Beats Solo 4 [left], AirPods Max [right]
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Beats Solo 4 offer a premium experience for less than half the price of the Apple AirPods Max. Here's how Apple's two offerings compare.
At the end of April, Beats finally updated their seven-year-old Solo3 with a new model. Beats Solo 4 builds on the legacy of the previous version, but contains many improvements.
Apple users who want to stay in the ecosystem have a new third headphone option. Besides the replaced Solo3, there are also Apple-branded Beats Studio Pro and AirPods Max.
The variety of changes that Beats includes in the Solo 4, as well as its price, certainly make it a premium product. This could also be one that could turn off potential buyers of the ultra-premium AirPods Max.
So, here are the key details of each earphone. All of this will help you decide whether it's worth spending money on AirPods Max or saving money and getting the Solo 4.
Beats Solo 4
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Beats Solo 4 and AirPods Max – specifications
| Specifications | AirPods Max | Beats Solo 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | USD 549 | USD 199.99 |
| Weight | 13.6 oz | 7.65 oz |
| Foldable | No | Yes |
| Processor | Apple H1 | Beats Proprietary Technology |
| Core Material | Aluminium | Plastic |
| Noise reduction | Yes | No |
| Spatial Audio | Yes | Yes |
| Charging Port | Lightning | USB -C |
| Battery life | 20 hours in ANC mode | 50 hours |
| Controls | Digital Crown, Button |
Buttons |
| Colors | Silver, Space Grey, Sky Blue, Pink, Green |
Matte Black, Slate Blue, Cloud Pink |
Beats Solo 4 vs AirPods Max – appearance
The Beats Solo 4 is designed to be a portable pair of headphones that also boast excellent build quality. While the Solo 4's design is mostly made of plastic, it also features colored metal accents and pull-out sections.
The headband is rubberized with comfortable padding. The ear cups also have nice sponge cushioning, but they are over-ear rather than completely covering the ear.
If Solo 4 is designed for listening to music on the go and an active lifestyle, then AirPods Max are very different. Being a premium product, it is definitely not meant to be worn while working out.
Beats Solo 4 is lightweight and folds flat for easy storage on the go.
AirPods Max are made of aluminum and steel and equipped with telescopic brackets. The ear pads use mesh fabric that fits snugly around the user's ears.
The headband also uses a wide dome with stainless steel arms and breathable knit mesh. Although the mesh is not padded, its use ensures a resilient headband design despite the lack of foam.
Differences in building materials mean greater differences in weight. AirPods Max weighs 13.6 ounces, which is almost twice as much as the Solo 4 (7.65 ounces).
This makes AirPods Max better suited for quieter environments than its Beats competitor.
Another big difference is the packaging of the headphones for storage. The Beats Solo 4 has a neat folding mechanism, which means it takes up quite a small amount of space when not in use.
You can't fold AirPods Max the same way. Instead, you can rotate the earcups to flatten them and use the included carrying case.
Beats Solo 4 and included carrying case
This Smart Case is designed specifically for AirPods Max. The Solo 4 comes with a case, but it's a more discreet fabric cube with the Beats logo on it.
The Beats logo on one ear is also used to control media playback and volume.
AirPods Max uses the Digital Crown as a combination knob and control button. There's also a noise control button used to switch between active noise cancellation and transparency modes.
Beats Solo 4 vs AirPods Max – audio processing and active noise cancellation
Apple typically includes the same chips and components in several products. That's not always the case, as the Beats Solo 4 demonstrated.
AirPods Max features an Apple H1 headphone chip in each earbud, which handles all the processing needed to handle audio. This is partly due to the control of Apple's custom-designed 40mm dynamic drivers, which provide a neutral profile.
Instead, the Solo 4 uses the “native Beats platform” for audio, including its own Beats chip. This allows Beats to work better with Android devices, and the platform supports more features.
Beats uses 40mm drivers, but based on Solo3. As part of the project, Beats developed a passively tuned dynamic diaphragm transducer.
This means Beats had to tweak the design to create the perfect sound profile, rather than letting the active EQ do all the work. This also means there's no active equalizer, which the AirPods Max benefit from.
The processing, as well as the differences in the design of the on-ear and over-ear headphones Solo 4 and AirPods Max, respectively, also play another important role. Lack of ANC in Solo 4.
Apple uses active noise cancellation in AirPods Max: eight of the nine microphones are used for ANC. It also includes a transparency mode that allows users to hear some environmental noises while blocking others.
The Solo 4 lacks noise cancellation, but it is generally offered to consumers as a premium feature. This is something that may force consumers to pay a little more for an upgrade.
