# Beats by Dre and other rapper-sponsored brands



## VVoltz (Feb 5, 2012)

Monster Cable and Dr. Dre struck gold with the Beats brand, and even thou that collaboration is coming to an end (Wikipedia article) it has really showed the industry that there is more market to be conquered with both style and sound (or according to some, only style), I've read that they actually have a good size of the market share. The Beats brand popularity is so massive that it quickly turned it into a well recognized brand, currently it is being used by computer makers (HP) and mobile devices to leverages consumers with their audio quality (HTC, which BTW, also now owns 51% of Beats' shares).

The Beats by Dre brand has its fan robust base but also a good amount of haters, it is as divided as it could get, you either love it or hate it with all your guts; I believe the hate is fueled towards Beats by the given un popularity of Monster Cable, the later had previously 3 public PR mishaps, one specially nasty that involves them with false advertising when comparing the picture quality of a composite cable input with one of their HDMI cables at Best Buy stores.

Hoever, wether you like it or not, Beats by Dre is is here to stay, given the traction of the brand with public figures that implicitly collaborate with Dr. Dre.
Given their popularity, and the high number of sales some other rappers have also entered the headphone/earphone market with their own endorsed products:

*50 Cent's SMS Audio* is a company owned and founded by Curtis "50 cent" Jackson, they currently only produce over the ear headphones very similar to the Beats' Studios, with one model being wireless which uses proprietary technology to broadcast the sound from a dongle to the headphones. 
I've read a couple of reviews and they are honestly very mixed, given its early age and mainstream nature, Head-Fi.org has not much information about them.
One thing to note is that 50 says that a part of every set of headphones they sell goes to charity.

*Signeo's Souls by Ludacris* is a line of products endorsed by Christopher "Ludacris" Bridges. Signeo is a Hong Kong based company that is fairly new, their are the makers of the iRiver lines of MP3 players. The products for their Soul brand include both on-ear headphones and earphones. Much like the initial models of the Beats.
It seems that Signeo's true weapon is price, all their products are significantly cheaper than both Beats and SMS, with their top of the line, noise cancellation on-ear cans at $200USD in the american market.
Again, with these, professional reviews are non-existant, although user reviews seem mostly positive. 

If you read this article, you can tell that my stance on either of these brands is fairly neutral, the cost of this products is also diverted by the popularity of their endorsers, meaning you are also paying for their face and name on the box. 
One cannot deny that there are more and better options that cost less out there but to their credit, they are reaching more mass market that any other brand before with better than average sound, for that, I do believe they deserve their success.

Wether you are an audiophile or not, if you are looking to upgrade or replace your current set of earhpones/headphones I recommend Head-Fi, it is a community of audiophiles that have very good and objective reviews on multiple audio equipment. Thou, some brands are not as popular as the ones I mentioned in the post, it could give you an idea of what you have been missing.

VVoltz out.


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## Zombie_X (Mar 29, 2012)

Yo,

Gotta say all the sponsored headphones are quite crap. Scullcandy is crap as well. Beats is just overpriced crap for what they are, and many $50 headphones sound much better. Scullcandy sounds lie mushy overpowering bass with no definition. Really, they are crap.

I'm a member of Head-Fi and am more active there than I am here. If you guys have headphone questions at all, hit me up. I know quite a bit about many types of headphones.


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## Deleted User (Mar 29, 2012)

It's a shame people fall for this bullshit, It's no difference from the "monster" Hdmi Cables you see selling for 50-100 dollars in best buys


But the sheep still buy it

Look at this
*http://tinyurl.com/c3nemyv*

 Its the same thing as a dre beats.


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## DSGamer64 (Mar 29, 2012)

Except that the Beats By Dre headphones are absolute shit. The sound quality is awful, the noise cancellation is pretty much non existent and you might as well use speakers when using them at high volumes because the ear cups are so badly designed you can hear the music loud and clear when they are on someone else's head, and trust me, there is nothing more annoying them some white douche listening to 50 Cent trying to be all gangster on a bus full of people, or when you can hear someone else's music over your own when your music is cranked up.

For the price of any of the Beats headphones, might as well buy Bose, Sennheiser, Shure, Pioneer etc and the sound quality is a million times better and they aren't cheap pieces of garbage either. No matter what your budget is, any other headphone maker makes better headphones then any of the rapper endorsed products out there. And if anyone has the money to piss away 550 dollars on something like the Beats Pro Detox headphones, might as well buy Klipsch or something like that. There are so many better brands for the entire price range of Beats headphones, or any of the other manufacturers for that matter. Only idiots buy something endorsed by a celebrity, just goes to show you how some people are sheep for such stupid things. People who care about the sound quality of their audio devices know what to buy, the retards just want to stroke their tiny e-peens by pissing away their money on crap products endorsed by someone who doesn't have a shred of musical talent.

