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That case thing is hideous. Even the headphones, while not bad, seem un-Apple. Really concerned about Apple's design direction with Jony gone. He got flack with wanting to make thinner iPhones, but his designs were stunning.
Jony was responsible for garbage like the Apple TV remote and the butterfly keyboard. Good riddance to him.
 
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I'll wait to try them on myself, but the reports of the weight are concerning. I want to be able to use NC cans for transoceanic flights (whenever that's feasible again). The AKG's I currently use for that purpose have very good sound and average NC. I was hoping Apple's would be better in those departments, as well as comfort.
 
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Well, I've never listened to $1500+ headphones so I won't say they aren't worth it. But there are brands that I'd call "status" brands. Why are Leica cameras so wildly expensive? Because of the red dot and the belief that they are somehow worth the money. At one time they were the gold standard for news photographers. Now, they are pretty much just a camera, but they scream, look at me I shoot Leica, bet you can't afford to shoot Leica. Audiophiles spend wild amounts of money on cables, can they hear the difference, or do they just think they do because they spent lots of money on cables and need to validate their purchase.
Maybe people that shoot with a Leica camera prefer the colour science? Much like I shoot with Canon because their colour science is superior in my opinion.

Maybe audiophiles spend money on products and can hear the difference and people that don’t have the need and or indeed the cash to afford it spend their entire lives worrying about the difference?
 
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So, from a few years ago, I read that in order to listen to the music as intended, you shouldn’t EQ your music. Enhancing the bass, while it sounds better to you, is not the music the producer designed. So, when there is an option (rental cars especially LOL) I always set the EQ flat all the way across. That sounds like it should be right and, of course, everything is subjective, but after reading your post, I wonder what you think?
This sweeping statement isn't really correct. Every headphone has a different frequency range and so every headphone will sound different when flat (i.e. no EQ). It is true that the producer will likely use a neutral speaker to shape the sound but it is not true that using EQ = not what the producer intended. EQ can do a couple of things: (i) it can address certain peaks, valleys or deficiencies in a headphone's frequency curve or (ii) it can allow a listener to customize sound to their personal preferences (or both).

Someone preferring to use EQ does not mean there is anything inherently wrong with the headphone. Equalizers are a staple of the audiophile community and are used on headphones that costs thousands of dollars. Now, if a headphone needs significant EQ to address it's limitations, then that surely can be a reflection of a poorly tuned headphone. However, a blanket statement that any given headphone should be heard "flat" is not true. Further, the mere fact that EQ is needed on a certain headphone does not mean the headphone is of lesser quality. All headphones have strengths and weaknesses and EQ is a tool that can be used to address them.
 
Having owned heavy headphones in the past I know how it can ruin the experience no matter how good they sound. If people are already reporting discomfort after only 40 minutes ... not great :(
This is what I’m worried about. I’m sure they’re feature rich and sound amazing. I like the overall design, too. But this is definitely something I can’t buy without trying first.

I also can’t help wondering if I wait another year or two if the next generation one will come with better storage options. That case looks like my grandma’s purse and a bra got mixed together in a transporter accident.

Another concern I have, after someone else pointed it out, those beautiful aluminum surfaces are going to need to be treated well like our aluminum iPhones to keep up appearances. When I travel with my current headphones, they get knocked around a bit. I’m also glad they fold into a compact case that’s easily clipped to my backpack. I have a sinking feeling these headphones are not for me, but I would wish they were.
 
This is what I’m worried about. I’m sure they’re feature rich and sound amazing. I like the overall design, too. But this is definitely something I can’t buy without trying first.

I also can’t help wondering if I wait another year or two if the next generation one will come with better storage options. That case looks like my grandma’s purse and a bra got mixed together in a transporter accident.

Another concern I have, after someone else pointed it out, those beautiful aluminum surfaces are going to need to be treated well like our aluminum iPhones to keep up appearances. When I travel with my current headphones, they get knocked around a bit. I’m also glad they fold into a compact case that’s easily clipped to my backpack. I have a sinking feeling these headphones are not for me, but I would wish they were.
You have way too many concerns over a damn pair of headphones. Get a different brand. There are plenty in this category. Lordy.
 
I went into the B&O shop the other day and tested these. They are superb headphones, but yes still quite a bit more in $$ to Apples.

I am torn between them as the choice for me, being a Eurodouch apparently and never a Saab driver.......

If you can’t afford something, you are not the customer.
Yep. I thought the PowerBeats Pro's were expensive. (They were) And was disappointed in the 'quality' of them. I do have a second pair (I know, I know... I was excoriated by the wife: 'You couldn't get the first pair to work, so you bought ANOTHER PAIR? You IDIOT!!! 'Hey, look what I have for you! These are great!' as I gave them the first pair I owned) and have been able to get the second pair to work really well actually. *shrug*

I'm retired. Damn near everything is unaffordable now. :oops:
 
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You have way too many concerns over a damn pair of headphones. Get a different brand. There are plenty in this category. Lordy.
I’m not getting anything for awhile. I’ve got some I’m using now. I’m interested in good headphones for cross country flights but it’s going to be a long time before I undertake that again.

jeez we are all just making conversation here over a new product. It’s what this forum is for. What the hell is your problem?
 
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So the only reviews that can be called honest are ones that knock this product (or write for an Android website)?
Ones that aren’t scared of Apple

he’s praised iPhone 12 Mac and Apple Watch.

