Studio Beats by Dr. Dre

The first thing you'll notice when you get the Beats is their packaging. For most Apple fans, packaging is an important aspect of a product and the beats is sure to please even the pickiest of packaging fanatics. Sealed in an outer cardboard layer is a thick cardboard box. A small fabric tab pokes out of the seal, and once lifted, opens the box, revealing the headphones sealed in yet another layer (the carry case) as well as a broad selection of pack ins. Overall, the unboxing experience is a fun one, and the packaging is definitely top notch.

The included carry case is made of a lightweight, thin material with an attractive matte finish. Although it's not going to protect from any major drops or damages, it's sure to provide exceptionally useful for preventing scratches on the glossy plastic surface of the headphones, as well as proving truly useful when traveling.The pack ins include batteries, two cables (one with a mic/iPhone controls, the other without) for connecting the headphones to an audio device and an adapter for 2.5mm to 3.5mm sockets. The inclusion of these accessories is great, though sort of expected in this price range, and offer a great deal of flexibility with the use of these headphones.

In such a heavily populated market as headphones, a product has to have something special to make it stand out. For the Studio Beats, that feature is without doubt their exemplary design. The headphones feature a glossy, simplistic design that incorporates an incredibly comfortable fit into an Apple-like uninterrupted band design. This yields and incredibly attractive set of headphones, that are also, thanks to the multi-jointed ear cups and padded head band, wearable for many hours. The Studio Beats come in a selection of colours, we reviewed the white set and they looked fantastic sat next to our iPhone, although both the black and red also look incredible (we're not sold on the blue though). In summary, the Beats feature a near faultless design.

The audio quality is the real nitty-gritty for any set of headphones. The Beats brand was started by Dr. Dre in an effort to up the quality of audio products on the market, and this philosophy really does shine through in the audio quality of the beats. They feature noise cancellation, and when this is turned on, it does block out any external noise, replacing it with a much quiter, softer background noise. When no music is playing, the difference is noticeable, and I found myself using the feature on a plane journey just to cut other noise out. When you press play though, you become totally engrossed in the music. The quality is almost impeccable and really makes you appreciate what you are listening to. Music becomes not just a distraction but an activity in itself.

The Studio Beats are a fantastic set of headphones. Their design, audio and build quality are all virtually flawless. But this quality comes at a price, and it's a big one. It means that while they are great, they certainly aren't for everyone, though I'd be prepared to say, if you can afford them, the could well be for you.