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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 16 of the 63 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 16 of the 63 we've cataloged.
Key specs
Battery Life Wireless
45.13 hAbove average40 h
7 h82 h
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 42 of 63 we've cataloged.
IP Rating
NoneMost commonNone67%IP548%IP558%IPX48%
None is the most common — on 67% of the 12 on-ear headphones we've cataloged (of 63).
Weight
215 gAbove average215 g
6 g318 g
above average for on-ear headphones — based on 52 of 63 we've cataloged.
Battery
- Battery Life Wireless
- 45.13 h
- Charging Method
- Micro-USB
- Battery
- Yes
- Fast Charging
- Yes
Build
- IP Rating
- None
- Material Chassis Primary
- Plastic
- Water Resistance
- No
- Material Headband
- Metal with rubber padding
Design
- Weight
- 215 g
- Color Options
- Black (shiny), black (matte), silver, gold, rose gold, white, purple
- 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
- Frequency Response Signature
- Bass-forward with laid-back treble
- Noise Cancellation Type
- None
Features
- Companion App
- No
- Control Type
- Physical buttons
- Voice Assistant Support
- Siri, Google Assistant
SoundGuys review
Read the full 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.
✓What we like
✓Class 1 Bluetooth, AAC support
✓W1 chip
✓Battery life
✓Fast Fuel charging
✓Connection stability
✕What could be better
✕Discomfort after one hour
✕Pain with glasses
✕microUSB charging
✕Dubious construction
Lab data
How we test ›Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.
Beats Solo 3SoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve
Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.
Frequency response — measurement data
| Frequency (Hz) | Response (dB) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 8.3 |
| 25 | 8.8 |
| 32 | 9.1 |
| 40 | 9.1 |
| 50 | 8.6 |
| 63 | 8.6 |
| 80 | 9.9 |
| 100 | 9.7 |
| 125 | 8.7 |
| 160 | 6.7 |
| 200 | 6.2 |
| 250 | 5.4 |
| 315 | 3.7 |
| 400 | 1.8 |
| 500 | 0.3 |
| 630 | -1.0 |
| 800 | -1.3 |
| 1000 | 0.1 |
| 1250 | 2.5 |
| 1600 | 5.3 |
| 2000 | 6.9 |
| 2500 | 8.9 |
| 3150 | 13.1 |
| 4000 | 13.3 |
| 5000 | 11.4 |
| 6300 | 11.5 |
| 8000 | 9.2 |
| 10000 | 3.0 |
| 12500 | -1.8 |
| 16000 | -12.7 |
| 20000 | -21.9 |
Beats Solo 3
Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.
Passive isolation — measurement data
| 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
4.8
2.8
4.7
4.7
Multi-Dimensional Audio Quality Scores (1–5), modeled from the measured response. Higher is better across timbre, distortion, and immersiveness — add other models to see where this one lands.
Features & Opinions
More from the team ›Commentary and deep dives from the SoundGuys editorial team.
I've reviewed headphones for over a decade: Here are 5 things I wish they did differentlyHeadphone companies: help me help you
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
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 TriggsContributorMore On-Ear Headphones
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