The Beats Solo3 2019 Wireless are the update to the Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless. These colorful on-ear headphones have kept the well-built and iconic design that's emblematic of Beats' brand, as well as the same W1 chip as their predecessor for seamless pairing with Apple devices. With this updated version, their companion app is now compatible with Android devices, although it still doesn't offer much functionality. Unfortunately, while this new edition have an AUX port, they've done away with the AUX cable included with the 2018 model.
Our Verdict
The Beats Solo 3 are satisfactory for neutral sound. They have a bass-heavy sound profile, which muddies vocals and lead instruments. Their companion app also doesn't allow you to customize their sound profile to better suit your needs either. Their treble range is better balanced than their predecessor, so vocals and lead instruments sound clear and present. They're also consistent in their audio delivery as long as you ensure they're well-placed on your head.
- Good build quality.
- No EQ.
The 2019 edition of the Beats Solo 3 are okay for commuting and travel. While these on-ears are comfortable, they have a tight fit, which can become fatiguing when worn for several hours at a time. They barely block out bass-range noise like bus engines or passing traffic, and their bulky design can be hard to take with you on the go. On the upside, they offer over 38 hours of continuous playback time, so they easily last through long-distance plane trips.
- Long continuous playback time.
- Good build quality.
- Some leakage at higher volumes.
- Poor noise isolation.
The Beats Solo 3 are decent for sports and fitness. However, like most on-ear fits, they can easily fall off your head during moderate exercise. They're also bulky and can shift with dynamic movements. However, they feel durable enough to survive a few accidental drops if you bring them to the gym, and their wireless design means you won't get them caught on any equipment.
- Good build quality.
- Bulky design.
The 2019 model of the Beats Solo 3 are passable for office use. They're comfortable, but some users won't like their tight on-ear fit. They also don't support multi-device pairing and leak some audio at high volumes, which can annoy your coworkers. You can't block out noisy deskmates either since these have no ANC and poor passive noise isolation. They have a continuous battery life of over 38 hours, so you don't need to worry about charging them so often.
- Long continuous playback time.
- Good build quality.
- Some leakage at higher volumes.
- Poor noise isolation.
The Beats Solo 3 aren't recommended for wireless gaming. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency will be too high for gaming. They also aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles.
The Beats Solo 3 are Bluetooth headphones. While they can be used with a wired connection, Beats doesn't include a TRS cable in the box.
The Beats Solo 3 Wireless are mediocre for phone calls. Their integrated mic has an alright recording quality, and your voice sounds natural, although slightly thin and muffled. However, it struggles to separate your voice from even moderately noisy environments, so you may need to take calls in quieter spaces. These headphones also struggle to reduce noise around you, making it hard for you to hear whoever's on the other line.
- Good build quality.
- Poor noise isolation.
Changelog
- Updated May 31, 2024: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the Beats Solo 4 Wireless in Sound Profile.
- Updated May 24, 2024: We've added a comparison between these headphones and the JBL Live 670NC Wireless in Bluetooth Connection.
- Updated Feb 14, 2024: This review was updated to include the 'Gold' and 'Silver' variants and to add new comparisons with the Sony WH-1000XM4, Beats Studio Wireless, Sony WH-CH720N, JBL Live 660NC, and Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation). Minor text changes were made throughout.
- Updated Oct 11, 2023: We've updated the Sports and Fitness verdict and Stability text to improve their clarity.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the 'Club Red' variant of the Beats Solo 3, which was part of Beats' limited edition, and now discontinued, 'Club Collection'. This collection included the following colorways: 'Club Navy', 'Club Red', 'Club White', 'Club Yellow'. These variants differ from the original 2018 model only in style, as they have a color-block design. Over the years, more simple colorways have been added, and you can find these headphones in the following variants: 'Gold', 'Matte Black', 'Rose Gold', 'Satin Silver', 'Silver', and 'PRODUCT(RED) Citrus Red'. While they look and perform similarly to the 2018 edition, they don't have a 1/8" TRS cable in the box.
If you come across another variant, please let us know in the forums, and we'll update our review.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
Not much has changed between these headphones and their predecessor, the Beats Solo3 2018 Wireless. They perform very similarly in terms of battery life, design, and sound profile. Just like the 2018 model, they also have a W1 chip, making it easy to seamlessly pair with Apple devices. However, Beats doesn't include a TRS audio cable in the box anymore, meaning if you want to listen to audio passively, you need to supply the cable yourself. The Beats Studio Pro Wireless represent the next upgrade after a few years in between the release of both headphones, adding active noise cancellation. They have an over-ear fit, rather than on-ear, and are overall a better choice if you're looking for Beats headphones.
Check out our recommendations for the best Beats headphones, the best wireless Bluetooth headphones, and the best bass headphones.
The Beats Studio3 Wireless are better headphones than the Beats Solo3 2019. The Studio3 are over-ear headphones that are more comfortable and have a good-performing ANC feature. However, the Solo3 2019 deliver audio more consistently and have a better battery performance. Some users may also prefer their bass-heavy sound profile.
