Beats · Executive

Executive

Released October 2012

Folding wired headphones with active noise cancellation, replaceable AAA batteries and an aluminium and stainless steel frame.

Type: Over-ear
Noise cancelling: Yes
Battery: 25 h
With case: –
Best codec: Wired
Weight: –

What reviewers say

Both reviews praise the finish and comfortable pads but report audible noise-cancellation hiss, limited sound accuracy and better isolation from Bose rivals. Their verdicts differ; Tom's Guide likes the warm sound and strong bass, while What Hi-Fi? finds the bass loose and the presentation short of energy and dynamics. Both note that flat batteries stop playback.

From whathifi.com and tomsguide.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Sound

Type: Over-ear
Noise cancelling: Yes
Back: Closed
Bluetooth codecs: None (wired)
Drivers: 40 mm dynamic drivers reported by Tom's Guide
Audio features: Closed-back design (RTINGS)

Battery

Listening time (maker's claim): Up to 25 hours
Battery life detail: Two AAA batteries; maker's up-to-25-hour claim reported by Tom's Guide. The maker guide confirms audio and noise cancellation both require the power switch to be on.

Design

Headphone cable: Yes
Controls: On/off switch for audio and noise cancellation; maker guide describes remote playback, track, call, voice-command and volume controls with device-dependent support. Both reviews received a one-button remote rather than the guide's three-button design.
Microphones: Inline microphone in the remote cable
Fit and ear tips: Folding earcups with aluminium alloy, stainless steel and leather construction; over-ear classification (RTINGS), although What Hi-Fi? found the pads sat on the ears
Works with: Wired connection; included iOS-compatible microphone cable at launch; maker guide says remote functionality varies by device
Colours: Silver at launch; Black also reported by Tom's Guide
In the box: Headphones, hard case, two 3.5 mm cables, batteries, aeroplane adaptor, 6.3 mm adaptor and cleaning cloth (What Hi-Fi?)

Pros and cons

Pros

Replaceable batteries
Folding earcups and hard carrying case
Detachable audio cable with microphone

Cons

Audio requires battery power
No Bluetooth connection

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Noise cancelling	Battery	With case	Best codec	Weight	Released
BeatsStudio (2013)	Over-ear	Yes	20 h	–	Wired	–	Aug 2013
BoseQuietComfort 25	Over-ear	Yes	35 h	–	Wired	–	Sept 2014
BoseQuietComfort 15	Over-ear	Yes	35 h	–	Wired	–	2009

Sources

Photo: Beats supplied launch photograph, explicitly credited to Beats by ABC News; silver Executive headphones shown beside the red original Pill speaker. Complete supplied composition and white background preserved.

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