Beats' over-ear cans work with both Android and iOS for great audio quality. (Amazon)(Amazon)
For anyone looking to drown out background noise or jam to their favorite songs while getting those boring tasks out of the way, a good set of headphones is calling your name. Also, when you think about it, a pair of high-end headphones can take your listening experience to completely new heights. Thankfully, you don't have to spend a ton to get a taste of the good life. Beats Solo 4 headphones are down to just under $100 for Black Friday — a massive 50% discount.
If a smaller screen suits your needs, you won't do much better than this highly affordable No. 1 bestseller. It's equipped with Alexa voice control and is compatible with Apple AirPlay, meaning you can pair it with your Apple device to broadcast photos and videos on the screen. Plus, at a mere $75, it's close to its best price of 2025.
Even Oprah has to try out different headphones until she finds a pair that checks all of her boxes. Even so, there's one brand she turns to time and time again: Beats. She included the Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds on her 2019 list, but this over-the-ear pair is a more recent pick. "Some of us are over-the-head-headphone people, and if you know one of them, these are the best of the best," she raved in 2023.
This pair boasts a 40-hour battery life, noise-cancelling capabilities and maximum comfort. Plus, it's over 40% right now.
Tired of basic black? You can also nab these stunners in Slate Blue (shown), Black/Gold and Cloud Pink. They don't have ANC, but do have Personalized Spatial Audio.
"They're lightweight, foldable and come with a sturdy carrying case, making them ideal for travel," said a happy buyer. "The ear cushions are soft and comfortable, though they may feel a bit snug for those with larger heads. Even during extended listening sessions, I found the fit to be comfortable with minimal ear fatigue."
For starters, Beats Solo 4s are a budget-friendly option for anyone entering the world of higher-end audio. These are also still relatively new to the market, so you'll get that "new headphones" smell for less — or you can nab them for someone on your gift list before the thick of the holiday shopping season.
Every generation of Beats improves on the one that came before. There's a reason these are so popular, especially among music lovers. To start with, 40-millimeter transducers inside the headphones produce clear sound with less distortion. The Personalized Spatial Audio feature makes you feel as though the music is all around you, and the "personalized" part means you'll get a custom sound profile that makes music sound even better to you.
As for comfort, any headphones weighing less than 350 grams are considered lightweight. Beats Solo 4 weighs only 217 grams. That's about half the weight of a football. Throw in Beats' UltraPlush ear cushions and you have a piece of tech that feels custom-built for a multi-day musical journey.
The battery life is nothing to sneeze at, either. You'll get 50 hours of playback per charge. That's right: more than two days of listening without a break. If you do run down the battery, the Fast Fuel feature gives you an extra five hours of playback after just a 10-minute charge.
But perhaps the biggest selling point is that the Beats Solo 4 provides lossless audio if connected through USB-C or a 3.5-millimeter audio cable. Explaining exactly what that means could be an essay in and of itself, so we'll sum it up this way: Lossless audio keeps the song closest to what the artist originally intended, without compressing any sounds. Oh, and listening through a cable doesn't use any battery life.
Over 1,800 buyers have already given the Beats Solo 4 a five-star rating, and more than 10,000 pairs have been sold in the past month.
If you think most over-ear headphones are uncomfortable, one reviewer disagrees. "Impressive sound, stylish and sophisticated headphones. ... Finally, headphones that are not bulky or heavy. I appreciate the smooth texture feel and the cushioned headband."
Reviewers also testify to the impressive battery life. "I feel like I never have to worry about charging it. When I do have to charge, I can get five hours of use with just a 10-minute charge. That's unheard of! I have some earbuds that I use and I feel like I constantly have to keep them charged, or they will die after a few minutes of use."
"The sound quality is on another level! Great bass, great mids, great highs. Just good all around," shared another shopper. Another buyer backed that up, saying, "Beats are better than AirPods headphones."
A few customers said the fit could be a bit on the tighter side, especially if you have a larger head. "Snug fit over the ear, which at times can be just a little too snug for me, but that would be different for everyone depending on the shape of their head and how it's adjusted."
The colors might not be quite the same as the pictures, either, at least in the case of Cloud Pink. "It's white with the rose gold accents. It's not pink at all like it is in their pictures," a buyer said.
Prefer over-the-ear headphones with a few more features? Beats Studio Pro are also on sale right now.
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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