KGI: Apple Developing High-End Over-Ear Headphones, Launching Late 2018 at the Earliest

[Kobayagi]

Come on someone......

Please do a funny Photoshop, showing two Homepods as headphones being worn

Accidently, I saw something like that a few days ago. All credits to @AngerDanger of course.

https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...gued-with-setup-issues.2106094/#post-25814928

 

[ipedro]

Apple’s purchase of Beats is playing out nicely. First with just Apple Music but now all at once with AirPods (huge hit), HomePod (universally critically praised sound) and these new headphones.

The naysayers who criticized Apple’s Beats acquisition are notoriously quiet lately.

 

[manu chao]

They have limitations with other products.

Yeah, their Bluetooth range on other phones is about the same as other Bluetooth earphones. It's rather that they have extra benefits with iOS devices than that they are being worse than other Bluetooth earphones on Android devices.

 

[steeevo]

They havnt announced anything. You are all assuming.

Let’s be real here. By going by apple’s recent track record, we won’t see these in 2018. No doubt they will be delayed, like pretty much every product they announce.

Agree 100%.

"Late 2018" to Apple really means "Early 2019" which really means "Mid 2019." Ohhh Apple, you cannot fool us, haha.

 

[subjonas]

I’m assuming these will be bluetooth headphones, and if so, that’s a big limitation on fidelity. If they are lightning, I would be much more interested. But with Apple’s push for wireless, I think it will be bluetooth. Or maybe they’ll come up with a mobile version of airplay. That would be cool.

Knowing Apple, it'll probably cost $600, be wireless only, only work with Apple products, and have some kind of Siri invoking feature... so I don't think other manufacturers are shaking in their boots just yet.

Assuming the headphones are bluetooth, I can’t see them being priced that high. Seeing as the AirPods were priced competitively, and it looks like all the top bluetooth headphones right now are $400 or under, they would probably be in the $400 to MAYBE $500 range, UNLESS they introduce some crazy new element(s) in the headphones.

 

[applezulu]

There a reason for that. At the end of the day wireless will never match wired for quality connection. Whether it's audio, video, internet connection, etc. wired will always be better than wireless.

Practically speaking, that’s not really true. Wireless headphones with the bandwidth to receive uncompressed, lossless digital audio signals sent directly into an onboard DA converter could sound every bit as good as a set wired to a box with all the hardware. In fact, as wireless bandwidth gets bigger and chipsets get smaller, this becomes pretty much inevitable, doesn’t it? Once you have the bandwidth and processing power to handle lossless digital audio in a wireless headset, it really doesn’t matter that you can still pump even more data through a wire.

 

[TwoBytes]

why is this big news? Apple have had beats for a while now. We're going to get rebranded beats in white for double the price.

 

[ProwlingTiger]

The W2 chip has practically no benefit for headphones.

I’m not really sure what’s up with the naming of these chips since they don’t do the same thing and are not interchangeable - the W1 is for class 1 Bluetooth connections and audio decoding. The W2 is for switching between WiFi and Bluetooth connections quickly while using less power.

It’s similar to the T1 and T2 chips, they don’t do the same thing at all. Each chip is purpose built for whatever product they’re putting it in.

Again, I know that. The chip is incredibly beneficial to consumers...I won't use headphones without it again.

But having the chip DOES NOT make the headphones incompatible with other non-Apple devices. Therefore, these headphones will actually be better because they will work with everything, plus if you have Apple you're getting more for your buck.

That's a true competitor.

 

[MrUNIMOG]

why is this big news? Apple have had beats for a while now. We're going to get rebranded beats in white for double the price.

Because AirPods are rebranded beats, just like HomePod is a rebranded beatsPill, right?

 

[ersan191]

Again, I know that. The chip is incredibly beneficial to consumers...I won't use headphones without it again.

But having the chip DOES NOT make the headphones incompatible with other non-Apple devices. Therefore, these headphones will actually be better because they will work with everything, plus if you have Apple you're getting more for your buck.

That's a true competitor.

I never said it did - are you replying to the right person?

 

[ProwlingTiger]

I never said it did - are you replying to the right person?

Yes, because the reply you quoted from me was my reply to someone who somehow insinuated that these headphones wouldn't be true competitors because they have the W chips.

 

[brinary001]

Between AirPods, Beats and HomePod, Apple will have learned a lot about audio by time these things are released, so I’m holding them to a pretty high standard. Like even higher than normal for Apple.

