Mention Monster and many an audio buff would launch into how over-priced its speaker and audio cables are – they go up to the thousands of dollars.
What about the company’s earphones and headphones, which have been getting good vibes among many users? Well, the latest range from the Beats range endorsed by Dr Dre are not bad at all, as I listened to them today at a launch here in Singapore, but price comes into the argument again. Yes, they are too expensive.
I’m talking about the Beats Pro and JustBeats Solo, two headphones launched today together with a number of earphones including the attractive Vivienne Tam Butterfly earphones aimed at ladies.
The Beats Pro fully cover your ears and is aimed at both pros (like DJs) as well as the serious music lover. To be sure, these headphones are excellent for bass, which is punchy, not bloated. The mids and highs sound relaxed – not overly bright – and generally balanced for a pair of headphones of their size.
Other selling points: the all-metal hinges are solidly made, allowing a DJ to flip the cans over without taking them off his head. But I have to say this: S$820 is in the region of much better headphones that sound more airy and promise more transparency. For audiophiles, I’m thinking of a Sennheiser HD600, maybe even an HD650, if you manage to get a good deal.
The same can be said of the Monster JustBeats Solo. Despite being endorsed by Justin Bieber, making them seemingly attractive only in the eyes of the very young, there is a clarity and smoothness in these purple ‘phones that you won’t get from many a pair of similar-sized headphones. As with most of the Beats range, the bass is deep, not bloated.
But again, I’m not sure these are worth S$490.
The rest of the range are pretty expensive, but at least they aim at the image-driven earphone market, where higher price doesn’t always equal higher quality, so there’ll always be buyers.
The iBeats at S$210 at least work also as a hands-free device for your iPhone, while the Vivienne Tam-designed S$399 Butterfly earphones seem to appeal to the fashionista rather than audio buffs, so I’m sure they will get their customers.
I just wish prices for the models aimed at audio lovers would be more in line with the rest of the competition.
