Hey friend. Welcome aboard!!
Before we get into the Monster Inspiration vs. Beats Studio comparison, grab a snack, sit back and relax because..
You’ve come to the right place!!
What I will bring you in this review
For this article, I will outline the Monster Inspiration, and then compare and contrast them with the Beats Studio towards the end! 🙂
- Iterations of Beats by Dre
- Ratings/Price
- Specifications
- Summary
- Pros
- Cons
- Video Review
- Amp/DAC requirements
- Who these headphones benefit?
- Consensus/Conclusion
- Thoughts from Stu’s notepad
- Similarities & Differences
- Final Word
Now without further ado, let’s get rolling!!
Iterations
Wow. Okay. So before we even get into the specifics, let’s go over all the different versions of this headphone so we have a clear idea of what we’re getting into. This review will not cover any In-ear models. The models underlined in green are the only ones that are worth the money in my opinion. I honestly wouldn’t even bother with the other models.
That said, if I’m missing anything, please let me know!
Beats Studio Wired (Discontinued)- Beats Studio 2.0 Wired Over-Ear (Circumaural)
- Beats Studio Wireless Over-Ear (Decent)
- Beats Studio Wireless 2.0. (Decent)
- Beats Studio Wireless On-Ear (Supra-aural)
- Beats Pro Wired Over-Ear (Decent)
- Beats Executive Wired Over-Ear
- Beats EP Wired On-ear
Monster Beats Solo (Discontinued)Beats Solo HD Wired On-Ear (Discontinued)Beats Solo HD “drenched in color” 2.0 (2013). Really? No.- Beats Solo2 Wired On-Ear (Good)
- Beats Solo3 Wireless On-Ear (Better)
- Beats Mixr Wired On-Ear (Decent)
So for the purposes of this article, I will be comparing the Monster Inspiration with the highest rated studio version which happens to be the Beats Studio Wireless Over-Ear.
Monster Inspiration
Ratings/Price
Specifications
- Type: Closed back. Closed back vs. Open back headphones.
- Fit: Circumaural
I could not find any additional specifications for these headphones, including Frequency Response, Sensitivity, Weight, Impedance (What is Headphone Impedance?) Cable length, Driver size, etc. What is a Headphone Driver?
Summary
The Monster Inspirations aren’t quite neutral, as they place an emphasis on bass and treble. As a result, the mid-range will become a bit recessed. These are your typical “fun” headphones, but the bass can become overwhelming at times, while the treble may get sibilant. What does Sibilant mean?
There is an Active Noise Cancelling feature, and if you turn it off it will subdue the sound and tame them down just a hair. 😛 This passive mode feature works well in quiet settings, whereas the ANC feature is meant for noisy environments.
The headphones are pretty compact, stylish, and well designed, but may suffer from build quality issues specifically regarding the cable connection. The asking price may be a bit on the high side, and not quite worth it in the end at their original price. They have come down considerably over the last few years however and may be worth the plunge.
Read on to find out!!
Pros
- Good noise canceling in terms of flying specifically. You may be able to silence screaming babies on planes without resorting to drastic measures!
- Pretty comfortable, although you may have issues with clamp. More on that in Stu’s notepad.
- Good sound quality
- Stylish, and fold up nicely as well.
- Timbre is quite good. What is Timbre?
- Efficient and easy to drive with your mobile device.
Cons
- Broke after a couple of months.
- One side not working/Bad cable connection/Weird noise from one side.
- Static/Sound cutting out/distortion at high volume.
- Very heavy and bulky. This was pretty much unanimous.
Video Review
Amp/DAC requirements
None.
Who these headphones benefit?
Endorsed for:
- Watching movies.
- Phone calls, as the sound is nice and clear.
- Flying on a plane.
- Any kind of genre with a bass emphasis: Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B, EDM, etc.
Artists:
- Mozart
- Beasty Boys
- Oingo Boingo
- Aerosmith
- Depeche Mode
Consensus/Conclusion
Very heavy and bulky, and can be uncomfortable at times with that high clamp force. Good to great sound, mediocre noise isolation overall. They do their best on planes, and not so much walking around or in the general vicinity of various types of noises. Good for most genres, with an emphasis on bass heavy types of music primarily.
Thoughts from Stu’s notepad
- The pleather on the inside that covers the foam cushion starts to come off after about a year. You can shove it back in and super glue it as a remedy.
- The headphones might make a weird creaking noise from moving your head around.
- They are comfortable, but you may need to take frequent breaks as they are heavy and can get uncomfortable after a while. If you have big ears I would advise you to stay away as they will smash your ears against your dome piece.
- There is no actual leather on the headphones.
