Headphones Monster DNA: a comparative review on the background of Beats Solo HD
Probably, it is difficult to find a person who would not hear about the Beats by Dr.Dre headphones. Moreover, it is almost impossible to find indifferent to them. Usually the Beats are either very fond or, on the contrary, fiercely hated. And the percentage of those who have never heard them alive is about the same among fans and among haters.
Whatever the Beats (in fact, we’ll talk about this below), this brand was the first to get the mass consumer to think about the quality of sound in headphones. Previously there was a rather narrow layer of so-called. audiophiles, hotly arguing about how white there should be noise, warming the cable from a freshly bought pair, and all other citizens obediently listened to the headphones that came with the player or smartphone. Or something for 600 rubles when they broke. And they thought that there was simply no better.
')
The Beats have convincingly proved what else happens. It turns out that on the road, music can sound, if not the same as on large home speakers, then it is quite comparable (large speakers can also be quite different). People versed in the subject knew this before, but, again, there were very few of them. But for the masses bass sound Beats was a real discovery. This, combined with skillful marketing activities, quickly made Beats by Dr.Dre iconic. I remember when I was just starting to write about portable audio, an old friend approached me with a request to help me buy Beats headphones at a good price. It turns out that in his son’s school, possession of such belongs to the main features of a high definition kid. And if you do not have Beats, it is very difficult to prove your worth (in all senses). I remember that in my childhood, such a means of quickly pumping out the uvazhuhi was a Montana digital watch with melodies.
The combination of "prestige + high price" immediately ran over the Chinese craftsmen, and soon the purchase of the original Beats became a non-trivial task. Aside from the jokes, I recently walked around the stores selling headphones, and found that there were fake “bits” out there eighty percent. And if a completely cheap copy can be identified by the plastic crumbling in the hands and the cushioned ear cushions, then an expensive fake is identified only by direct comparison with the original. Because absolutely everything was subjected to cloning - from the headphones themselves to the box and its contents. In fairness, some fakes and sound comparable to the original, but in most cases the differences, to put it mildly, were present. Many made judgments about the sound of the Beats precisely on the masterpieces of Chinese mastered skill, and it turned out like in the old joke about Caruso ("Why do you all go crazy with him? Lisping, lisping, fake scary ... - And where did you hear Caruso? - Yes, I am Rabinovich something sang ").
And here we come to the most interesting. The fact is that Beats Electronics has been something of a virtual mobile carrier all these years. That is, people bought prestigious Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, and Monster Cable, headed by Noel Lee, developed, produced and sent them to store shelves. All models, which appeared from 2008 to 2012 (starting Beats by Dr. Dre Studio), until the last piece of cable were the brainchild of Monster. Of course, Dr.Dre personally listened to all the prototypes and gave wise advice, but ... you understand, yes? By the way, like Lady Gaga and other respected many performers, Dr. Dre was rather the media face of the brand, while Jimmy Iovine, an influential music producer who had worked with John Lennon, was responsible for answering business questions.
At the beginning of 2012, it was announced that the contract with Monster would not be renewed, and somewhere in August the familiar logo disappeared from the Beats boxes. He was replaced by the mention of Noel Lee as the author of the design. At the same time, Beats Electronics launched unprecedented advertising activities, putting up 2-3 stands with its headphones in each store of large retail chains and decorating all the most prestigious sites around the world with its advertisements. Colleagues in the shop gloomily envied, estimating the margin level of the company, allowing such expensive ways to promote.
Monster faced a difficult task of overcoming its own offspring in the same market. At CES-2012, a whole scattering of new headphones was presented, but they all had quite a tough positioning - for teenagers, for athletes, for fans of the Diesel clothing brand, for fashionistas, for glamorous girls ... There wasn’t enough universal mass model that - theoretically - could to suit everyone and everyone. Details of it became known in September 2012, when DNA headphones were presented at a private presentation at the IFA exhibition. To promote them, Monster has partnered with Viacom's media conglomerate. The latter belong to the television network MTV Networks, BET, cable channel Nickelodeon, and Viacom has a direct relationship to the film studios Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks.
