Beats · Tour

Tour (original)

Released 2008

Original wired in-ear Tour headphones with a flat red cable, interchangeable tips and a carrying case.

Type: In-ear
Noise cancelling: No
Battery: –
With case: –
Best codec: Wired
Weight: –

Earbuds

What reviewers say

Both reviews praise the substantial bass and practical flat cable. WIRED finds clear sound but says the deepest bass needs excessive volume. Ubergizmo finds the fit comfortable once suitable tips are chosen, but criticises occasional harsh treble and noise transmitted by cable movement.

From wired.com and ubergizmo.com

Specifications

Report a wrong or missing spec

Sound

Type: In-ear
Noise cancelling: No
Bluetooth codecs: None (wired)
Noise cancelling detail: Passive isolation from the fitted ear tips; no active noise cancelling (Ubergizmo).
Audio features: Flat red analogue audio cable designed to resist tangling.

Battery

Listening time (maker's claim): No battery (wired)

Design

Headphone cable: Yes
Controls: No remote on the original version reviewed in January 2009. The proposed Beats Talk microphone version was separate and had no confirmed release date at that point (Ubergizmo).
Microphones: None on the original version (Ubergizmo).
Fit and ear tips: In-ear fit with interchangeable ear tips. The original maker announcement lists five differently sized sets.
Works with: Wired analogue connection to a headphone socket. The first Apple Store purchase listing appeared in December 2008 with estimated shipping of one to two weeks (iClarified); the maker promised limited mid-December availability. This does not establish an actual first shipment day or month, so the release retains year precision.
Colours: Gloss black earpieces and red cable in the original maker announcement.
In the box: Earphones, five sets of ear tips and carrying case in the maker announcement.

Pros and cons

Pros

Flat cable designed to reduce tangling
Five sets of interchangeable ear tips
Passive listening needs no battery

Cons

No microphone or remote on the original version
No Bluetooth or active noise cancelling

Closest rivals

Model	Type	Noise cancelling	Battery	With case	Best codec	Weight	Released
BeatsPowerbeats (2010)	In-ear	No	–	–	Wired	–	2010
BeatsurBeats (2012)	In-ear	No	–	–	Wired	–	2012
BeatsTour2	In-ear	No	–	–	Wired	–	Sept 2013

Newer model: Tour2.

Sources

Photo: WIRED's original Tour review photograph; white background retained to avoid cut-out artefacts in the low-resolution image.

Spot a mistake? Tell us