On-Ear Headphones
JBL Live 670NC
8.1/10SoundGuys scoreRead our review ›
0 of 1 would buy again
1 owner
The battery beat their expectations
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1 / 8Beats
Beats Solo 3
The Beats Solo3 Wireless held up well over the years, but is beginning to show its age.
Overall Rating & value for money
7.2/ 10
7.2
0.010.0
A 7.2 puts its overall rating in the top half of on-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 15 of the 62 we've cataloged.
6.2/ 10
6.2
0.010.0
A 6.2 puts its value for money in the bottom quarter of on-ear headphones we've measured.
Measured on 15 of the 62 we've cataloged.
See the lab data ↓Frequency response · Isolation · Audio quality
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Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
45.13 hAbove average45.13 h
12 h100 h
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 41 of 62 we've cataloged.
Full Charge Minutes
120 minAbove average120 min
2 min240 min
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 34 of 62 we've cataloged.
IP Rating
NoneMost commonNone73%IP549%IP559%Mil-std-810g9%
None is the most common — on 73% of the 11 on-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 62).
Weight
215 gAbove average215 g
57 g285 g
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 50 of 62 we've cataloged.
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 45.13 h
- Full Charge Minutes
- 120 min
- Charging Method
- Micro-USB
- Capacity
- 350 mAh
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- Yes
Build
- IP Rating
- None
- Material Chassis Primary
- Plastic
- Material Ear Cups
- Memory foam, Synthetic leather
- Water Resistance
- No
- Material Headband
- Metal with soft material underside
Design
- Weight
- 215 g
- Clamping Force
- 250-350 g
- Color Options
- Black (glossy), black (matte), grey, and other color variants
- Ear Pad Type
- Pleather foam
- Foldable
- Yes
- Headband Type
- Adjustable over-head
Connectivity
- Connection Type
- Bluetooth, wired-3.5mm
- Headphone Jack
- Yes
- Bluetooth Codec
- AAC, SBC
- Bluetooth Version
- Class 1
- Cable Type
- 3.5mm single-ended
- USB Charging
- Yes
Microphone
- Microphone
- Yes
- Noise Reduction Type
- None
Sound
- Acoustic Design
- Closed-back
- Driver Count
- 1
- Driver Type
- Dynamic
- Frequency Response Signature
- Bass-heavy with reduced treble
- Noise Cancellation Type
- None
Features
- Companion App
- No
- Control Type
- Physical buttons
- Voice Assistant Support
- Siri
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Beats Solo 3 Frequency Response (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Measured frequency response (dB relative) against the SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve. When the measurement goes above the dashed line, that frequency is louder than our preference curve, and when it goes below: it's quieter. Use the curve for comparison purposes only, as your taste may vary.
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 4.0 |
| 25 | 4.5 |
| 32 | 4.9 |
| 40 | 4.8 |
| 50 | 4.3 |
| 63 | 4.3 |
| 80 | 5.6 |
| 100 | 5.4 |
| 125 | 4.4 |
| 160 | 2.4 |
| 200 | 1.9 |
| 250 | 1.1 |
| 315 | -0.6 |
| 400 | -2.5 |
| 500 | -4.0 |
| 630 | -5.3 |
| 800 | -5.5 |
| 1000 | -4.2 |
| 1250 | -1.8 |
| 1600 | 1.0 |
| 2000 | 2.7 |
| 2500 | 4.6 |
| 3150 | 8.8 |
| 4000 | 9.0 |
| 5000 | 7.1 |
| 6300 | 7.2 |
| 8000 | 4.9 |
| 10000 | -1.2 |
| 12500 | -6.0 |
| 16000 | -17.0 |
| 20000 | -26.2 |
Beats Solo 3 Attenuation (measured on a B&K 5128)
Click a line or a legend entry to highlight it. Click again to clear.Tap a legend entry to highlight its line. Tap again to clear.
Solid lines: passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
| Frequency (Hz) | Attenuation (dB) |
|---|---|
| 21 | 9.3 |
| 26 | -5.6 |
| 33 | 0.8 |
| 41 | 0.4 |
| 52 | -0.4 |
| 65 | -0.1 |
| 82 | -0.2 |
| 103 | 0.2 |
| 130 | 0.8 |
| 163 | 0.9 |
| 205 | 0.7 |
| 259 | 1.1 |
| 325 | 3.0 |
| 410 | 4.1 |
| 516 | 5.8 |
| 613 | 7.4 |
| 772 | 9.1 |
| 972 | 10.5 |
| 1220 | 13.2 |
| 1540 | 14.0 |
| 1940 | 17.4 |
| 2440 | 21.7 |
| 3070 | 26.5 |
| 3870 | 15.9 |
| 4870 | 24.8 |
| 6130 | 28.1 |
| 7720 | 37.4 |
| 9720 | 31.6 |
| 12200 | 24.3 |
| 15400 | 37.1 |
| 19400 | 43.6 |
Beats Solo 3 MDAQS
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores, Scale 1 - 5
Mean opinion score
4.8
2.8
4.7
4.7
TimbreDistortionImmersivenessOverall
Virtual mean opinion scores (MOS) on a 1–5 scale, modeled from the measured response by HEAD acoustics’ MDAQS (Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Score) model. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
SoundGuys review
Isolation5.7
Battery life9.8
Comfort & fit7.5
Connectivity7.5
Design7.0
Portability7.7
The verdict
The Beats Solo3 Wireless is an old set of headphones but still works reliably well with iPhones, due to W1 chip integration and AAC support. Siri fanatics may want to look into the Beats Solo Pro noise canceling on-ear headphones; otherwise, the Beats Solo3 Wireless holds up well today with just a few features showing its age.
✓Liked: Class 1 Bluetooth, AAC support, W1 chip, Battery life, Fast Fuel charging
✕Could be better: Discomfort after one hour, Pain with glasses, microUSB charging, Dubious construction
Owners
How we verify ownersNobody who owns the Beats Solo 3 has written in yet.
Owner reviews are not paid for, not solicited from specific owners, and not rewritten by us: at most we proofread typos, which is shown on the review’s own page and which the author can undo. The commission SoundGuys may earn on this page comes from retail links, never from owner reviews.
Own the Beats Solo 3?
Three answers, four quick reads, one sentence nobody tells you before buying. Shown under a pseudonym. Sign-in needed to publish.
Questions from readers
What readers ask about the Beats Solo 3, answered by the people who own it.
Nobody has asked the owners yet.
Ask the first question →Features & Opinions
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Christian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.
Tom TriggsContributor
Adam BirneyManaging EditorBeats is dead. It just doesn't know it yet.Once the pulse of the headphone world, Beats is starting to flatline.Adam BirneyManaging EditorThe truth about lossless audio on Bluetooth speakers. It’s pointless.Spoiler alert: your mono beach speaker isn’t built for critical listening.Dave CarrVideo Producer/WriterI've reviewed headphones for over a decade: Here are 5 things I wish they did differentlyHeadphone companies: help me help youChristian ThomasEditor-at-large5 ways headphones are going to change in 2027Here's where things are headed.Christian ThomasEditor-at-largeWired vs wireless headphones: Which should you buy?Wired headphones do not automatically sound better.Tom TriggsContributorMore On-Ear Headphones
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