perhaps the sound. in ear airpods are better, on ear bose and sony are better. for me.
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Apple's Upcoming Over-Ear Wireless Headphones to Target High-End Noise-Canceling Market
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Apple has its eye on a demanding market here. Even Sennheiser is judged by some as less than in comparison to Bose or Sony when it comes to ANC; these customers expect results. But, if anything—aside from ANC—audiophiles are even more demanding. Just the Apple logo and average results is unlikely to cut it in such a realm.
I would have thought they could have just released an Airpods 2 since (a. Apple's clearly looking at new technology, and (b. you could do noise cancelling in Airpods . improve your existing product rather than use the tech that's already available in bigger headphones.
another product is all good, but if Apple is doing this in over the ear, that tell me they are doing it because they'd rather walk away from Airpods.
another product is all good, but if Apple is doing this in over the ear, that tell me they are doing it because they'd rather walk away from Airpods.
Some may find Beats products look nice, but for most the Beats brand just stands for overpriced crap. Apple is also overpriced, but for the most part their brand still also stands for quality.
As for research teams, the Beats stuff doesn't have one, no redundancy there.
For better or worse Bose is the most recognized name and standard in noise cancelling over-ear headphones. They are also overpriced, like a lot of Apple products - so this market seems right up Apple's alley. I have no doubt that Apple can make a much better set than Bose (or Sony) does and sell it at the same or a slightly higher price ($350-$400) and still make a hefty margin.
ANC is essentially software, and companies that make headsets generally don't know dick about software - even Bose is pretty bad at it and they are the onl. Apple is in a unique position here since they have experts at both. In my opinion, they will take the market from Bose (and I guess Sony) overnight without even trying.
Noise cancelling over-ear cans that compete with Bose is kind of what the studio3's are for - even though they fall somewhat flat. Don't understand why Apple would want to compete with itself here. I suppose the difference in target markets (kids vs. older businessmen) could account for that - I haven't seen any frequent fliers wearing a suit in first class with Beats (I doubt they would be caught dead with them), they ALL have Bose.
They're gonna have to make these in black though - I don't think anyone wants massive white glossy headphones.
ANC is essentially software, and companies that make headsets generally don't know dick about software - even Bose is pretty bad at it and they are the onl. Apple is in a unique position here since they have experts at both. In my opinion, they will take the market from Bose (and I guess Sony) overnight without even trying.
Noise cancelling over-ear cans that compete with Bose is kind of what the studio3's are for - even though they fall somewhat flat. Don't understand why Apple would want to compete with itself here. I suppose the difference in target markets (kids vs. older businessmen) could account for that - I haven't seen any frequent fliers wearing a suit in first class with Beats (I doubt they would be caught dead with them), they ALL have Bose.
They're gonna have to make these in black though - I don't think anyone wants massive white glossy headphones.
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rofl posts like this are so funny. these people actually think apple has like 20 people that are either working on software or on new headphones. let's all ignore the fact that apple has like over 40,000 employees
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not in terms of sound quality, no
Hundreds of millions of Apple products are being sold, they are dominating almost every single market they've entered in the past few years because consumers are choosing Apple products and services over the others, but Apple isn't concentrating on what matters????? Yes, I'd like to see an update to the Mini, but the overwhelming evidence is Apple is concentrating on exactly what their consumers want, which is what a company should do.
I’d also add that Apple has the ability, resources, and necessary potential volumes to economically put ANC and other functions in their own custom-developed chip. There are many benefits to that, including keeping their proprietary signal processing techniques and algorithms secret.
Apple actually has over 80K just in US, about 125K worldwide. Heck there are over 12K just at Apple Park. They are spending over a Billion dollars a month on R and D. Yes, the naïveté of so many people is amazing. It's the same people who argue Apple shouldn't be developing original content until they fix all software bugs, as though the Sony TV execs they hired away could be redeployed to oversee software coding.
Cool. I wonder if they’ve made any progress on this in the four years since that article.
Bose has the best noise cancelling headphones. Others may sound better, but Bose is best at noise cancelling.
And here I thought maybe sound quality would be the main criteria rather that how pretty they are.
See the link I included in an earlier post in this thread. You may not like the sound of Beats -- I'm not a fan either -- but Beats has a defined following and high recognizability and desirability which is the sign of a viable brand. Beats is an Apple brand and therefore a reflection of the company. So it's a bit disingenuous to suggest that Apple stands for quality and Beats does not. The reality is both Apple and Beats, like many companies have products in various ranges. It's not all great stuff -- maybe better than competitors, but that doesn't make it great. But unless Apple is going to begin to position Beats as an entry-level brand rather than the mid-range it is I don't see why Apple wants two mid-range audio brands. That is my point.
Compared to Bose or Sony? Absolutely. Compared to every other company? I'd say Apple is probably third to Google and Microsoft.
To claim Apple isn't good at software is deliberately downplaying their accomplishments for no reason other than some BS personal qualm with their design choices or an overreaction to some bug. Don't be a sheep.
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Beats is an largely different target audience than the rumored Apple headphones. Kids and other people who buy Beats wouldn't be caught dead with Bose, and vice versa. Beats line has a reputation for heavy bass, etc., but the newest Studio 3 has had great reviews from audio sites. Apple will do nothing to mess with the Beats brand other than support it and integrate some cool technology, like the W1. Beats is a money machine bringing in billions in revenue and the most popular audio brand in the world with the most sales in premium (over $200) headphones in the world.
Then your experience is vastly different than mine. In the stores in my area there is one in the middle of each of the side front corner tables. They look very lonely. No marking as to what they are, no instructions on how to use them. I would think if Apple was actively trying to market them in-store there would be one on every iDevice table with the usually product info nearby.
You make my point. But I still don't know who this huge audience is for Apple branded phones. I mean for the most part its kids that use consumer grade headphones. Adults mostly use buds unless they are audiophiles or musicians. And those are completely different classes.
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Hmm. Where did all my money come from then? Regretfully, I'm no spring chicken. Come back when you have something more concrete than snark.
It doesn't have to be a billion-consumer market for it to be a success... And if you don't think there is a market for over ear noise cancelling headphones then you've never been on a plane before. Just because I would personally never buy a pair doesn't mean I don't see other people using them regularly.
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I was never a big fan of the older style Beats. After reading all of the good reviews about the new studio 3's I decided to try a pair (on sale at Best Buy). I must say that after a couple of weeks of use I really like them.
The studio 3's are like the Monster Turbines. They are surprisingly good for the price despite the manufacturer that it came from. You can still find comparable if not better for the $, but they are definitely no slouch.
You called them "experts at software". That's going too far in their defense/praise I would argue.
They are good at software, I'll agree with you there, but not experts.
Don't call me a sheep.
Please use some manners in discourse here.