The beats solo pro wireless and Sennheiser CX True Wireless are different types of headphones that suit different purposes. The Beats are wireless on-ears with a much longer continuous battery life. They’re also equipped with an ANC system that helps them block out a good amount of ambient noise. Meanwhile the Sennheiser are truly wireless in-ears that are significantly more portable and have a more breathable fit. They also leak less audio and have a more consistent sound delivery.
Noise cancelling is surprisingly effective for a pair of on-ear headphones. Although the sound signature remains bass-heavy, as is emblematic of Beats, it rarely overpowers vocal reproduction. To be fair, I had a similar issue with the previous-generation Solo 3 Wireless. And since these are on-ear headphones, rather than over-ear headphones, the headphones will literally squeeze your head to secure themselves. A new button on the bottom of the left ear cup toggles between three listening modes — noise cancelling, transparent, and extended power. Pressing the button toggles noise canceling, and double-pressing it turns it off.
These headphones also have a great ANC feature that effectively isolates you from a good amount of noise, like the rumble of plane and bus engines and background conversations. What I’m driving at here is that these are not the overpriced Beats of years ago where the product could hardly justify the premium asking price. There’s plenty of competition, but I expect these to become just as prevalent as their predecessors everywhere you look — so long as your head isn’t as big as mine. Solo Pro was made to comfortably fit your life on the go and everywhere the world takes you, but not every situation calls for noise cancellation.
If you’re taking a call from a busy street, whoever’s on the other end of the line should still be able to hear you well. The Beats Solo Pro are fairly comfortable, but some people may find them too tight. The padding on the cups is thicker than on the Beats Solo Wireless, but they don’t feel plushier against your ears when you put them on. They aren’t that heavy, and the headband does a good job of redistributing the weight of the headphones. The size of the headband can be adjusted, but the extension is quite limited, so these may not fit people with bigger heads.
In order to summon your digital assistant, just hold down the button. To adjust the volume, tap above the b to increase the sound and below to decrease. As is customary with Beats by Dre, the headphones come in a cadre of eye-catching hues. If you’re looking for a stylish pair of noise-cancelling headphones for $100 less than Bose’s best, the Beats Solo Pro is hard to beat. Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams’ The Gospel According to the Other Mary, sound surprisingly solid through the Solo Pro.
On the left side of the headphone, you’ll find all the play controls and call configuration settings. You’ll need to have a Lightning to 3.5 mm headphone connection if you want to operate the Solo Pro in wired mode. You are already aware that the Beats Solo Pro includes the H1 chip, which provides several benefits.
The headphones have Apple’s H1 chip, the replacement for its original W1 chip. Like the W1, it allows for quick pairing with iOS devices, and among other things, “Hey Siri” support for hands-free Siri communication. It also supports newer Bluetooth technology and provides lower latency as a result. If you’re connecting to an iOS device, turning the headphones on will trigger an on-screen prompt—press a button and you’re paired.