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AirPods Max Development Took 4 Years, According to Former Apple Engineer
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Darth Tulhu
macrumors 68020
I don't spend more than $30 for headphones for myself (non-pro occasional use).
I've gifted Beats to my family, but they appreciate their cachet and features and I only purchase them at a severe discount (which brings them closer to fair cost in my mind) on Black Friday.
I don't see it as criminal on Apple's part, I just don't understand how customers did not bat an eye when Apple removed the headphone jack from the iPhone and then offered $160 wireless ones as a (admittedly not mandatory) replacement.
But at the same time, I'm glad these exist even if they're not for me.
Apple is not an audiophile product company and they hold the dubious title of denigrating the quality of music available world wide with their iPods, iPhones and earbuds. If any company knows how to make great sounding music sound like crap - it's apple.
Perhaps these $500 headphones are an attempt to sort of heal their notorious reputation - but history is against them.
Perhaps these $500 headphones are an attempt to sort of heal their notorious reputation - but history is against them.
Pravda means "truth" in Russian. Are you trying to tell us something here, comrade?
They are really nice but I've come to the concussion that I wouldn't pay more than $200 for headphones. I don't care who made them, the materials, or tech in them. I can get a nice set of premium Bang and Olusons for $199.
It took 4 years to develop this, yet it doesn't even fold to pack into your backpack like pretty much all of the other over-the-ear headphones. I considered buying this, then I saw how you would store it or pack it, and immediately I checked out.
Well this is hardly anything to boast about. Most competent audio equipment manufacturers could do the same in less than one year. Probably way less. No wonder they are the price they are. Recovering 4 years of R&D on a pair of headphones will take time or a very high price. We know which option Apple went with.
Agree on most that but there is a wire option. Apple sell it to you for $35.
How many people can discern sound this well? How many people can discern lossless, 128K, 256K, or 56 K compression?
This a luxury good which probably does a great job but like $500 purses its really a signal to yourself and others that you get to have fancy stuff.
Nah... clearly everyone scoffing at the price has conducted superior market research.
You can't compare bitrate compression to out and out sound sound quality (ie. a good audiophile headphone vs. consumer wireless) - the latter the difference is extremely evident, the former (at least at 256k vs lossless), even trained ears can fail in blind tests.
If these elevate what is expected in the consumer space from a product of this type, they will be worth it.
Always complaining.. they gave you a MacBook faster than most high end laptops on the market for 1100 bucks and now you whine about paying a premium of 100 or 200 dollars for their headphones.
$899 here in Australia ($668 USD).
you have to remember the US price doesn’t show Tax.
They didn’t “give” me anything. And if people having opinions bothers you, get off the internet and snuggle with your Apple boxes in a corner