You're probably looking at a pair of black Solo 4 Beats and wondering if they’re just the same old headphones with a fresh coat of matte paint. Honestly, I get it. Beats has a reputation for "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," which is great for branding but kinda frustrating when you're trying to figure out if it's worth dropping 200 bucks.
The truth is, these are a weirdly specific beast. They aren't trying to be the AirPods Max, and they definitely aren't the bass-cannons that used to rattle your skull back in 2012.
The Reality of the Black Solo 4 Beats Design
When you unbox the Matte Black version, the first thing you notice is the finish. It’s stealthy. No more of that fingerprint-magnet glossy plastic that made the older models look greasy after five minutes. Beats calls the cushions "UltraPlush," which is basically marketing-speak for "we put better memory foam in here."
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It’s an on-ear design. That's the deal-breaker for some. If you have sensitive ears or wear thick glasses, the clamping force might start to feel like a head-vice after an hour. But for the gym? They stay put. They weigh 217 grams—about the weight of a large apple—so they won’t weigh down your gym bag.
Why They Ditched Noise Canceling
Here’s the part that trips people up: the black Solo 4 Beats do NOT have Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).
You might think that’s a massive oversight for a modern headphone. In some ways, it is. If you’re buying these to silence a crying baby on a cross-country flight, you’re going to be disappointed. You'll hear the baby. You’ll hear the engines. You’ll hear the guy in 12C asking for more pretzels.
However, skipping ANC is exactly why the battery life is so insane. We’re talking 50 hours on a single charge. During my time testing them, I went nearly two weeks without plugging them in. If you’re the type who always forgets to charge your gear, this is a massive win. Plus, the "Fast Fuel" feature gives you five hours of playback from a 10-minute charge. That’s enough for a full workday or a long workout if you realize they’re dead right as you're heading out the door.
The Audio Shift: No More "Bassy" Beats?
If you haven't bought Beats in five years, the sound profile will surprise you. The old "muddy" bass is gone. Instead, the black Solo 4 Beats use re-engineered 40mm transducers that actually lean toward the mids and highs.
- Vocals are crisp. Podcasts sound great.
- Instrument separation is better than the Solo 3.
- Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking is actually pretty cool for movies.
But here is the secret sauce for the audiophiles: the USB-C port.
Most people just use Bluetooth, but if you plug these in via the included USB-C cable, you get lossless audio. It bypasses the standard compressed wireless signal. Does it sound better? Yes. Is it world-changing? Probably not if you're listening to a 128kbps stream on a noisy bus. But in a quiet room with a high-res Tidal track, the difference is noticeable.
Android vs. Apple: The Great Peace
One of the best things about the black Solo 4 Beats is that they don't play favorites anymore. Usually, Apple-owned products treat Android users like second-class citizens. Not here.
You get "Find My" support on Apple and "Find My Device" on Android. You get one-touch pairing on both. They even use the native Google Fast Pair protocol. It’s one of the few pieces of hardware in the Apple ecosystem that actually feels "universal."
The Hidden Perks of the Wired Connection
I need to mention the 3.5mm jack. It seems like a relic, right? Wrong.
The Solo 4 can actually play audio through the 3.5mm cable even if the battery is completely dead. Most wireless headphones become expensive paperweights once the battery hits 0%. Not these. You lose the internal amplification and some of the digital tuning, but the music keeps playing. It’s a lifesaver for long travel days when you can't get to a charger.
Is the Matte Black Version Worth It?
If you’re looking at the black Solo 4 Beats, you’re likely choosing between them and the Studio Pro. The Studio Pro has ANC. It has bigger cups. But it's also bulkier and often more expensive.
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The Solo 4 is for the person who wants something that "just works" for a long time. It’s for the commuter who likes to hear a little bit of the traffic so they don't get hit by a car. It’s for the student who wants a pair of headphones that will survive a semester on one charge.
Quick Verdict
- Battery: God-tier (50 hours).
- Comfort: Good, but watch out if you have a big head.
- Sound: Clearer and more balanced than ever.
- Misses: No ANC and no transparency mode.
To get the most out of your black Solo 4 Beats, make sure you download the Beats app if you’re on Android to get firmware updates—Apple users get this automatically through the OS. If you find the clamping force too tight out of the box, don't return them immediately; the headband usually loosens up slightly after about 10-15 hours of wear.
Check your current charging brick before buying. While the box includes a USB-C to USB-C cable, it doesn't come with the wall plug. If you’re still using an old USB-A brick, you’ll need to grab a 20W USB-C adapter to take full advantage of that 10-minute "Fast Fuel" charging.