WSJ: Apple Music Has Overtaken Spotify in U.S. Paid Subscribers

[trifid]

I could not disagree more and im not alone. If you really think airpods are anything more then mediocre in sound quality you have not heard a set of decent cans, hell my beats x sound way better then airpods and beats are not world beaters by any means.

Agree to disagree and I'm not alone either. Plenty of of reviews online of reputable sources that rate them high and nowhere close to 'mediocre'.

If you mean they don't have overpowering big fat bass, then yea I agree, but I listen to classical, jazz, pop, rock, etc, they sound great on all genres, yes they are more of a 'neutral' sound.

 

[torana355]

And thanks to apples algorithms I'm finding more new music in a week than I did in the last month on Spotify.

Rubbish. Please dont make me laugh.

 

[archer75]

I could not disagree more and im not alone. If you really think airpods are anything more then mediocre in sound quality you have not heard a set of decent cans, hell my beats x sound way better then airpods and beats are not world beaters by any means.

I have beatsx and AirPods. Way better? No. They’re actually pretty comparable. Neither better than the other, just different.

 

[torana355]

I have beatsx and AirPods. Way better? No. They’re actually pretty comparable. Neither better than the other, just different.

Well the actual audio measurements tell a different story, the beats x have a very flat frequency response curve, good bass extension and superior isolation.

 

[archer75]

Rubbish. Please dont make me laugh.

Fact. For me. Everyone’s tastes are different. Right now, for me, Apple Music is working better than Spotify. And I just left Spotify weeks ago so I ought to know.

 

[archer75]

Well the actual audio measurements tell a different story, the beats x have a very flat frequency response curve, good bass extension and superior isolation.

All that matters are my ears. The beats certainly have a better low end. AirPods have a better sound stage.
The beats isolate better due to the sealed in ear design of course. But for the conditions I listen to music in the AirPods make more sense.

You can’t tell someone what sounds better to them. You have no clue.

 

[torana355]

Agree to disagree and I'm not alone either. Plenty of of reviews online of reputable sources that rate them high and nowhere close to 'mediocre'.

If you mean they don't have overpowering big fat bass, then yea I agree, but I listen to classical, jazz, pop, rock, etc, they sound great on all genres, yes they are more of a 'neutral' sound.

The beats x don't have overwhelming bass, they actually exhibit a supisingly flat frequency response curve and they have superior isolation.

 

[trifid]

The beats x don't have overwhelming bass, they actually exhibit a supisingly flat frequency response curve and they have superior isolation.

Ok. I think there is a misunderstanding in general, not necessarily you, but Airpods is an open type of headphone, I prefer this over the closed-cans or in-ears for a number of reasons, and I'm used to the 'open' sound. I can understand those that prefer noise-isolated and in-ears and I can see how trying Airpods may seem like mediocre to them, but it's a difference of open vs closed style, not necessarily sound fidelity.

 

[torana355]

Good for you.

For me, using an S10 means having to give up my Apple Watch, and I really am not a fan of round smartwatches. Switching to android also means giving up on apps like overcast, Apollo, Bear and Fantastical, or the integration with my ipad.

Could I switch to Android? Sure. But the reality is that I would likely be trading one set of compromises for another, and I doubt I would be any better off than I currently am now.

Like I said before, this isn’t a dick-measuring contest. You have chosen Spotify for your own reasons, and you should also recognise that we are free to favour our own services for reasons different from you. You don’t have to agree with my reasons for having opted for airpods or Apple Music or even the iphone. You just have to accept it.

And as it shows, 28 million other people in the US have opted for Apple Music despite all the reasons you have given as to why you feel Spotify is better.

Let us each vote with out wallets, and let the financials of each company speak for itself.

Hey i was just pointing out that I'm not losing out on anything not being locked into a closed ecosystem. I'm also pointing out that as someone who really does love music I really feel Spotify is the best service. I think people who only use Apple gear for the convenience don't even try other services and therefore don't know just how good some of the competitors services are.
[doublepost=1554612926][/doublepost]

Ok. I think there is a misunderstanding in general, not necessarily you, but Airpods is an open type of headphone, I prefer this over the closed-cans or in-ears for a number of reasons, and I'm used to the 'open' sound. I can understand those that prefer noise-isolated and in-ears and I can see how trying Airpods may seem like mediocre to them, but it's a difference of open vs closed style, not necessarily sound fidelity.

Now that I can appreciate and understand. The sound stage on IEMs can be very closed.

 

[Shanghaichica]

I could not disagree more and im not alone. If you really think airpods are anything more then mediocre in sound quality you have not heard a set of decent cans, hell my beats x sound way better then airpods and beats are not world beaters by any means.

