The Beats Solo gets its first major redesign since Apple bought over the audio brand.

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The Beats Solo Pro boasts a slew of new features and a complete redesign for S$429.

As the smallest and sportiest headphones in the Beats family, the Solo has been a staple on the heads of athletes as they warm up and prep for their games and tournaments. Now the Beats Solo is going Pro, with a major upgrade in size, built and quality. As Beats Electronics president Luke Wood announced at a press briefing about the Beats Solo Pro in Tokyo, “Not one electrical or mechanical component in these headphones exists in prior Beats headphones.” With a retail price that has almost doubled, from S$279 to S$429, let’s run through the upgrades to see if it is worth the price hike.

Control over your experience

There are times when noise cancellation is a must – like on a flight with a crying baby – and there are times when some ambient noise can save your life – like when you’re sharing a pavement with e-scooter riders whizzing past. The adaptable Beats Solo Pro boasts a transparency feature that will allow some external noise to come through its mics when you turn it on.

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Switch the feature off to enjoy the headphones’ Pure Active Noise Cancellation that will play your music crisp and clear. The redesigned on-ear cup also helps ensure you have the best audio experience possible.

Comfort with style and function

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Form and function are two focus points of the redesign – to create headphones that feel good and are easy to use. To stick to this ethos, Beats’ design process heavily altered the headphones’ ergonomics to make them as comfortable as possible. The cushion’s surface area has increased by 70%, with 35% thicker padding. The adjustable headbands now come with side arms made from brushed metal, so they won’t snap like earlier models.

To keep Beats’ signature stylish minimalist design, all the controls are flush with the ear cups of the headphones, creating a smooth surface. The Beats Solo Pro also comes in a wide array of colors, so you can match it to your ‘fits.

Power to support the music

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Imagine getting to the chorus of your favorite song or the climax of your audiobook, only to have your headphones die on you. That’s less likely to happen with the Beats Solo Pro, which boasts a battery life of up to 22 hours on transparency or Pure Active Noise Cancellation modes, and up to 40 hours with both features switched off. On top of that, the headphones charge really fast – 10 mins of quick charge gives you 3 hours of playback!

Never drop a call again

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The biggest bane of using Bluetooth headphones is weak Bluetooth connectivity, which leads to dropped audio, distorted music and bad reception on calls. To fix this, the Beats Solo Pro uses Class 1 Bluetooth technology to provide better range and a higher quality connection. Thanks to Apple’s latest H1 chip, the headphones pair to your Apple device seamlessly and easily.

You can cop the new Beats Solo Pro at S$429 from Apple.com or from any Apple retailers.

Would you choose the Beats Solo Pro over the AirPods? Share your preference and why in the comment section.

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