New Beats Solo Buds: Affordable TWS Earbuds with Impressive Sound and Solid Battery, but Lacking ANC

Beats Solo Buds — the newest truly wireless stereo (TWS) headphones from Apple’s brand — were released in India in August, a couple of months following their debut in the United States. This iteration provides extended playback duration on a single charge in comparison to its pricier counterparts, though the charging case does not contribute any supplementary battery capacity. The Beats Solo Buds are compatible with both iOS and Android devices and come with customizable controls on each earpiece. I have been using the TWS headphones for a few days to evaluate if they can differentiate themselves in this fiercely contested pricing category.

The Beats Solo Buds are priced at Rs. 6,900 in India and are offered in Arctic Purple, Matte Black, Storm Gray, and Transparent Red color choices. For this review, I received the purple version.

Design of Beats Solo Buds: Appealing and Comfortable

• Dimensions — 24x66x35mm (case), 19x20x18.5mm (each earbud)
• Weight — 22g (with case), 5.7g (each earbud)

As Beats’ most affordable TWS earphones, they feature the brand’s recognizable aesthetic. They share a resemblance with the pricier Beats Studio Buds+ in terms of size and design, incorporating a plastic construction with a stemless design. The brand’s logo is prominently displayed on each earbud.

The Beats Solo Buds sport a light purple plastic exterior with a matte finish, while the button panel on each earbud adopts a slightly darker hue. They are easy to grip and secure in place, and users can select from four ear tip sizes for an optimal fit — it is important to ensure that the in-ear earbuds fit snugly, as they only offer passive noise isolation, contrasting with their more expensive counterparts.

Beats Solo Buds come equipped with customizable button options

 

Similar to the earphones, the carrying case boasts a two-tone design, featuring a lighter shade inside. It ranks among the smallest and lightest cases I have encountered, and the lid closes securely with an audible click. The lid and earbuds are firmly held in place by magnets, yet it’s convenient to open the case and retrieve them using one hand.

While fitting TWS headsets can be a personal preference, I discovered that the Beats Solo Buds were quite pleasant to wear, attributed to their rounded shape. Although the earbuds are notably light, I was constantly aware of their presence in my ears due to the in-ear design.

Beats Solo Buds Software: Customizable Features

• Supported platforms — iOS, Android
• Earbud functions — Call management, media playback, mute/unmute volume adjustments

The Beats Solo Buds are usable with both iOS and Android smartphones, and I assessed them with an iPhone operating on iOS 17.6.1 as well as a device running Android 14. Apple integrates inherent controls for the TWS earphones within the iOS settings application, but I needed to acquire a companion app for Android via Apple’s support page.

Upon opening the Beats Solo Buds lid for the first time, a prompt appeared simultaneously on iOS and Android, along with a Swift Pair notification on my Windows 10 laptop. The pairing process is automatic, with no specific button to initiate it. To connect to another device, simply press the button on either earbud for three seconds until a chirping sound is heard.

Beats customization options available on iOS and Android (tap to expand)

 

By default, a single press of the button on either earbud will answer an incoming call, while pressing it once during a call will mute or unmute the microphone, and a double press will terminate the call. You can interchange the mute/unmute and call termination controls, but the single-button press for answering calls cannot be altered.

The Beats Solo Buds also feature the ability to press and hold the earbud button to lower (left) or raise (right) the playback volume. However, I disabled this option as it triggered Siri (or Google Assistant on Android) when I long-pressed the button.

The companion app does not provide equalizer settings or audio profiles, so I relied on the app-specific equalizer features within Apple Music and Spotify on both Android and iOS to fine-tune the audio output of the wireless earphones.

This app also offers a function to locate your earphones on Android, while iOS users can utilize the Find My app to access similar functionality. Both platforms allow you to view the last known location when the earbuds were in use or linked to your phone.

Performance and Battery Life of Beats Solo Buds: Quite Acceptable

• Bluetooth version — 5.3
• Active noise cancellation — Not available
• Battery duration — Up to 18 hours

The manufacturer claims that the Beats Solo Buds TWS headset features a dual-layer dynamic driver and a tailored acoustic design with vents that alleviate air pressure while in use. However, there is no H-series or W-series chip included, meaning it does not support seamless transitions between Apple devices nor does it facilitate multipoint connectivity.

Despite the absence of equalizer controls on iOS and Android, I discovered that the Beats Solo Buds deliver a commendable soundstage, adept at handling tracks spanning various genres, including rock, pop, R&B, and classical music. While enjoying the track «Hass Hass» by Diljit Dosanjh and Sia, their vocals were crisp, and the headset offered an appropriate level of bass — albeit a bit more subdued compared to the company’s other models.

The Beats Solo Buds TWS headset showcases a stemless design

 

With its neutral audio profile, the Beats Solo Buds effectively reproduces the intricate arrangement of «Hustle and Bustle» by HOYO-MiX, a track replete with a variety of musical instruments all distinctly discernible. It provides a richer presence on Esther Abrami’s “The Gadfly, Op. 97 III Youth (Romance),” while still allowing the violin to be clearly heard.

The Beats Solo Buds manage bass-heavy tracks like The Weeknd’s «Blinding Lights» with good separation between mids and lows, allowing both to shine through. However, I noticed slight distortion while enjoying «Save Your Tears» at elevated volume levels, even if that track did not present any «muffling» issues.

While the bass output on the Beats Solo Buds isn’t as aggressive as some other models from the brand, I found it to provide a more balanced audio experience compared to rivals in the same price bracket, which might prioritize stronger bass or even the original Beats Studio Buds released in 2021.

The absence of active noise cancellation in the Beats Solo Buds means I often had to raise the volume during music or podcast listening while on the go. This was somewhat disappointing, as many competitors at this price level offer ANC functionality.

Beats Solo Buds come equipped with a USB Type-C port for charging

 

The company states that the Beats Solo Buds contain a microphone on each earbud that uses a specialized machine-learning algorithm to mitigate background noise. In my trials, individuals I communicated with via standard phone calls or apps like WhatsApp and Google Meet mentioned they could hear me clearly, even amid noisy surroundings.

The Beats Solo Buds are said to provide up to 18 hours of media playback per single charge. I managed to achieve around 12 hours of battery life through a mix of music listening, phone calls, and gaming.

While the earbuds provide exceptional battery longevity, the carrying case lacks an internal battery — which necessitates charging after placing the earbuds inside when the battery depletes. Charging can be done through the Type-C port on the case using a USB-PD charger or by connecting it to other devices.

Beats Solo Buds Review: Conclusion

The Beats Solo Buds stand out as a distinctive TWS headset in this pricing range, offering a well-balanced, neutral audio profile and strong compatibility with both iOS and Android systems. They also provide the longest playback time on a single charge along with quick charging capabilities.

Nonetheless, this budget-friendly TWS model comes with several significant drawbacks. Firstly, while the earphones can achieve up to 18 hours of battery life, the compact charging case does not offer any additional power.

Beats Solo Buds do not include a charging cable in the package

 

Another considerable downside is the missing ANC support in the Beats Solo Buds. Nowadays, almost every TWS wireless headset priced around Rs. 5,000 features some level of active noise cancellation, which helps prevent the need to raise the volume excessively outdoors and potentially harming your hearing.

Oppo Enco Air 3 Pro, Nothing Ear (a) (Review) and OnePlus Buds 3 (Review) — most wireless headsets in this price range also deliver decent audio performance and ANC, along with support for multipoint connectivity.