Dr. Dre’s Headphones: Are They Worth the Scratch?

The search for the perfect headphones is difficult. Dr. Dre came out with a pair of Monster Cable-backed headphones last year called Beats by Dr. Dre. They come in two editions: the "Studio" edition, a pair of oversized high-definition headphones that could fit Dan Quayle -- or some equally, disproportionately large-eared person -- and the "Tour" edition, which are a pair of in-ear buds with a pretty red cord attached to them. They're pricey, and they have a celebrity endorsement, which could only mean they're probably overpriced, and you're paying for the name more than the product. So the question is, do you trust one of the most trusted producers in hip hop? We've tried out both editions.

We went to an Apple Store and plugged the Studio headphones into our iPod. Artists tried out: Outkast, The Roots, Damien Rice, Passion Pit. We figured we’d get a mixture of hard bass, soft bass, soft treble, and high treble. All songs came out crystal clear, but the best listening experience was, of course, Outkast. Dre’s a hip hop producer, and while most bass turned up high gets muddled in lesser headphones, these guys can handle it. Other than being big, the black, shiny headphones look sleek, are comfortable, and the sound that comes through them is powerful. And clear. But so is the price point: $255 to $299’s pretty expensive, so you’re making an investment. And also, you need batteries to power the the active noise-canceling mechanism. Verdict: Hip hop fans need to look no further. Everyone else needs to decide if the battery investment, the price investment, and the size makes them a reasonable purchase.

We got our hands on a pair of the Tour headphones to try out in the real world. The most distinctive thing about them is the cord: it’s flat, singular, and red. Besides looking awesome—digging them out of somewhere is way easier than finding a grey pair of default Apple headphones—the cord is, as advertised, “untangle-able.” It’s a patented cord (seriously) and yes, unless you actively try to tie a knot with them, they will not get tangled. Throw them in a pile and pick them up: no tangle. After switching back to my regular iPhone headphones, there’s a difference, and the looks and this feature alone are far handier than you’d think. I grew strangely attached to that red cord. As for the sound, it’s not as good as the Studio headphones. The heaviest bass comes in a wee bit buzzy sometimes. The high treble, though, works incredibly: percussion comes out incredibly distinct, even more than the Studio edition. Also, (A) they don’t require a battery and (B) they’re in-ear headphones, and priced lower. You can get them for $150 at Amazon. If anything, they’re definitely noise canceling, too: the sets of earbuds it comes with, while a gigantic pain in the ass to put on and take off, are great once you find the one that fits you best. The only real problem I had with the Tour headphones was the plastic cover joining the wires and the headphone plug. I’m finicky, and some thumbing at it almost removed it entirely. The thing should be more reinforced, especially for those of you who’d use them while working out. Verdict: Overall package is worth it for style points alone, and sound quality, for in-ear’s, are solid. Just beware of shortcomings.

So for a celebrity endorsed product, not bad, right? Hopefully, Dr. Dre will stop making headphones, though, and start making music again. The only track from Rehab Rehab, his long, long awaited album? Well, Ludacris ghost-wrote a track for Dre, and even rapped the lyrics over the beat to show him how to perform it. So, there’s that.

Maybe Dre should stick to headphones, for now. Don’t rush it, Doc.

[Ed. Album title changed, commenters! Sorry! It’s been so long since we heard anything about it, I forgot the name. Apologies to Dre loyalists.]