Knowing that celebrity sells, cable manufacturer Monster has worked with some huge names on its headphone and earphones in recent years, initial collaborating with Dr. Dre on Monster Beats by Dr. Dre ($349.95). Then came Lady Gaga along with the late Miles Davis. Now, inside a move some will see as a headscratcher and others will view as brilliant marketing, we have Diddybeats, a collaboration with Sean Combs, a.k.a. Puffy, Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, or just Diddy. The $179.95 Diddybeats are similar in design and audio overall performance for the Monster Beats by Dr. Dre Tour ($149.95) and are typical of Monster Beats item: a bit too pricey, but with solid sound good quality and lots of bass for low-end lovers.
Design
Featuring the exact same smartly intended, unlikely-to-tangle, linguini-like cable of Dre’s Beats series, Diddybeats are offered in black, powder pink, and white motifs. Each earpiece is surrounded by soft leather and sports a small chrome “db” logo that is matched by additional chrome accents throughout the design and style. (The Dr. Dre Tour pair functions a red cable and black earpieces with red accents.)
The black plastic ControlTalk compartment around the Diddybeat’s cable allows you to answer and end phone calls on your iPhone. You’ll be able to control playback on the iPhone and iPod touch with three uncomplicated multi-use buttons, which are used for adjusting volume, pausing or playing music, or picking up and hanging up calls. A padded, magnetic snap-shut protective pouch comes inside the box, along with six pairs of silicone eartips in numerous sizes, two sets of flange suggestions, a pair of foam guidelines, and a shirt clip.
Audio Performance
Our HEAD Acoustics frequency response tests show us that, unsurprisingly, the Diddybeats are very much the same in overall efficiency to other Monster earphones. Where they seem to differ most is in high frequency response—basically, the Monster Turbine Pro ($299.95), Monster Beats Tour by Dr. Dre, and even the Ultimate Ears Metrofi 220 ($79.99) all have quite a comparable bass response, but the Diddybeats has far less high-end presence, which can occasionally give result inside a slightly dulled sound. You may just want Diddy’s brand of ‘phones inside your ears, but if you’re trying to find value, the Metrofi 220 rings in at $100 less—and has a slightly crisper sound.
Even though the Diddybeats really feel secure, the fit could be inconsistent from ear to ear, as our graphs inside slideshow demonstrate. This can contribute to a slightly askew stereo image that is problematic for anyone seeking large audio accuracy.
At maximum volume, the Diddybeats suffered no distortion in my tests, even on deep bass tracks like The Knife’s “Silent Shout.” This is impressive considering the bass for the Diddybeats seems significantly boosted in comparison for the rest in the frequency range. Even though it really is a testament to the strength and durability from the drivers, it really is not a testament for the accuracy on the Diddybeats’ frequency response (audiophiles really should steer clear). The Diddybeats are built for bass lovers.
I’ve nothing against Diddy, but Dr. Dre’s Monster Beats Tour offers greater large frequency clarity though delivering near-identical low-end—and they’re $30 less than the Monster Diddybeats (though you won’t get the iPhone/iPod touch controls). Within the battle of the celebrity earphones, Dr. Dre wins on price, effectiveness, and, in my humble fashion opinion, style. And in the event you do not care about celebrity-endorsed earphones, well, there’s a whole globe of worthy, inexpensive alternatives available. Start with the Ultimate Ears Metrofi 220.