Think of Beats headphones like a very expensive fashion accessory. Their performance as headphones pales in comparison to the price. Professional audio engineers use less expensive (and FAR superior) headphones.
Price doesn't always translate to quality. In many cases, it's pure status signalling. Many luxury fashion brands operate in this manner.
they've always been ridiculously expensive. amusingly, they were made by Monster up until a year or two ago. so a cheap pair of Beats would just be Monster headphones anyway, not Beats.
Beats have always been in that price range IIRC. They were always marketed as a luxury product, just like Apple's stuff. I think Skullcandy aim to be more approachable.
Compare with Skullcandy earbuds, which seem to be of similar quality, starting at about $20.
Interesting strategy if that's the case. Definitely fits with the Apple image.