Also, since when did rappers know shit about high quality audio? Last I checked they didn't play instruments or orchestrate their own music, it's pretty hard to say you know anything about sound quality when you use a drum machine, a synthesizer and an auto-tuner to make your music.


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## hatredg0d (Mar 29, 2012)

brandonspikes said:


> It's no difference from the "monster" Hdmi Cables you see selling for 50-100 dollars in best buys


honestly, best buy makes most of its money off accessories. average mark up is 50-60% on that type of product. where as all the tv's they sell, basically walk out the door.

also, monster cables are not a scam, not needed by most though. basic understanding of electrical interference, dont tell me thats a scam too.


But beats by dre, i agree thats a scam.
i remember a laptop with a "sub woofer" in it also, labeled beats by dre


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## Zombie_X (Mar 29, 2012)

brandonspikes said:


> It's a shame people fall for this bullshit, It's no difference from the "monster" Hdmi Cables you see selling for 50-100 dollars in best buys
> 
> 
> But the sheep still buy it
> ...



That's why I buy Monoprice HDMI cables . As for RCA cable I'll just make my own if I need them.


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## DSGamer64 (Mar 29, 2012)

hatredg0d said:


> brandonspikes said:
> 
> 
> > It's no difference from the "monster" Hdmi Cables you see selling for 50-100 dollars in best buys
> ...



Well considering most TV's are manufactured and sold with about a 10% profit margin to the manufacturer and a 5% profit to the retailer, it's a wonder anyone can stay in business making TV's. A friend of mine had a TV die while still under warranty, rather then replacing the part that was worth 1500 bucks, they just replaced the damn TV with something of equal value to the original purchase price.


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## MelodieOctavia (Mar 29, 2012)

hatredg0d said:


> brandonspikes said:
> 
> 
> > It's no difference from the "monster" Hdmi Cables you see selling for 50-100 dollars in best buys
> ...



So, you think Monster HDMI cables are worth the price since they either work or they don't? Even if they were better quality cables, they STILL aren't worth even half the price they are sold at.

I got a pair of gold-plated, and shielded HDMI cables for $15 a piece. Just as good if not better than any crap Monster puts out.


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## Zombie_X (Mar 29, 2012)

TwinRetro said:


> hatredg0d said:
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> 
> > brandonspikes said:
> ...



For me, any Monster cable is a rip off at full price. No need to drop $200 on a HDMI as it's a digital signal and the material does not impact the sound.


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## MelodieOctavia (Mar 29, 2012)

Zombie_X said:


> TwinRetro said:
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> > hatredg0d said:
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It neither impacts the sound or the picture. The only thing that can effect the signal is length, and that's basic Ohm's Law.


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## DSGamer64 (Mar 29, 2012)

Zombie_X said:


> TwinRetro said:
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> > hatredg0d said:
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I am of the opinion that the only good product Monster makes is their surge protectors, those things are really reliable. They have kept my TV alive for the last 8 years.


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## MelodieOctavia (Mar 29, 2012)

DSGamer64 said:


> Zombie_X said:
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> > TwinRetro said:
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Again, it may be a quality product, but you can find better surge protectors, even a UPS for the price that Monster sells them at.


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## Deleted User (Mar 29, 2012)

DSGamer64 said:


> Zombie_X said:
> 
> 
> > TwinRetro said:
> ...



You can find a high quality Surge protector online that uses the same tech for about half the price, Any technician will tell you its all a scheme.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16812107196

A monster brand with equal specs is about $130


Edit, Sorry for side tracking the thread.


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## Zerosuit connor (Mar 29, 2012)

I like HeartBeats by Lady Gaga





http://beatsbydre.com/products/Products.aspx?cat=2&pid=B6401


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## FAST6191 (Mar 29, 2012)

Yay audiophile thread.

Re bass and volume- although I find all the silly little kids spunking silly money on "oxygen free copper" (and then crimping it using the worst crimps and even worse crimping method- not that crimping is any good anywhere) to speakers of suspect quality at best (and no idea of basic audio theory- once trying to explain why it sounded very different when he had four large mates in the car was like bashing head against a wall) endlessly amusing whenever I put in time at the garage for my money it is not that different to the quote I once saw which read something like "if it sounds better to you then great however do not expect your mates to notice the difference"

As for Ohm's law I thought it was more inductance that we cared about (although again digital signal).


