Back in August, I wrote an article questioning what exactly Beats Audio was, since it was always just referred to as “a technology” in advertisements, without offering any clue as to what exactly it really was. At the time, I couldn’t find any information on the Beats Audio website, and when I contacted HP PR reps, they never did reply with an answer.
A reader of that article searched extensively and was able to find a YouTube video that broke down what exactly makes up Beats Audio, and here it is:
2. Discrete headphone amp – more powerful with better stereo separation
3. Dedicated audio island – isolates audio components on the circuit board
4. Function + B – engages Beats Audio profile
Based on the information provided, the Beats Audio system simply “corrects” some of the audio degradation that can occur when a computer is placed into a smaller package (a laptop) and corners are cut with the audio systems inside of it.
The “redesigned headphone jack” simply makes the jack itself out of plastic instead of metal to reduce potential noise. So any laptop with a plastic jack (and most desktops) essentially have that component of Beats Audio already.
A “discrete headphone amp” is the addition of a ground cable in between the stereo cables and better insulation of the cables themselves, so that there is less interference. And when they say “amp” they’re just referring to the audio being powered in general (like every computer) — the video itself even points out that the presence of a separate amplifier component is simulated.
The “dedicated audio island” is exactly what they say it is — simply isolating audio components on the circuit board. Like making the “amp” more “discrete,” this brings that isolation the rest of the way to the board.
Finally, the “Beats Audio profile” sounds like marketing speak for “equalizer setting.”
In summary, from what the video seems to indicate, Beats Audio is simply that equalizer setting paired with handling the wiring and organization of components in a way that fixes an oversight from previous HP laptop design. I’m sure it’s an improvement over some other manufacturers’ laptop construction as well, but who wires sound in what way probably varies a bit. Or more simply, Beats Audio makes your laptop sound as good as a desktop computer. But is it a difference you’d be able to hear anyway without high-end headphones?
As for how HTC implements Beats Audio in their phones and tablets, it’s probably safe to assume it’s a similar mixture of equalizer and insulation.
Two fantastic posts Jay, thanks for the information. Hugely interesting stuff, I’m curious to know who the marketing genius was who decided to make fixing original design flaws into a hugely profitable selling point.
I can’t wait for the next person to tell me how special their beats audio equipped device is while I smirk and walk away shaking my head.
“I’m curious to know who the marketing genius was who decided to make fixing original design flaws into a $400 celebrity endorsedo overhyped product cash cow” – corrected
The “Marketing Genius” is monster cable. Their whole business is build on over-hyping random things and charging tons of money for the “branding”
Search google for: Friends don’t let friends buy monster
But it Beats by Dre…its the classic lets put a celebrity name on the product and make flashy commercials to make it seem more expensive…This happens with Ciroc vodka…They had P Diddy endorse it and now its all the hype with people who listen to Diddy…
Well, I’ve just tried an HTC One X and the main “Beats Audio” setting definitely increases the volume (as well as applying an equalization). That having been said there is a bit more to it than that…
The other element is that you can set the headphone type – “Beats iBeats”, “Beats Solo”,”Beats Pro”,”Beats Studio” and “Other”. These apply very different equalization profiles – I guess to match, i.e. even out, the profile of headphones in question.
This would make sense as all audio devises have different responses over the frequency spectrum. A company matching headphones and equalisation as a brand makes great sense.
Co-incidentally as the profile of headphones tends to substantially follow the size, enclosure and isolation of the headphones picking a “Beats Audio” profile for a set of headphones “similar” to the ones you are wearing will likely do a “not too bad” job.
In-ear headphones have very poor bass and therefore it is likely that the equalization profile turns the bass end of the spectrum up to 11. That will therefore sound very bass-y on bigger headphones.
Further profiles for headphones with strong response in the treble bands will sound muddy on other styles of headphones.
(Aside: Bose was a mathematical genius with waves of all sorts; and its application in audio wave guides is terribly clever)
I was so thoroughly entertained by the cheekiness of the 2 articles and their comments (especially the replies by the PR guy from Monster/Dre’s Beats Corporate HQ<<——–LOL @ THAT GUY) that i just wanted to pop in and thank the blogger, and the regulars around here for this awesome set of convos haha!
Its actually pretty funny because theyre still selling the Beats Laptops as if theyre ridiculously superior to pther laptops, and my girlfriend just went on a craze where she was not happy until she got a pair of beats headphones.
