Monster Beats by Dr Dre review

No marketing gimmickry at work here. These are serious cans – seriously good, that is Tested at £280.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict

No marketing gimmickry at work here. These are serious cans – seriously good, that is

Pros

  • +

    Formidable noise-cancellation

  • +

    comfortable and stylish

  • +

    powerful, exciting sound

  • +

    flexible spec

Cons

  • -

    Won’t work if the battery is dead

  • -

    not cheap

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

Having picked up five stars back in 2008, we deemed it time to put the Beats by Dre through the mill once again, with the advent of worthy rivals.

They're stylish and solidly made, but we're not sure they quite cut the mustard compared to the best available.

Flush on the ear and capable at isolating noise, they're less gifted at cancelling typical background frequencies.

But there's much to like in the sound: Vampire Weekend's Holiday sounds lively, delivering a dynamic sound, although it lacks a touch of poise.

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What Hi-Fi?

What Hi-Fi?, founded in 1976, is the world's leading independent guide to buying and owning hi-fi and home entertainment products. Our comprehensive tests help you buy the very best for your money, with our advice sections giving you step-by-step information on how to get even more from your music and movies. Everything is tested by our dedicated team of in-house reviewers in our custom-built test rooms in London, Reading and Bath. Our coveted five-star rating and Awards are recognised all over the world as the ultimate seal of approval, so you can buy with absolute confidence.

Read more about how we test