Hyped, but they really do deliver HD audio....
Replacing my trusty 5 year old V700's I wanted something more "audiophile". Finding quality headphones that you can use as home monitors, on the move interfacing with your iPhone or Blackberry with a mic and call/skip button, and for air travel with active noise cancellation, without draining your mp3 player battery with impedance north of 50 Ohms, was fruitless, until Beats.
However it is not the range of technical features and quality that surprises, it is the sound. They really do excel at providing a completely balanced and wonderfully rich and warm sound stage, at all volume levels. I would recommend these to anyone looking in this price bracket who is not averse to their super-slick-styling.
Listening to a bit of house, breaks, electronica, acoustic, rock, classical and country (I like Taylor Swift...) I found myself smiling and enjoying worn favorites all over again.... Beats are going to be really, really hard for the competition to beat, for a while at least, in this price class.
If you are in the market for noise canceling headphones, home monitors, or smart phone headphones, that provide an engaging sound stage and don't mind a bit of size, these are the phones you've been looking for. However, be warned you will require another $100 or so for Platinum Notes to re-master all of your mp3 tracks, as you will start to hear stark, but subtle differences between the recordings that will become apparent thanks to the excellence of reproduction in these cans. Monstrously Good/Dope/Sick!