The DNA abbreviation hides deoxyribonucleic acid, or, as it is more often called, DNA. This, I recall, is a macromolecule that provides storage, transmission from generation to generation and the implementation of a genetic program for the development and functioning of living organisms. This name allows Monster marketers to play beautifully with words, emphasizing the uniqueness of the headphones, hinting at the bright individuality of the future owner, or even claiming that "high-quality sound is in your DNA."
Monster DNA went on sale in the United States in October, but I could not buy them there until December, inclusive. Not delivered, sir. And only in December, one copy finally arrived for study. After listening to him, I realized that the review would be incomplete and generally meaningless if you do not compare DNA in it with similar Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. Just because they are designed with an eye on them. The retail price of DNA in the States is $ 199. Exactly the same cost Beats Solo HD, and, judging by this sign and the same impressive set of different colors of headphones, DNA came up with it against this model.
I turned to the representative office of Beats in Russia with a request to give a copy of the Solo HD to listen to. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to single out the one before the New Year, but I managed to quickly find the headphones through my channels. And then a funny thing happened: after the publication of the Solo HD photo on Facebook, the charming Zlata Vorontsova from Beats wrote that after leaving Monster, this model is released using a new two-driver technology that significantly improved the sound. Believing this statement, I put off writing a review and, taking my copy with me to the CES-2013 exhibition, one day I went to the Best Buy store. There are stands with Beats headphones and are given the opportunity to listen to them until you get bored. To some surprise of the sellers (however, passive), I took out my Solo HD and began to compare them with the display case. For ten minutes, the difference was not noticed. At all. Meanwhile, by all indications, they were already new - without the Monster logo on the headband. Well, if so, you can safely proceed to a comparative review of DNA and Beats Solo HD.
DNA, as Monster likes it, comes in a large box, where, in addition to the headphones themselves, there is a “cute bag” case, a branded wipe napkin (there is a feeling that this was done to advertise Monster cleaning products, because the headphones are not branded) and two cables. One simple, the second with a remote and a microphone, turning the headphones into a wired headset. The cable is not only removable, so you can still insert it into any of the cups, which one you like more. A free socket is proposed to be used to connect ... another headphone. For example, you want to listen to the music or soundtrack of a movie from one source together - you can use a serial connection. In total, the chain can connect up to five pairs of headphones, and the “closing” model can be any brand.
Beats Solo HD came to me without a box, but, after checking with my colleagues, I found out that everything was exactly the same - a case, two cables, but there was no napkin.
Outwardly, competing blood brothers are a little similar to each other, but, taking them in hand, you understand that they have one “hardware platform”, just at DNA it has been significantly upgraded. And so - painfully similar mechanism of folding and movement of the headband, except that in the DNA iron plate is rotated 180 degrees. Also in the DNA there was a funny click when folding the headphones.
Beats Solo HD
Monster DNA
DNA cushions are slightly harder than Solo HD, but this can only be determined by a good finger poking, and the ears are not noticed. Headphones on the head sit equally well, tightly and do not fly off with sudden movements. The only caveat is that DNA has a slightly smaller headband than Solo HD. My head, let's say, rather big, and the DNA sit on it, only if you push the headband to the maximum. Solo HD also has a decent margin. But DNA doesn’t have wiring visible to the naked eye - they are hidden under a plastic panel.
Posting Beats
And on the right cup there appeared an individual serial number, which, one should think, will speed up the warranty service and make it easier for you to prove that a particular pair of headphones belongs to it.
The design of headphones is worth evaluating when they are already worn on the head, because in the hands or on the table the headphones look quite different. Roughly speaking, it is like a hat - on a hanger it can look great, but you are somehow not very good. The Beats Solo HD, especially the red version, looks very appetizing on the table, but on my head they look slightly lop-like. He reminded himself of Gurvinek from the magazine "Funny Pictures". Although, most likely, it is precisely in the size of the head - the ear cushions are forced to bulge too much to follow the line of the skull.