I will say though, if they can harness as much power as possible from the HomePod and apply it to these and have them be noise-cancelling, I’ll be sold.

 

[zachcsnyder]

this is a cheap shot, but maybe they'll ship without being able to sync the right ear to the left, because stereo audio is apparently beyond Apple's current capabilities

 

[ApfelKuchen]

So now Apple is either going to kill of Beats or fragment their brand even more by creating Apple branded headphones.

My guess, however, is they will keep beats as the "cheaper" option and the Apple branded over-ear headphones will be the high end, super expensive option.

I have Beats Studio 2's and AirPods, and am pretty damn happy with both of them. Time will tell what is going to happen...

Who knows for sure? My feeling is that Apple likes maintaining a separate Beats brand. It has a clientele/brand identity all its own, and is sold in places you won't find Apple products.

Apple also has its own brand-name identity and appearance, and customers who would buy Apple-branded anything before they would buy Beats (or Bose, JBL, Sennheiser, etc.). Essentially, the world is big enough for both Apple and Beats, and the net effect would be to sew-up a larger percentage of the "personal audio" market than either brand could manage on its own.

Overall, Beats is platform-neutral. While they do pair more easily with Apple gear, they are perfectly compatible with Android, Windows, gaming systems, Bluetooth-capable home A/V gear, etc. There are probably loads of Beats sales to people who own no other Apple gear.

I think going forward that the key distinction between Apple Audio and Beats will be Apple ecosystem integration. The HomePod/AirPod/"OverEarPod" feature sets will include Siri/HomeKit integration that Beats would lack - people not invested in the Apple ecosystem won't want to pay extra for features they won't use.

It's rumored that the next version of AirPods will integrate more fully with Siri, in a very similar way to HomePod. "OverEarPods" might be just another variant on the same formula. "No matter how you like to listen to music, we have a Pod for you!"

And, dear audiophiles, don't worry, Apple isn't out to get your business. How could anyone persuade you to buy something you don't want? If you love your Grados, ATs, etc., they'll still be available through your favorite high-end A/V salon, and you can continue to boast of your greater discernment. After all, no mass-market product is ever worthy of connoisseurs, no matter what brand or product we're talking about. Meantime, Apple will happily sell their "high end" headphones to people who had never previously thought to spend "so much" on a pair of headphones.

 

[RedGala]

Mark my words: they will be called AirPhones.

 

[jhwalker]

It's ok, don't worry about it. It's enough that you pointed out your prescience here.

It's not like hundreds of other posters said the exact same thing

 

[movieator]

So...AirCans?

 

[Gameboy70]

"High-end" means what, exactly? I guess we'll find out

$349.

 

[Minato1990]

I almost bought the Studio3s today.
Good thing I didn't I'll stick with my wired Studio 2s and my iPhone 4 as an Mp3 player while I wait for whatever Apple got in store

 

[boston04and07]

Interesting...if these actually come to fruition they might be hard to resist.

Kinda sorta off topic, but I hope they update the Beats Pill sometime, too. I love mine - it’s the perfect little portable speaker to take with me places, like outside by the pool and stuff like that, which is a niche that the HomePod, AirPods, etc just don’t fill. However, after having a W1 chip in all my headphones, I really miss having it in my Pill. Like, a lot. If Apple would just add that I’d be all over it. I get they probably don’t want to cannibalize HomePod sales right now, but they’re still just such different products...

 

[fabiopigi]

I'm really torn on that rumor.
First of all, I really think the HomePod is an amazing device, according to the reviews (its now out yet, here in switzerland, AFAIK). The only thing holding me back from a purchase is the fact they don't stream over bluetooth or Spotify Connect.

Anyway. I've always been an headphones guy, haven't had earphones in since 2009, and those were in-ears from Phonak, not the white ones from apple.

Currently I'm rocking the BeoPlay H8. They sound worlds better than the apple earphones (and AirPods), but Bang-for-Buck there are better solutions of course.

The reason I love them, cliche I know, is for their design. They have imho a really good mix between material quality, industrial and fashion design that I really love.

I'm afraid, when/if apple comes out with their "AirPod Plus" that they will sound incredible, but their design will be too... conservative.

And when that happens, I'll be in a tight spot, deciding between incredible sound and "boring design", or good sound and amazing design.

 

[deanthedev]

this is a cheap shot, but maybe they'll ship without being able to sync the right ear to the left, because stereo audio is apparently beyond Apple's current capabilities

Yeah, because we alll know that AirPods can’t sync up and play stereo. Oh wait....

