Beats started updating its lineup of headphones and earbuds last month with a refresh of one of its oldest products and the reveal of a brand-new one. First, we have the new Beats Solo 4, which were updated for the first time in about eight years. Then, there's the more interesting Beats Solo Buds, that claim to come with the smallest case the company has ever made and are set for release in June. For now, the Beats Solo 4 is out, and I've been wearing them for the last few weeks. They're the best Solo headphones ever, and work incredibly well no matter the device you pair them with. But with a retail price of $200, Beats didn't add enough to the Solo 4 to make it competitive with other similarly-priced headphones and earbuds in 2024.

The big omission here is the lack of active noise-canceling and transparency modes. You can now get ANC and transparency features on headphones and earbuds costing less than $100, so it seems weird for the Solo 4 to not have them at the $200 price point. Still, there are reasons to pick up the Solo 4. They work just as well on iOS and Android, support lossless quality and Spatial Audio, and work with wired connections over USB-C and 3.5mm. Plus, I'm doubtful that the Beats Solo 4 will be sold at full price very often. They're already down to $150 at the time of writing, and at that price, they're a lot easier to recommend. I'm just not sure if you should choose the Solo 4 over Apple's own competing audio products, or if the Solo 4 need to exist anymore.

About this review: Beats provided a pair of Solo 4 headphones for the purposes of this review. The company had no input in this article, and did not see its contents before publishing.

Price, specs, and availability

Beats announced the Solo 4 at the very end of April 2024, and they became available for purchase shortly after. While the Solo 4 retail for $200, they are already discounted by 25% at third-party retailers, bringing the price down to just $150. The headphones are sold at Apple, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other stores. You can get them in Matte Black, Slate Blue, or Cloud Pink colorways.

Design

Much of the same, but that might not be a bad thing

For the most part, the Beats Solo 4 look a lot like their predecessor, the Beats Solo 3 Wireless. In many ways, Beats adjusted the design and build of the Beats Solo 4 to match the Beats Studio Pro it released last year. The Solo 4 now features a brushed aluminum finish on the headband and the Beats logo, which is a change from the polished finish on the Solo 3 Wireless. Aside from those appearances of metal, the Solo 4 are made of mostly plastic. The headphones creak, have a lot of flex, and don't feel the most premium. However, Solo 4 weigh just 217 grams, and this is a benefit to the plastic construction. They are lighter than both the Studio Pro and the AirPods Max, the latter by a significant margin.

Unfortunately, the super lightweight build doesn't end up making the Solo 4 feel more comfortable. They use an on-ear design, just like prior Solo headphones, with a strong clamping force. Full transparency — I've never been a fan of on-ear headphones, and always found them to be uncomfortable. I prefer over-ear or in-ear headphones instead, so you might enjoy the Beats Solo 4 if you like on-ear headphones. But the on-ear Solo 4 and their tight clamping force meant that I started feeling discomfort after about an hour or two of listening. One way the Solo 4 would be a perfect fit is for working out, since the on-ear design is more comfortable and secure in situations where you're moving around a lot.

The other material change on the Solo 4 is the move to use faux leather ear cushions, which Beats calls "UltraPlush." By themselves, the ear cushions are insanely soft and comfortable. Paired with the way Solo 4 clamps against your head, the UltraPlush cushions are a negligible addition. Like other Beats headphones, the Solo 4 can also collapse to fit in an included carrying case.

Controls and connectivity

Bluetooth, USB-C, 3.5mm, lossless audio — Solo 4 has it all

Beats has figured out connectivity in a way no one else in the headphone industry could, due to it being an Apple subsidiary and its willingness to support Android and other platforms. When you use Solo 4, you'll get the same experience whether you're using an iOS or Android device. One-touch paring, pre-paring throughout device ecosystems, and device tracking with either Find My or Find My Device work on iOS and Android. The only Apple-exclusive features are audio sharing and Hey Siri, the latter being obvious. Beyond wireless connection over Bluetooth, the Beats Solo 4 can connect to just about any device using USB-C audio or the 3.5mm headphone jack.

