Beats $200 Headphones Really Only Cost $18 To Make [Update]

Update – There is a chance that the Beats headphones used in teardown might have been a fake, meaning that the cost of the components estimated in this case would be wrong. It hasn’t been confirmed but it should be worth taking into consideration when reading this article.

When it comes to headphones, Beats headphones are probably one of the more recognizable brands out there today thanks to its endorsements by athletes, musicians, celebrities, and more. They’re not necessarily the best in the market but they do get a lot of coverage, which is also why the company has no problems pricing it at a premium.

For example the Beats Solo HD headphones are priced at $200 when they were released in 2013, but have you ever wondered how much they really cost? Well thanks to engineer Avery Louie who recently conducted a breakdown (via Cult of Mac) of the components in the headphones, it turns out that the premium headphones that would have cost you $200 actually has components that cost a total of $18!

Of course by now most of you guys should know that the $18 price of components is only one aspect that is factored in when trying to determine its retail price. There are other costs involved such as marketing costs, R&D, paying to license certain technologies, paying celebrities to endorse their products, and more.

The breakdown also revealed some interesting components, such as four pieces of metal which exist only to make the headphones feel heavy. According to Louie, “One of the great things about the solo headphones is how substantial they feel. A little bit of weight makes the product feel solid, durable, and valuable.”

At the end of the day we suppose it really boils down to you trying to decide if you can justify the price of them. If they look great to you, sound great to you, and you can afford it, why not?

Tyler Lee
Categories: Audio
Tags: beats, Headphones, Social Hit