Beats Solo Buds review: Punchy audio, compact design but lacks ANC

Beats Solo Buds, priced at Rs 6,900, is one of the most affordable earbuds in the Beats universe. It has a punchy audio, a long-lasting battery, a light and compact design. However, at its price tag, the lack of ANC leaves you asking for more. Read the detailed review by India Today Tech to find out.

Beats Solo Buds review - 8/10

Pros

• Compact
• Big battery 
• Compatible with iOS and Android 
• Single multifunction button

Cons

• No ANC 
• No charging indicator

In Short

• Beats Solo Buds are ultra compact and easily fits inside your palm
• It offers up to 18 hours of battery life
• In India, the Beats Solo Buds are priced at Rs 6,900

Ten years after Apple acquired Beats in 2014, the audio brand finally debuted in the Indian market in August 2024. Popularly known as Beats by Dr Dre, its audio products are popular for its sleek design and bass-heavy sound profile, which appeal to a younger, trend-conscious audience. In India, Beats launched three audio products: Beats Solo 4 headphones, Beats Pill bluetooth speakers, and Beats Solo Buds. I have been using the Beats Solo Buds for a few weeks, and they have one of the most compact cases I have ever seen.

It is also interesting that besides AirPods, Beats earbuds are the only other audio product that automatically and seamlessly syncs without your iPhone, because Apple.

Priced at Rs 6,900, the Beats Solo Buds have a largely positive experience. It has an ultra-compact case, offers a battery life of up to 18 hours, it has punchy audio, and is compatible with both Android and iOS. That said, at its price point, the earbuds do not feature ANC, while many of its competitors do. Is that a deal-breaker? Or do its pros outweigh its cons? Read the full review for the answer.

Most compact case ever

The size and form factor of the Beats Solo Buds is one of its most catchy and impressive features. It features a 2.6-inch long capsule-shaped design, and it is so tiny it can easily fit inside anyone’s palms. The case is also quite light and weighs only 22g with the earbuds still in it. Beats says, Solo Buds has its lightest and the most compact case ever.

Aesthetically too, the TWS is beautifully designed and comes in four colours: Matt Black, Arctic Purple, Transparent Red and Storm Grey. I tested the Matt Black option, which looks quite premium. The case sports the brand logo on top of the lid and a type-C charging port on the back side. It has a flat base, so that you can place the buds on its base or it can lie on its side.

The charging case opens to reveal the buds, which have the brand logo on both the buds. Surprisingly, even in that tiny case, the size of the earbuds is the same as your regular TWS earbud. Both the buds have two magnets at the bottom so they can sit perfectly in the charging case. They slide in easily without any effort from you.

The Beats Solo case also features a clickable-button on each bud. This multifunctional button can be customised for pausing, playing or changing songs, picking calls, hanging up and more. These features can be customised in Settings on your iPhone or the Beats app on your Android phone. I will talk in detail about the customisations in a minute.

The earbuds fit snuggly in my ears even when I was out on a walk or in the gym. You also get three additional pairs of eartips. The medium ones come on the buds by default. You will find an extra small, small and large eartips in the retail box. I have been using the medium ones and it fits my ear perfectly. More so, even after using the buds straight for an hour, it does not hurt.

That said, while I love how compact the design is and the look and feel of it all, I wish the Beats Solo Buds case had a charging indicator. You always have to check your phone to see the current battery percentage of the buds. Even while charging, the buds’ case has no charging indicator.

Fast pairing

Connectivity on the Beats Solo Buds is FAST. As soon as flip the buds’ lid open, you get a pop-up on all nearby devices, including your phone and laptop.

Let’s talk about the iPhone connectivity first. I connected the Beats Solo Buds to my iPhone 13 and it was smooth. The only prerequisite here is that your Bluetooth is switched on. Once that’s done, as soon as the lid of the buds case is opened, the Beats Solo Buds pop-up will surface on your screen. Simply click on connect and Voil ! It is done. For iPhones, there is no additional app required to alter the settings. When connected, the Beats Solo Buds option will appear in the Settings, just-like AirPods. In the settings, you can customise the multifunction button and change the call controls.

I also tested the Beats Solo Buds with Android. Here, users need to download the Beats app to use the TWS at its fullest. Otherwise, the one-touch pairing process is the same as above. The app is also a replica of what appears on the iPhone Setting page.

Great sound but no ANC

The sound quality on Beats Solo Buds is fantastic. It delivers punchy audio and has a full-range sound with clarity and depth. I listened to extreme range of songs, from “Believer” by Imagine Dragon to “Ikk Kudi” by Diljit Dosanjh, and it caught every beat, thump and rhythm. The bass on the earbuds is fantastic, and for anyone looking for a TWS particularly for bass-heavy audio, Beats Solo Buds are a great option.

The only downside I noticed was that the Beats Solo Buds lacks Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature. That’s when other TWS in the same price range, like the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, Realme Buds Air 7 Pro, JBL Tune Buds, and Sony WF-C700NI, offer ANC. Having said that, while the Beats Solo Buds don’t have an ANC feature, while testing, I noticed that it does do some passive noise cancellation, as long as its fits well in you ear. I was using the buds while travelling in the metro and I had to take earbuds out to hear the announcements.

Battery status

Beats says the Solo Buds can offer a battery life of up to 18 hours. That seemed like a tall claim, but after testing the device for over a week, I can say that it stands up to the promise. I used the device for at least 4 hours a day, and it took 4 days for me to finish the entire battery life. For charging, it took 80 minutes for the earbuds to charge from 0 per cent to 100 per cent.

Notably, while there is no battery or charging indicator on the case, Beats offers an interesting way to indicate the charging levels of the case. When you open the lid, if the buds makes an ascending sound, it indicates sufficient battery. If there is a descending sound, then it is a call to plug them for more charge.

Beats Solo Buds: Is it worth it?

The Beats Solo Buds is a fantastic new option in the market. While it does lack ANC, and it would have been great to see it on these earbuds since many of its competitors in the same price segment offer the feature, however, the sound quality of the Solo Buds definitely stands out with a punchy bass and a crystal clear sound. The Beats Solo Buds also feature great battery life, a beautiful and compact design, and super-fast connectivity on both Android and iPhone. At 6,900, I recommend Beats Solo Buds only if you aren’t too particular about ANC.