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## Icealote (Mar 29, 2012)

Well not a fan since I own a Tour Beats by Dre. I stopped using it after 3 days. My ears wanted to bleed.

(sorry if it's off topic but I want to ask!)

I'm planning to get Shure 535's later in the year but how good are they? Or is there something better along the same price of these? It's like under $450 AUD. I only want in earphones with ipod capabilities since I'm so used to ipods and I change songs frequently like I change my underwear XD =/


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## pyromaniac123 (Mar 29, 2012)

People who spend $$$ have probably never heard of fiio headphone amplifiers. They don't just amplify sound, they make the music quality sound better.


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## nando (Mar 29, 2012)

Icealote said:


> Well not a fan since I own a Tour Beats by Dre. I stopped using it after 3 days. My ears wanted to bleed.
> 
> (sorry if it's off topic but I want to ask!)
> 
> I'm planning to get Shure 535's later in the year but how good are they? Or is there something better along the same price of these? It's like under $450 AUD. I only want in earphones with ipod capabilities since I'm so used to ipods and I change songs frequently like I change my underwear XD =/




i like shure, very clear. but i haven't used their headphones in a very long time.


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## Randamin (Mar 29, 2012)

I just have the basic shure se-215 and even being the entry level model still sound better than the beats I have borrowed from friend. My reason for buying these because I was tired of buying many pairs of the cheap skullcandy and only lasting two months at most and was satisfied with the shure high quality and detachable cable.

I am curious to try out the upper 535 but it seems like an expensive purchase for me but go ahead you will not be dissapointed.

Just to add in order to get ipod controls and mic for shure earphones you would have to purchase an additional $50 cable because the included cable does not have the mic and ipod controls.


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## Sicklyboy (Mar 29, 2012)

ITT:

People saying Beats are crap.

People arguing that HDMI cables are/aren't different and that Monster Cables > all else (or aren't)



Lets look at this from a retail perspective at the store I work at (and I work in electronics).  

>>Beats are crap - I tell people who are interested that they're overpriced and underperform. (Funny, I go to Pittsburgh, where my girlfriend goes to University, and I always point out to her every single person I see walking around with Beats Solo around their neck/head.  Amazing how many people buy into this crap.)  Phone salesman at work bought the iBeats.  I looked down upon him.  Then they broke in less than a month.

>>HDMI cables - except for distance, an HDMI cable is an HDMI cable.  I've bought a 5' cable off of DinoDirect, and a bunch of 3' and 6' cables off of Monoprice.  They all work fine.  So when people come in to work, they're looking at HDMI cables and I tell them to go with the cheapest ones because there's no difference.  Of course, I don't tell them to not buy them at my store because my boss would likely be pissed.

>>Monster cables > other brands - I had a few sets of RCA cables I was using to hook my stereo to the component input on my TV for my 360, running at 720p.  Thin cables showed ghosting.  These nice premium looking cables we had showed ghosting.  A pair of dollar store cables eliminated the ghosting.  So, there's that...


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## TankErdin (Mar 29, 2012)

Alright then...

Beats are not bad headphones.  They're basic headphones that have Bass Boost that are marketed with a familiar name and they're readily available.  They are not shit headphones, but they are worth no more than $50.  And even then, Sony MDR-ZX100s, while not as good as the Beats, are not too far off and at $20 is a steal for just a throwaway pair of headphones.  

The key to Beats being successful is their marketing and availability.  Throw a couple pairs on some famous names and people are interested.  You can walk into any Best Buy and walk out without your dignity, but have "cool" cans for your ears.  That is appealing to a wide audience.  Good headphones are hard to really find in most stores, but Beats makes it easy for the normal everyday person to get something higher end. 

Then you have the sound quality.  Are they good? No. But they have a lot more fidelity and bass compared to what most people are used to: iPod earbuds and Gummy buds.  Almost anyone who listens to music from headphones has used iPod buds.  The ear becomes trained and accustomed to them, which gives people a fantastic first impression when wearing them, and since it's hard to find anything really in their range in a normal store, coupled with the price of luxury, they're attractive to people.  


As for HDMI, let alone any cable, there's no damn difference.  Your signal works or it doesn't.  If the cable is of a super low quality, you might have some degradation of signal strength over a longer length due to a lower gauge wire being used, but there is 0 reason to buy a Monster cable compared to a Monoprice cable when they're virtually the same thing.  One just looks plain and the other has a bunch of plastic on the connector.


