[Monster Beats by Dr.Dre] Diddybeats Headphones

Having worked my way through various pairs of headphones over the last couple of years I did begin to think I must be bad at choosing the right earphones - until now. The Diddybeats in-ear headphones are from the music superstar that is Sean Combs. He has had various alias' along the years and is most popularly known as 'P Diddy'.

The first concern I had when I opened the packaging was the realisation that each earpiece had 'db' on it - I am not the greatest fan of David Beckham! This is only a minor irritation though, and the earphones soon spoke for themselves in terms of sound. The design is very different to a lot of other earphones I have used/seen in the past, and the cable is also unusual in that it is more like a ribbon with its flat profile. I opted for the white colour but they also come in powder pink and black. The earphones come in a very smart box, which also contains a black pouch for storing your earphones in. I don't use this, as I dont like getting the cable tangled (this happens VERY easily) - probably due to the rubberised construction and the ribbon-like design. It should be noted (at my cost) that the white style DOES NOT have the ability to adjust the volume on the cable, this must be done at source. This is a slight letdown for me, but if it is really important to you then I strongly advise you choose the black Diddybeats. These have a +/- on the hands-free mic.


One feature I am not too keen on is that there is a mouthpiece and button for recieving calls hands-free. Having paid over a hundred pounds for these earphones it is a nice addition if you talk hands-free, but personally I would have preferred not to have this feature and instead have the design aimed purely at listening to music. The quality of the earphones, however, is of a very high standard. I love the feel of the earpieces and the cable and every aspect of the design oozes quality and style.

Now onto the sound quality. The most important factor to me with high-end earphones is sound quality. Design is of major importance to some, but for me it is all about the sound quality. You may be thinking that the Monster Beats range is all about design and image - I fell for that trick at first. Until you have used any of the Dr.Dre ranges you could be forgiven for thinking that style is all they are. From my experience of the Diddybeats earphones I am blown away each and every time I use them. Yes, I paid £101.99 from Comet with a 15% online order discount, but I have found in the past that price doesn't always buy quality! The bass given out is very deep and rich, and the top end is also a worthwhile exeprience. I did read that these earphones took a while to 'break-in' but I thought this was a load of rubbish. I have found out though that this is true - they do improve after the first week weeks of use, a bit like a car engine.

I would most definitely recommend the Diddybeats earphones to anyone with this kind of budget. I would go as far as saying if you have a £50-60 budget then consider stretching that bit further and getting these. These really are Dr.Dre's greatest hit!

Summary: Superb sound quality and well-designed.

Advantages: Fantastic clarity, well made, high-end product.

Disadvantages: The white version has no volume adjustment, may be too bass heavy for some, price.