Bose vs. Beats by Dre

[mmackeymouse]

Hey guys! I am in the market for a nice set of earphones. I prefer over the ear headphones to earbuds, which I have currently. So, I have decided that if I am going to get headphones, I want to get good ones.

Which leads me to Bose and Beats by Dre

Both are rather pricy, Bose slightly less than Beats.

I have no doubt about Bose quality, having owned Bose products in the past (though never headphones) That said, their headphones are pretty standard. Black, white, silver.

Now, Beats is a wild card for me, because I am unsure of the quality. I have tried them before, and they seemed to be made a little...chintzy to me (these were the basic headphones....the higher up versions seem to be more substantial) But, I see all those commercials, "Anything can happen" and they have all the neat colors...and I want to dance around in my pretty headphones too. Haha.

Has anyone owned one or the other and can recommend or not recommend? Or have you owned both and had a preference?

 

[Albort]

my cousin has had some experience with both, and he told me that Bose is great for like classical type music, while Beats by Dre is great for like hip hop and such. So i guess it varies by what type of music. Not sure how true this is. maybe someone else with experience can shed some light.

 

[skatalite]

Beats by Dre are trash. Overpriced, flimsy, horrid quality all around. Avoid.

That said, I also don't like Bose. Too much midrange and the prices are laughable.

You didn't mention your price range, and you didn't mention what you'd use them for (editing, music, movies), so I'll recommend stuff all over the board:

- JVC Flats, at about $20
- Grado SR 60i, at about $80
- Shure SRH440, at about $100
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50, at about $150
- Sennheiser RS 180 (wireless), at about $300

I personally own the Flats, Grado and Sennhesier. I can recommend those the most for general listening, with the nod going to the Grado.

 

[shortbun]

Beats fall apart easily and are bass heavy. Bose are a little sturdier, a little less expensive and best for music other than hip-hop/rap although my son prefers them to beats and mostly listens to hip-hop/rap. He recently directed me to an all purpose pair of skull candy which were about $60 and although I don't expect them to last forever, they have great ear coverage and are super comfortable.

 

[SpecialK]

My son wanted Beats until he actually listened to them. They're so bass-heavy they distort everything. He tried the Bose, but ending up getting Soul by Ludacris. I've listened to them and they have good sound. He went to Best Buy and listened to all of them before making a decision.

 

[gracie1]

I have beats. I listened to both but loved the beats! A lot of people have said they fall apart but I've had mine since they first came out and not had a problem.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Sennheiser is one of the best around. And they have good headphones and really decent prices. It all depends on what your requirements are. I'm not really sure you need to spend $200 on headphones unless you work with audio professionally...

 

[Domo]

Sennheiser.

 

[ChrisFL]

Bose or beats? Neither.

Sennheiser I've heard good things about.

 

[SandrA9810]

Sennheiser here as well. Even their older stuff holds its value pretty well. My boyfriend has small over the ear set that fold up. He spent $20 just to get replacement ear pads than give them up.

Beats, Soul, Bose, and any of those with extensive advertising, you are paying for the name and commercials on TV, not quality. Sennheiser on the other hand cost just as much, but you're paying for quality and not advertising or endorsements.

 

[Micca]

Beats by Dre are trash. Overpriced, flimsy, horrid quality all around. Avoid.

That said, I also don't like Bose. Too much midrange and the prices are laughable.

You didn't mention your price range, and you didn't mention what you'd use them for (editing, music, movies), so I'll recommend stuff all over the board:

- JVC Flats, at about $20
- Grado SR 60i, at about $80
- Shure SRH440, at about $100
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50, at about $150
- Sennheiser RS 180 (wireless), at about $300

I personally own the Flats, Grado and Sennhesier. I can recommend those the most for general listening, with the nod going to the Grado.

ITA. Something to consider about headphones: If the headband is plastic and it breaks, you're done. If you're going to be mobile with your headphones throwing them in a bag or backpack, etc. I think the headband is a major consideration.

One positive about Bose is that they are about the best at noise-cancellation. However, noise cancellation messes with the sound of the music. Unless I'm on a plane (seldom) I don't like it. And they're still over-priced.

 

[crazyme5kids]

My son wanted Beats for Christmas, so before spending a couple of hundred dollars on them I had my husband ask a few sound guys what they would recommend .

The general consensus was that for personal use they said (and they used) Bose over most others. These are guys who work in the concert industry, so I trusted their judgement.

I don't remember off hand which model headset it was, but it isn't the one I see at Costco etc... I think I paid around $300.00 or $350.00 for them.

Good luck deciding. I was making myself crazy researching them before asking my husband to go talk to the pros.

 

[nmmom95]

DS15 has Beats and likes them, but he likes heavy bass. He uses them a lot and they have held up well. He's had them for about a year and a half.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I love my Beats but I also listen to a lot of hip hop/rap, dance, electronic and the like, basically everything that sounds great with good bass. I also have Bose ear buds which I love too and keep for everyday use.

 

[mr.bungle]

Beats by Dre are trash. Overpriced, flimsy, horrid quality all around. Avoid.

That said, I also don't like Bose. Too much midrange and the prices are laughable.

You didn't mention your price range, and you didn't mention what you'd use them for (editing, music, movies), so I'll recommend stuff all over the board:

- JVC Flats, at about $20
- Grado SR 60i, at about $80
- Shure SRH440, at about $100
- Audio-Technica ATH-M50, at about $150
- Sennheiser RS 180 (wireless), at about $300

I personally own the Flats, Grado and Sennhesier. I can recommend those the most for general listening, with the nod going to the Grado.

I agree. Also, all the above listed examples are far less expensive than Bose or Beats. Beats are successful because of marketing, not because of quality. Bose are laughed at within the audio community.

If you're looking for earbuds I recommend Klipsch S4i.

 

[ilovemk76]

Sennheiser.

 

[mmackeymouse]

Thanks guys, I checked out the Sennheisers.

I know this sounds stupid and a little childish, but I do want some headphones that "look cool." Part of what I like about the beats is they are very "in." Quality-wise though, I know Bose is highly respected as well.

I did find a few Sennheisers that fit the look I was going for. A couple got not so great reviews. The others' prices were way out of my budget. I will definitely keep the Sennheisers in mind, as I had never even heard of that brand before.

I'm even looking at maybe some Sonys as a temporary option, because they have some cool looking headphones, relatively cheap.

I guess...to put it another way...if those were your ONLY options, which would you choose? If someone stood before you with a set of Bose in one hand and a set of Beats in their right, and say they will give them to you for free....which would you choose?

 

[Domo]

If you are after looks, the ultimate brand is Bang and Olufsen. Fairly average sound quality though and they do cost!

 

[skatalite]

If someone stood before you with a set of Bose in one hand and a set of Beats in their right, and say they will give them to you for free....which would you choose?

I'd take the Bose, but never open them. I'd just flip them on eBay.

Then I'd buy myself something better.

 

[darkwing818]

Sennheiser is one of the best around. And they have good headphones and really decent prices. It all depends on what your requirements are. I'm not really sure you need to spend $200 on headphones unless you work with audio professionally...

Absolutely