The Beats Solo 4 are the next generation of the Beats Solo3 2019. While Beats is more known for its premium products, these cans sit as a lower-end option for those who prefer an on-ear fit. They maintain all their predecessors' sleek, colorful design elements but with some small improvements, like a built-in digital-analog converter (DAC), USB-C audio support, and Android quick-pairing. However, if you've been waiting for a successor to the Beats Solo Pro, you may be disappointed, especially since this fourth-gen model doesn't support active noise cancelling (ANC).
Our Verdict
The Beats Solo 4 are decent for sports and fitness. They're lightweight, stable on-ear, and have a decently comfortable fit. Using them wirelessly also helps reduce the chances of something snagging the headphones off your head. Plus, they come in a couple of different colorways, so you can stand out at the gym. Unfortunately, they don't have an IP rating for water resistance, but that's not uncommon for on-ear headphones.
- Well-built and decently comfortable.
- Long-lasting battery life.
- Poor noise isolation.
- No IP rating.
The Beats Solo 4 are adequate for travel. They're a little bulky but lightweight and can fold into a more compact shape, allowing you to store them in their carrying case. They're also decently comfortable and last over 48 hours continuously, which will be more than enough for long days on the go. Unfortunately, they don't have noise cancelling, and as a result, they struggle to block out background noise like the rumble of plane or train engines.
- Well-built and decently comfortable.
- Long-lasting battery life.
- USB audio available.
- Disappointing mic performance.
- Poor noise isolation.
- No IP rating.
The Beats Solo 4 are acceptable for office use. These flashy cans have a decently comfortable fit and have a long enough battery life to get you through your week without needing a recharge. That said, they have a few caveats: they don't have ANC and struggle to passively block out background noise like talkative coworkers. They don't support multi-device pairing either, so you can only stay connected to your PC or smartphone, not both.
- Well-built and decently comfortable.
- Long-lasting battery life.
- USB audio available.
- Disappointing mic performance.
- No multi-device pairing.
- Poor noise isolation.
The Beats Solo 4 are Bluetooth-only headphones. Their latency is too high to be used for this purpose unless you like lip-sync mismatch.
The Beats Solo 4 are decent for wired gaming. Using them with their analog cable will only give you audio support, but you can pass through audio and mic signals via their USB cable. Their balanced, slightly bright sound is well-suited for dialogue-centric gameplay like party banter or instrumentals like sweeping cinematic cutscenes. That said, they lack the utility of customization features found on dedicated gaming headsets. Their integrated mic also offers a disappointing overall performance, so these aren't the best choice if you like to chat to other gamers while playing.
- Well-built and decently comfortable.
- Long-lasting battery life.
- USB audio available.
- Disappointing mic performance.
- No sound customization features.
- Poor noise isolation.
The Beats Solo 4 have very good audio reproduction accuracy. These on-ears differ greatly from Beats' bass-heavy reputation over the years: they're slightly bright, with flat bass and mid-range and a gently boosted treble that adds detail to sounds like voices. Their left and right drivers are well matched, so panned instruments are accurately rendered in the stereo image. Plus, low harmonic distortion levels mean you won't notice any unwanted coloration at normal or elevated listening levels. As on-ears, they don't produce audio that feels like it's coming from two speakers in a room. Your audio feels as though it's coming from inside your head.
The Beats Solo 4 have a poor noise isolation performance. They lack active noise cancelling (ANC) and so rely on their passive seal to block out noise. Unfortunately, they don't block out much at all, so you'll hear rumbly bus engines loud and clear, and chatty coworkers will only slightly have their noise reduced. On the plus side, they don't leak much audio, and what does leak out is thin.
The Beats Solo 4 have a sub-par microphone. The mic makes your voice sound muffled and distant and doesn't separate your voice from the noise around you very well, so if you take calls in a noisy environment, the person on the other end may have trouble understanding you against the background noise.