The DNA cups are fixed at DNA, and therefore they can not bully with all intentions. The triangular shape on the head looks somewhat unusual, but, let's say, fresh. You can stand out a bit against the numerous owners of round headphones. About stand out - I'm not kidding. Target audience Solo HD and DNA are young people up to 27 years old inclusive. They still believe that you can stand out not only with your mind, but also with accessories.
Solo HD ear cans
At DNA, they are glued and are subject only to tear off "with meat"
The level of sound insulation of competitors is the same. They will save you from room and street noise, but they will not cope with the roar of the metro. Is that due to the twisting of the volume to maximum, but it is not very useful for the hearing aid.
And now the main thing - about the sound.
The Beats Solo HD is an improved version of the Beats Solo headphones, which are deservedly criticized for hyper bass bass and nothing else. The work on the errors was done noticeably: the basses remained, and quite natural mids were added to them. Unfortunately, the high hands still did not reach: they are virtually absent. Piccolo's all kinds of plates and flutes barely rustle in the back. Stereopanorama appeared, but, let's say, in a rather truncated form. If you strain your imagination, while listening to the recording of Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony performed by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan, you can imagine where the musician is sitting. But in general, it seems that the whole orchestra is going to use music in a smoking room. The volume margin is also insignificant: on the iPhone, you have to unscrew the level to maximum values, and on a quieter Galaxy S III in general, keep only the maximum, constantly catching yourself with the thought that I want to twist it again.
Against the background of “just headphones” for a thousand rubles, the Solo HD sounds good. But taking into account their price tag in the area of ​​seven thousand, you expect much more ...
When immediately after Solo HD you put on Monster DNA, it flashes in your head: “Wow! Wow!". Bass, medium, high - everything is in place! Stereopanorama - such! The volume reserve is gigantic, it hurts the ears to the maximum. Did Monster become so worried that for $ 200 they released the perfect headphones?
I continue to listen further and notice some ... unnaturalness in the sound. As if he is undergoing some kind of post-processing. I didn’t disassemble the headphones, but I’m willing to bet that a specially trained filter stands inside, which “accelerates” the stereo base and additionally boosts the high frequencies (there was a button with similar effect on the late Soviet tape recorders). There is no other way to explain this light “cartoonishness” of sound, because there are no such distortions from the flaws in the shape of the sound chamber or the poor quality of the speakers. It is, of course, great that the headphones are so smart. And, moreover, I am sure of 90 percent that most of the listeners will not notice these distortions, and maybe they will say thanks for them. But lovers of acoustic music to listen to DNA will be hard. Unless, of course, there are many such people among people under 27 ...
I let both pairs of headphones listen to Cyril Prokhotsky, the editor-in-chief of Stuff magazine and the secret audiophile. To the question: "What kind of headphones would you choose?", He answered - none. Because the Beats are about nothing at all, and Monster distorts the sound. When asking the question "either-or", he chose DNA.
In general, I agree with Cyril. Indeed, DNA compared to Solo HD is a significant step, but it was made not forward, but slightly to the side. By choosing "either-or", I vote for DNA. But if I had a wider choice, I would prefer just other headphones. For example, Diesel Vektr by Monster.
It seems to me that the “wow effect” in DNA was laid quite deliberately. Monster always puts up stands with its headphones in large stores, and with a blitz comparison with Beats DNA will certainly win. And they will be bought. And all sorts of nuances will emerge later or never at all, if a person is listening to a solid "electronics".
And, of course, the competition will not only be in sound. As O. Henry rightly noted at one time, only a few understand in half tones, but there are plenty of experts on prestigious brands in every smoking room (something is wedging me a little on smoking rooms, hmm). Beats by Dr.Dre for the mass buyer is cool, stylish and good. Monster DNA for him is still something not very clear. The company will have to do a lot of work in order to catch up and overtake the powerful media image created by itself. Look at it will be very interesting. And listen too.