Unlike Apple sheep he’s quite honest and blunt.

people are scared of not getting that next device to review if they’re Black listed.
 
I’m so sick of the price shock.

High quality headphones can cost well over $550. It’s all going to be down to the sound. People that buy high end headphones will judge their worth.

Well, the price will always resonate close to people’s hearts for emotional reasons. Besides, with an AirPods product, it comes down to way more than just sound: integration, ease of use, comfort, durability- just a few factors that come to mind. These things are probably not purchased for the case.
 
Maybe people that shoot with a Leica camera prefer the colour science? Much like I shoot with Canon because their colour science is superior in my opinion.

Maybe audiophiles spend money on products and can hear the difference and people that don’t have the need and or indeed the cash to afford it spend their entire lives worrying about the difference?
I'm not sure what color science is? I know what people mean by it, but if you're processing raw files it's as much a software issue as a camera body issue. The two guys who do a lot of the DPReview videos, and I can't remember their names offhand. Before they were hired by DPReview they were doing videos for a camera store in Canada. Alberta I think. They took a bunch of cameras and shot basically the same scene with all of them. An iPhone was one, but they had Canon, Fuji, Olympus, Panasonic, Nikon, and Sony cameras. They printed the images and then asked people to rank the color of the images. Not really a scientific test, but... At any rate, depending on the scene, different brands produced images that were more or less preferred depending on subject matter. Cameras that ranked high for one kind of scene were near the bottom end with respect to other types of images. I sometimes think the mind is a terrible thing. W.I. Thomas once said something like what is believed to be real is real in its consequences. We are all pretty influenced by confirmation bias. We see what we want to see, hear what we want to hear, etc. Sometimes I think people get so lost in the technology they never hear the music or look at actual photographs. Some of the most powerful photos I've ever seen were not very good in terms of technical IQ. But they told a powerful story. FWIW, I've never been very impressed with the color output from Leicas. But perhaps that's just my biases confirming my beliefs. If I listened to a bunch of really high end speakers I'm pretty certain I couldn't tell which are most accurate. Beyond major and minor I have no idea what key classical music is in. I'm not sure I can always discern major and minor chords. I've seen certified beer judges not be able to pick their "favorite" beer during a blind tasting. I'm not talking about a sour vs a double IPA. But give them 4-5 beers of relatively similar style. Something like pick your declared favorite double IPA from these 4 double IPAs that you'll taste blindly. I just sort of think that what we see, what we hear, what we taste, etc. is pretty influenced by our expectations. I just spent $200 on that bottle of wine, it damn sure better taste good.
 
jeez we are all just making conversation here over a new product. It’s what this forum is for. What the hell is your problem?
I didn't speak to you that way. Don't speak to me that way. And you were complaining, not making conversation. You have a list of concerns over a pair of headphones and only because it's Apple that you are scrutinizing them left right and sideways. You can choose B&O, Sony or Bowers & Wilkins if Apple's cans concern you so much.
 
I’m so sick of the price shock.

High quality headphones can cost well over $550. It’s all going to be down to the sound. People that buy high end headphones will judge their worth.
People who want sound quality above all else and are willing to pay... aren't buying wireless headphones. If Apple wants that crowd, they need to 1.) use (or make) a wired-quality codec and 2.) lossless tier for Apple Music.

Otherwise I'll stick to my external DAC and wired cans.
 
I had a pair of parrot Zik 2.0s. Metal construction, but 270 grams and I thought that was a bit heavy to be wearing long periods. After an hour you feel it on your head and it got annoying. AirPods Max are 30% heavier.

ParrotZik-inline2.jpg
 
At the risk of getting torn to pieces, I have to say that I kinda get the "case" design approach. My headphones are either on my desk, on my head, or in my bag. When I put them in my bag, I fold them flat so they'll fit amongst my crap, and I have had a couple of pairs of headphones break while in that position—probably because they were free to move around too much. So having a "case" that keeps them in the flattened position, but is still essentially the same size as the original headphones, makes a lot of sense to me. The case that came with my ATH-m70x—good headphones, pretty flat and revealing, but a bit harsh in the highs, to my ears—is beautiful, and offers good protection, but I basically never use it because it takes up way too much space in my bag. It would be good to pack in a suitcase, I suppose, but I never put headphones in my suitcase (since they're in my bag!).
 
Jony was responsible for garbage like the Apple TV remote and the butterfly keyboard. Good riddance to him.

He was also responsible for dozens of other great products. He has more hits than duds in his career but everyone focuses on the duds.
 
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Tried my buddies out and jammed to my favorite song. During the drum solo i could hear a toilet being flushed from beyond the studio recording room. Apple has reinvented sound. Sped to the nearest Apple store and picked up the Space Gray and wrote them a blank check. I couldn't pay such a low price and not feel guilty. Thank you Apple.
 
Jony was responsible for garbage like the Apple TV remote and the butterfly keyboard. Good riddance to him.
Haha! Yeah, that bloody remote! It's really attractive, and quite intuitive to use, but it's also perfectly symmetrical and very dark, so it's virtually impossible to know which way you're holding it/pointing it. I think my success rate with it is, predictably enough, around 50/50.
 
Jony was responsible for garbage like the Apple TV remote and the butterfly keyboard. Good riddance to him.
What a ridiculous post. He was also responsible for the multitude of successfully designed Apple products over several years which helped the company become as a successful as it is today. Your post makes no sense.
 
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