bit more durable than plastic, but if you're an adult and careful with your equipment then you'll be just fine. Pro-tip: Take the carry case with you. Better to store the headphones in the case than to have them loose in a backpack or purse.
As for the noise cancellation, well you won't be able to hear most of what's going on in the outside world when wearing these headphones and playing your song of choice at even intermediate volume levels. But the outside world will be able to hear what you're listening to. I guess this isn't much of a big deal, but if you think you can crank these up while not annoying your neighbor on a plane trip or on a bus, you're mistaken. Not such a big deal, but worth stating nonetheless.
What I'm not really liking:
Batteries? Bleeping batteries? C'mon now. And not even double A batteries; effing triple A batteries?!? Who thought this was a good idea? I'm not sure why exactly batteries were a necessity on this. Perhaps it's so there could be a mute button on the side of the headphones, or perhaps it's so the headphones can sound extra clear, but I would have settled for a slight decrease in quality or a loss of the mute feature if it meant no batteries. What makes matters worse is that there is an switch on the side of the headphones so that you can slide the headphones from "on" into "off." The problem is that I'm not used to doing this with headphones and it's really easy to leave the headphones in the on position, thereby burning up your batteries. It would be nice if the headphones shut off when the cord to the audio device disconnected, but that's not the case. You're going to have to get into the habit of turning your headphones off with some sort of regularity. It's no biggie as I've already ordered rechargeable AAA batteries, but it's still a negative imo.
Conclusion:
I'm in love with these bad boys. I'm actually debating buying the solos so that I can keep these at home for my own personal use. Lets face it, if these were ever stolen or lost replacing them would be a pain. And with the build not being of a quality that drops are not a concern, I'd rather keep these on my desk than in my backpack. If it weren't for the batteries being required, I'd give them a perfect five. Again, you can probably find a comparable pair of headphones in terms of price or style, but if you have the money and want to get the Beats Studios, I say go for it. And heck, if you decide you don't want them you can always resell them for about what you paid as the silver Studios are a limited edition of sorts.