Blog: Beats By Dre Headphones Filled With Cheap Parts, Bits Of Metal

SACRAMENTO (CBS Sacramento) - Since the introduction of the Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones in 2008, the high-end devices have become the personal audio system for millions of people around the world.

But almost from the beginning, music critics and audiophiles have had harsh words for the devices, saying that for a piece of audio gear that can sell for $200, Beats by Dre are not the best sounding headphones out there.

Capitalizing on its famous namesake, Beats by Dre built its brand with endorsements from music industry bigwigs.

Chris Matyszczyk, a content creation and marketing adviser and CNet contributor, tells CBS Sacramento Beats has crafted its image brilliantly.

"Marketing is about making people feel something," he explained. "Even though audio experts tend to say these headphones aren't good, people either don't hear that or don't care."

The "b" logo has become almost ubiquitous, with almost everyone, it seems, sporting the now iconic headphones.

But now accusations of poor quality have been raised again, thanks to a blog posting that literally takes apart the headphones.

Avery Louie dismantled a pair for Bolt, and found it contained $16.98 in parts, including four metal pieces that appear to have no other function than to make them feel heavier.

"One of the great things about the solo headphones is how substantial they feel," Louie said in the posting. "A little bit of weight makes the product feel solid, durable, and valuable. One way to do this cheaply is to make some components out of metal in order to add weight. In these headphones, 30% of the weight comes from four tiny metal parts that are there for the sole purpose of adding weight."

But even that is part of the marketing plan.

"In some product lines, there's a perception that lighter means flimsy," explained Matyszczyk. "That's true in headphones for many people. You can call this deception if you like. But a lot of design and marketing is a kind of deception. Many seduction processes are."

Dr. Dre and Beats Electronics co-founder Jimmy Iovine were able to use their connections in the music industry to get even more high-profile endorsements.

Matyszczyk says it's unlikely that consumers will heed the audiophiles and stop buying Beats by Dre.

"People like the fact that Dre is behind these headphones. And they love how they look and feel."

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