Beats Solo 4 Review

The Beats Solo 4's 40-millimeter drivers deliver improved clarity and balance from previous iterations. They also support modern Bluetooth 5.3 technology for better connectivity and USB-C lossless audio for a more detailed listening experience in wired mode.

Sound Quality

Our experts say, “These headphones have a playful mix of creamy highs, smoky mids, and punchy lows that strike a great bargain between balance and expression.” The Solo4 truly excels at maintaining clarity and keeping dynamic shifts tight, even at maximum volume. The sound is clear enough, but not as fully detailed and dimensional as other models.

Beats are typically bass-heavy, but the Solo 4 doesn't fit that mold. Compared to older generations, the 4's lows have “adequate punch and power” but don't smack you in the face. That's great if thick bass isn't your thing. However, some may yearn for more detail and presence in the lows while listening to pop, rap, or rock artists like Lizzo, Cardi B, and The Cramps; unfortunately, the built-in EQ is not adjustable.

The mids sound forward and developed, with a beautiful “warmth and body laced in.” However, while the clarity is great, it is not as fully developed as some competitors. Still, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and country tracks by Samm Henshaw, Khalid, and Ryan Bingham sounded wonderful to our ears. The highs are bright and lovely but lack clarity and consistency. We enjoyed high-hitting vocals and instruments across pop, jazz, and dance genres, though they sometimes sound dull or flat in low-quality recordings.

Country artist Dolly Parton's “9 to 5” showcases the Solo 4's abilities best. Our expert ear said, “The insistent thrumming of the piano from 0:00-0:09 shows that these headphones can handle lows with warmth and power. When the clattering of a typewriter-like sound (made by Parton's acrylic nails) enters at 0:05, the rhythmic clacking is clearly defined and crisp against the beefy piano riff.” By the first chorus, the song explodes with stacked vocal harmonies, vibrant percussion, electric guitar riffs, and brass accents. Each instrument has a distinct, vibrant personality that is clearly discernible. Parton's buoyant, bubbly soprano floats over the ensemble, easily distinguishable and never sounding shrill or like she's competing to be heard. Despite the increased complexity of the mix, each voice and instrument is distinct, clean, and dynamically balanced.

Soundstage

The instrument location on these headphones is great, but the sound feels like it's coming straight from the headphones and being funneled directly into your ears. It does not sound wide or expansive. Thus, the Solo 4 scored at the bottom of our soundstage metric.

The poor dimensionality is due in part to the headphones' on-ear design. Without the extra space that over-ears provide, the Solo 4 cannot deliver sound that playfully bounces around and within your ears to create a rich cinematic experience. That being said, Beats offers Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking for Apple users, but it is less satisfying than over-ear models.

Frequency Response

Our frequency response analysis of the Solo4 confirms our expert ears' interpretations. Relative to our Target Response Curve, which portrays what we believe is the most widely appealing sound signature, the Beats have somewhat recessed lows and overemphasized highs.

The deemphasized bass makes the mids sound more forward in the mix, allowing vocals and instruments to shine across most genres. However, bass-lovers who listen primarily to EDM and hip-hop may want more power. While the highs are emphasized, the detail and clarity are lacking. Thus, despite the accentuated highs, classical and jazz lovers who favor precision in the treble range will be disappointed.

Comfort and Fit

The Solo 4 was surprisingly comfortable for the first hour; after that, our ears started getting sore. Wearing glasses or earrings didn't affect the comfort level, but we suspect you aren't wearing them for more than two hours anyway.

At 218 grams, the Solo 4 is one of the lightest headphones in our lineup. The earcups are small (35 x 30 millimeters) and almost toy-like. Despite the small size, the clamping force is strong, contributing to long-term discomfort by creating pressure points.

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Although not super comfy, the snug fit created impressive stability. They are some of the most secure headphones, allowing swift or dramatic head movements, making them suitable for working out.

Noise Cancellation

The Solo 4 has limited noise blocking, relying solely on passive cancellation. One of our testers noted, “It's pretty disappointing they don't have ANC at this price.”

These Beats decrease some sounds like typing, but voices remain loud and clear.

During gym use, you won't be able to escape the deep grunts, distracting chatter, and loud music. However, if awareness of your surroundings is your preference, you'll be pleased.

Ease of Use

The Beats fell short in terms of ease of use. Some controls didn't work, and the customizations were limited, but the compact design is well-suited for travel.

Controls

The controls look sleek, like a modern touchpad with traditional button reliability. The large, central “b” button on the left earcup manages phone calls and media playback, while a rocker directly above and below the “b” button controls volume. An old-school Power/Bluetooth button is on the bottom of the right earcup. We struggled to get the “b” button to perform the fast forward or fast reverse action, but playing/pausing or skipping a track worked well.

Customization

Beats takes the same Apple/Android hybrid approach for customizations. There's an app for Android users. For Apple users, the customizations are built into the iOS settings. Either way, the options are extremely limited.

Connectivity

The Solo 4 has one-touch pairing for Apple or Android devices, and automatically connects to devices linked to your iCloud or Google account, making transitions between devices seamless. The Bluetooth 5.3 connection is stable and maintains a strong connection up to 133 feet in the open.

Unfortunately, simultaneously connecting two devices is finicky, as the Beats do not offer a multipoint connection. Instead, they support Audio Switching for Android and manual swapping for iOS. Audio Switching is similar to Multipoint, but for devices linked to a Google account. With iOS, you can share audio with those nearby using Apple Audio Share support.

While the limited multipoint functionality is a bit of a bummer, most Solo 4 users are satisfied with connectivity. A statistical analysis of 1-Star Amazon Reviews revealed that only 0.13% of negative reviews cite any connectivity issues.

The Solo 4 shines in battery life, lasting an astounding 73 hours. If you don't want to charge your headphones regularly, the Solo 4 is an excellent choice.

According to Beats, 10 minutes of charging will provide five hours of playback time. If you don't have access to an outlet, you can always plug the headphones directly into your device with the included USB-C or 3.5-millimeter audio cables.

Call Quality

A set of multiple beam-forming microphones and specially formulated voice-targeting algorithms work together to deliver surprisingly good call quality.

Whether making mock calls from a simulated noisy subway environment or a quiet setting, the Solo 4's voice isolation technology performed admirably well. Our real-life phone calls impressed us even more.

We also test the headphone's performance in a simulated vibrant office space.

We perform a Baseline test in our audio studio, removing any background interference, so we can get a true sense of the voice quality.

Our live calls from a quiet office space showed that both male and female voices sounded “decently clear” but “a little far away.” The quality is a smidge below a phone microphone, but it still sounded pretty good.

Should You Buy the Beats Solo 4?

If you don't mind the high price tag and need headphones primarily for short workout sessions, the Solo 4 is among the most stable headphones. It also impressed us with its longer battery life and great call quality. The sound quality is decent, though some users may want more oomph in the bass or clarity in the trebles. Moreover, its on-ear design has some drawbacks, like limited sound dimensionality and noise blocking, and the headset is uncomfortable to wear for more than a few hours. Still, if you favor aesthetics over performance and need a headphone that can go with you anywhere, the Solo 4 may be right for you.

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