REVIEWIn my testing, I was able to use them for a few hours a
day for about a week before I had to plug in.
Speaking of plugging in, when your headphones are
nearly dead you can get three hours of play time with
a 10-minute charge. I went from nearly dead to about
35 percent in half an hour, which would be enough
battery to last an entire trans-continental flight with
noise cancelling enabled.Noise cancelling performance
Noise cancelling technology has come a long way from
the days where you could say “there is Bose and then
there’s everyone else”. Other brands have been able
to deliver top-quality noise reduction and impressive
sound quality at the same time, and we can add the
Beats Solo Pros to that list.
On-ear headphones are always going to have a bit
of a disadvantage over the sound-isolating capabilities
of over-the-ear headphones or in-ear buds that create
a good seal, but the noise cancelling on offer here
is top notch. It successfully dulled my lawnmower
and leaf blower to a quiet background whirr, and
turned a screeching underground journey into a
quiet, comfortable commute.
There’s no calibration step necessary (or even
possible) for the ‘Pure ANC’ noise cancelling of these
Beats headphones, and no way to adjust the strength
of the effect. When it’s on, it’s on, and it continuously
monitors outside sound and sound inside the ear
cups with internal microphones, making thousands
of adjustments per second. I was worried that this
automatic adjustment wouldn’t give me what I wanted,REVIEW
Inmytesting,Iwasabletousethemforafewhoursa
day foraboutaweekbeforeIhadtoplugin.
Speakingofpluggingin,whenyourheadphonesare
nearlydeadyoucangetthreehoursofplaytimewith
a 10-minutecharge.Iwentfromnearlydeadtoabout
35 percentinhalfanhour,whichwouldbeenough
batterytolastanentiretrans-continentalflightwith
noisecancellingenabled.Noisecancellingperformance
Noisecancellingtechnologyhascomealongwayfrom
thedayswhereyoucouldsay“thereisBoseandthen
there’severyoneelse”.Otherbrandshavebeenable
todelivertop-qualitynoisereductionandimpressive
soundqualityatthesametime,andwecanaddthe
BeatsSoloProstothatlist.
On-earheadphonesarealwaysgoingtohaveabit
ofadisadvantageoverthesound-isolatingcapabilities
ofover-the-earheadphonesorin-earbudsthatcreate
agoodseal,butthenoisecancellingonofferhere
istopnotch.Itsuccessfullydulledmylawnmower
andleafblowertoaquietbackgroundwhirr,and
turnedascreechingundergroundjourneyintoa
quiet,comfortablecommute.
There’snocalibrationstepnecessary(oreven
possible)forthe‘PureANC’noisecancellingofthese
Beatsheadphones,andnowaytoadjustthestrength
oftheeffect.Whenit’son,it’son,anditcontinuously
monitorsoutsidesoundandsoundinsidetheear
cupswithinternalmicrophones,makingthousands
ofadjustmentspersecond.Iwasworriedthatthis
automaticadjustmentwouldn’tgivemewhatIwanted,