The Beats Solo Pro and the Beats Solo3 2019 are headphones with different strengths, and depending on your usage, you may prefer one over the other. The Solo Pro are more suitable for casual and office use. They feel better built, their sound profile is more neutral, and they have a great ANC to help cut down ambient noise around you. However, the Solo3 2019 have a better battery performance and a bass-heavy sound profile, which some users may like. They're better suited for sports, as their fit is more stable.
The Sony WH-1000XM4 are much better by most metrics than the Beats Solo3 2019. With the Sony you get active noise cancelling, better connectivity with multi-device pairing, and LDAC codec support. Both are bassy headphones, but only the Sony have EQ in the capable app. They are discontinued, however, which can make it hard to find a pair. The Beats are on-ear headphones and do a poor job of blocking noise, and while you can connect them over Bluetooth or analog, they don't include a TRS cable. They have a W1 chip for seamless integration and device switching with Apple devices, but the app is very sparse.
If you like very bass-heavy headphones, the Skullcandy Crusher Evo Wireless are better than the Beats Solo3 2019. The Skullcandy cans have a unique haptic bass slider and fit over-ears. Their mic is a bit better sounding. The companion app has slightly more customized sound options but higher latency. The Beats are more stable and fit on-ears. Thanks to their W1 chip they have lower latency with Apple devices. They use the older micro USB charging port but have a slightly longer battery life. However, you can't change their default sound profile, which is somewhat muddy.
Test Results
These on-ear headphones look identical to the previous model. They have a sleek and curved look with no sharp edges, and a recessed manufacturer's logo is on either ear cup. They were originally available in several multicolor designs as part of the now discontinued 'Club Collection.' Since then, they're only available in: 'Gold,' 'Matte Black,' 'Rose Gold,' 'Satin Silver,' 'Silver,' and 'PRODUCT(RED) Citrus Red.'
The Beats Solo 3 feel decently comfortable. The ear cups are well-padded, but their clamping force can cause fatigue over time, depending on the shape of your head. Their headband doesn't have much padding, so it doesn't feel comfortable enough for long listening sessions as it puts pressure on the top of your head. If you wear glasses, the on-ear fit, in combination with the clamping force, can cause discomfort when your ears are pressed against the arms of the glasses.
These headphones have alright controls. Most of the physical controls are on the outside of the left ear cup and are built into the logo's design. They feel very responsive and clicky, which helps you know when you've properly entered a command. However, the headphones lack any L/R indication on the ear cups, making it difficult to quickly know which side the controls are on.
The inner 'b' button:
- Single press: Plays and pauses audio. Also answers and ends calls.
- Double press: Skips the track forward.
- Triple press: Skips the track backward.
- Press and hold: Activates voice assistant.
The outer circle button:
- Single press on the top side: Raises the volume.
- Single press on the bottom side: Lowers the volume.
Power button on the right ear cup:
- Single press: Turns the headphones on and off.
- Press and hold: Puts them into pairing mode.
These headphones have okay portability. They have hinges to fold up slightly to take up less space, making it easier to slide them into your bag. However, they're still bulky, especially if you put them in their case, and the ear cups don't rotate lay flat either.
These headphones have a good soft case. It has a zipper to keep your headphones fully enclosed, and the material feels thick. It'll protect your headphones from dust, scratches, and minor falls but won't shield them from water damage or moderate drops. It's also pretty bulky, which makes it hard to take them on the go.
These headphones have good build quality. They're made from sturdy and premium-feeling plastic and have metal joints for folding. The faux leather padding also feels plush. However, the outer shell feels a little rigid and could crack if bent.
The 2019 model of the Beats Solo 3 have a stable fit, just like the last generation model. If you're listening to audio at your desk or during a walk in the park, they won't move around or shift much in positioning. They also don't have any cables to catch on something and pull them off your head. However, they're not the best choice for high-intensity workouts like box jumps, as they can fall off with large head movements.
The Beats Solo 3 have a bass-heavy sound profile that delivers intense thump and boom to genres like EDM and hip-hop. The extra bass clutters vocals and lead instruments, which are already nudged back in the mix. While the treble response isn't recessed, due to the tuning's low-end emphasis, the cymbals and upper harmonics sound warm and less detailed. Unfortunately, their companion app doesn't offer any way to customize their sound. If you're looking for more neutral sounding on-ears, you'll want to check out the Beats Solo 4 Wireless, which are the next generation of these headphones.
The Beats Solo 3 have a good frequency response consistency. If you have thick hair or wear glasses, you may experience a slight drop in bass. Treble delivery is more noticeably inconsistent depending on fit and position, though. However, once you get a good fit, you can achieve a more consistent sound.
These headphones have passable bass accuracy. It's overemphasized across the entire range, so EDM songs like Hand in the Fire by Mr. Oizo feat. Charli XCX have lots of thump and rumble. However, if you don't like extra bass, you'll find your mixes sound overly bloated.
These headphones have very good mid accuracy. There's overemphasis continuing from the bass range into the low-mid, making mixes sound muddy and cluttered. A dip in the mid-mid also nudges vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, an effect made more noticeable by the exaggerated bass. However, the high-mid is very neutral, resulting in clear and present vocals and instruments.
