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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you're on a tighter budget, prefer wireless convenience, and need good battery life for activities like exercise, the Beats Solo 3 would be suitable, with a foldable design and integrated microphone for calls. However, if you prioritize sound quality, particularly for music and TV, and don't mind a wired connection and open-back design that doesn't isolate noise, the HifiMan Edition XS will offer superior audio fidelity. Keep in mind that the HifiMan's larger size and open-back design make them less portable and more suited to quiet environments, and they lack a built-in microphone for taking calls. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Beats Solo 3
- Very good for air travel
Advantages of the HifiMan Edition XS
- Very good for music
- Good for gaming
- Best in class for TV and video
- Good for podcasts and audiobooks
Key differences
Music
6.3
8.8
The HifiMan Edition XS is very good for music, while the Beats Solo 3 is only fair.
Gaming
5.3
7.4
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for gaming, while the Beats Solo 3 is poor.
Podcasts and Audiobooks
5.8
7.9
The HifiMan Edition XS is good for podcasts and audiobooks, while the Beats Solo 3 is poor.
TV and Video
5.6
9.5
The HifiMan Edition XS is best in class for TV and video, while the Beats Solo 3 is poor.
Noise Reduction
5.3
2.5
The Beats Solo 3 and HifiMan Edition XS are both poor for noise reduction, though the Beats Solo 3 is somewhat better.
Battery
41.5 Hours
N/A
The Beats Solo 3 has 41.5 hours of battery life. The HifiMan Edition XS does not have a battery.
Cost
$117
$269
$50
$100
$150
$200
$250
$300
$350
$400
The Beats Solo 3 has a price of $117 and the HifiMan Edition XS costs $269.
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Key similarities
Phone Calls
4.7
5.0
The HifiMan Edition XS and Beats Solo 3 are both poor for phone calls.
Build Quality
8.0
8.5
The HifiMan Edition XS and Beats Solo 3 both have very good build quality.
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How the Beats Solo 3 and the HifiMan Edition XS compare to other earbuds and headphones
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Beats Solo 3 | HifiMan Edition XS |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$117 | $269 | ||
Brand | |||
Brand | Beats | HifiMan | |
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2016 | December 1, 2021 | |
Form Factor | |||
Form Factor | Headphones | Headphones | |
Connectivity | |||
Connectivity | Wired + Wireless | Wired | |
SOUND | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Music Score | |||
Music Score | 6.3/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Phone Calls Score | |||
Phone Calls Score | 4.7/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Gaming Score | |||
Gaming Score | 5.3/10 | 7.5/10 | |
TV and Video Score | |||
TV and Video Score | 5.6/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Exercise Score | |||
Exercise Score | 5.9/10 | 4.4/10 | |
PERFORMANCE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery life | |||
Battery life | 41.5 Hours | N/A | |
Wireless charging | |||
Wireless charging | No | N/A | |
Charging time | |||
Charging time | 2 Hours | N/A | |
Bluetooth version | |||
Bluetooth version | 4.2 | N/A | |
FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Active Noise Cancelling | |||
Active Noise Cancelling | No | No | |
Noise Reduction Score | |||
Noise Reduction Score | 5.3/10 | 2.5/10 | |
Virtual Surround | |||
Virtual Surround | No | No | |
Android App | |||
Android App | Yes | N/A | |
iOS App | |||
iOS App | Yes | N/A | |
Mic Quality | |||
Mic Quality | 5.4/10 | N/A | |
BUILD AND DESIGN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality | |||
Build Quality | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Comfort score | |||
Comfort score | 5.7/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Weight (headset or single earbud) | |||
Weight (headset or single earbud) | 213.1 Grams | 421 Grams | |
Microphone style | |||
Microphone style | Integrated | N/A | |
Waterproof Rating | |||
Waterproof Rating | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Beats Solo 3
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Dig into reviews and images
Sound Guys
Lily Katz | May 2023
"The Beats Solo3 Wireless is an old set of headphones but still works reliably well with iPhones, due to W1 chip integration and AAC support. The Beats Solo3 Wireless holds up well today with just a few features showing its age."
HifiMan Edition XS
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Headphonesty
Eric D Hieger | January 2023
"The Edition XS easily compete with headphones in their price range with a very high price-to-performance ratio. The XS are an amazing value and offer performance not far off from headphones more than twice their cost. These will be a mind-blowing revelation for enthusiasts and music lovers who have only heard standard big-brand mainstream headphones."
Get a great deal on the Beats Solo 3 or the HifiMan Edition XS
About Beats
Beats is an American, consumer-focused, audio products manufacturer. Founded originally by American rapper and producer Dr Dre, the company is now a subsidiary of Apple. Beats sells a wide range of audio products, including several models of headphones, earbuds and speakers as well as full car audio systems.
About HifiMan
HiFiMAN is a Chinese, high-end, audio product manufacturer, with 20 years of experience, that specializes in amplifiers, digital audio players and planar magnetic headphones, some of which have become a staple in the audiophile community such as the entry-level Sundara, the midrange Edition X, and the very well-regarded, high-end, Arya.
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This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec earbuds & headphones team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest earbuds or headphones information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the Earbuds or Headphones team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Earbuds and Headphones Expert
Luis is a Mexico-based headphones expert. He’s been making headphone recommendations for five years and has close to 100 pairs in his personal collection.
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