Not very long ago, lightweight ear-buds were the trendy choice for listening to music on your personal device. Headphones meanwhile, were regarded as kitschy, retro ‘70s items that were too cumbersome for anyone other than a DJ or a producer to want to use.
All that has changed over the past few years and users, drawn to the superior sound quality and noise cancelling qualities, have been abandoning ear-buds in favor of a good pair of headphones. Not only do headphones have better sound than ear buds, but their superior noise cancelling ability blocks out other sounds so you can enjoy the full spectrum of sound while listening to music on the go.
Two of the most popular headphones on the market currently are the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless and Bose SoundLink wireless headphones. Both offer the freedom of wireless, a similar set of features, and advertise themselves as having superior sound quality. But which of the two really is better?
Here at Dealrspot.com, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to.
One pair of Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless Headphones will set you back around $300 at Target and most other stores if you don’t find a sale price. That’s not cheap for a set of on-ear headphones designed for personal use.
Bose’s Bluetooth driven SoundLink wireless on-ear phones are $50 cheaper but will still set you back a mean $249.95 at Best Buy and most other stores.
Advantage: Bose. With many of the same features but $50 cheaper, the Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphones are a better value, simple as that.
Beats by Dre bills the Solo 2 headphones as being “designed for sound” and “tuned for emotion.” The headphones feature the same stylish design as the highly popular non-wireless version of the Solo 2.
Features include:
Compact, comfortable and lightweight, the SoundLink headphone is the first wireless sound-cancelling headphone produced by Bose. SoundLink is similar in design to the Bose SoundTrue On-Ear wired headphone but with the obvious advantages of being Bluetooth driven.
Features include:
Advantage: Bose. Lighter in weight, with a longer battery life and a superior sound quality, the SoundLink Wireless Headphones offer better overall features and functionality than the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless Headphones.
With its cool, contemporary design, the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless headphone was modeled after the most popular headphone on the market, the wired version of the Solo 2. Available in multiple color schemes including Gold, Silver, Space Gray, Black, White, Red and Blue, the Solo 2 is stylish with a streamlined aesthetic.
The Bose SoundLink sports a more traditional headphone design. Although it is lightweight and adjustable, the SoundLink looks to have been designed with functionality in mind rather than cool points. Available in just two colors – black and white – SoundLink has a more understated style than its flashier competitor.
Advantage: Beats by Dre. There’s just no getting around the fact that for many contemporary users a good pair of headphones must also function as an accessory. With a more pleasing overall aesthetic design and multiple colors to choose from, the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless Headphones simply offer users more and better options when it comes to style and aesthetics.
According to Techradar.com, Beats Solo 2 Wireless Headphones “look great,” and have “great sound,” except for on the low end, where the “sound needs improvement.” Techradar also criticized the Solo 2 for being overpriced in terms of the sound quality and actual performance the headphones delivered.
CNET called the Beats Solo 2 Wireless headphone “a well-built wireless headphone that sounds good in both wireless and wired models and is relatively comfortable to wear for an on-ear headphone.” However the review went on to say that based on the Solo 2’s lofty $300 price tag, it was a bit of a letdown.
According to CNET, the Beats 2 Solo Wireless headphone just doesn’t offer the sort of comfort or sound quality you would expect from a $300 headphone. CNET went on to give the Solo 2 an overall rating of 7.5.
The Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphone on the other hand, received an overall rating of 8.2 from CNET. The respected tech review site felt that SoundLink offered better overall sound quality at a cheaper price than the Beats model.
The website praised the SoundLink as being “compact and comfortable” and sounding “excellent for a Bluetooth headphone.” CNET also felt the SoundLink was an improvement over Bose’s previous wireless headphone – the SoundLink Bluetooth Around Ear – which merely added a removable Bluetooth component to an existing model of wired headphones.
Advantage: Bose. While the Beats by Dre Solo 2 remains enormously popular and is considered by many, the first name in headphones, CNETs review identified the Bose SoundLink as “one of the best – if not the best – wireless headphones to date.”
Beats by Dre’s Solo 2 Wireless on the other hand was seen as having a lot going for it, although just not enough to “justify its lofty price tag.”
CNET may not have been crazy about them, but 77 percent of user reviews on Amazon gave the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless Headphones five-star reviews. One reviewer went as far as to call them the “best headphones you can get.”
While the Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphone received good Amazon user reviews overall, at 72 percent, they had a slightly lower percentage of five-star reviews. Some users also complained that the padding on the SoundLink Wireless Headphones was too thin and that over time, wearing the headphones became uncomfortable.
Advantage: Beats by Dre. The Bose headphones might have impressed the critics but in terms of user reviews, the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless Headphones received slightly more favorable reviews overall. It comes down to whom you want to believe: The tech writers or actual users.
While many users will no doubt be swayed by the Beats by Dre “cool-factor” and brand loyalty to Apple, it’s hard not to conclude that the Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphone offers better comfort and sound quality at a lower price.
If you’re looking for a cool pair of Bluetooth headphones that have been endorsed by celebrities and are available in multiple color choices than you’ve probably already decided on the Beats by Dre Solo 2 Wireless.
But on the other hand, if you’re looking for a wireless headphone that offers superior sound quality and feels comfortable when your wearing it, the Bose SoundLink Wireless Headphones are definitely worth checking out.
