Beats Solo Buds Review: Tiny Case And Big Sound, But At The Cost Of Some Features

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You could make a solid argument that the clever part of Beats Solo Buds isn't what you push in your ears, but what lives in your pocket. The audio accessories-maker's latest wireless earbuds are its cheapest, at $79.99, and deliver a hefty 18 hours of uninterrupted playback, but it's the case–offered in Arctic Purple, Storm Gray, Matte Black, or the eye-catching Transparent Red–that's notable for what's not included. That is to say, bulk, or a battery.

While the idea of true wireless earbuds without a battery case may seem odd now, it's arguably a fix to one of the most obvious issues of early models: the batteries in the earbuds themselves simply weren't powerful enough. Though these days we're used to dropping earbuds into a charging case to give them a periodic top-up, in an ideal world the buds themselves would have sufficient power to make that unnecessary.

That's what Beats has done with Solo Buds, reaping the benefits in overall case size in the process. Of course, it also ran into some compromises along the way, not least the absence of nice-to-have features like active noise cancellation. So, the question is, does Beats Solo Buds' minimal hit in your pocket, and on your wallet, justify those omissions?

That full charge, Beats says, should last up to 18 hours. Now, a set of Beats Studio Buds+ claims 36 hours, but that's including a top-up in the case: the earbuds alone last just nine hours apiece.

Admittedly, doing away with the case battery in favor of more earbud power doesn't make such a big difference as it might've in the days when most wireless earbuds lasted four hours at most. The likelihood of someone spending an entire New York to Singapore flight with their Solo Buds in and playing seems minimal. Yet the downside you might expect–heavier, and thus less comfortable buds–doesn't arise. It's tough to tell the difference between this and Beats' earlier designs.

While the shape is slightly different to that of Studio Buds+, the Solo Buds are pretty much in line with those earbuds. Beats includes four different rubber ear-tip sizes, though the ergonomically-advantageous fins that help the Beats Fit Pro sit so snuggly in the ear are absent. That's a shame, as it leaves the Fit Pro my go-to earbuds (admittedly I have fairly odd-shaped ears, and buds that rely on a friction fit with the ear tip to stay in place get uncomfortable for me rapidly).

Given Beats has reused the transducer from the Studio Buds+, it's no great surprise that the sound profile here is similar. The interior design of the acoustic chamber is new, but there's still the same balanced (but not too thumpy) bass and perky high-end. In fact, those expecting Beats' notorious–and, in recent years, not really true–surfeit of low-end may be surprised to find how tempered the Solo Buds are.

For most musical styles, that decision works just fine. Beats' tuning flatters vocals, and pulls plenty of detail out of the mid-range, too. Without ANC ousting environmental noise, I did find I had to turn the volume up higher than with, say, Beats Fit Pro or Apple's AirPods Pro. It's a reminder that, in addition to creating a bubble of hush around you, active noise cancellation can also help reduce discomfort from extended listening at higher volumes.

Unfortunately there's no way to tweak the EQ of the Solo Buds, if you do want more bass: it's Beats' tuning, or a different set of earbuds. The Fit Pro definitely pulled more detail out of tracks, but given the $120 price delta, so they should. For sub-$100 earbuds, the Solo Buds have surprising clarity and refinement, though I still think Apple AirPods (3rd generation) have the edge when it comes to microphone performance in voice calls.