Beats by Dr. Dre

Known for decades as one of the kingpins of the rap scene, Dr. Dre has brought his finely tuned musical ear to the headphones game, and he has utilized his vast experience in conjunction with Monster Cables to craft the Beats by Dr. Dre product line. One of two models introduced so far, the Tour high-resolution in-ear headphones are styled in the form of earbuds and are designed to bring you all of the details and depth of studio-sounding music to your on-the-go listening. Available from all major online retailers, the Beats Tour headphones retail for a whopping $149, which keeps in pace with other previously overpriced Monster products.



Everything about the Beats by Dr. Dre earbuds is first-class and high-style through and through. The packaging that holds this chic gadget is catchy and fresh, much like what you would come to expect from a company such as Apple for example. Inside the box you will quickly notice the flat, red Monster Cables that run directly out of the bottom of the earbuds. Besides serving an aesthetic purpose, these 1/8” Monster cables are anti-tangle, which is a feature that cannot be praised enough. The actual earbuds are steel and extremely solid, and the all-important sound quality is both rich and crisp. Unfortunately, the musical output runs into some disturbances when played at higher volumes and elevated bass settings, which is ironic coming from a gadget that was designed by Dr. Dre. Like most top-of-the-line headphones now, the Beats Tour model comes equipped with outer noise reduction, which is an absolute must when listening on a crowded plane or buzzing subway.

Monster and Dr. Dre had the good foresight to include multiple rubber earbud attachments in the Tour package. These variable sizes come in handy, as it is fairly difficult to find a good and comfortable fit for these headphones. By nature of the design, the Beats by Dr. Dre have to be placed pretty far into the ear, almost to the point where you will find yourself lightly shoving them in deeper and deeper to take advantage of all the nuanced soundscape. An ill-placed Tour will churn out tin-y audio, not to mention a poor hold on your ear. These fitting issues do not lend the Beats Tour to high-intensity gym or running use. However, that might be all well and good, as these headphones shine when being used in a more relaxed and casual setting, when you just want to kick back and enjoy the latest hip-hop sounds, which is probably exactly how Dr. Dre would prefer it.