Monster Cable Beats by Dr Dre Tour in-ear headphones

The Beats by Dr Dre Tour headphones offer decent sound quality, but there are better in-ear headphones available for similar prices

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Claiming to deliver "incredibly accurate" music reproduction, Monster Cable's Beats by Dr Dre Tour are in-ear headphones with a striking design. The Beats by Dr Dre Tour headphones offer decent sound quality, but there are better in-ear phones available for similar prices.

Pros

  • Stylish design, relatively comfortable, flat cable doesn't get tangled as easily as standard headphone cables, good bass, crisp and detailed sound

Cons

  • "Tangle-free" cable isn't completely tangle-free, microphonics evident when cable is touched, average noise isolation, overpowering mid-range, no microphone for mobile phone use

Bottom Line

Monster Cable's Beats by Dr Dre Tour in-ear headphones have a stylish design and reasonable sound quality. Their noise isolation isn't the best and the advertised tangle-free cable isn’t completely tangle-free. If image is important to you then these headphones are a decent option, but there are better-sounding alternatives for the same price.

Would you buy this?

  • Price

    $ 229.00 (AUD)

A key feature of the Beats by Dr Dre Tour is the "tangle-free cable". This cable has a flat design that seems very flexible. Unfortunately, although the cable doesn't get tangled as easily or as often as the cords on most headphones, it isn't completely immune to tangles. The cable also annoyingly creates microphonics (vibrations that you can hear in the earphones) when touched.

The Beats by Dr Dre Tour in-ear headphones look pretty stylish. We liked the red cord and the glossy black and chrome ear tips. Monster includes five pairs of different sized silicone tips in the sales package. It was relatively easy to find a pair that was comfortable, even for long listening sessions. The headphones seem well constructed, though we weren’t able to test the longevity of the headphone jack connection; a part that often fails on in-ear headphones due to general wear and tear.

The Beats by Dr Dre Tour headphones don’t do a great job of noise isolation. If you're listening to music on a crowded train or in a chatty office, you will generally need to turn up the volume to block out most background noise.

The headphones produce capable but not outstanding sound quality. Bass is the strongest and most accurate audio element, thumping without overpowering other frequency ranges. Like the cheaper Lady Gaga headphones from Monster Cable, mid-range is a little overpowering, resulting in a warm sound. The Beats by Dr Dre Tour headphones have supposedly been designed for R 'n' B, hip-hop and similar music genres . The high-end is particularly crisp and detailed.

The Beats by Dr Dre Tour in-ear headphones don't come with an in-line microphone or controls, so you can't use them to handle phone calls in conjunction with your iPhone, for example.

Monster includes a small zip-up case in the sales package, which is handy for storage when travelling.

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