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## Originality (Mar 29, 2012)

I can't use ear buds - my ears are the wrong shape for them. When it came to Beats, I was never impressed. Sure, it sounded better than the £12 Sennheiser headphones I had at the time (purely due to thicker pads) but it wasn't worth the asking price. I also tried several other headphones (courtesy of Apple's return policy) and ultimately ended up with Incase Sonic headphones (which are the most damn comfortable headphones evar!).

HDMI cables... £1 cables from Amazon, no problems. £50 HDMI cable I got for free with my TV/monitor, no difference. No matter how much you pay for "premium" cables, at 1 or 2 metres length it makes no difference.


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## nando (Mar 29, 2012)

i would also debate Beats being Stylish. they are ugly as all hell and their design quickly dated since they have no historical precedence in design. they are just plasticky and slick and don't look that good on peoples heads. when i see the ghetto people here in oakland wearing them, they do go with their attire but for most them anything blends in.


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## TankErdin (Mar 29, 2012)

nando said:


> i would also debate Beats being Stylish. they are ugly as all hell and their design quickly dated since they have no historical precedence in design. they are just plasticky and slick and don't look that good on peoples heads. when i see the ghetto people here in oakland wearing them, they do go with their attire but for most them anything blends in.


I wholeheartedly agree.  There are some people who enjoy them, but nothing beats a classical design like that of the SR80i (especially when modded with wooden cups).


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## Icealote (Mar 29, 2012)

Randamin said:


> I just have the basic shure se-215 and even being the entry level model still sound better than the beats I have borrowed from friend. My reason for buying these because I was tired of buying many pairs of the cheap skullcandy and only lasting two months at most and was satisfied with the shure high quality and detachable cable.
> 
> I am curious to try out the upper 535 but it seems like an expensive purchase for me but go ahead you will not be dissapointed.
> 
> Just to add in order to get ipod controls and mic for shure earphones you would have to purchase an additional $50 cable because the included cable does not have the mic and ipod controls.



Yep that's my plan. So I'd be spending over half a grand for it so I do hope its worth the investment


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## Zombie_X (Mar 29, 2012)

Icealote said:


> Well not a fan since I own a Tour Beats by Dre. I stopped using it after 3 days. My ears wanted to bleed.
> 
> (sorry if it's off topic but I want to ask!)
> 
> I'm planning to get Shure 535's later in the year but how good are they? Or is there something better along the same price of these? It's like under $450 AUD. I only want in earphones with ipod capabilities since I'm so used to ipods and I change songs frequently like I change my underwear XD =/



I've demo'd them at Music-Direct in Chicago and they sound a crap ton better than the SE215-K. Amazon has them on sale now for $426, and that's a darned good price. 

Another great alternative is the Sennheiser IE8, and it's darned good as well.


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## FAST6191 (Mar 29, 2012)

I already went so I think I will be going off topic- I already build and respec amplifiers, speaker stacks and such as well as repair both but I have yet to really look at building my own headphones for various reasons (the closest I get is modding existing headphones to various ends- I deal far more on the basic side of things but http://hackaday.com/2011/03/18/audiophile-quality-headphones-at-a-fraction-of-the-price/ is the sort of thing I was thinking of) so I am drawn to wonder if going that route might be better like it often is with the larger stuff. Certainly I could build a better headband that just about everything else I have seen this side of silly money.

Of course if I still have something resembling acceptable hearing in ten years it will be the result of great medicine or a radical change in lifestyle (remove my powertools, concerts and loud motorbikes over my dead body and all that) so it is definitely a losing game.

"not worth more than $50"- for a moment I will roll with it (mainly as I have little ground to argue otherwise) but should one be pushing a product at three or more times the price (going with amazon prices) of the equivalent competition and/or not being competitive at said price point doesn't that kind of make it a shit product? Of course I quite agree something is only worth what someone will pay for it and a name of someone that is at best tangentially related but is otherwise known can do wonders here not to mention we are heading towards audiophile territory which is a scary place at the best of times.


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## Zerousen (Mar 30, 2012)

Those SMS Audios honestly don't look too bad. I ended up selling off my pair of beats, and grabbed a 20 dollar pair of earbuds, lol. Not surprisingly, I enjoy these more. JVC Xtreme Xplosives.


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## Narayan (Mar 30, 2012)

i've seen OEM beats around for less than half the price.
oh but i'm not an audiophile, so i don't know much stuff about headphones and stuff. just wanna say something about beats.


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