Im not gonna lie, i have audio/music tastes that a lot of audiophiles would cringe at, but nevertheless its what i enjoy. I thought the beats headphones sounded good, and i typically like a little bit of extra low frequency punch for power and to better appreciate some funky basslines and things, or even for a deep explosion whike watching an action movie on my iphone. They are second only to a pioneer set that I REALLLLLY loved the sound of. At a guess, i would say the specs of the beats are similar to sennheisers, pioneers, sony etc. models that hover around $100 price rance.
I am the type of person to appreciate electronic/peformance related stuff much more than good design for the consumer, but to be honest, it was the user-friendliness of it that made it stand out more tham any others, including that ol pair o' pioneers i loved so much. My gf got the beats (the regular ober the ear beats by dre…not the solo's, the larger ones, but not the DJ's. They were super comfortable, and came with a good set of accessories, which included 2 stereo cables, one of which had the third channel for talking on an iphone or what have you (not sure what that type of cord is called) with a little volume button on the cord or song change. The cords are interchangeable. You plug one end into the headphones, the other into the device/amp/etc. which is actually a really big deal because im sure we've all gone thru a gajillion f****ng sets of headphones, especially if u work run or do whatever to wear and tear, so you can always be sure that yoy can get a replacement cord. My right channel on my fave pioneers died on me…if i woulda had an interchangable cord, im sure the drivers would still be kickin just fine
actually i was able to isolate the cord breakage to being really near the jack so i chopped it and got my buddy to solder the wires to a replacement plug but i dunno, it shorted again thereafter. Comes with a hard case, and they look really stylish. Definitely not worth 400 bux but definitely worth more bang for the buck than my old pioneers if the beats were priced better.
As for the beats audio on PC, taking in the fact that ive already made this way too long, the only reply i have is :facepalm: (if thats not a smilie i refuse to edit…too lazy…just pretend)
Cheers!
I’ve just bought a HTC One X and have also just read a review in a comp. mag that you need a pair of Beats headphones to take advantage of the Beats Audio system on the phone??? Is this corect????
I think what they meant to say was you need a comparable set of headphones that will be sensitive enough to detect the differences created by the Beats Audio system — it wouldn’t necessarily have to be Beats brand. And whether there are actually any legitimate differences created depends on what you’re comparing them to.
I have a htc desire x with the beats audio. Using beats earphones while activating/deactivating beats audio only boosts the volume. I then used a pair of headphones that came with a nokia phone and activating/deactivating beats audio did improve audio.
I believe that there may be some multiband compression involved as well.
I’m looking at new smart phones to replace my T-Mobile Sensation once my current contract is up. I see that new HTC phones come with Beats Audio, whatever that is. I read some articles that seemed to say that it was designed for Hip Hop, in which I have zero interest.
My question is, if I listen mostly to jazz and classical music, do I care about Beats? I probably would not purchase special earphones for it, but I don’t want it to diminish the quality by forcing the wrong equalization settings. Can it be turned off if necessary?
I’d say no. If you were really that interested in Beats Audio, the folks in the xda-developers.com forum I believe have extracted it so that you can also put the package on other phones.
If you’re with T-Mobile, I’d highly recommend getting the Galaxy Nexus directly from the Google Play store unlocked for $350. Then, you can go to a non-subsidized plan on T-Mobile and save $20-40 per month. Over two years you save quite a bit of money vs. the reduced price phone but higher monthly price.
hi there great work if i could request could you get the contract binding beats by dr dre with monster, and the one with HTC. I WOULD REALLY APPRECIate if you send me that to look at the aspects and learn from both the contracts. regards
Well, I’ve just tried an HTC One X and the main “Beats Audio” setting definitely increases the volume (as well as applying an equalization). That having been said there is a bit more to it than that…
The other element is that you can set the headphone type – “Beats iBeats”, “Beats Solo”,”Beats Pro”,”Beats Studio” and “Other”. These apply very different equalization profiles – I guess to match, i.e. even out, the profile of headphones in question.
This would make sense as all audio devises have different responses over the frequency spectrum. A company matching headphones and equalisation as a brand makes great sense.
Co-incidentally as the profile of headphones tends to substantially follow the size, enclosure and isolation of the headphones picking a “Beats Audio” profile for a set of headphones “similar” to the ones you are wearing will likely do a “not too bad” job.
In-ear headphones have very poor bass and therefore it is likely that the equalization profile turns the bass end of the spectrum up to 11. That will therefore sound very bass-y on bigger headphones.
Further profiles for headphones with strong response in the treble bands will sound muddy on other styles of headphones.
