Our Verdict
The Beats by Dr. Dre urBeats are basic in-ear headphones that do well in most use cases but do not have the best sound for critical listening.
- Minimal Leakage.
- Stable and portable design.
- Subpar audio reproduction.
- Mediocre build quality.
Mediocre for neutral listening. They're too bass heavy and have a poor soundstage due to their design. Therefore, they won't be the best headphones for an accurate audio reproduction and are not ideal for neutral listening. The sound quality may even be a deal breaker for some casual listeners.
Above-average for commuting. The passive seal of these headphones isolates well enough for moderately loud environments. However, they're not the most comfortable or durable headphones to use on a daily basis for your commutes.
Above-average for sports use. They're decently stable and very portable headphones. However, they do not have any stability enhancing tips, and they're also not wireless so the cable could get tangled or hooked on something
Average for office use. They don't leak much, thanks to their in-ear design and isolate well enough for a lively office.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Oct 02, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
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The Beats BeatsX Wireless are not directly comparable to the Beats urBeats Earphones since they are Bluetooth-only headphones, and the urBeats are wired. On the upside, the BeatsX are a much more versatile option than the urBeats. They sound better, they're more practical for every day casual use, and they come with more tip options than the urBeats, which makes them slightly more comfortable (but not by much). On the other hand, since the urBeats are wired, you won't have any battery life concerns, and they're a lot simpler to use.
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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