After 8 long years, Beats finally drops new Solo headphones and $80 Solo Buds

Headphone giant Beats has treated us to two new releases at once. The new Solo 4 is the latest iteration of the company’s on-ear wireless headphones, which promise an increase in battery life with the ability to charge while listening and other improvements. Brand new to the scene are the Solo Buds, which are a budget pair of true wireless earbuds.

Beats

Beats Solo 4 headphones

Beats released the Solo 3 headphones in 2016, so it was about time for an update to these on-ear headphones. Beats promises up to 50 hours of battery life in the Solo 4, which is a slight increase from the 40 hours of juice in the Solo 3. Like the previous version, the new iteration features Beats Fast Fuel, which allows you to get up to five hours of playback with only 10 minutes of charging.

New this time, though, is the ability to listen via the 3.5mm audio cable even if the battery is totally dead. That extends the life of the headphones substantially. Adding to this benefit is the fact that they are passively tuned, meaning you’ll get the same audio quality whether you’re listening wirelessly or plugged in. Unsurprisingly, Beats switched to charging via USB-C on the Solo 4 headphones. Listening via USB-C connection provides lossless audio, as long as you are listening to compatible content from a supported device.

Beats

Of course, Beats is also touting the upgrades to sound quality in the Solo 4s. It says it re-engineered the audio to minimize latency and distortion, providing better clarity and range. It also says the update results in a better high-frequency response compared to the Solo 3. And while the Solo 3 offered Spatial Audio, the Solo 4 sees an upgrade to Personalized Spatial Audio. They use built-in gyroscopes and accelerometers to keep the sound surrounding you as you move for an immersive listening experience.

Finally, Beats also upgraded the microphones on the Solo 4. It says the new mics are digital, beam-forming MEMs instead of analog mics, which should lead to better quality. There’s also an added noise-learning algorithm to cut down on background noise. Those mics are only for calls, though, since there is no active noise cancellation (ANC). The lack of ANC is a bit surprising, given that other headphones at this price point do offer that.

The Beats Solo 4 headphones are available now for $200 in black, blue, and pink.

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Beats Solo Buds

Joining the Solo 4 in the announcement are the Beats Solo Buds. These enter the scene as Beats’ entry-level option for wireless earbuds as the only option under $100. The company promises “big Beats sound in the smallest case we’ve ever made,” in its press release. There’s also no ANC in these buds, but Beats says they provide good noise isolation to help cut down on ambient noise.

To aid in keeping the price low, the case doesn’t serve as a battery. The earbuds should last up to 18 hours on a single charge, but you don’t get any extended life from the case. Instead, you’ll need to plug them in via USB-C. They do have Beats’ Fast Fuel feature, allowing for one hour of listening time with a five-minute charge.

Beats

In terms of audio, they offer a “custom-built acoustic architecture” with laser-cut vents that improve audio performance. They come with four ear tip sizes to fit a range of ears to aid in better noise isolation no matter your ear size. Each earbud also offers a dual-layer transducer that Beats says is designed to minimize micro-distortions across the frequency curve for excellent sound quality. The Solo Buds also feature a mic with the company’s noise-learning algorithm that reduces background noise.

Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait a bit to pick up the Solo Buds. They will start shipping for $80 in June and will be available in Matte Black, Storm Gray, Arctic Purple, and Transparent Red.