Again, Solo 4 has many other features that can make up for this deficiency.
Beats Solo 4 vs AirPods Max – Features
Since Apple is heavily involved in the development of Beats, there are quite a few similarities between these two headphones. This is mainly due to the integration with Apple's operating systems, allowing many features to exist in the first place.
For example, both sets of headphones support spatial audio. This feature allows you to play music and videos encoded in Dolby Atmos as if they were in 3D space.
Pairing Beats Solo 4 in iOS, Find My and Spatial Audio options
Both also support dynamic head tracking, so users can turn their head and audio elements remain in their relative positions. There is also support for personalized spatial audio, allowing you to customize the feature for each user.
Plus, there are things like one-touch pairing that both earbuds share for iOS devices. There's also “Hey Siri” support, eliminating the need for users to press a button to launch the digital assistant.
There's even Find My support, so your headphones aren't so easy to lose.
AirPods Max performs better than the Solo 4 in other features, such as the adaptive equalizer. There are also optical, position and body detection sensors that help turn off power when not in use.
The difference in processing also gives the Beats an advantage over the AirPods Max, especially when it comes to Android support.
Beats lets you use the Android equivalent of one-touch pairing. Google Find My Device is also available if you need to track your lost Solo 4.
Android doesn't have deep iOS integration. Therefore, it is necessary to use the Beats app to configure and update the software when necessary.
You can connect AirPods Max to an Android device, but they are generally treated the same as any other Bluetooth headphones.
Beats Solo 4 vs AirPods Max – Connectivity
For wireless audio, both headphones use Bluetooth. AirPods Max uses the old Bluetooth 5.0 standard, while Solo 4 uses Bluetooth 5.3.
Physical connection is also possible, although with variations.
USB-C and headphone ports on Beats Solo 4USB-C and headphone ports on Beats Solo 4USB-C and headphone ports on Beats Solo 4
USB-C and headphone ports on Beats Solo 4
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Both headphones can be connected to the device's USB-C port. However, AirPods Max uses the included USB-C to Lightning cable to connect to the Lightning port for charging.
Solo 4 has a USB-C port at the base, so it can work with USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A cables.
You can connect both headphones to the 3.5mm jacks for lossless audio playback. While the Beats Solo 4 uses the included 3.5-3.5mm audio cable, the AirPods Max uses a Lightning-to-3.5mm cable.
Beats Solo 4 vs AirPods Max – Battery Life
Battery life on premium headphones is always quite good, and there are no exceptions.
Beats Solo 4 can last up to 50 hours on a single charge. Fast Fuel charging system provides up to 5 hours of playback after a 10-minute charge.
AirPods Max provides up to 20 hours of listening or talking time on a single charge. However, Apple says this applies to use with ANC or Transparency enabled, movie playback with spatial audio enabled, or in talk mode.
These actions require active processing, to a greater extent than standard playback without bells and whistles.
Battery life therefore cannot be compared directly as it is measured differently. But it’s safe to say that each of them will provide the listener with an entire day or even a weekend.
Beats Solo 4 and AirPods Max are two completely different headphones
AirPods Max and Beats Solo 4 certainly have a premium price for the market. The Solo 4 costs $199.99, while the AirPods Max costs more at $549.
These are also headphones designed for a wide variety of markets.
The Beats Solo 4 branding also doubles as control buttons. The Beats Solo 4 branding also doubles as control buttons. The Beats Solo 4 branding also doubles as control buttons.
The lightweight plastic design of the Beats Solo 4 is an attractive prospect for people leading an active lifestyle. For those who want highly portable headphones that won't weigh them down throughout the day.
AirPods Max are more of a luxury item due to their metal construction and significant weight. While you might be hanging out in the park with the Solo 4, the AirPods Max seem like something that's better used while relaxing at home.
Although the Beats Solo 4 headphones lack noise cancellation, they offer many of the premium headphone features that most users will need. The easy-to-listen AirPods Max seem to offer it all, but the premium nature can be a literal burden that some users don't want to carry around.
As for price, the Solo 4's $199.99 price tag is a bargain for what it offers. There's a lot to offer in this really small package.
Those looking for premium quality will choose the AirPods Max over the Solo 4. But a savvy shopper will find the latest Beats headphones a great option if they want to save money while maintaining premium quality. .
Beats Solo 4 and AirPods Max – Where to buy
Both Beats Solo 4 and AirPods Max are sold through popular Apple resellers, including Amazon, Best Buy and B&H Photo. There are regular sales on AirPods Max, and the lowest prices on Apple's line of headphones are always at your fingertips in our AirPods & Beats Price Comparison Guide
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