SOHO — The first and only pop-up store for Dr. Dre's line of headphones opened on Greene Street Wednesday afternoon and the rapper/producer himself was scheduled to appear there Wednesday night.
The high-end headphone shop Beats by Dr. Dre was set to host a grand opening party at 67 Greene St. from 7 to 9 p.m., spokeswoman Karen Civil said. Dr. Dre was expected to be joined there by Interscope Geffen A&M Records chair Jimmy Iovine.
While the event with music by DJ Prostyle of the radio station Power 105.1 was private, small groups of fans who gather for the event were expected to be allowed in to the party, where a cake in the shape of a giant set of headphones was on the menu.
Metal barricades were set up outside the store Wednesday afternoon.
Dr. Dre said in a statement on Beats by Dr. Dre's website that the headphones, which start at $229 for over-ear models, provide realistic sound quality.
"Most headphones can't handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn't move you," he said. "With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do."
Headphones that the company designed for celebrities, including the New York Yankees, are displayed in glass cases in the store. Every Yankee was given a pair of custom-made white headphones with blue pinstripes, Civil said.
The store also has a soundproof-room where shoppers can test the brand's speakers.
The pop-up store for the line, which launched in 2008, will be open through mid-January, Civil said.