(Aside: Bose was a mathematical genius with waves of all sorts; and its application in audio wave guides is terribly clever)
I actually own a high performance HP pavilion with Beats Audio.Basically yes it is an equalizer.It can be turned on or off,and it house different sound profiles for different tasks:Music/Movies/Recording.When I use the music option,you can select preset equalizer profiles by genre(Rap,Rock,Metal,even Grunge,etc.)The difference is actually very noticeable and I use Logitech speaks(which are not high quality),it also has headphone/mic/2xUSB ports on top of my tower,which are just for listening to and recording music from devices and hardware.As for the “amp” that you claim doesn’t exist,when you turn Beats Audio on by hitting Function and the red letter B on my keyboard the volume nearly doubles,easily.So in a sence yes it is an amp.I agree Dr.Dre being involved is a marketing gimmick,but it definitely is useful technology,
I own the HTC One X, with the infamous Beats Technology.
And it’s really just an equalizer. It only works when I got a cable (headphones) plugged in.
It’s nothing special, exactly the same as the BassBoost or DoubleBass or whatyoucallit in the equalizer settings on other devices.
I always have it turned off, and even grinded off that horrible logo on the back of my phone.
Hi Jay, very informative. Pls answer my question. On Beats headset, they say it’s HD. Is it true? But how could a 3.5mm jack cud deliver hd sound or its just a hoax?
They call them that, but there is currently no industry standard specification I’m aware of for HD in audio equipment. For example in terms of video, HD means a minimum resolution of 720p. For audio, it could mean anything. Plus I think “HD” in that case is technically part of the name of the headphones, not a claim of quality necessarily. That being said, the 3.5mm jack wouldn’t be the limiting factor since it is capable of delivering audio at frequencies beyond what the human ear is even capable of hearing.
I just bought HTC Desire V, and I was really anxious about the “authentic sound”.
I found out the difference when I played some low frequency tracks..say 64 kbps..They were so awesome! and when I turned off the beats audio feature, it sucked..so ya..it is some different technology for sure..I want to ask that should I go for the beats audio headsets ?
I have had my HTC Sensation w Beats Audio for about a year now. On my phone (like any computer) I have an eq and can adjust my settings to the music I am listening to. When I put it on Beats Audio – It basically sounds a hair louder but other than that – its like I changed my eq settings. I have had some great headphones in my day and I have listened to beats audio on my phone with dre head phones and with my Sony XB’s – The XB 500′s BLOWS Dre Beats out of the water by a long shot! ANd those only have a 40mm driver. I would love to hear the Xb 900 with the 70 mm driver.
Not trying to knock Dre or Beats audio but I really think its a bit gimmicky. Like someone mentioned earlier about Ciroc Vodka. I have had several nightclubs and have had Ciroc on my shelves. Until Diddy or whatever he goes by now endorsed and then bought Ciroc – my sales on Ciroc with certain club goers has increased. Celebrity plays a huge roll with some people…. If they want to spend more because of a name attached to it – their prerogative. I just laugh that when I couldn’t sell Ciroc for 4.00 a drink, thanks to Diddy, the bottle price never changed but I am now getting 12.00 a drink and the people buying it don’t bat an eye.
Just got an HTC One S from T-Mobile with a Beats Audio thing built in. Similar but less noticeable than others we’ve seen on laptops, or the sound processor settings on home theater amps. In other words, someone’s idea of awesome studio-type enhancements to just plain accurate reproduction. Bottom line, a matter of taste and no big deal either way. I’d rather see a phone with $150 worth of better DACs and amplifiers like the best standalone media players have.
I own a Windows Phone 8X with Beats Audio. And when I went to the settings and turned it on (only works with headphones in), all it does is essentially work like an automatic equalizer setting. The difference between it off and it on is simply a bass boost and a volume boost.
