Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD vs. V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition Headphones Review

Been a long time since I reviewed anythng, but I’m back to my passion reviewing headsets!

It’s a real treat this time, cause I go my friend’s Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD White On-Ear Headphone from Monster and pitted it against my V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition Over-Ear Noise-Isolating Metal Headphone (Matte Black). I’ll be running them through their paces in standard stuff like listening to various types of music and of course, the comfort levels as the Beats are on ear while the Crossfade LP2 are over ear headphones.

Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD ($199.95)

VS

V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition ($199.00)

I’ll go over the scores in a minute… But here’s a table that I hope everyone can relate to 🙂

Specifications & Features	Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD	V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition
Construction	Mostly plastic	Mostly metal
Wires	Rubber coated	Braided
Carrying case	Soft neoprene case	Exoskeleton hard case
Price	$199.95	$199.00
Frequency Range (Speakers)	20 Hz – 20 KHz	5 – 30,000 Hz
Impedance	Unsure, some have said 45 ohms	32 Ohms
Cable length	3.94 ft/1.2m	USB
Bundled with	Touring case Stereo cables 1/4″ Adapter Cleaning cloth	Exoskeleton hard case 2 stereo cables (1 with remote & mic) 1/4″ Adapter 2x shields cleaning cloth
Usability Results	Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD	V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition
Comfort	7	7
Build Quality	7	9
Durability	6	9
Comfort Treshold	30-45 minutes	1 hour 30 minutes
Test Results	Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD	V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition
Bass (without EQ)	8 (good solid, thumping feel)	10 (more clarity, depth & follow through)
Treble (without EQ)	8 (once it gets mixed up with the bass, performance drops)	9 (it’s pretty clear, even through the bass)
Bass (with EQ)	9 (sounds even more impressive, but less defined, it’s like a sound wall of bass hitting the ears)	9 (definition is maintained, clarity is still there,but the bass grain is not as intense as the Beats)
Trebel (wtih EQ)	8 (the whole mix sounded a bit on the high side with EQ, I found that I didn’t really like the sound as it was getting slightly tinny.	9 The Crossfades really respond to EQ effects, when I used a V shape EQ, it really drove up the bass and treble effects, and made the mids sound flat.
Movies	9.5 – really like the cinematic experience. I reckon the noise cancellation is really working in its favor here.	8.5 – I’d appreciate a more isolated experience and notice that I had to tweak the volume up a bit to keep up with the Beats Solo HD.
Gaming	To be added	To be added
The VERDICT	8.75 (without gaming scores)	9.25 (without gaming scores)

Conclusion

1. The two headsets are really very closely priced. So it really comes down to which is better at that price. For the money that you’ll be spending here you’d expect a pair of headsets that will literally blow the rest away.
2. But for very small price difference, the Crossfade LP2 in my opinion has noticeably better fidelity and you start to hear a lot more nuances in the music that wasn’t delivered very well with Beats Solo HD.
3. The bass and treble responses on the Crossfade LP2 are also marginally better and more natural sounding.
4. I can agree on using EQ to correct good headsets so that you can enjoy your music better as certain music required certain compensation but adjusting EQs when you listen to a variety of music can get tiresome. Crossfade LP2 sounds naturally great on its own without the need for EQ while the Beats Solo HD can keep up but if you want the extra edge, go for the Crossfade LP2.
5. In terms of overall comfort, I wear spectacles, and I have a big head. If you want comfort, the Crossfade LP2 will be again better as they are over-ear headset which will be more comfortable for those long listening sessions. The Beats Solo HD are on-ears so after awhile people who wear glasses will definitely feel the squeeze.
6. What came as a nice surprise was that the Beats Solo HD overturned the tables slightly in the movies test because it delivered a more cinematic experience. Perhaps due on-ear design, it really did improve the movie as a whole as its noise isolation did wonders. You really feel ‘sucked in’ with the movie. While researching for this review I read that many reviewers mentioned that the Beats Solo HD  were a bit over bright, this really helped it to deliver punching bass and stunning sound effects for movies like Real Steel and Transformers 3.
7. I find that that the V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition are optimized for music while the Beats by Dr. Dre Solo HD performs slightly better for movie lovers 😉

WINNER by A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT MARGIN

V-MODA Crossfade LP2 Limited Edition

Let me know what you think, I’ll try to enjoy more types of music later if I can get my friend to lend me her Beats again!