What is the sound quality like of the iBeats Audio by Dr Dre in-ear headphones?
About XE’s integrating Beats Audio and Beats Audio
I have recently got myself HTC Sensation XE that comes with Beats Audio in-ear headphones.
As you know the Dr Dres beats audio headphones are quite expensive. These in-ear headphones that is supplied with the HTC Sensation XE are about £80 on Amazon.
The HTC Sensation XE Android smartphone has the beats audio logo at the back and when the phone starts up it displays the beats audio splash-screen.
The beats audio logo also comes up on top of the screen (on the notification bar) when any ear phones are connected indicating the beats audio technology is activated. The beats audio sound can also be disable.
HTC is the first phone company to have Dr Dre’s beats audio.
The phone has red touch buttons, red speaker grill at the top, and the camera lens at the back has a red ring. Colour red is the Beats Audio’s main distinctive colour that the phone took on to relate more to the beats audio.
The HTC phone released an advert about HTC and beats audio. It is not a low budget looking advert. It shows how everything is vibrating making you think about the bass are very deep and great, and they are very confident and happy about it.
The sound quality
I tested it playing Usher’s Little Freak ft Nicki Minaj and Britney Spears’ Criminal in mp3 format 320 kpbs.
Since the headphone is really expensive and it seems to claim you will receive the best bass. The price and the above (if you read my first section) tells it will be mind blowing. It will be as if you got two subwoofer attached to your ears?
After 5 seconds into the music I was shocked!
There no no mega bass, the vocal can overtake the bass if you increase the volume.
The sound quality was just good, not excellent. The beats were good, but not mega at all.
It certainly did not beat a £16 in-ear Sony headphones (that I compared with).
Such a name it has, with the Hip-pop (that beats being an essential thing) star Dr Dre owning the beats audio headphones company, this is quite annoying. 
Its not all the headphones fault. The phone has essential part in encoding the sound for the headphones, which did not do that well. But still the headphone did not come out on top to beat the £16 Sony in-headphone, quality wise.
This is very disappointing.
Conclusion
The HTC Sensation XE and the supplied Beats Audio in-ear headphones does not deliver the best bass/beats. The name ‘beats’ and being owned by ‘Dr Dre’ does not mean it will be really bassy, just because these words are related to bass/beats. So the ‘beats audio’ is just a name and does not describe the quality of the bass at all, including the owner name Dr Dre.
So to me this is just a fashion accessory more of. It does have nice design and the colour red stands out. It would be nice to see red wires sticking out of peaoples ears instead of white for a change. 
I don’t think the HTC Sensation XE will not replace if you have I good stand-alone MP3/Music players, for those people who like mega bass.
The best bassy sound was delivered to me was by Sony Ericsson Walkman phone, which I will ditch any stand-alone mp3 players.
More than the headphones, its the players (the phone or mp3 players..) that ultimately delivers the bass quality by encoding the music properly.
Am I the first to criticise beats audio sound quality?!
…I will still recommend HTC Sensation XE as its still a great phone overall.
