No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control.
I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
I absolutely agree, but I don't know what the alternative would be. If the goal is to make a pair of completely independent speakers that go in your ears, where can physical controls be located?
If one doesn't change the volume or skip tracks very often, they might be fine. *I* wouldn't be happy, but some people may be.
Yeah, this really bums me out. I really want the Airpods. But I adjust volume and skip tracks (on shuffle play) CONSTANTLY. And Apple Watch (even if I had one) isn't a solution for me. Apple watch is a two handed procedure. Forget it... (What am I supposed to do with my cup of coffee as I walk down the street?)
No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control.
I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
Can't you just say "volume up", "next track"?
even better "lower", "up", "next", etc.
You can say 'Louder', 'Quieter', or even 'volume 50%'. I think they will add 'non internet' voice commands some time soon for this.
smiffy31 said: [...] think they will add 'non internet' voice commands some time soon for this.
Do the voice commands via AirPods require an internet connection? That's gonna be fun to watch on the train where's there no signal. I can see it now...
"Next. Next. NEXT. NEXT TRACK! NEXT FUCKING TRACK YOU USELESS PIECE OF SH... um, sorry everyone..."
I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)
I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.
That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.
I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy.
I just picked up a pair of Solo3 because they were on sale half price (wouldn't have bought them at full pop). To my pleasant surprise, Apple seems to have overcome the common complaints about Bluetooth. Maybe this W1 chip is a little miracle.
I do audio for TV, so I'm sensitive to audio and video being out of sync. If there's any lag with these cans, it's so short as to be irrelevant. I don't notice it.
I have no idea what the bandwidth is between the source and the cans, but I don't hear any obvious compression artifacts. Obviously I don't use them for critical listening, but I'm really sensitive to phase discrepancies and sliding filtering and I haven't noticed anything like that all with these.
As for battery life, I don't yet know if it's great, but I do know that at least it doesn't seem to suck. I've only had them for a few days and only use them for an hour or two a day, but I'm still running on whatever charge was on them out of the box, and the indicator lights still show a strong charge. They apparently won't need to be charged very often.
One of my complaints about Bluetooth has been the need to re-pair when changing devices. These overcome that. I paired them to my iPhone by placing them next to the unlocked phone and turning them on. Seriously. That's it. When I sat down at my computer, it ASKED if I wanted to use the speakers or my new headphones! The phone had shared the information about the new headphones with the other devices on my account so I didn't have to do anything.
Obviously it doesn't matter to me if anyone else chooses to go wireless or not, but I thought you might be interested in knowing that the situation doesn't seem to be as bad as you may fear, at least with this particular model.
None of them have the ANC so... none. If only Bose QC35 had Apple W1...
What's ANC?
Active Noise Control.
Not worth the bother if you ask me.
The Bose QC35 are the best in eliminating most noise but by doing so they alter the sound of your music so much, that IMO makes them sound awfully flat. There are many other over ear headphones that don't eliminate as much outside noise but sound much better IMO. I own a pair of PSB's at the office (I doubt many of you have heard of them) that have three modes. Passive, amplify and ANC. Same price as Beats Studio 3.
smiffy31 said: [...] think they will add 'non internet' voice commands some time soon for this.
Do the voice commands via AirPods require an internet connection? That's gonna be fun to watch on the train where's there no signal. I can see it now...
"Next. Next. NEXT. NEXT TRACK! NEXT FUCKING TRACK YOU USELESS PIECE OF SH... um, sorry everyone..."
If you are in a noisy place, like the back of a bus or subway, then AirPods do have a hard time responding to your commands, from my experience. I am a bit on the discrete side. In the front part of the bus, they have no problem. If you speak in a relatively louder voice, enough so that the person 3 feet away can hear you, then Siri should have no problem responding. OTOH, that may make you the public transit douche.
The place I use headphones the most is on the subway. It doesn't matter how good headphones are if background noise drowns them out. ANC beats any other feature for me so I'm going to wait until Beats comes up with the goods.
No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control.
I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
I don't like talking to my phone even when nobody is looking & listening. It just feels stupid.
