Best Dr Dre Beats headphones

Dr Dre, the world's most rhythmic GP, is treating the nation's lugholes with his particular brand of bass-heavy headphone medicine. Built and designed by Monster, the distinctive Beats headphones bear the name of the hip-hop legend and some audacious, iconic styling. Here's our definitive guide to the greatest Monster Beats products.

The Beats line-up encompasses both on-ear and in-ear headphones, as well as speakers. The on-ear range is the most recognisable however, with the Beats Solos adorning the ears of every trendy young gadabout from here to Shoreditch.

The Beats line is known for a bassy delivery that makes these 'phones ideal for listening to pop, hip-hop or rock. In our experience the cheaper on-ear cans can sound a little muddy, with the bass occasionally ballooning out of control and obscuring the rest of the mix, but overall these are good-sounding, durable headphones.

The Solos impress with their build quality and folding earcups, as well as a thick, replaceable cable that's unlikely to wear out very quickly. There's a cable remote with a built-in mic for iPhone users too.

If you've got more cash to spend you could opt for the Studio or Pro models. These are very pricey, but the Pros are a tonne of fun, even if they're not the most... balanced headphones we've ever listened to.

Strap these beasts on to your noggin and you'll quickly feel your teeth rattling free of their fleshy moorings as the aggressive, noisy bass pounds your senses. You'll have to sell vital organs to afford the high-end on-ear Beats, but our music has never sounded so explosive.

On the in-ear side of things, we've been impressed by the sound quality offered by the iBeats, which also have a cool iPhone remote built into the cable. At under £100, we reckon these buds would make an excellent upgrade from the horrible headphones that come bundled with iPods and iPhones.

Monster make other artist-branded headphones under the Beats banner -- from Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber to Sean 'Diddy' Combs.