 

[Zwhaler]

They recently came out with new MacBooks, new iMac, new iMac Pro, and are working on the new Mac Pro. Other than Mac mini, what exactly would you consider "focusing" on the Mac?

Only one Mac in the lineup is green-lit for "buy now" on the buyer's guide... the rest are lagging behind. It isn't exactly a secret that Apple has been disproportionately neglecting the Mac for the past few years.
[doublepost=1519591955][/doublepost]I hope Apple doesn't take the Beats approach, and charge exorbitant prices for mid-to-low range tech. Based on the Homepod, I believe that Apple will release a high-quality headphone product.

 

[cmaier]

Why wait for any color: http://www.colorware.com/p-743-apple-airpods.aspx

2x the price?
[doublepost=1519593393][/doublepost]

Apple’s purchase of Beats is playing out nicely. First with just Apple Music but now all at once with AirPods (huge hit), HomePod (universally critically praised sound) and these new headphones.

The naysayers who criticized Apple’s Beats acquisition are notoriously quiet lately.

What did beats have to do with those? Seriously, I don’t know.

 

[SRLMJ23]

Who knows for sure? My feeling is that Apple likes maintaining a separate Beats brand. It has a clientele/brand identity all its own, and is sold in places you won't find Apple products.

Apple also has its own brand-name identity and appearance, and customers who would buy Apple-branded anything before they would buy Beats (or Bose, JBL, Sennheiser, etc.). Essentially, the world is big enough for both Apple and Beats, and the net effect would be to sew-up a larger percentage of the "personal audio" market than either brand could manage on its own.

Overall, Beats is platform-neutral. While they do pair more easily with Apple gear, they are perfectly compatible with Android, Windows, gaming systems, Bluetooth-capable home A/V gear, etc. There are probably loads of Beats sales to people who own no other Apple gear.

I think going forward that the key distinction between Apple Audio and Beats will be Apple ecosystem integration. The HomePod/AirPod/"OverEarPod" feature sets will include Siri/HomeKit integration that Beats would lack - people not invested in the Apple ecosystem won't want to pay extra for features they won't use.

It's rumored that the next version of AirPods will integrate more fully with Siri, in a very similar way to HomePod. "OverEarPods" might be just another variant on the same formula. "No matter how you like to listen to music, we have a Pod for you!"

And, dear audiophiles, don't worry, Apple isn't out to get your business. How could anyone persuade you to buy something you don't want? If you love your Grados, ATs, etc., they'll still be available through your favorite high-end A/V salon, and you can continue to boast of your greater discernment. After all, no mass-market product is ever worthy of connoisseurs, no matter what brand or product we're talking about. Meantime, Apple will happily sell their "high end" headphones to people who had never previously thought to spend "so much" on a pair of headphones.

I think you missed this post I wrote way earlier in the thread, but I think this is what is going to happen and it lines up basically with what you are saying:

"Yep. Except, like I mentioned above, I have a pair of Beats Studio 2's and I really like them. I think they are pretty damn good for the price. I also have AirPods, which I love but obviously the AirPods and Beats Studio's have different use cases.

Apple will definitely market these as "Pro Series" headphones, and they will discount all Beats products and the new Apple "Pro Series" headphones will cost an arm and a leg. They will market them towards audiophiles I bet. I am also sure they will adopt some of the technology from the AirPods, like instead of how Beats have a physical volume up/down button on the left side ear cup, these new "Pro Series" headphones will probably just have tap/touch controls like on the AirPods. They might even have their own special edition W series chip in them or something?"

Now back to this post. Now thinking about it even more they may put an A-Series chip in these like they did with HomePod...now I know that is a bit of a stretch but it could happen. Could help control the tap/touch controls, always on "Hey Siri", and maybe something to do to help play hi-fi audio which I believe if these are "Apple Pro-Series" headphones, they will do. I think iTunes will get hi-fi audio sooner rather than later, especially if these are coming out as a Pro Series.

Obviously all guesses, but it seems like the most logical thing they could do. Why would they make just a "normal" non-pro series headphone? If they did that, then they would just be re-branded Beats regardless of if they have some tech like the AirPods or not. Someone said it would be hard for Apple to switch to hi-fi in iTunes. I personally do think it would be that hard for them at all, they probably have internal versions of iTunes that are running with hi-fi audio that you can purchase and that work with Apple Music.

As I said before, time will tell...but I would like to hear your opinion on what I said here since we seem to be mostly on the same page.