My Beats Pro (2011) have been retired today.

Story:

I’m fresh to the headphone market as an adult.

Back in my impressionable teen years while working my first job, I dropped a clinically insane amount of money on what I believed was the best/most impressive set of headphones money could buy.

The massively hyped “Beats Pro” by Dre that promised a listening experience like being present at the recording studio. I invite anyone to chime in on how true that claim is/was.

So I used them for uh… 14 years. (I feel very old after typing that.)

They began falling apart and rattling at all volume levels last year. Most of their life was spent plugged into a MacBook or iPhone.

Fast forward to present day, and I’ve decided to employ a wireless set since my peers adore their AirPods Pro/Max, JBL Live, Sony etc..

And here we have the new set (also pictured)

I know nothing about them apart from everyone saying good things and all boxes ticked on paper. They also offer USB-C and 3.5mm audio sources which deflated my apprehension slightly.

I live somewhere where there are no meaningful ways to “try” headphones before buying them. So this was a semi-blind purchase.

It was either Focal Bathys, Sony XM5 or AirPods Max, all similarly priced new. I’ve never touched this brand before, so I hope this choice was a solid one.