Beats Pro Headphones by Dr. Dre from Monster (Playback 39)

Over the past several years, Monster has successfully moved beyond its beachhead in cables and accessories to build not one but two wide and popular lines of headphones—one line under the Monster name and the other under the new Beats by Dr. Dre brand (co-founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, Chairman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records). In the past, we’ve reviewed many Monster/Dr. Dre models, particularly enjoying the Monster Turbine Pro Copper and Miles Davis Tribute in-ear ‘phones, and the Beats By Dr. Dre Tour in-ear and Solo HD on`-ear models. Now, Monster has introduced the Beats Pro headphones, which are positioned as the most accurate model in the Dr. Dre product lineup.

PRODUCT CONCEPT

The Beats Pro tries to accomplish a lot. First off, it is said to deliver “pro-caliber sound” of “incredible accuracy”. It is also designed to be comfortable and have a seal that shuts out external sounds (in addition to providing a sealed-back design). The Beats Pros are also appropriate for a mobile environment with their rugged, folding design. At the same time they are said to have extreme power handling appropriate for pro gear. Monster has applied some effort to the styling of the Beats Pros and has also attended to several convenience features involving wiring and connectors.

The Beats Pros then are not some casual effort. But with so many goals on the agenda, do they succeed or are they simply a muddle of competing ideas?

EASE OF USE

The Beats Pros have a folding design, which allows you to swing the earcups up inside the headband. This reduces the total footprint on the headphone, although with large earcups as seen on the Beats Pro you still have a relatively thick package. Add to that the fact that these are truly full-size headphones with beefy aluminum earcups and a solid headband and you have headphones that are mobile but not particularly compact.

The other aspect of mobility for some is the ability to drive the headphone straight from a portable device. On that score I can say that the Beats Pros succeed completely. I used the iPhone 4 and had no problem driving the Pros to volumes that were too loud for comfort. I also used the Pros with several external headphone amps with success.

The input cable on the Beats Pro, befitting a Monster Cable product, is interesting and well done. The signal cord is mostly straight, with a short, coiled section at the amplifier end. The cord is about six feet long when fully stretched out, which I find to be a usable length yet one that doesn’t get in the way on an airplane or around my computer. At the same time, the coiled section means that when you extend the cable toward the full length, you’ll feel a progressively firmer tug to your head, not an abrupt snap that could break something. Monster also realizes that you may use a ¼” phone plug input at the desk, but want to connect with a mini-plug while on the road. No problem, because Monster has attached a mini-plug to ¼” phone plug adapter with a rubber link so that you always have both connectors at hand.

When it comes to sound isolation, the Beats Pros give you some reduction of external sounds, like many circumaural headphones with closed backs. So, they’re better than open back headphones but not as good as active noise cancellation devices or custom-fit in-ear models.

The odd thing is that Monster has pursued this moderate level of isolation with a supra-aural (on-ear not around-the-ear) design. What this means is that the Beats Pros put quite a bit of pressure on your outer ears. Your mileage may vary, but I would not rank this among the most comfortable headphones on the market. The rather dense foam in the earpads does seem to mold to the shape of your ears somewhat as time goes on, so the initial discomfort doesn’t get much worse after 30 or 45 minutes. But pressure is still pressure, so I definitely encourage a “try before you buy” attitude. No matter how good something sounds, if it hurts you won’t use it.

SONIC CHARACTER

So, how do the Beats Pros sound? Well, the simple version is “different.” I highlight this because there are a lot of headphones on the market, many of which sound like variations on common sonic themes, with more or less refinement and costing more or less money. That’s nice, assuming that one of those common sonic themes happens to meet your needs; in this case Monster has served up something different. It may or may not appeal, but at least it provides a true alternative.

The two themes I see most often involve characteristic frequency response curves. One such characteristic curve can be described as “n” shaped, where the headphone highlights the midrange and has some roll-off in the bass and treble. The AKG K702, many Grados and the B&W P5 all fall roughly into this category.

