• Beats on Tuesday introduced its new Solo Pro wireless headphones.
  • The new headphones are a revamped version of its super-popular Solo headphones. The headphones look and feel more premium, and have upgraded features like a new chip, better sound, and improved noise-cancelling.
  • The Solo Pros cost $300, come in six colors, and be available on October 30.
  • Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

One of the most popular pairs of on-ear headphones you can buy is getting an upgrade.

Beats on Tuesday unveiled the new Beats Solo Pro, a revamp to its super-popular Solo series – Beats says it’s sold more than 30 million pairs of Solo headphones to date. The new Solo Pro headphones have an upgraded design, improved sound and noise-cancelling, better battery life, and upgraded internals that put it on par with Apple’s AirPods or Beats’ Powerbeats Pro in terms of seamless connectivity.

The Beats Solo Pro cost $300, come in six colors, and go on sale October 30. Here’s what they’re like.


These are the new Beats Solo Pro headphones.

Foto: sourceBeats

While they look a lot like past iterations of Beats’ Solo line, there are some key changes to the design, most notably the materials and overall construction. The Solo Pros feel more premium compared to previous versions — rather than a plastic click when you expand them, they slide along a piece of matte metal, which feels much smoother and more luxurious.

Foto: sourceBeats

There are other luxurious touches as well, like the fact that there’s no physical power switch — when you unfold the Solo Pros, they automatically turn on.

Foto: sourceBeats

In fact, Beats says the Solo Pros were built from the ground up. There is no common component between these and the first-generation Solo headphones, according to the company.

Foto: sourceBeats

Beyond design, the other major upgrade is sound. Beats says the Solo Pros will have reduced distortion and create a more balanced, less bass-heavy sound. In my brief test of the headphones, I was impressed with how they sounded, but I can’t recommend them for sure until I get the chance to really test them.

Foto: sourceBeats

Beats added active noise-cancelling to the Solo Pros that adapts to your surroundings gradually. There’s also a transparency mode that you can activate by pressing a button on the headphones — it allows for sound to pass through so you can hear the world around you.

Foto: sourceBeats

But perhaps more importantly, Beats worked to make the Solo Pros more comfortable. Beats says it improved the fit of both the headband and the ear cushions so you can wear them for longer stretches of time.

Foto: sourceBeats

As for battery life, Beats says you’ll get 22 hours with noise-cancelling on and 40 hours without noise-cancelling. The headphones will charge using Apple’s Lightning charger, and if you’re so inclined, you can charge them and listen to music at the same time.

Foto: sourceBeats

Like Apple’s latest AirPods or Beats’ recent Powerbeats Pro, the Solo Pros will have Apple’s H1 chip, meaning they will pair seamlessly with iPhones and have the ability to summon Siri using only your voice. (They will still work with Android phones as well, and will pair either using Bluetooth or the Beats app.)

Foto: sourceBeats

Beats partnered with Pharrell Williams to create the “More Matte” version of the Solo Pros, which includes three more vibrant colors: dark blue, light blue, and red. The Solo Pros will also come in black, gray, and ivory.

Foto: sourceBeats

The Beats Solo Pro headphones cost $300 and are available for preorder on October 15. They’ll be available in the US on October 30.

Foto: sourceBeats