I don't like beats products because in the past they've been muddy and distorted (beats solo, ur beats), although I've not used any of their newer products so I don't know if they've improved/changed their sound profile. However even my AKG BT headphones sound better than my airpods. My favorite earphones/headphones have been by sennheiser. I don't think the airpods sound bad, just very average.
[doublepost=1554613619][/doublepost]

Hey i was just pointing out that I'm not losing out on anything not being locked into a closed ecosystem. I'm also pointing out that as someone who really does love music I really feel Spotify is the best service. I think people who only use Apple gear for the convenience don't even try other services and therefore don't know just how good some of the competitors services are.
[doublepost=1554612926][/doublepost]
Now that I can appreciate and understand. The sound stage on IEMs can be very closed.

I've tried most of the main ones out save for Tidal. I don't really find that much difference between them all. I have apple music because most of my stuff is Apple but if I had other devices I could easily use another streaming service. I also have a Google play music subscription via my YouTube premium and I use it with my Google home minis. I find it quite comparable to Apple music and I like the UI.

 

[torana355]

I don't like beats products because in the past they've been muddy and distorted (beats solo, ur beats), although I've not used any of their newer products so I don't know if they've improved/changed their sound profile. However even my AKG BT headphones sound better than my airpods. My favorite earphones/headphones have been by sennheiser. I don't think the airpods sound bad, just very average.
[doublepost=1554613619][/doublepost]
I've tried most of the main ones out save for Tidal. I don't really find that much difference between them all. I have apple music because most of my stuff is Apple but if I had other devices I could easily use another streaming service. I also have a Google play music subscription via my YouTube premium and I use it with my Google home minis. I find it quite comparable to Apple music and I like the UI.

Beats are terrible for the most part with overpowering muddy bass but the Beats X buck the trend with a very flat frequency response curve, definitely worth checking out. I also have a google play music subscription as it gives me you tube premium but the Spotify algorithms are just so much better then both GPM and AM that it is my Go To music service. The Spotify daily mix and discover weekly play lists just nail it for me.

 

[trifid]

I've tried most of the main ones out save for Tidal. I don't really find that much difference between them all.

There are two big features for me that Spotify has that AM lacks:

1. Spotify connect - there are tons of 3rd party hardware that supports this. Speakers/receivers will keep playing music independently from your phone/pc.

2. User-created playlists - there are thousands and thousands of curated playlists by users, all genres and categories you can think of, it's truly incredible. I search and shuffle to these playlists all day at work, and it's great for finding new music. AM is a desert in comparison.

 

[ipponrg]

I have a friend that's a musician and he bought the Roxanne Jerry Harvey in-ears ($1899, 12 drivers, custom-fit), a couple of weeks later a family member gifted him Airpods for christmas, he was amazed and loving them for everyday music listening. I know this is completely anecdotal, and sound is tough to rate objectively, but there is no way they come anywhere close to the word 'mediocre'.

Just want to point out just because a musician bought high end headphones doesn’t mean he has the ears for it. Ive met a ton of “musicians” who did not have good ears for sound.

Aside, the Airpods are good for the niche they are addressing (wireless/chic/portable/adequate-fidelity). They are however mediocre when you compare to other wired IEMs in their price range.

 

[Abazigal]

Hey i was just pointing out that I'm not losing out on anything not being locked into a closed ecosystem. I'm also pointing out that as someone who really does love music I really feel Spotify is the best service. I think people who only use Apple gear for the convenience don't even try other services and therefore don't know just how good some of the competitors services are.

I think a more accurate way of phrasing it would be that you are not losing out in any area which matters to you, which is why you are fine with Android. Just like how by sticking with iOS, I lose the ability to skin my phone or use expandable storage and that's perfectly fine with me, because those are not features that I particularly need or desire.

I think it's perfectly reasonable that you like spotify for your own reasons, and that's why you subscribe to it. Just as how I am subscribed to Apple Music for my own reasons that might not be as applicable to you. I am not going to change your mind, you are not going to change mine, and that's okay.

Aside, the Airpods are good for the niche they are addressing (wireless/chic/portable/adequate-fidelity). They are however mediocre when you compare to other wired IEMs in their price range.

I don't think the AirPods are a niche product category. That's the impressive thing about Apple - how they are able to get people to re-evaluate just what it is that they prioritise and value in a product. Could you imagine people paying $200 for a set of wireless earbuds which barely sound better than EarPods? Only Apple can pull it off, by making people go - this one feature is worth more to me than every other compromise combined.

 

[trifid]

Aside, the Airpods are good for the niche they are addressing (wireless/chic/portable/adequate-fidelity). They are however mediocre when you compare to other wired IEMs in their price range.

Once again, Airpods are 'open back', ie you can hear ambient noise, most IEMs are closed noise-isolating. There is a sound stage difference between both types, you can't compare apples with oranges. Show me an 'open back' IEM in the same price range either wired or wireless that's superior, I'd love to try it.

I found a comment in this reddit thread mentioning the Audeze iSine 20, a semi-open IEM with a price range around $500.

 

[Frankied22]

Sure, you can do that. I do that too sometimes. And on a basic level it works fine. But apple integration goes deeper. It's not the exact same experience. You'll get it someday.