I own an HP Beats equiped lappy, and there are 5 white, and 9 red (10 red on the 17″ model?) Sliders. The five white sliders alter the music in quite a different fashion than your normal everyday equalizer. unfortunately, my five sliders just stopped working one day. i am hoping it is a driver/software related issue, but as I said, the function of those 5 white sliders alter the music in a way I have never experienced, and I miss not having them as they do add to my overall listening pleasure, and they may very well be hardware based. Also, Beats is 2 watts a side on my laptop when most lappys have 1 watt a side at best. The overall sound quality of a beats laptop is better than most laptops, but not all. Toshiba uses Harmon Kardon speakers, and they sound a bit better than HP’s implementation of sound, but when using inexpensive earbuds, not junk, but $30-$40 buds, those 5 sliders can make a difference. I’m an audiophile with experienced ears, and extensive listening sessions with ungodly priced home stereo gear (I bought a hand picked 10k setup myself, and would have spent more were I able to afford it) costing upwards of 100k. For an audiophile, the sound coming out of the speakers better send chills down our spines it so good, and feels as if the singer, band or DR. dre is there in the room performing. This is the audiophiles ideal dream system, and no equalizers need apply as with high end gear, it’s not needed, and if it is, you purchased the worng gear. The sound profiles are garbage on any cans/budes I own, but that 5 band EQ does enhance the sound as does the 2 watts. That 10k system I spoke of ealier included a 200 watt per channel McIntosh amp that weighed a whopping 90lbs. These are real watts, and I expect from what I hear on beats Audio, it is an actual 2 watts. Unfortunately, like a lot of folk, lost my job, and the system had to go. This is why I enjoy the Beats on my lappy, it gives a very small taste of what I had, but it does provide nonetheless, and is usually included in computers that compare in cost to their equals in other brands so I don’t think you are really paying much for it. Having said that, I think Beats is great as far as phones, lappys etc, but the headphones I can’t comment on as I have not heard them, but seems all the reviews, professional or not, are very negative. get a $79 pair of Sony MDRV6′s if you want the best inexpensive cans you can buy. You will see these being worn by many DJ’s as they are inexpensive, and don’t color the sound too much, they are great, and the experts agree, but they are certainly not going to compete with $500 Sennheisers. Take care all, hope this shed some light, and if anyone actually knows whether the 5 band Beats EQ is hardware or software, I’d love to know.
I got Beats Audio on my HP laptop, which I use for serious recording. Fortunately, for the recording process, I use an external A/D (Tascam US-144), so what I record is what I hear. Unfortunately, one of the bloggers above is correct– Beats Audio adds compression to the sound, and it totally screws up the dynamics of the recorded music. To hear my recordings properly, I have to make a CD and put it into another machine. It took me quite awhile to figure this out, as I was going back and forth with the mastering lab, accusing them of messing with the compression, and asking for re-mastering of one tune several times. It finally dawned on me what was happening– I was reviewing the new master on my PC and it was adding serious compression to the tune. If there were a way to turn off the compression, I would be very happy.
That sucks — you’d think there would be a line – out port or option if it’s supposed to be premium audio. Glad you got it sorted though.
Success– this YouTube video tells how to disable the IDT
Beats Audio driver. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MExhl8Gefpc
Problem solved. No longer is my laptop lying to me about how something sounds.
I have the Klipsch Promedia 2.1 sound system hooked to my desktop Hp equiped with Beats Audio. All I can tell without tearing my computer apart is that I have a different looking EQ system in my software. What it does for sound quality though is very nice. I have a few other computers that aren’t equiped with Beats and the sound quality is noticably different. I wouldn’t say it’s why I bought my new computer, but it is a nice litlle feature.
Just me, but Beats is an optimized system.Any circuit board that was set up to isolate components can also contain a programmable chip that recognizes Beats products and so on . Last December, I toyed with the idea of a Fiat 500 and had the opportunity to see the options for the audio.Fiat has a base sound system with so many total watts of power, no doubt made by a European stereo manufacturer. Back in the day of BMW’s that used to be something like a Blaupunkt system. They also had a premium sound option with higher wattage specs and finally, the Beats system with a few more watts over the premium sound system. I would think that Beats, being the genre/style Dr Dre is most proficient at producing is optimized for that, but you never know, he might’ve tweaked several equalizer profiles ? That’s the thing, all equalization profiles don’t work for various artists vocals & their music ? I mean, any of the Diva’s have different vocals and the music they play, the instruments should be uniform, but let’s face it, some groups are better and their expertise is with different instruments. Guitars of Van Halen for instance, vs the drums of Rush ? So you’re going t have to tailor and compensate that audio profile to get the same consistencies over the sound.
Hahaha yall hatin reaaal hard man….i just find it funny how people will always find negative things to say about EVERYTHING…its like everybody expects 100% perfection which *drumroll* does NOT exist…
Keep it real….marketing ploy or not….yadda yadda yadda…its a good product…a lil over priced…but a damn good product… If u like to play music on your phone…and you have beats audio installed…THEN u have beats earbuds…. Trust me it sounds way better than factory….
What do u want? Gabriel’s divine trumpets?
Come on…call a spade a spade…stop hatin… And give this product its due props…
I have an HTC EVO 4G LTE with beats audio and i use ibeats by dre earbuds and I LOVE the sound.
Oh yeah…….BROOKLYN…
random…but …eff it lol