There is a tired pattern in wireless headphones where you get either long battery life or a light frame, but rarely both. The Beats Solo 4 try to break that pattern by pairing a claimed 50 hours of playback with one of the lightest frames in the category, and after a week of commutes, video calls, and long listening sessions I have a clear picture of what those numbers mean in real life. This review covers the design, the sound, the battery claims, and the honest trade offs of the on-ear format.
Before the details, the standard note. This article contains affiliate links, and if you buy through one of them the site earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission does not change what I test or what I recommend, and the headphones reviewed here were purchased from retail stock and used the way a normal owner would use them.
The Solo 4 are the follow up to the Solo 3, and the upgrades are mostly under the surface. The frame is lighter, the Bluetooth chip is newer with better range, and the sound tuning has moved toward a flatter, more balanced signature than the bass heavy Beats of the past. The rest of this review walks through each element and how it performs in daily use.
Design and Build
The Black and Gold finish is the quiet cousin of the flashier Solo colors, with a matte black frame and subtle gold accents on the hinge and logo. The construction is plastic but feels solid, with a flexible headband and adjustable sliders that hold their position. At under 220 grams the Solo 4 are genuinely light, and you notice it on the first wear because there is no weight pressing down on your head.
The on-ear cushions are soft memory foam wrapped in a smooth covering, and the clamping force is moderate rather than aggressive. Folding hinges let the headphones collapse into a compact shape, and a soft carrying case is included. The controls live on the left earcup with a physical "b" button that handles play, pause, calls, and voice assistant duty, which is simpler and more reliable than touch panels on the ears.
Key Features
The headline feature is the battery. Up to 50 hours of playback is an extraordinary claim for a wireless headphone, and the Fast Fuel feature adds roughly five hours of listening from a ten minute charge over USB C. For a commuter who charges once a week, that alone changes the daily ritual.
Class 1 Bluetooth is the quiet upgrade that matters more than it sounds. The stronger radio gives better range and fewer dropouts in crowded places like train platforms and airports, and it pairs with both Apple and Android without platform lock in. The headphones use Google Fast Pair on Android and the Beats app for customization on both systems, which keeps the experience consistent regardless of phone.
The sound signature rounds out the feature set. Beats has tuned the Solo 4 for what they call a balanced sound, and the result is less boom and more clarity than older models. Personalized spatial audio is supported with dynamic head tracking on iPhone, and lossless playback works over the included USB C cable for a wired listening mode that bypasses Bluetooth entirely. For someone who keeps a desktop setup as well as a phone, that wired path is a genuinely useful extra rather than a spec sheet afterthought.
The voice assistant and call handling are handled by the same physical controls, and the microphone array does a respectable job in quiet environments. A simple connection experience rounds out the daily feel: the headphones wake up, pair with the phone they know, and play without a pairing menu dance, and the automatic switching between a Mac and an iPhone in the same Apple account works the way it should. None of this is flashy, but it is the polish that keeps the Solo 4 feeling modern.
Real-World Performance
I wore the Solo 4 for a week of commutes, office calls, and evening listening, and the battery story is the first thing that stands out. I did not charge them once during the entire week of regular use, and the battery indicator barely moved. A long battery life claim is easy to make and hard to deliver, but the Solo 4 deliver it. The Fast Fuel charge also proved real, adding hours of playback from a quick top up before a trip.
The sound is a clear step up from the old Solo. Vocals sit forward, guitars have texture, and the bass is present without smothering the mids. On a balanced setting the headphones handle pop, rock, and podcasts equally well, and the wired USB C mode actually sounds better, with more detail and less compression than the Bluetooth path. For a pair in this price range that is a genuinely useful extra.
The limits are the ones you expect from on-ear headphones. There is no active noise cancellation, so the isolation depends on the seal of the cushions, and while that seal does a decent job on a noisy street, it does not match over-ear ANC models. Call quality is good in quiet rooms but the microphones pick up background noise on loud commutes. And the on-ear fit, while comfortable for me, will still bother people whose ears are sensitive to pressure.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Genuinely long battery life approaching the 50 hour claim
- Ultra-light frame that is comfortable for hours
- Class 1 Bluetooth with stable range and fast pairing
- Works equally well with Apple and Android devices
- Lossless wired mode through USB C
Cons:
- No active noise cancellation
- On-ear fit is not for every ear shape
- Call quality suffers in noisy environments
How It Compares
The closest rivals to the Solo 4 are the Beats Studio Pro and the Sony WH-1000XM5, but those are over-ear models at a higher price. The fair comparison is with other on-ear wireless options. The table below lines up the Solo 4 against the Beats Studio Buds style of true wireless alternative, since that is often the real choice buyers face.
| Feature | Beats Solo 4 | True Wireless Buds |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Up to 50 hours | 6 to 9 hours per charge |
| Comfort | Light on-ear frame | In-ear seal |
| Noise isolation | Passive seal | Varies, some ANC |
| Losing them | Hard to lose | Easy to lose |
| Multi device | Automatic switching | Often requires case |
Buds win on pocketability and often on noise isolation, but they die after a day and need the case to charge. The Solo 4 last for weeks on one charge, cannot be lost in a couch cushion, and do not need a case between uses. For anyone tired of charging a bud case every night, the battery story alone tips the decision toward the Solo 4.
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Beats Solo 4 if you want a light, dependable headphone that lasts a whole work week without charging, works with any phone you own, and does not cost as much as a flagship over-ear model. They are a strong pick for commuters, students, and anyone who lives on video calls and wants a headset that disappears on their head.
Skip them if you need active noise cancellation on loud flights or open offices, because the on-ear seal will not deliver it, or if you prefer the pocketable form of true wireless earbuds. If the long battery and light frame sound right, you can check the current price of the Beats Solo 4 on Amazon.
How We Test
I wore the Solo 4 for a full week across commutes, office calls, and evening listening, tracked the battery percentage daily, and tested the Fast Fuel feature with a timed ten minute charge. I used them with both an iPhone and an Android phone to confirm the dual platform pairing and app support.
For an independent measurement of the Solo 4 and how they compare in the wider headphone market, The Verge has a detailed Solo 4 review worth reading. You can also check the Beats Solo 4 listing on Amazon for the current price in the Black and Gold colorway.
Beats Solo 4 Wireless Headphones: Questions People Ask
How long does the Beats Solo 4 battery really last?
In my testing the battery easily cleared 40 hours of mixed playback, and Beats rates the Solo 4 at up to 50 hours, which is class leading for on-ear headphones.
Are the Beats Solo 4 compatible with Android phones?
Yes, the Solo 4 pair instantly with Android through Google Fast Pair and work through the Beats app on both platforms, including one tap pairing with Android.
Do the Solo 4 have active noise cancellation?
No, the Solo 4 use a sealed on-ear fit for passive isolation rather than active noise cancellation, which keeps them lighter and cheaper than over-ear ANC models.
How comfortable are the Solo 4 for long sessions?
At under 220 grams they are among the lightest wireless headphones, and the soft ear cushions keep them comfortable for hours, though on-ear pressure is still personal.
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