You probably won't need to use Siri, though, because the Solo 4 still uses excellent hardware buttons for audio playback and more. The Beats logo on the left earcup doubles as a play/pause button for audio, and it can be double- or triple-pressed to move forward or back. The buttons above and below the Beats button control the volume, and a smaller button on the right earcup controls power. No matter what companies try to tell you, these hardware buttons are always better than using voice control or a capacitive sensor.

Sound quality

Not nearly as good as similarly-priced headphones and earbuds

Headphones in the Beats Solo family have never been known for their particularly impressive sound quality, and nothing changes with the Beats Solo 4. Sound quality is decent, but can be really hit-or-miss depending on the song you're listening to. This doesn't seem to be dependent on any one genre, or even any part of the soundstage. There isn't a single part of the audio spectrum that feels particularly overpowered or underpowered, which has its benefits. However, by the same token, there doesn't seem to be any song or genre that makes the Solo 4 sound impressive. Bass-heavy hip-hop and rap tracks lack the thump I'm used to hearing on other headphones, and lighter jazz and folk songs can sound tinny on occasion.

It has been a few years since I've heard a pair of Beats Solo 3 Wireless, but this is about how I remember them sounding. They're just fine playing anything, but there's not much to make them stand out. The difference is that there's now more competition than ever in sound quality, and your $200 might be better spent somewhere else if sound quality is what you're after. It goes without saying that the AirPods Pro 2 blow the Solo 4 out of the water, and only cost $50 more at full price.

The Beats Studio Buds+ are another pair of earbuds that I think sound more full than the Solo 4, and they're actually $30 cheaper than the Solo 4. These are truly-wireless earbuds though, and not everyone wants those. My ideal recommendation is the Beats Studio Pro, which sound better, have an over-ear design, come with ANC and transparency modes, and are often discounted to a price just $50 more than the Solo 4.

The lack of ANC on the Beats Solo 4 has been talked about a lot, but isn't as big of a deal as you might think. The passive sound isolation created by the Beats Solo 4 blocks out almost all the surrounding noise, even in loud coffee shops where music is playing. With my music playing at about 50% volume, the noise around me was barely perceptible. I didn't miss ANC on the Solo 4, but I did miss transparency mode a lot. To even make out what the person next to me was trying to say, I had to pull off the entire pair of headphones.

Battery life and software

These headphones last forever, and the music keeps going when they die

Battery life is superb on the Beats Solo 4, and I couldn't kill this pair of earbuds throughout my testing period, which lasted over two weeks. Beats says the Solo 4 can last for up to 50 hours of playback on a single charge, and that sounds about right based on my experience. There's also a fast-charging option that gives you five hours of listening time in exchange for 10 minutes of charging when the battery is dead or close to it. My favorite feature is that the Solo 4 can be used when they're completely dead using the 3.5mm jack and an included audio cable. Way too many pairs of headphones have a 3.5mm jack but still require separate power to play music in 2024.

Should you buy Beats Solo 4?

You should buy the Beats Solo 4 if:

• You like on-ear headphones
• You want the best features on iOS and Android
• You found the Solo 4 on sale for $150 or less

You should NOT buy the Beats Solo 4 if:

• You can afford to upgrade to the Beats Studio Pro or the AirPods Pro 2
• You prefer over-ear headphones or in-ear headphones

Over the years, headphones released under the Beats Solo brand have offered decent performance and sound quality at around the $200 price point. The Beats Solo 4 doesn't change anything in that regard, because they're still a very solid option. Although the Solo 4 hasn't changed much, the rest of the market has shifted a lot in the years since the Beats Solo 3 Wireless released way back in 2016. Truly-wireless earbuds are excellent, active noise-canceling is a staple of even budget headphones, and premium materials are in style. The kind of sound quality and feature set you can get for $200 in 2024 is far better than what you'd find in the past, and that makes the Solo 4 hard to recommend at full price.

The pricing of Apple's audio products — including AirPods and Beats headphones and earbuds — is an absolute mess, and that might be the only thing that saves the Solo 4. AirPods and Beats are almost always on sale, sometimes for as much as half their MSRP. In fact, just weeks after the Beats Solo 4 were unveiled, they're already 25% off at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and other retailers. If you can find the Solo 4 for around $150, as they are being sold for at the time of publishing, they're a great deal. At full price, it's a better idea to pass on the Solo 4 and try to grab the Beats Studio Pro or AirPods Pro 2 at a discount.