Beats Solo Buds review: Good enough but miss a beat or two

Beats Solo Buds

Yes, my headline reads “Google enough” and I have enough reason to say that for Beats’ new Solo Buds. First and foremost, there’s some Apple and some Beats in it with the sole idea of striking a balance of both worlds. But, the deal breaker part is that it works with both Apple ecosystem as well as Android (via the Beats app).

Beats Solo Buds case

Before dwelling deep into the review, let’s get to know the Solo Buds. What is it and who is it for? Beat Solo Buds is priced at Rs 6,990. For Beats branding and the legacy, the brand carries – not a big asking price. It’s compact and comes with the smallest case we’ve seen on any earbuds. One solid reason behind this is the lack of a battery pack within the case – again something that we’ve not seen before.

But, if you look beyond that, there are a lot of interesting aspects of the Beats Solo Buds. For instance, it comes with a dual-layer driver that claims to deliver full acoustic range and even without the battery, the earbuds themselves are rated at 18 hours on a single charge most importantly, it comes with Apple’s chip to support quick pairing and better audio processing.

I have been using the Beats Solo Buds for a while now and here’s my review.

Design
I have already established the idea of the Beats Solo Buds case being small – the smallest – to be precise. Let me make it more clear to you. It is almost the same thickness as the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or you can say small enough to fit in a skinny jean coin pocket without added effort and it weighs just 22 grams. Talking about the design, the case has a pill shape to it – something you’ll find common in Beats’ design language. The case is all plastic, but the matte finish makes it premium and smooth to the touch. Also, the hinge mechanism that manages the opening and closing mechanism of the small flap up top is sturdy. The closing and opening feel is so satisfying that it can easily replace the fidget spinner.

At the back, you’ll find the Type-C charging port and the base is flat so it stays still when placed upright unlike the AirPods’ case.

So, the case is good and the design language continues to the buds as well. The buds are compact too – Length: 2.05cm/0.81in, Width: 1.85cm/0.73in, Height: 1.9cm/0.75 in, Weight: 5.7g – to be precise.

Beats Solo Buds are tiny by design. I thought it would be difficult to put back in the case. But to my surprise, the elements of the buds are put together so well that it feels natural to put it on and back to the case. The end part has a flat design that makes it easier to grip. Plus, the ear tip side has that shape to help it get the right fit for almost everyone. The icing on the cake is the additional tips – XS, S, M and L – are included in the box. For me, the M-size worked like magic.
Overall, the Solo Buds features a good design and tries to cater for the audience who want something compact and ergonomic. The comfort level is also top-notch here. I used it for like 6 hours daily in the office, 2 hours at the gym and then while scrolling through Reels in bed and not once did I feel the Solo Buds uncomfortable.

Audio performance
I am a 90s kid and people of my age can relate to Beats for more than what today's generation will. What I want to say is that the brands always had that aspirational value and it still has. But beyond the brand value, it was the sound quality that always blew people’s minds then and even today.

Sure, the Beats Solo Buds are still Beats – at least the branding everywhere says that. But, there’s this combination of Beats nostalgia and Apple’s modern take on the sound signature. Why I am saying this is because the Beats earphones and headphones have always sounded so warm and punchy. I still remember that loud and sort of bass-heavy sound signature. It’s there in Beats Solo Buds. But there’s some Apple as well.

Remember I mentioned that Beats Solo Buds are trying to strike the right balance and this is what I meant with that line. So, the Beats Solo Buds are loud, clear and the vocals are good as well. But, at the same time, it is also calm and composed and feels at peace. So, when you need that extra bass effect, you’ll get it. What you won’t get is that extra rumble effect that older Beats headphones used to offer. And, that’s a good thing. The entire sound tuning of Beats Buds Solo makes it feel more premium and polished than any other Beats earbuds out there.

What made it love the Beats Solo Buds even more is the soundstage – it is wide and really wide – without those additional features, spatial audio, etc. I mean you can listen to the beats from a song or movie playing at some corner in the background with vocals at the centre and that’s more than impressive.

Beat Solo Buds sound quality is impressive. But, what about everything else? Well, there are a few things that I feel are missing and should have been included with it, especially at this price.

The first thing that can bother many people is the lack of auto-play and pause functions. I mean, the earbuds keep playing the audio even when you take them out – requiring you to manually pause the song or movie you are listening to.

The second missing feature is Active Noise Cancellation. Yes, I know, it is not that expensive. But you can find ANC in this price range. I am not asking for much, but at least a basic level of ANC could have taken the entire experience of the Solo Buds to another level, especially considering how good the passive noise cancellation of the Buds is.

The third thing – the lack of a battery pack in the charging case. Well, this might not be a big deal. But, not having an additional charge to keep the buds fueled up and ready for action is something that gets me anxious. Thankfully the battery life is good and I will discuss that later.

aBeats Solo Buds are rated to deliver up to 18 hours of battery life and in my testing, the earbuds last for several days with an average listening time of around 4 hours daily. This is something not that common for TWS earbuds. Also, it supports fast charging. So, in case you need a quick top-up, you can charge it for around 5 or 10 minutes for several hours of listening time.

Verdict
The Beats Solo Buds offer a compact, ergonomic design and impressive sound quality, striking a balance between Beats' sound signature and Apple's refined tuning. The wide soundstage and comfortable fit make them great for daily use. However, the lack of features like auto-pause, Active Noise Cancellation, and a battery pack in the case could be deal breakers for some, especially at this price. Despite these omissions, the solid battery life and sound performance make the Solo Buds a decent option.