TORONTO: the Beats Solo 2 Wireless are now in the markets making your life comfortable and wire free as there is no wire in it. Like the non-wireless Solo 2, these headphones use fake leather pads, although following a side-by-side comparison it does seem Bose has chosen to use ever-so-slightly softer, lower-density foam in this model. If this is a change caused by customer feedback from the Solo 2, though, it’s perfectly likely that the non-wireless model will get this new type of foam.
Working in tandem with the fairly head-gripping qualities of the original version, Bluetooth makes the Beats Solo 2 Wireless one of the best sets around for runners and gym addicts. However, if that’s not your profile, they don’t really have the sound chops to justify the very high £269 price. They sound nice, sure, but you pay top dollar for middleweight sound here.
Looking just like their non-wireless brothers, the Beats Solo 2 Wireless are on-ear headphones with a more elegant, smooth design than the last generation of Beats headphones. While still immediately recognisable, slightly curvier contours make this model a bit easier on the eyes.
The glossy plastic of the Beats Solo 2 Wireless is not going to be to everyone’s taste, but complete their mission statement with verve. They are urban headphones with a nicely close-fitting headband. If it wasn’t for their instant youth associations and all-round glossy finish, this would be a design that pretty much anyone could get on with.
They prioritise a secure fit over all-out comfort, though. If you’re just going to be walking about rather than running, we think you might find the Bose AE2W more comfortable. They have a very light touch, where the Beats Solo 2 Wireless aren’t afraid to apply a kit of pressure.
The Beats Solo 2 Wireless have a mid-firm headband that teams-up with a rubber-finish headband inner that keeps them glued to your head pretty well.
Given the headband pressure, though, we find them pretty comfortable regardless. The design is careful about spreading force across the entire earpad, doing its best to avoid earache. One caveat, though: we found they don’t suit glasses wearers all that well, the headband pressure causing a bit of discomfort if you’re going to keep the things on for an hour or more.
One of the more impressive elements of the Beats Solo 2 Wireless is how subtly wireless has been integrated. There are no battery compartments or ugly buttons to deal with.
They use an integrated lithium battery, charged using a Micro USB port on the right cup. There’s a tiny power button on this cup too, but all the other buttons are cleverly hidden in the Beats Solo 2 Wireless’s design.
The Beats logo and the ring around it on the left cup take on the role of a three-button remote. The logo acts as a play/pause button while pressing above and below changes volume. It’s about as neat as wireless headphones get while packing-in all the control we’re after. There are even tiny battery indicator LEDs to let you know how much of the 12-hour battery you have left.
Wireless performance was entirely flawless, something we don’t often get to say about wireless headphones. It’s quite natural for there to be some little digital jitters, but we didn’t experience a single one when the Beats Solo 2 Wireless were within arm’s length of the phone source. That may not sound like an achievement, but the last set we reviewed, the Philips M2BT, we fairly prone to such glitches.
