Price: $299.95
Bluetooth capability: certain models
What the website says:
“Artists and producers spend countless hours fine-tuning and mixing music to get it exactly how they want their fans to hear it. But the vast majority of headphones can’t accurately reproduce the intricacies produced in the studio. Simply put, Studios can. With precision-engineered, advanced speaker design, powered amplification, and powered noise cancellation, you hear music the way today’s top artists and producers want you to hear.”
What we say:
Beats headphones sport a colorful look that seems both elaborate and casual. The soft ear pads make them comfortable to wear, and the many available colors add to the visuals. Their “powered noise cancellation” is a great feature that completely blocks out outside sound. However, the quality of sound leaves something to be desired, especially with its claim of “playing music the way it is meant to be heard.”
Price: $129.95
Bluetooth capability: certain models
What the website says:
“The HD 518 open, circumaural headphones prove that quality and affordability can go hand in hand. They are fitted with Sennheiser’s innovative E.A.R. technology to ensure accurate channeling of audio signals into your ears while their Duofol diaphragms reduce unwanted resonances. And to amplify your listening pleasure even further, their ear pads and headband cushion provide outstanding comfort, even for long listening sessions.”
What we say:
This pair is designed to wear at home, but they prove inconvenient in public. The design is ugly, and the cord is too long to walk around with. There is also a lot of noise leakage, and other people will be able to hear exactly what you’re listening to. However, the positives outweigh the negatives, as the HD518s have the clearest sound for a pair of headphones at their price.
Price: $39.99
Bluetooth capability: none
What the website says:
“Low-pro style with serious whomp. Forget spinners, wood grain, candy paint, and crackin’ the trunk−this is the only Lowrider you’ll ever really need… The Lowrider features 40mm drivers for head-nodding bass, and a folding design with DJ-style articulating earcups… Select colors include a built-in Mic1 control switch.”
What we say:
Despite the web description claiming “serious whomp,” the Skullcandy Lowrider headphones fail to impress. The sound quality was kind of grainy and didn’t have that “lose yourself in the music” feeling at all. There isn’t any soundproofing, so you’re forced to listen to everyone around you while you listen to your music. The only thing that might set them apart is the variety of designs, but even then, they aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as Beats and the foldable design is just a nuisance.