AirPods are the really one of those products that are much better in real life than the specs would have you believe. What makes them so nice is that everything is easy. Charging is just putting them in the case. Turning them on is just taking them out of the case. Pairing is opening the case. Everything you do with them seems intuitive and obvious, and it's very satisfying.
caveats: I have an Apple Watch, so that's how I use volume control. I have never used Siri on them because, well, Siri.
smiffy31 said: [...] think they will add 'non internet' voice commands some time soon for this.
Do the voice commands via AirPods require an internet connection? That's gonna be fun to watch on the train where's there no signal. I can see it now...
"Next. Next. NEXT. NEXT TRACK! NEXT FUCKING TRACK YOU USELESS PIECE OF SH... um, sorry everyone..."
No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control.
I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
News Flash: You can adjust the volume multiple ways by using your hands on the iPhone!
This is such an uncalled-for response, and typical of those lately on this site, from those intolerant of criticism against Apple, whether justified or not.
You do realize that the whole point of wireless devices is the ability to move away from the transmitting source? What happens if you're standing across the room from your phone working on something, and a track comes on that is too loud at the current volume settings? You're going to stop what you're doing and walk across the room, find your iPhone and adjust the volume, then return to what you're doing, only to have to stop again when the next track comes on and is too soft?
Even looking at the specific post you replied to, it may require putting down whatever is in your hands to dig into a purse or backpack to find the phone when it may not be convenient to do so. On a subway someone might be holding a book and a cup of coffee. In a supermarket, someone might be down the aisle from their cart with the bag where the phone is, they may have items in their hands that have to be put down before they dig out their phones.
Apple has taken away wires and offered the freedom to move away from our devices and live unencumbered by them, yet Siri's limitations continues to tether them to us for the most basic functions?
I have the Airpods and love them. I had over the ear BT headphones before, but as someone who wears glasses I found them to press my ears against the arms of my glasses in a way that was uncomfortable after a short while. I suspect that the PowerBeats will affect me similarly. I could have waited for the Beats X, but I love the truly wireless nature of the AirPods (they are so light and comfortable that I forget they are there) and the case fits easily in my pocket so I just pop them straight in there when I am done (easier than stashing the Beats X with their connecting cable in a pocket).
Considering how many people wear spectacles, I am surprised that this is rarely taken account of.
Likewise love my AirPods. I think the issues of fear of falling out completely unfounded. They are super secure in my ears. Maybe in the winter when pulling off a stocking cap or scarf (but the music/audio would stop immediately).
The controls are an issue. I keep reaching for imiganary in-line controls! but hey an excuse to spring for an Apple Watch.
Honestly they should be the solution for 90% of people.
I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy.
???
Battery life for the Solo3 is ~40 hours, far better than the Solo2 wireless battery life. And switching headphones among idevices is a much improved experience vs. "stock" Bluetooth, not to mention the vast improvements in range.
You should really give Apple/Beats W1-equipped headphones a try before writing them off.
I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)
I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.
That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.
LMAO. You couldn't be more wrong. You could try, but you couldn't be more wrong.
I have never run out of battery with AirPods because they are 5 hours PER bud, with a case that keeps them charged. When they come out of my ears, they go back in the case, which means they are being charged.
No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control.
I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
Not sure how that ties into the fitness topic my comment was about, but FYI i've never used the siri controls. in fact i toggled it off and picked play/pause instead. as for volume and track skipping, i have the Music app loaded on my Watch and simply raise wrist and twist crown, done. if skipping track raise wrist and tap Next.
No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control.
I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
I absolutely agree, but I don't know what the alternative would be. If the goal is to make a pair of completely independent speakers that go in your ears, where can physical controls be located?
If one doesn't change the volume or skip tracks very often, they might be fine. *I* wouldn't be happy, but some people may be.
Yeah, this really bums me out. I really want the Airpods. But I adjust volume and skip tracks (on shuffle play) CONSTANTLY. And Apple Watch (even if I had one) isn't a solution for me. Apple watch is a two handed procedure. Forget it... (What am I supposed to do with my cup of coffee as I walk down the street?)
Pulling out phone has the music controls on lock screen. one-handed operation.
id prefer double-tap on one pod for next track, but this works almost as well. certainly not worth forgoing over.
I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)
I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.
That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.
A lot of misinformation. W1 will not be a fad, guaranteed. The ease of use is profound if you use multiple devices. I'm into fitness and don't feel ill ever lose them. The iphone 7 is the first officially water resistant model due to new water seals, so your armchair engineering is bunk. And replacement pods are not 160 each.
