In mid-2015, Apple acquired Beats for $3 billion. After the acquisition, Beats maintained its brand independence and continued to launch new products.
But until 2018, Beats’ new true wireless headset PowerBeats Pro was announced by Beats as the first new product to truly cooperate with Apple. Apple gave Beats more research and development support, making Beats new products more Market Competitiveness.
Last week, Apple released AirPods Pro the day before, Beats direct official website new Solo Pro, a headset with Bluetooth headset with active noise reduction (this description is too complicated, but that is what it means ), the President of Beats came to Shanghai yesterday, talked about the design features of this headset, and also answered several questions.
“Our biggest advantage is that we are an Apple company,” which was the most impressive thing when I talked to the president of Beats.
Beats used to be in China for a while, whether it is by star or by fashion design, many headphones players think that Beats sound quality is not good, design is to collect IQ tax, but can not deny that Beats The trend of marketing has been very successful.
After several changes, Beats also turned from hot to cool, until the acquisition by Apple, Beats only ushered in a turning point. Beats has direct access to Apple’s sales channels, which may be the most powerful sales platform for digital hardware.
But it’s not necessarily a good thing to be a “dry son” to Apple. After Beats was acquired by Apple, Apple quickly launched its own real wireless headset AirPods, which quickly occupied a large part of the market. And Beats’ product line hangs on Apple’s official website, it seems a bit embarrassing, and will be sent out by Apple as a student’s preferential gift every year.
If you are the president of Beats, it is estimated that this problem is also big, but fortunately, after joining Apple, Apple’s change to Beats was not possible before Beats, not only using Apple chips, but from Comprehensive improvement from design to experience level.
The Beats Solo Pro released last week seems to be using the Apple H1 chip. It is as simple as adding active noise reduction, but in fact, Beats has made a lot of minor adjustments.
For example, in terms of wearing comfort, although it is a headset, the Solo Pro is a pressure earphone because of its small size, that is, the earphone is pressed against your auricle. This is actually a design that affects comfort, because the designer needs to weigh the elasticity and tightness of the head beam, loose noise reduction effect is not good, it is easy to fall, tightly caught a headache, because the wearing comfort is the earphone An original sin.
The effect of Apple is now shown. Beats said that they can use Apple’s resources to test comfort through N head models, and finally adjust the tightness of the head beam and increase the earphone cover. The area gives a better wearing comfort. In addition, the texture of the Beats headphones is stronger than the previous years in the design details of the whole machine. The skin-like coating and the new color matching look much higher than the previous bright colors. The aluminum alloy telescopic structure of the earphones is very delicate. The cable connecting the earphones on the telescopic structure is also wrapped with silicone. The sense of integration is much stronger. The silicone pad inside the head beam feels soft.Not easy to dirty, all in all, this is a very Apple device.
Of course, from my own experience, Solo Pro is actually better than the previous Solo3, but my head size is really not suitable for earphones, it is too tight, I can also give Let’s make a reference. My own head circumference is 64. The famous head circumference size on the network is Lei Jiayin. It is 61. You can also put your own head circumference. I feel like Solo Pro. On the one hand, it is the head. If you don’t press it, the earphones will not reach your ears. On the other hand, your ears will still be hurt. Male users should pay attention to this, Solo is really more suitable for girls.
As for active noise reduction, you can understand that because the H1 chip is used, it is very similar in principle to AirPods Pro. There are also noise reduction mode and transparent mode. The noise reduction effect is not well reflected in the text. Wait for me. In two days, I will use a similar method in AirPods Pro evaluation to give you a video evaluation, which is a simple and intuitive way to show the performance of Apple’s active noise reduction on the earphones.
But the operation and interaction can still be said in words. Beats is doing quite well this time. The folded headphones that open the headphones will automatically open and connect to the device. After folding, the headphones will automatically disconnect. As an old user of Bose and Sony, I really hope that the two can learn this kind of interaction. For the time being, Bose 700 can’t be folded. Just switch the button, just put the earphone in the extra large box and put it directly. Once I got into the headphones, I opened it, which was very troublesome.
In addition to switching between noise reduction and transparent mode, Solo Pro uses a physical button instead of a pressure-sensitive touchpad like AirPods Pro. Physical button switching is quite convenient, nothing to say.
Sound quality is a metaphysical problem, but it is still a simple description. Beats is not as strong as the Beats bass, but it is more balanced, but it is not particularly good. It can only be said that this product is a comprehensive experience, the sound quality is a Less deductible options.
There is still a little detail, that is, Solo Pro completely cancels the 3.5mm wired connection of the headset, and completely walks in the wireless direction. For Apple eco users, this does not affect anything. After all, switching the connection device is quite convenient. . But for Android users, Solo Pro is more friendly than AirPods Pro at the experience level, but switching devices is a bit bad.
The experience of the product experience is so much, it is more intuitive to wait for two days to shoot the video, but one more thing worth talking about is the change of Beats on the product line after the release of Solo Pro.
There is no doubt that Apple has significantly improved Beats’ comprehensive product strength, but giving the Solo product line a definition of Pro will make Solo’s higher-end product studio in its own product line somewhat ambiguous.
Studio also has active noise reduction. The W1 chip (the first generation AirPods) can also be flexibly switched between Apple devices. It is no doubt more comfortable to wear than Solo. The price of 2789 seems to contrast Bose. 700 This kind of noise-reducing product is not cost-effective, but many people still like the convenience of Beats design and connection.
This is undoubtedly a problem for the target consumers of Beats. The Solo Pro is a new style. Everything is good to wear comfort. Studio is comfortable but the noise reduction experience and other aspects are not Solo. Pro is strong.
But consumers are not fools. Spending money is nothing more than buying a happy one. The consequence of choosing difficulties may be that they are not directly elected.
From the perspective of Beats, becoming a subsidiary of Apple is also a pros and cons. On the one hand, you can get the best digital R&D resources in the world, the best supply chain and the best sales. Channels, on the other hand, in the subsidiaries that become giants, the degree of freedom of their own development will still be limited to some extent.
Of course, as a user with a larger head size, I hope that Beats will update the Studio product line and give Studio better noise reduction.
Beats Solo Pro’s evaluation video was sent in two days.