The second theme can be described as involving a “u” shaped response. Bass and treble are elevated to a degree, relative to the midrange. The Beyerdynamic DT 990s and the Denon AT-H5000s clearly fit in this category, with the Sennheiser HD 650 being a somewhat less obvious example.

Of course there are headphones that try to offer wide range frequency response and genuinely balanced sound, but there are fewer of these than one might think. This might seem odd, but since headphones remove some of the cues we’re accustomed to in normal live or speaker-based listening situations (primarily because they convey less spatial or imaging information and less bass impact), a headphone designer could reasonably want to employ some artistry to compensate and thus to persuade the listener that the sounds on offer are more “realistic.”

In the case of Monster’s Beats Pros, we have what might be called a “tilted” response curve rather than the more commonly encountered “n” or “u”-shaped curves. The bass is elevated, the midrange is pretty flat and the treble is slightly rolled off. Basically, output declines somewhat as frequency rises.

The first thing that strikes you when listening to the Beats Pros is their elevated level of bass output. In the range from say 70 Hz to perhaps 150 Hz, where bass guitar, drum and synth have plenty of action, the Beats Pros have strong output—stronger than live music typically would have. If we’re talking about reproduction of acoustic bass instruments, the output difference is big, not small.

For example, on my Jack Johnson bass test (tracks 7-9 from On and On), you hear the rhythm section loudly if not clearly. There is a lot of warmth and bass power on display. At the same time, you know there is a bump in the response curve because the clarity and definition of these instruments is blurred.

That said, many headphones that sound “clear” also have somewhat diminished bass. If a sense of warmth is key for you, with bass/mid/treble all present and accounted for on every track, the Beats Pros may trump many a headphone that, in a strict technical sense, might be more accurate. The fact that the Pro’s bass might seem a bit imbalanced and less than perfectly defined at times becomes secondary because their inherent bass warmth allows you to focus on the overall flow of the music.

This view is supported by the evenly delivered midrange of the Beats Pros. As I’ve noted before, many headphones that strive for even top-to-bottom balanced across actually struggle to deliver critical midrange frequencies evenly. Often, there can be bumps and dips in midrange response that make voices in particular sound a little off. In the case of the Beats Pros, however, the ‘phones offered much greater midrange smoothness and freedom from uneven sound than is common. Through the Pros, voices and acoustic instruments like guitars sound whole and natural.

The treble on the Beats Pros is smooth and clean which is not the norm with bass-heavy headphones, where it is much more common to see slightly upturned treble response. With the Pros, however, the opposite is the case, in that their mid-treble response is slightly diminished in level, which makes some instruments sound sweeter than they might in reality. In addition, this kind of presentation means there is a somewhat reduced sense of air and space around the players. Fortunately, the Beats Pros do an admirable job of conveying micro-detail, which suggests they have extended high frequency response, though this response sounds as if it gradually rolls off at the upper end of the treble region.

BOTTOM LINE

•Consider this product if: Bass warmth and power are essential to your sense of music, yet you’d like smooth midrange and treble.

•Look further if: you live for acoustically accurate bass; you wear your headphones for extended periods during the day

•Ratings (relative to comparably-priced competition):

⇒ Tonal Balance: 7.5
⇒ Frequency Extremes: 9.0 / 8.0
⇒ Clarity: 8.5
⇒ Dynamics: 9.0
⇒ Comfort/Fit: 7.0
⇒ Sensitivity: 9.5
⇒ Value: 8.5

•Summing Up: For the non-audiophile, the Beats Pros may sound more right and interfere less with the music than many other headphones—even ones that, in a textbook sense, are theoretically more accurate. If big bass is what you want, the Beats Pros offer an attractive alternative to other punchy headphones that tend, more often than not, to add bright, sizzly treble response to the mix.

SPECS & PRICING

Beats Pro Headphones by Dr. Dre from Monster
Accessories: cloth carrying case
Frequency response: Not specified.
Weight: Not specified.
Sensitivity: Not specified.
Impedance: Not specified.
Cable: 1.8 meters (extends to 2.1 meters)
Warranty: Not specified.
Price: $399

Monster, LLC
(877) 800-8989
www.monstercable.com