The treble accuracy is excellent. Harmonics and sibilants like T and S sounds and cymbals, sound detailed and clear.
These headphones have satisfactory peaks and dips performance. The left and right drivers are mismatched in the low-bass and mid-bass, which means that the left driver produces more thump and rumble than the right driver. Luckily, outside of the bass range, the L/R drivers are fairly well-matched. There's a big peak between the high bass to the low mid, resulting in a boomy, muddy sound. The dip in the mid-mid pushes vocals and lead instruments to the back of the mix, while a couple of peaks in the low treble add a bit of harshness. Another peak in the mid-treble makes sibilants piercing. Overall, the headphones don't demonstrate especially impressive control over their sound profile.
The Beats Solo 3 have great imaging. Although we've tested a couple of headphones from Beats that have less than stellar imaging performances, like the Beats Studio3 Wireless and Beats Studio Buds + True Wireless, these products seem to be outliers. Generally, Beats has good quality control and ergonomics, which ensure proper driver matching. Our unit's L/R drivers are also well-matched. The weighted group delay is below the audibility threshold, resulting in a tight bass and transparent treble reproduction. The drivers are also very well-matched in phase, amplitude, and frequency response, which is important to accurately place objects like voices and instruments in the stereo image.
The Beats Solo 3 have a poor passive soundstage. Due to their on-ear design, they have limited interaction with your outer ear, which is one of the factors in creating a large and out-of-head soundstage. As a result, sound seems like it's coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you. These headphones also have a closed-back design, so their soundstage is perceived as less open and spacious than open-back headphones.
The weighted harmonic distortion performance is impressive. All frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in a clean and pure audio reproduction.
These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid for these test settings.
The Beats Solo 3 have poor noise isolation performance. They block out almost nothing from the bass range and struggle to cut down mid-range noise, which will frustrate commuters looking for a reprieve from loud bus engines and chatty passengers. They do a bit better with higher-pitched noise, like the whir of a PC fan.
This is expected for on-ear headphones with passive-only isolation because they rely on clamping force to press against your ears to seal out noise, along with the isolating properties of the ear pads. Too much force and headphones become uncomfortable, even if they possibly isolate better. Over-ears like the Beats Studio Pro Wireless demonstrate that sealing around the entire ear isolates better.
These headphones have a mediocre leakage performance. A significant portion of their leakage is in the treble range, so escaping audio sounds thin. If you like to listen to your audio at a high volume, people around you will likely hear it.
The integrated mic's recording quality is okay. Your voice sounds a bit thin, slightly nasal, and muffled. The audio quality has audible compression. The person on the other end of the line may have a little bit of trouble hearing you clearly.
The mic's noise handling is sub-par. It struggles to separate your voice from ambient noise, even in moderately loud environments. If you take a call from a busy street, your voice is drowned out.
These headphones have great battery performance. The manufacturer advertises them to have 40 hours of continuous playback, and we measured just over 38 hours, so they'll last through a few workdays without needing a recharge. However, battery life can vary depending on use. They also have a 'Fast Fuel' quick-charge feature, which can deliver three hours of continuous battery life after being charged for five minutes, according to the manufacturer. You can use these headphones wired via their AUX port if you want to save power, too. Unfortunately, a 1/8" TRS cable isn't included in the box, which is disappointing. They also use the older micro USB standard for charging, which might be annoying if all your devices have the updated USB-C standard and you don't want to carry another charging cable.
These headphones have a disappointing companion app. The Beats app is a built-in pop-up on iOS devices that displays basic battery information when you first connect with your device, which is convenient but doesn't offer much more. It doesn't come with a graphic EQ or presets, so you can't adjust the sound to suit your tastes. There's a Find My Beats feature. You can download this app for Android, but it offers the same minimal functionality.
These headphones have satisfactory Bluetooth connectivity. While they don't have multi-device or NFC pairing and run on an old Bluetooth version, they have a W1 chip, making it easy to seamlessly pair with other Apple products and switch between Apple devices on the same iCloud account. If you're looking for a pair of on-ears with Bluetooth multipoint connectivity, it's worth checking out the JBL Live 670NC Wireless instead. Owing to the W1 chip, they have the least audio lag with Apple devices, although you'll still experience video out of sync with audio. If you want to use them with PCs, you'll notice a lot more latency, which can be disruptive when streaming video. Some devices and apps compensate for latency differently.
These headphones only come with a USB-A to micro USB charging cable. However, while they have an AUX port and support an analog connection, they don't come with a 1/8" TRS cable, which is an odd omission.
These headphones are fully compatible with Bluetooth-enabled PCs for audio and microphone support. You can also use a 1/8" TRS cable to connect them via analog, but this cable doesn't come in the box, and you can only receive audio.
You can connect these headphones to PS4 and PS5 consoles via an analog connection. However, you can only receive audio and need to buy this cable separately. If you need to strategize with friends, you'll need headphones with a compatible mic.
You can only use these headphones wired with Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. You can only receive audio, and the cable isn't included in the box. You won't have mic support if you need to speak with friends during gameplay.