DISCLAIMER:
I would like to point out that I previously owned these headphones for about 20 days before deciding to return them because I wanted to get a different pait for travel purposes.
Ahhh, Beats: The most popular headphone among younger audiences.
Well, the be honest, the Beats Solo 3 are very good... If they were $100.
Before I get to the bad points of the headphones, let me point out some good points. One, they are easy to use. Though there is no skip track, the buttons on the left earcup are easy to use and the power button below the right earcup is easy-ish to use one you get used to its location. Second is bluetooth: they have an Apple optimized chip that allows for excellent connection. I put my device behind a wall and the music was still clear, but other headphones have better sound quality along with great sound quality (Bose QC 35's and Sony MDR - 1000Xs). Another strong point is that the passive noise cancelling is not bad, as it partially blocked out noise. Lastly really important strong point is that it looks VERY GOOD. A big factor in why people get these is that they look great, and that makes sense in the younger communities as 46% of teens say that their next choice of headphones will be beats (Source of study below, Study conducted June 1 2017).
Now the bad points. Here's my warning: DO NOT let the good points cushion the bad points that i'm about to put down, because I do not want you making the same mistake if you are interested in buying beats solely for sound.
Firstly, the Beats Solos 3 MSRP is $300. Now for $300 dollars, there are lots of good choices at that price point. Like the already popular Bose QC 35's and the Sony MDR - 1000X's which is quickly growing in popularity. Those two headphones are both worth it.
Also noise cancelling: the Solo3's are passive noise cancelling or isolation. For those that don't understand, they don't have any active technology that cancels the outside sounds (noise cancelling), or any active technology that isolates the inside sounds being created by the headphones and blocking out all other noise (noise isolation). Both the Bose QC 35's and the Sony MDR - 1000X have phenomenal noise cancelling, and also Audio Technica (not sure how many of you guys have heard of them) have great active noise cancelling headphones for a fraction of the price of the Beats MSRP.
Another weak point of the Solo 3's are that they are heavy. Now, weight is more important than you think. For longer listening sessions, this can create neck fatigue and end up in bad posture, and everyone knows that bad posture can lead to back problems.
Now before you blow your money on beats that sound like a fraction of the price they're listed for, check out some other options, especially those that I listed in this article.
Information pulled from:
http://www.statisticbrain.com/headphone-industry-market-share-statistics/