Beats Solo Buds review: The best budget option for AirPods

Best prices today: Beats Solo Buds

AirPods are…fine. We’re big fans of the 2nd generation AirPods Pro, which are a good choice at the retail price of $249 but are almost always on sale for $200 or less.

But even that’s way too steep for some users. If you’re not a big headphone user or are simply watching your budget, you might want to look in the sub-$100 price range. That leaves you with the option of buying regular non-pro AirPods, not the latest upgraded 3rd-gen model, but the aging 2nd-gen AirPods first introduced five years ago.

These $129 headphones are almost always on sale for under $100, but for about the same price you can get a pair of brand-new Beats Solo Buds, which are better in almost every way.

Beats Solo Buds: Design

You’ve probably seen earbuds like this many times before. They’re small, stemless earbuds that fit snugly in your ear and rest in a charging case when not in use. Nothing about the design of the Beats Solo Buds is revolutionary by any means. On each earbud is a physical button that’s easy to press when you need it, which isn’t the case with the AirPods controls.

Oh, and they come in four colors instead of white: matte black, storm gray, arctic purple, and transparent red (the earbuds aren’t transparent, just the case).

The charging case is quite small and fits easily into any pocket, but it doesn’t have a battery of its own. Drop the headphones in the case not charge them until you plug in the case via USB-C. (If you have an iPhone 15 with USB-C, your iPhone can charge the earbuds.)

It’s less of a hassle than you might expect, as the earbuds’ batteries are rated to last an impressive 18 hours. I didn’t use them for 18 hours straight, but they weren’t even half-empty after a fairly busy day of listening.

Beats Solo Buds: in good shape

The AirPods stems are distinctive, but there’s a reason Apple shortened them on the AirPods Pro and 3rd-generation AirPods: They tend to get in the way.

The Beats Solo Buds are small earbuds with no stem, which allows them to fit more easily in the ear. Unlike the plastic AirPods, they feature rubber tips (in four sizes), which not only provides a better fit, but also better bass response.

Foundry

Foundry

Foundry

I can’t remember a single time I was able to complete a workout with 2nd generation AirPods without one of them falling out or without having to constantly fiddle with them to keep them in my ears. The Beats Solo Pro stayed in place without issue.

Beats Solo Buds: sound

I’m pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of these headphones, considering their price. For a pair of headphones that cost $80 and will surely cost even less by this holiday season, the sound is quite clear and punchy.

Naturally, they don’t match the clarity and punch of headphones that cost twice as much, and I wouldn’t expect them to, but they sound good. plot better than standard AirPods. Even the 3rd generation AirPods can’t really keep up, probably because they don’t have rubber tips to create a seal in your ears, which really helps give a little more punch to the low frequencies .

Foundry

Foundry

Foundry

Call quality is good, but voice isolation isn’t great: More expensive headphones do a better job of canceling out background noise, allowing the person you’re calling to hear you better. If you make a lot of calls while walking down a busy street, you might want to invest in more expensive headphones.

As you’d expect at this price, there’s no active noise cancellation. Again, the rubberized ear tips offer an advantage over non-Pro AirPods, as they help block out more outside sounds.

Should you buy the Beats Solo Buds?

These are budget headphones, and as such, they lack many of the more advanced features that you get if you’re willing to spend more. They support Find My (and Find My Device on Android) and quick pairing, but do not support automatic switching between devices for Apple users or multipoint Bluetooth for Android.

They also don’t support custom spatial audio or dynamic head tracking. They don’t have in-ear detection (they turn off when placed back in the case). As mentioned, there’s no active noise cancellation. The case doesn’t even have an LED to indicate charging, there’s just a little audio chime when you plug it in (and you can see your charge level on your iPhone).

Sure, these features are nice, but in a pair of sleek and comfortable $79 headphones, I don’t necessarily expect them. With sound quality that punches above its weight and truly epic battery life, the Beats Solo Buds are definitely a better buy than the 2nd gen AirPods, and honestly, I prefer them to the 3rd gen AirPods as well. When you see them on sale below retail, it will be a good deal.