Yes, I almost forgot. In Russia, DNA is not yet sold, but soon they will get to us. The retail price is not yet known, but most likely it will be at or slightly below the second hero of this post.
Whatever the Beats (in fact, we’ll talk about this below), this brand was the first to get the mass consumer to think about the quality of sound in headphones. Previously there was a rather narrow layer of so-called. audiophiles, hotly arguing about how white there should be noise, warming the cable from a freshly bought pair, and all other citizens obediently listened to the headphones that came with the player or smartphone. Or something for 600 rubles when they broke. And they thought that there was simply no better.
')
The Beats have convincingly proved what else happens. It turns out that on the road, music can sound, if not the same as on large home speakers, then it is quite comparable (large speakers can also be quite different). People versed in the subject knew this before, but, again, there were very few of them. But for the masses bass sound Beats was a real discovery. This, combined with skillful marketing activities, quickly made Beats by Dr.Dre iconic. I remember when I was just starting to write about portable audio, an old friend approached me with a request to help me buy Beats headphones at a good price. It turns out that in his son’s school, possession of such belongs to the main features of a high definition kid. And if you do not have Beats, it is very difficult to prove your worth (in all senses). I remember that in my childhood, such a means of quickly pumping out the uvazhuhi was a Montana digital watch with melodies.
The combination of "prestige + high price" immediately ran over the Chinese craftsmen, and soon the purchase of the original Beats became a non-trivial task. Aside from the jokes, I recently walked around the stores selling headphones, and found that there were fake “bits” out there eighty percent. And if a completely cheap copy can be identified by the plastic crumbling in the hands and the cushioned ear cushions, then an expensive fake is identified only by direct comparison with the original. Because absolutely everything was subjected to cloning - from the headphones themselves to the box and its contents. In fairness, some fakes and sound comparable to the original, but in most cases the differences, to put it mildly, were present. Many made judgments about the sound of the Beats precisely on the masterpieces of Chinese mastered skill, and it turned out like in the old joke about Caruso ("Why do you all go crazy with him? Lisping, lisping, fake scary ... - And where did you hear Caruso? - Yes, I am Rabinovich something sang ").
And here we come to the most interesting. The fact is that Beats Electronics has been something of a virtual mobile carrier all these years. That is, people bought prestigious Beats by Dr. Dre headphones, and Monster Cable, headed by Noel Lee, developed, produced and sent them to store shelves. All models, which appeared from 2008 to 2012 (starting Beats by Dr. Dre Studio), until the last piece of cable were the brainchild of Monster. Of course, Dr.Dre personally listened to all the prototypes and gave wise advice, but ... you understand, yes? By the way, like Lady Gaga and other respected many performers, Dr. Dre was rather the media face of the brand, while Jimmy Iovine, an influential music producer who had worked with John Lennon, was responsible for answering business questions.
At the beginning of 2012, it was announced that the contract with Monster would not be renewed, and somewhere in August the familiar logo disappeared from the Beats boxes. He was replaced by the mention of Noel Lee as the author of the design. At the same time, Beats Electronics launched unprecedented advertising activities, putting up 2-3 stands with its headphones in each store of large retail chains and decorating all the most prestigious sites around the world with its advertisements. Colleagues in the shop gloomily envied, estimating the margin level of the company, allowing such expensive ways to promote.
Monster faced a difficult task of overcoming its own offspring in the same market. At CES-2012, a whole scattering of new headphones was presented, but they all had quite a tough positioning - for teenagers, for athletes, for fans of the Diesel clothing brand, for fashionistas, for glamorous girls ... There wasn’t enough universal mass model that - theoretically - could to suit everyone and everyone. Details of it became known in September 2012, when DNA headphones were presented at a private presentation at the IFA exhibition. To promote them, Monster has partnered with Viacom's media conglomerate. The latter belong to the television network MTV Networks, BET, cable channel Nickelodeon, and Viacom has a direct relationship to the film studios Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks.
