Dr. Dre Monster Beats Pro Review

It has been a long time coming this review. On top of covering the Dr. Dre Monster Beats competitor, the V-Moda Crossfade LP headphones, we have on the sly talked about the Beats headphone range as, well, something not too great for the money you’ll be asked to fork out for them. Not wanting to sound like too much of a snob, I was aked to review these headphones in the past by a lovely PR company however I politely refused. Now, however, I have given in and thought I’d cast my verdict on these headphones aimed at the consumer market but also as amateur DJ headphones. Read on to find out what’s what.

Review: Build, Design

These headphones are built to last. From the minute I picked them up for the first time I knew that they were of outstanding durable quality. Weighing in at 299 grams certainly helps aid the quality appeal these headphones are going to have on people, and the addition of metal bezels and a chunky head-band make them feel almost too masculine, however for the ladies out there these headphone won’t go amiss for sure.

One of the key features missing from the Beats main competitor, the V-Moda Crossfade, was the fact that the headphones could not be folded for portable transport; in the Beats however this feature is evident, and with two flicks of your wrist you’ll have your headphones tucked away under the headband. A feature missing from these headphones unfortunately is kevlar coated cables, as the Beats ones are standard plastic, making them susceptable to being cut by a stray door and tangled in your bag.

The cushion pads are all washable and I recommend washing your headband 1 – 2 days because the white logo could become very dirty if left. It is fair to say that I really appreciate the time it has taken to design these headphones, and they are almost certainly above any other £300+ headphones I have tested in build quality.

In the box you’ll get a carry pouch, your headphones, a 3.5mm headphone jack (with standard 6.35 jack), manual and a cleaning cloth.

Sound quality

So we now move on to the thing that really matters with any pair of headphones; sound quality. As referenced above (opening paragraph) I never had a lot of hope for these headphones because I enjoy my music extremely neutral and prior testing indicated that they were anything but. Prior testing proved correct. Now, sound is a matter for personal opinion, however I found that the Dr. Dre Monster Beats Pro headphones were (just like their main competitor) aimed at one market and that market is DJ’s / anybody who likes Dubstep, Dance, Trance, House, New Scene and Hip Hop.

The Dr. Dre Monster Beats Pro’s are extremely bass heavy, however this simply isn’t a bad thing and the headphones are terrific for certain genres. The sound isolation on these headphones is also magnificent, and even with the volume a quarter full you’d be hard pressed to hear a train pass.

A lot of headphone buyers will be most familiar with mid-range quality, and i’m pleased to say that the midrange frequencies are very well handled by the Beats Pro headphones. No cloudiness, coloration or even a hint of softening is present during vocals or background layers, and even with the volume cranked up, mid-range still sounded awfully good and far superior to the V-moda’s.

Pricing

This is the part of the review which is going to sway you (possibly) away from a pair of good headphones, because the Dr. Dre Monster Beats Pro come in at a staggering £311 (click here for comparison). This price overpowers the V-Moda headphones by well over £150.

Verdict

The Dr. Dre Monster Beats Pro headphones surprised me with their good punchy mid-range, impressive bass and stellar noise isolation. In addition to this, the Pro’s are also fantastically well built and even the packaging is highly premium. The one thing that nagged me a little bit with these cans is that the cables are not Kevlar coated and also that the price is, to be honest, utterly ridiculous.

Overall i’d say that you should look at other headphones for this price however if you are fashion conscious, and have the money, we don’t see why these headphones shouldn’t be on your ears right now.

Rating: (7/10)