- The noise-canceling feature, while adequate, just isn’t quite up to par and lacks the quality of a Bose headphone. Also, you will probably want to stick to using passive mode with these headphones unless you really need ANC. It sounds much more natural, while the Noise-canceling feature seems to amplify the sound to an uncomfortable degree. Some say that the NC feature is quite useless at times if you’re simply walking down the street because of the way that they react to different sounds. While some claim that the NC blocks around 70% of noise, others say it’s realistically around 30-40%. The consensus seems to be that while they do cancel out some sound, it could’ve been better.
- The bass isn’t quite up to snuff regarding texture and detail. It has a tendency to become simply a vibration rather than an instrument with meaning.
- The battery life could be much better. A set will typically last you around 2-3 weeks (with continuous use) with the Inspiration.
- They come with 3 chords, 2 AAA batteries, an extra headband, a cleaning cloth, an interchangeable headband, and a pouch. The cables also seem to be tangle proof which is nice.
- No Bluetooth.
- Does not come with an airline flight adapter.
- They plug right into an iPhone without an adapter.
- The black versions of these tend to scratch easily, while the white versions get dirty easily.
- The controller that comes with the Inspiration works for Apple devices as well as Android devices. The only difference is that the volume may not work with the Android.
- When the batteries get really low, you may experience a humming and a choppy sound. You can turn off noise cancellation at this point and they will sound okay until the battery dies.
- They will not stay on your head very well while you are looking down.
- The ear-cups may deteriorate after a spell. Meaning, they will break down over time. This is kind of to be expected with any headphones, however. Both my M50’s and 7506’s ear cups disintegrated after about 1-2 years.
- No 1/4″ adapter is included, but the cable is detachable.
Similarities & Differences
Similarities
- Both are made by the same company.
Differences
- Bass and Overall sound. The Monster Inspiration doesn’t quite blow you out as hard with the bass response. Beats by Dre is the opposite; you’re going to get blown the f out. Lol. The treble is more clear with the Inspiration, and the sound overall is more balanced.
- Price. Nowadays, the Inspirations have come down considerably in price. No longer will you pay an arm and a leg. Beats by Dre is the opposite: Expect to fork over your salary in exchange for mediocre sound. Lol I had to. No offense to Beats by Dre fans reading this. 😀
- Sound vs. Marketing. The Inspiration represents more of an emphasis on sound, while Beats by Dre focuses mostly on branding and marketing.
- Weight. The Inspiration is heavier than the Beats Studio.
- Batteries. The Beats Studio requires batteries at all times, while the Inspirations can be used in passive mode without batteries.
- Cables. The Inspiration comes with 3 cables while the Studio’s only come with 2.
- Case. The studios come with a hardshell case while the Inspirations come with a case that looks like a dark taco. Heh.
- Noise-canceling. The Inspirations win here easily.
- Build. The Inspirations feel pretty durable in your hand, while the Studio’s feel cheaper and somewhat flimsy.
- Comfort. The studios are more comfortable, though both are good in this regard. The Inspirations feel more solid and sturdy on your dome piece.
- Leak. The Inspirations don’t leak much sound, while the Studio’s leak a lot.
Final Word
Given that if you’re reading this, you probably were looking for some bass-heavy cans, to begin with. That said, I would steer clear of the Beats because the bass ends up being bloated and artificial sounding. To be honest, I would probably also avoid the Inspirations. Think of it this way: They virtually plummeted in price over the last few years, but why? There’s a reason for that, and it’s because they were never actually worth the price tag.
If you’re looking for my top recommendation as far as bass-heavy goodness is concerned, look no further than the V-Moda Crossfade M-100. These babies are rugged as all get out, and they boast a ridiculous sound that slams your melon head, but at the same time doesn’t come across as cheap or fake, like those 2 dollar hookers down the street. Lol.
Anywho, if you’re interested in learning more about the M-100’s, check out my official:
V-MODA CROSSFADE M100 REVIEW!!
If you’re needing a more balanced sound that still has a nice bass wallop, the HD25’s are pretty much my favorite headphone. They have that startling mid-range clarity that so many headphones lack, but are still strong as heck in the bass and sizzle in that all-important treble area. These babies are indestructible, portable, and extremely lightweight. Interested in learning more about my favorite portable headphones?
CHECK OUT MY OFFICIAL SENNHEISER HD25 REVIEW!!
Well that’s about it for today my friend! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Monster Inspiration vs. Beats Studio comparison.
Questions? Comments? Requests? Did I miss the mark on something? Please let me know down below or Contact me!!
Which of these tickles YOUR pickle? I would love to hear from you. Until next time..
All the best and God bless,
-Stu
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