Even if beats isn't his aesthetic, I find it difficult to imagine Steve being able to stomach a lower quality product underneath.
Jobs would have wanted products perhaps like Bose - expensive, overpriced but ultimately good quality underneath. Beats is lower middle quality underneath all the plastic and Jobs wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he thought anything lower middle quality ever shipped out of his factories.
The audio fidelity of Bose speakers and headphones aren't any better than that of Beats. They're rightly derided in the audio community as sub-par equipment sold for far too much.
Jobs would have wanted products perhaps like Bose - expensive, overpriced but ultimately good quality underneath. Beats is lower middle quality underneath all the plastic and Jobs wouldn't be able to sleep at night if he thought anything lower middle quality ever shipped out of his factories.