The DNA abbreviation hides deoxyribonucleic acid, or, as it is more often called, DNA. This, I recall, is a macromolecule that provides storage, transmission from generation to generation and the implementation of a genetic program for the development and functioning of living organisms. This name allows Monster marketers to play beautifully with words, emphasizing the uniqueness of the headphones, hinting at the bright individuality of the future owner, or even claiming that "high-quality sound is in your DNA."
Monster DNA went on sale in the United States in October, but I could not buy them there until December, inclusive. Not delivered, sir. And only in December, one copy finally arrived for study. After listening to him, I realized that the review would be incomplete and generally meaningless if you do not compare DNA in it with similar Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. Just because they are designed with an eye on them. The retail price of DNA in the States is $ 199. Exactly the same cost Beats Solo HD, and, judging by this sign and the same impressive set of different colors of headphones, DNA came up with it against this model.
I turned to the representative office of Beats in Russia with a request to give a copy of the Solo HD to listen to. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to single out the one before the New Year, but I managed to quickly find the headphones through my channels. And then a funny thing happened: after the publication of the Solo HD photo on Facebook, the charming Zlata Vorontsova from Beats wrote that after leaving Monster, this model is released using a new two-driver technology that significantly improved the sound. Believing this statement, I put off writing a review and, taking my copy with me to the CES-2013 exhibition, one day I went to the Best Buy store. There are stands with Beats headphones and are given the opportunity to listen to them until you get bored. To some surprise of the sellers (however, passive), I took out my Solo HD and began to compare them with the display case. For ten minutes, the difference was not noticed. At all. Meanwhile, by all indications, they were already new - without the Monster logo on the headband. Well, if so, you can safely proceed to a comparative review of DNA and Beats Solo HD.
DNA, as Monster likes it, comes in a large box, where, in addition to the headphones themselves, there is a “cute bag” case, a branded wipe napkin (there is a feeling that this was done to advertise Monster cleaning products, because the headphones are not branded) and two cables. One simple, the second with a remote and a microphone, turning the headphones into a wired headset. The cable is not only removable, so you can still insert it into any of the cups, which one you like more. A free socket is proposed to be used to connect ... another headphone. For example, you want to listen to the music or soundtrack of a movie from one source together - you can use a serial connection. In total, the chain can connect up to five pairs of headphones, and the “closing” model can be any brand.
Beats Solo HD came to me without a box, but, after checking with my colleagues, I found out that everything was exactly the same - a case, two cables, but there was no napkin.
Outwardly, competing blood brothers are a little similar to each other, but, taking them in hand, you understand that they have one “hardware platform”, just at DNA it has been significantly upgraded. And so - painfully similar mechanism of folding and movement of the headband, except that in the DNA iron plate is rotated 180 degrees. Also in the DNA there was a funny click when folding the headphones.
Beats Solo HD
Monster DNA
DNA cushions are slightly harder than Solo HD, but this can only be determined by a good finger poking, and the ears are not noticed. Headphones on the head sit equally well, tightly and do not fly off with sudden movements. The only caveat is that DNA has a slightly smaller headband than Solo HD. My head, let's say, rather big, and the DNA sit on it, only if you push the headband to the maximum. Solo HD also has a decent margin. But DNA doesn’t have wiring visible to the naked eye - they are hidden under a plastic panel.
Posting Beats
And on the right cup there appeared an individual serial number, which, one should think, will speed up the warranty service and make it easier for you to prove that a particular pair of headphones belongs to it.
The design of headphones is worth evaluating when they are already worn on the head, because in the hands or on the table the headphones look quite different. Roughly speaking, it is like a hat - on a hanger it can look great, but you are somehow not very good. The Beats Solo HD, especially the red version, looks very appetizing on the table, but on my head they look slightly lop-like. He reminded himself of Gurvinek from the magazine "Funny Pictures". Although, most likely, it is precisely in the size of the head - the ear cushions are forced to bulge too much to follow the line of the skull.