Comments
I really want the Airpods. But I adjust volume and skip tracks (on shuffle play) CONSTANTLY.
And Apple Watch (even if I had one) isn't a solution for me. Apple watch is a two handed procedure. Forget it... (What am I supposed to do with my cup of coffee as I walk down the street?)
"Next. Next. NEXT. NEXT TRACK! NEXT FUCKING TRACK YOU USELESS PIECE OF SH... um, sorry everyone..."
I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.
That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.
I just picked up a pair of Solo3 because they were on sale half price (wouldn't have bought them at full pop). To my pleasant surprise, Apple seems to have overcome the common complaints about Bluetooth. Maybe this W1 chip is a little miracle.
I do audio for TV, so I'm sensitive to audio and video being out of sync. If there's any lag with these cans, it's so short as to be irrelevant. I don't notice it.
I have no idea what the bandwidth is between the source and the cans, but I don't hear any obvious compression artifacts. Obviously I don't use them for critical listening, but I'm really sensitive to phase discrepancies and sliding filtering and I haven't noticed anything like that all with these.
As for battery life, I don't yet know if it's great, but I do know that at least it doesn't seem to suck. I've only had them for a few days and only use them for an hour or two a day, but I'm still running on whatever charge was on them out of the box, and the indicator lights still show a strong charge. They apparently won't need to be charged very often.
One of my complaints about Bluetooth has been the need to re-pair when changing devices. These overcome that. I paired them to my iPhone by placing them next to the unlocked phone and turning them on. Seriously. That's it. When I sat down at my computer, it ASKED if I wanted to use the speakers or my new headphones! The phone had shared the information about the new headphones with the other devices on my account so I didn't have to do anything.
Obviously it doesn't matter to me if anyone else chooses to go wireless or not, but I thought you might be interested in knowing that the situation doesn't seem to be as bad as you may fear, at least with this particular model.
There are many other over ear headphones that don't eliminate as much outside noise but sound much better IMO. I own a pair of PSB's at the office (I doubt many of you have heard of them) that have three modes. Passive, amplify and ANC. Same price as Beats Studio 3.
In the front part of the bus, they have no problem.
If you speak in a relatively louder voice, enough so that the person 3 feet away can hear you, then Siri should have no problem responding. OTOH, that may make you the public transit douche.
caveats: I have an Apple Watch, so that's how I use volume control. I have never used Siri on them because, well, Siri.
You do realize that the whole point of wireless devices is the ability to move away from the transmitting source? What happens if you're standing across the room from your phone working on something, and a track comes on that is too loud at the current volume settings? You're going to stop what you're doing and walk across the room, find your iPhone and adjust the volume, then return to what you're doing, only to have to stop again when the next track comes on and is too soft?
Even looking at the specific post you replied to, it may require putting down whatever is in your hands to dig into a purse or backpack to find the phone when it may not be convenient to do so. On a subway someone might be holding a book and a cup of coffee. In a supermarket, someone might be down the aisle from their cart with the bag where the phone is, they may have items in their hands that have to be put down before they dig out their phones.
Apple has taken away wires and offered the freedom to move away from our devices and live unencumbered by them, yet Siri's limitations continues to tether them to us for the most basic functions?
The controls are an issue. I keep reaching for imiganary in-line controls! but hey an excuse to spring for an Apple Watch.
Honestly they should be the solution for 90% of people.
???
Battery life for the Solo3 is ~40 hours, far better than the Solo2 wireless battery life. And switching headphones among idevices is a much improved experience vs. "stock" Bluetooth, not to mention the vast improvements in range.
You should really give Apple/Beats W1-equipped headphones a try before writing them off.
I have never run out of battery with AirPods because they are 5 hours PER bud, with a case that keeps them charged. When they come out of my ears, they go back in the case, which means they are being charged.
id prefer double-tap on one pod for next track, but this works almost as well. certainly not worth forgoing over.
A lot of misinformation. W1 will not be a fad, guaranteed. The ease of use is profound if you use multiple devices. I'm into fitness and don't feel ill ever lose them. The iphone 7 is the first officially water resistant model due to new water seals, so your armchair engineering is bunk. And replacement pods are not 160 each.