Hands and ears-on: Beats by Dr. Dre headphones

Back in January, during CES, I spent some time with the awesome Beats by Dr. Dre headphones and have been anticipating their release ever since. I finally got my hands on a review unit, and to be honest, I can't put them down. The time invested in the design of Beats by Dr. Dre is evident in the quality of the headphones, the packaging, and the accessories, which are all downright sexy, not to mention functional. Created for audiophiles by audiophiles like artist/producer Dr. Dre, Interscope Geffen A&M Chairman Jimmy Iovine and Monster, Beats by Dr. Dre are the high-definition headphones that'll let you experience music the way the artist intended, and definitely, the type of headphones music lovers have been waiting for.

The headphones come in a beautiful red and black box that includes a touring case to protect the headphones, an antimicrobial cleaning cloth, a 1/8 to 1/4 inch adapter with 24k gold contacts, Monster's iSoniTalk cable with built-in answer button for your iPhone, batteries, and airplane adapter. They come folded inside the touring case which has a pocket inside for small accessories, and a carabineer outside that clips onto a backpack for easy access.

The headphones themselves are comfortable thanks to their plush ear cups covered in soft leather that won't put pressure or cause any ear aches after prolonged use. I wore them throughout a four-hour flight, and despite their bulky size, forgot I was wearing them most of the time. Beats by Dr. Dre feature noise-isolation, so when the music is on, you won't hear any ambient noise around you--a bonus when traveling in a car or plane.

I like the glossy finish, but I was all too conscious about wiping off fingerprints most of the time--blame it on my OCD tendencies. I'm also not accustomed to wearing DJ style headphones, so I'm not digging the size, and wish a smaller version was available. My old DJ-style Skullcandy headphones had a hinge in the headband that pulled my hair every time I took them off, so I do like the Beats' plush, soft leather lining on the headand, and the side hinges that won't get caught in your hair.

One of my favorite accessories is the included iSoniTalk cable that allows you to answer incoming calls while pausing the music on your iPhone. By pressing a rectangular-shaped microphone attached to the cable, you can answer and end calls without holding the iPhone in your hand. On the downside, I found both cables to be really short, so I hope Monster offers optional longer cables in the future.

The Beats' right ear cups features a mute button to pause music when someone's speaking to you, and the left one holds two AAA batteries to power the headphones. A power switch with a red LED indicator light is also included in the left ear cup. I'm not audio expert, but the sound is superb when compared with other headphones. Monster ensured this pair of headphones with extra large drivers delivered clear vocals, detailed highs, and super low, deep bass sounds. They'll retail for $350, and since they'll be on display at both Apple and Best Buy stores, you'll have a chance to try them out before plunking down all that cash.

Check out some extra images of the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones in our Flickr gallery.