What is this even supposed to mean? Lol

Lay off the kool aid bro

 

[WatchFromAfar]

I make a decent living working an honest job, and at this point in my life, I want things to be easy more than I want them to be cheap.

Well you're the perfect Apple customer then aren't you? Apple doesn't have to compete on price if you're the customer.

 

[ipponrg]

Once again, Airpods are 'open back', ie you can hear ambient noise, most IEMs are closed noise-isolating. There is a sound stage difference between both types, you can't compare apples with oranges. Show me an 'open back' IEM in the same price range either wired or wireless that's superior, I'd love to try it.

I found a comment in this reddit thread mentioning the Audeze iSine 20, a semi-open IEM with a price range around $500.

The Philips SHE9500 is semi open back. I have had this back in 2010 till mine broke, and people could hear me when I’m listening to music. There are vents behind that let air go thru so that it can create a wider stage presence. If I recall they were $50 at Target. Sound quality was leaps better than Apple earbuds and the AirPod.

Open back IEMs are not a ground breaking idea nor is it highly sought after. There is a reason open back cans are a thing and not IEMs. Open back IEMs will not be able to deliver the soundstage presence compared to Full size efficiently. People that use IEMs generally are seeking to isolate noise. That is what IEMs do best hence in ear. If people want open back, they pursue full size cans. For $200, you can also goto massdrop and get some of those which will be eons better than Airpods unless you don’t have the ears for it
[doublepost=1554644088][/doublepost]

Could you imagine people paying $200 for a set of wireless earbuds which barely sound better than EarPods?

Yes, it’s called marketing.

This is Apple’s very underrated skill. I’m surprised people such as yourself rarely point this out.

 

[Abazigal]

Yes, it’s called marketing.

This is Apple’s very underrated skill. I’m surprised people such as yourself rarely point this out.

Well, marketing at its very core involves correctly identifying a customer's need and then fulfilling that need.

In this regard, I agree that it is Apple's very underrated skill. The AirPods have completely reinvented the way I listen to my music and podcasts and I just can't imagine myself using anything else.

Well you're the perfect Apple customer then aren't you? Apple doesn't have to compete on price if you're the customer.

Apple competes in the premium market, which is defined more by value than with price. That's what I have been trying to tell people right from day one. That remarks like how a cut in iPhone pricing can boost demand displays a fundamental misunderstanding of how premium markets work. But it seems that for many critics, their view of the business world is basically based on what they see around them most - cost leadership, divisional organisational structure, growth through M&A's, engineering-led.

For them, Apple is a puzzle as it is different in just about every single way (plays in premium markets, functional structure, doesn't believe in M&As for the sake of growth or revenue, design-led culture) and this causes them no amount of discomfort, often to the point of making erroneous interpretations when it comes to Apple.

Very frustrating, to say the least.

 

[I7guy]

Well you're the perfect Apple customer then aren't you? Apple doesn't have to compete on price if you're the customer.

Perfect apple customer?(the way it's phrased sounds insulting) Maybe Apple is the best vendor of personal electronic devices because of their unique design philosophy across their products.

The Philips SHE9500 is semi open back. I have had this back in 2010 till mine broke, and people could hear me when I’m listening to music. There are vents behind that let air go thru so that it can create a wider stage presence. If I recall they were $50 at Target. Sound quality was leaps better than Apple earbuds and the AirPod.

Open back IEMs are not a ground breaking idea nor is it highly sought after. There is a reason open back cans are a thing and not IEMs. Open back IEMs will not be able to deliver the soundstage presence compared to Full size efficiently. People that use IEMs generally are seeking to isolate noise. That is what IEMs do best hence in ear. If people want open back, they pursue full size cans. For $200, you can also goto massdrop and get some of those which will be eons better than Airpods unless you don’t have the ears for it
[doublepost=1554644088][/doublepost]

Yes, it’s called marketing.

This is Apple’s very underrated skill. I’m surprised people such as yourself rarely point this out.

My s/o, who went from holding the phone to her head, to earpods to airpods, do not think the airpods sound "barely" better than earpods. The convenience of using one airpod at a time and switching back and forth for long calls make it worth the price. YMMV on what you consider to be a worthy investment for personal electronic consumer devices.

 

[TAJones99]

Note that this is in the US only, where Apple is far more popular compared with many Android handsets. Compare the figures in Europe and I imagine the numbers would be totally different.

The nail on the hammer!!!

 

[TracesOfArsenic]

Looks like those desperate pleas through Notification Centre are working! Good work, Timmy. Just don't let them know the real stats, just the Cook-ed ones.

 

[graison]

Spotify’s discover weekly playlist is one of the few things I look forward to on Mondays. Their curated playlists are way better than Apples.

 

[iName]

I have too many apple devices to not use Apple Music but I will say Spotify has way way way better playlists, curation and recommendations.

 

[dilbert99]

Spotify will just say it's due to unfair business practices.

More likely due to it being the default on Apple devices.