Updated 9/13/19
985 word post, approx. 3 min. read
Hi there friend, and Welcome aboard!!
Before we get into the Beats Solo vs. Solo 2 comparison, grab a snack, sit back and relax because..
You’ve come to the right place!!
What I will bring you in this review
Today I will simply give you a no nonsense article outlining the similarities and differences between these two headphones. 🙂
- Introduction
- Similarities & Differences
- Final Word
Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!
Introduction
Since Apple revamped the Beats image, I’ve actually come to enjoy a few of their headphones, namely the Solo3 and newer Studio3. Both the sound signature and build quality is much improved from some of the earliest iterations that came out around 2011.
Back then, the quality just wasn’t there, but nowadays it seems as though Apple continues to make giant leaps forward with each successive release.
With that, let’s take a look at the original Solo, and compare it to the Solo2. This will be a somewhat quick discussion, but by the time you’re finished you should have a good idea of what you should go with. 🙂
Similarities and Differences
Similarities
- Both have good sound isolation. Neither are actually noise cancelling though, so be aware of that.
- Neither have particularly great Soundstage, although on the Solo2’s it is decent for a closed back model. What is Soundstage?
- Both are very portable, meant for on the go listening.
- Both are closed back, and really good for hip-hop, rap, and other bass heavy genres. They don’t do as well with other stuff, but will work. Closed back vs. Open back headphones .
Differences
- Build Quality. The build on the Solo2’s is light years better. When the Solo Wireless came out, Beats still hadn’t really transformed their image. The Solo2’s are very well made, and while both fold up, the 2’s have a much sturdier mechanism. The headband on the 2’s is also a lot better and less prone to breaking down. The headband snapping on the originals is pretty much a unanimous complaint. I had zero issues with it on the Solo2. Also, the chord is shoddy on the original Solo’s. I didn’t have direct experience with the one on the Solo2’s because I was using them as Bluetooth (and only demoing from a friend), but I’ve heard that it’s much more durable. The bottom line is that the Solo2 is a very durable headphone in comparison to the Solo, and clearly shows a progression from the early years.
- Ear-pads. Parlaying off of the build, the ear-pads on the Solo’s feel much cheaper and they are less comfortable. I love the protein leather material on the Solo2’s. It feels plush and doesn’t seem like it would break down over time. For a Supra-aural (On-ear) headphone, these are quite comfortable, but will still need an adjustment from time to time.
- Comfort. The Solo2’s are much more comfortable than the original. I believe the original’s pads were smaller and were made of a material prone to breaking down over time. The Solo2’s improved upon that; the padding this time around is a lot softer.
- Manufacturing. When the original Solo’s came out, they were still under Monster’s authority. The Solo2’s are products of Apple and it shows. I’m not an Apple fanboy by any stretch; I’ve actually never owned anything by them other than an iPod. That said, I can recognize a difference in quality when I see it. The Solo2 and 3 are miles ahead of the originals and it’s not even close.
- Sound Quality. The Solo’s are much too bass heavy, which was the trademark of the original Beats origin. It’s bloated, artificial sounding, and just way too loose in general. Also, the overall sound isn’t crisp and tight. It’s just kind of too out of control and tends to meander a lot. By contrast, the Solo2’s are much tighter, well balanced, and crisp. The bass is deep and punchy, but it’s not that obnoxious. You still get a sense of the instrument placement and separation, and generally stuff stays in it’s place and sounds fairy accurate. Also, the mid-range and treble are both much improved on the Solo2. A big issue with the original model is that the sound tends to get drowned out by that big booming bass.
- Bluetooth. Apparently the original Solo’s did not work with anything other than an iPhone when using Bluetooth. The Solo2’s worked fine with my Android device.
- Aesthetic. In my opinion, the Solo’s look very dated and you may agree. I love the look and feel of the Solo2. It’s well designed and very minimalist, which is quite comical considering we’re talking about Beats here. 😛 The Solo’s just simply don’t look as cool.
This is another interesting aspect of the line; the newer iterations of Beats headphones take on a more minimalist, streamlined quality which is a stark contrast to the somewhat overly flamboyant look of the older generations.
Final Word
Well, I think it’s obvious which of these you should go with. The Solo2 trumps the originals by a wide margin, but the Solo3 is actually better than the 2’s by quite a bit as well. Interested in learning more about them?
Well that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Beats Solo vs. Solo2 comparison.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Looking for something else? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
Would you invest in the Solo2? How about the Solo3? I would love to hear from you. Until next time..
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