The DNA cups are fixed at DNA, and therefore they can not bully with all intentions. The triangular shape on the head looks somewhat unusual, but, let's say, fresh. You can stand out a bit against the numerous owners of round headphones. About stand out - I'm not kidding. Target audience Solo HD and DNA are young people up to 27 years old inclusive. They still believe that you can stand out not only with your mind, but also with accessories.
Solo HD ear cans
At DNA, they are glued and are subject only to tear off "with meat"
The level of sound insulation of competitors is the same. They will save you from room and street noise, but they will not cope with the roar of the metro. Is that due to the twisting of the volume to maximum, but it is not very useful for the hearing aid.
And now the main thing - about the sound.
The Beats Solo HD is an improved version of the Beats Solo headphones, which are deservedly criticized for hyper bass bass and nothing else. The work on the errors was done noticeably: the basses remained, and quite natural mids were added to them. Unfortunately, the high hands still did not reach: they are virtually absent. Piccolo's all kinds of plates and flutes barely rustle in the back. Stereopanorama appeared, but, let's say, in a rather truncated form. If you strain your imagination, while listening to the recording of Tchaikovsky's fourth symphony performed by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan, you can imagine where the musician is sitting. But in general, it seems that the whole orchestra is going to use music in a smoking room. The volume margin is also insignificant: on the iPhone, you have to unscrew the level to maximum values, and on a quieter Galaxy S III in general, keep only the maximum, constantly catching yourself with the thought that I want to twist it again.
Against the background of “just headphones” for a thousand rubles, the Solo HD sounds good. But taking into account their price tag in the area of ​​seven thousand, you expect much more ...
When immediately after Solo HD you put on Monster DNA, it flashes in your head: “Wow! Wow!". Bass, medium, high - everything is in place! Stereopanorama - such! The volume reserve is gigantic, it hurts the ears to the maximum. Did Monster become so worried that for $ 200 they released the perfect headphones?
I continue to listen further and notice some ... unnaturalness in the sound. As if he is undergoing some kind of post-processing. I didn’t disassemble the headphones, but I’m willing to bet that a specially trained filter stands inside, which “accelerates” the stereo base and additionally boosts the high frequencies (there was a button with similar effect on the late Soviet tape recorders). There is no other way to explain this light “cartoonishness” of sound, because there are no such distortions from the flaws in the shape of the sound chamber or the poor quality of the speakers. It is, of course, great that the headphones are so smart. And, moreover, I am sure of 90 percent that most of the listeners will not notice these distortions, and maybe they will say thanks for them. But lovers of acoustic music to listen to DNA will be hard. Unless, of course, there are many such people among people under 27 ...
I let both pairs of headphones listen to Cyril Prokhotsky, the editor-in-chief of Stuff magazine and the secret audiophile. To the question: "What kind of headphones would you choose?", He answered - none. Because the Beats are about nothing at all, and Monster distorts the sound. When asking the question "either-or", he chose DNA.
In general, I agree with Cyril. Indeed, DNA compared to Solo HD is a significant step, but it was made not forward, but slightly to the side. By choosing "either-or", I vote for DNA. But if I had a wider choice, I would prefer just other headphones. For example, Diesel Vektr by Monster.
It seems to me that the “wow effect” in DNA was laid quite deliberately. Monster always puts up stands with its headphones in large stores, and with a blitz comparison with Beats DNA will certainly win. And they will be bought. And all sorts of nuances will emerge later or never at all, if a person is listening to a solid "electronics".
And, of course, the competition will not only be in sound. As O. Henry rightly noted at one time, only a few understand in half tones, but there are plenty of experts on prestigious brands in every smoking room (something is wedging me a little on smoking rooms, hmm). Beats by Dr.Dre for the mass buyer is cool, stylish and good. Monster DNA for him is still something not very clear. The company will have to do a lot of work in order to catch up and overtake the powerful media image created by itself. Look at it will be very interesting. And listen too.
Yes, I almost forgot. In Russia, DNA is not yet sold, but soon they will get to us. The retail price is not yet known, but most likely it will be at or slightly below the second hero of this post.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/167071/
All Articles