The Beats Solo 4 have amazing frequency response consistency. Since they're on-ears, you'll want to take a moment to seat them correctly on your head when first putting them on each time, but having done so, you can expect consistent sound with each wear.
Performance Usages
Changelog
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Updated Mar 12, 2026:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
- Updated Mar 12, 2026: This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.1, which removes the Group Delay test, and rebalances scoring for the Harmonic Distortion test and Audio Reproduction Accuracy performance usage. For more details, consult our full changelog.
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Updated Dec 01, 2025:
This review has been updated to Test Bench 2.0, which adds the following tests: Stereo Mismatch, Group Delay, Cumulative Spectral Decay, PRTF, Harmonic Distortion, and Electrical Aspects. We've added new performance usages and updated the text throughout the Sound tests and side-by-sides.
- Updated Nov 18, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 2.1, which features minor updates to our sound tests.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Beats Solo 4 come in a few different colorways: 'Matte Black,' 'Slate Blue,' 'Black/Gold,' and 'Cloud Pink.' We tested the Slate Blue colorway; you can see our model's label here. If you come across another variant of these headphones, let us know in the comments, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Beats Solo 4 are the 2024 successor of the Beats Solo3 2019, and while nearly five years have passed since the last update, the most significant change is in their sound. They're a lot more neutral-sounding, which fans of Beats' previous bassy offerings may find a tad disappointing, but it's a win for those looking for something more balanced. Like the Beats Studio Pro Wireless, they also have a built-in DAC and support USB-C audio, so you can listen to high-quality, lossless audio. One Touch Pairing and Quick Pair replace the H1 chip as well, so it's still simple to connect the headphones to your iOS or Android device. Unfortunately, if you were hoping to upgrade from your noise cancelling Beats Solo Pro, you may want to hold off since the Solo 4 don't have an ANC system.
Check out our picks for the best on-ear headphones, the best headphones for running, and the best wireless Bluetooth headphones.
The Beats Solo 4 are from a newer generation than the Beats Studio3 Wireless and benefit from a few technological upgrades in the intervening years, such as USB-C audio, twice the battery life, and Apple Spatial Audio compatibility, to name a few. The Solo 4 also output a more consistent sound with a more balanced, slightly bright sound profile. On the other hand, the Studio3 Wireless fit over-ears (which some find more comfortable than the on-ear fit of the Solo 4), and they have a warmer tuning that's more akin to earlier Beats, which sounds muddier and duller than the Solo 4. The Studio3 Wireless are also the only pair with ANC, and although it's not super effective, it cuts low-pitched noises more than the Solo 4 isolates.
The Beats Solo Pro and the Beats Solo 4 have different strengths, and depending on your preferences, you may like one of the other. The Solo Pro have the edge over the newer Solo 4 if you're looking for noise cancelling. Only the Solo Pro have an ANC system, and they do a significantly better job of reducing ambient sound around you. They also have an H1 chip for seamless pairing with iOS devices, though the Solo 4 support their own quick pair feature with both iOS and Android. That said, the Solo 4 support Spatial Audio and can be used via analog or USB in addition to Bluetooth. Their battery life is longer, too.
The JBL Live 670NC offer more customization and extra features than the Beats Solo 4. While both on-ears are similarly comfortable and well-built, the JBL have companion app support, including a parametric EQ and presets, and they have ANC. While it does a mediocre job of blocking out background noise, it's still better than the Beats' passive capabilities. They also support multi-device pairing and have a significantly longer continuous playback time. However, the Beats have a more balanced sound profile, which some users may prefer, and can also be used via a wired USB connection.
The Beats Studio Pro are the over-ear counterpart of the Beats Solo 4, which are on-ear headphones. Both have a similar sound, but only the Studio Pro have a couple of EQ presets when using their built-in DAC via USB. The Studio Pro also have noise cancelling and can block out a good amount of ambient sound so that you can focus on your audio. However, the Solo 4 are cheaper and offer similar levels of comfort and build quality.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
Test Results
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