Apple announced its decision to acquire Beats yesterday, and the headphone maker is back in the news again, this time with a new product announcement. Beats Electronics launched a new version of its popular on-ear headphones called the Beats Solo².

Beats Electronics’ headphones have often been criticised for having too much bass that overshadows other sounds, and not being as good as other equally priced rivals. Beats Solo² tries to address this complaint, with a more dynamic and much wider range of sound that makes all music genres sound good.

Engadget got to play with the new headphones and had this to say:

I [queued] up some bass-heavy tunes to see if the company would remain consistent with its affinity for the low end. Well, the best way I can describe the sound here is “more balanced.” Don’t get me wrong: There’s still plenty of bass when tunes call for it, but you can also clearly pick up other elements — things like hi-hats, snares and others all seem to stand out more when compared to previous releases.

Gizmodo had a similar opinion on the headphones:

As a far as I can tell, the main difference between the new model and the older one is that their tuning has supposedly been redesigned to address the widely criticized bass-heavy sound profile of Beats products in general. While I don’t have a pair of the older model handy, I can compare the Solo2s to my well-broken-in Sennheiser Momentums and the Solo2s definitely still slant towards very powerful bass, though, not to the point of completely obfuscating mids and highs. These cans are still way better suited to blasting hip hop than to, say, 90’s alternative where you’d want a little more clarity.

Apart from improved sound, Beats says the Solo² also comes with better comfort and design:

Starting at the center of the flexible headband, the frame of the headphone has been curved like never before, giving the Solo2 a custom-fit feeling. The earcups have been ergonomically angled out to complete this natural fit, with pivots for optimal comfort and sound delivery.

The Solo² can be preordered from the Beats website for $199, or bought from retail stores starting June 1st. You can choose from six colors — pink, blue, gray, black, white and red. Beats is selling the remaining stock of the original Solo headphones for a price of $169.

Apple expects the Beats acquisition to close by September, so this could very likely be the last major announcements by Beats as an independent company. Apple said that it intends to keep the Beats headphones brand, but its cofounders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will take full-time roles at the company.

Let us know what you think about the Solo² headphones in the comments below.