Beats Solo 4 Headphones Debut With Improved Acoustics, Longer Battery Life, and More

Apple's Beats brand today is announcing an update to its most popular line of headphones with the new Beats Solo 4. The on-ear headphones have been re-engineered inside and out to deliver upgraded performance and fit while featuring even longer battery life compared to the previous generation.


On the acoustic front, Beats Solo 4 feature custom-built 40 mm transducers specifically tuned for music and designed to minimize artifacts and distortion, and on Apple devices the headphones support Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking to immerse you in your audio environment while keeping the sound source anchored to your device as you move around.

Upgraded digital beam-forming microphones and an intelligent noise-learning algorithm trained in over 7,000 hours of exposure to real-world environments help deliver excellent call quality and voice assistant performance.

beats solo 4 colors
Beats Solo 4 support three different modes of connection: wirelessly over Bluetooth, wired over USB-C, and wired over a 3.5mm audio connector. Most users will likely opt for wireless connectivity for convenience, but connecting over USB-C offers support for lossless audio and the ability to charge the headphones while listening, while the 3.5mm jack offers a simple connection method for battery-free listening.

If you're connecting wirelessly, Beats Solo 4 will deliver up to 50 hours of playback, up from 40 hours in the previous generation, while you can take up to 36 hours of phone calls on a single charge. A 10-minute Fast Fuel charge will give you up to five hours of playback time if you're low on battery.

beats solo 4 blue basketball
Active noise cancelation (ANC) is not included on Beats Solo 4, but the on-ear design offers fairly solid passive noise isolation in our testing, keeping even rather loud environmental sounds from intruding much on our listening experience.

Beats Solo 4 include a proprietary Beats chip platform to support both iOS and Android with one-touch pairing, automatic setup across devices, and support for Apple's Find My and Android's ‌Find My‌ Device services. iOS users also get access to always-on "Hey Siri" functionality and support for Audio Sharing. The iconic Beats 'b" button on the ear cups can be configured for music and phone call controls and voice assistant activation, while volume can be controlled by pressing above or below the "b" button.

beats solo 4 pink ipad
Overall, Beats Solo 4 retain the same iconic design that has led to over 40 million units sold since the introduction of the original Beats Solo headphones in 2009. Offering a more compact form factor and a cheaper price point than the over-ear Beats Studio Pro, Beats Solo 4 weigh just 217 grams while delivering a comfortable fit thanks to durable UltraPlush ear cushions, infinite-rotation gimbals on the ergonomically angled ear cups, and a flex-grip headband with customizable sliders. We did notice a bit of ear fatigue due to the on-ear design, but adjusting the headphones slightly definitely helped extend our listening session with out too much discomfort.

beats solo 4 pink case
The case design is essentially the same as that for the Beats Studio Pro, which may not appeal to all users. It's a compact nylon case with a low-profile carrying/attachment loop and a side zipper, and the interior features a main compartment for the headphones and two small pockets for the included USB-C to USB-C and 3.5mm to 3.5mm cables. As with the slightly larger Studio Pro case, it can be a bit difficult to get the headphones in and out of the case.

Beats Solo 4 come in Matte Black, Slate Blue, and Cloud Pink color options and are available to order starting today from apple.com, Best Buy, and other retailers for $199.99 ahead of a May 2 shipping date.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Tag: Beats

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Top Rated Comments

iamgalt Avatar
11 months ago
We can get a 4th version of Beats, but we can't get a 2nd version of Airpods Max?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MayaUser Avatar
11 months ago
40 mm transducers thats nice to try for $199
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McWetty Avatar
11 months ago
No H1/H2 chip? Didn’t see mention of it in the article so I guess that’s a no.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SactoGuy18 Avatar
11 months ago
I wonder why the Beats Solo 4 doesn't use the W1 or H1 Bluetooth chip, unless Apple had success with the proprietary Bluetooth chip used by the Beats Studio Buds and Studio Buds+ models.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gengar Avatar
11 months ago
The Beats Studio Pro with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes are often on sale for $179 - $199, so these are really a no-go at $199.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradman83 Avatar
11 months ago

I had the Beats Studio 3 and wasn't very impressed. I switched to a highly-regarded Grado wireless set, but they too have been underwhelming at nearly twice the price of the Beats Solo 4. I like how the new Beats can work with USB-C or a headphone jack. I might give them a try.
Check out Sennheiser's Momentum 4 headphones; they're considered some of the best sounding close-backed wireless headphones in their price range (and have USB-C and headphone jack connectivity). I've been using them for several months and I've barely put on my AirPod Pros since.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)