Apple to launch branded over-ear headphones as soon as this year

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 68
    dsddsd Posts: 186member
    Rayz2016 said:


    Folk will post lots of bizarre “what if” disaster scenarios: What if I’m walking along and someone shouts “Hey you”. When I look round, someone hits me in the face with a frozen kipper and runs off with my iMuffs. 



    Exclusive leak from Apple's secret testing facility

    https://media.giphy.com/media/waYEia0k44NDG/giphy.gif
    Rayz2016
  • Reply 42 of 68
    The picture seems to show "On the Ear" headphones rather than "Over the Ear" headphones

    Some of us NEED "Over the Ear" headphones because we use hearing aids and the microphones are outside the ear.  Others will prefer over the ear to exclude outside noises.

    I wonder if they meant "On the Ear"?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 43 of 68
    macxpressmacxpress Posts: 5,801member
    macxpress said:
    tmay said:
    Why is Apple developing an audio accessories line separate from Beats?

    Because Apple has a team of world class Audio Engineers who want more to do after the HomePod, and AirPods.
    But why not sell it under the Beats name? After all, Beats is known for their headphones. Its like Apple wants to slowly drop Beats. If Apple could make some really nice sounding Beats headphones, I bet they'd sell really well. Apple could get rid of this notion that Beats headphones sound like shit. 
    Why does Honda sell cars branded as Acura (or Toyota as Lexus)?  Branding strategies.
    Those are 2 totally different markets...
  • Reply 44 of 68
    rain22rain22 Posts: 132member
    mjtomlin said:

    bluefire1 said:
    Good luck equaling Bose's QuietComfort 35.

    I wouldn’t exactly count Apple out, they’re last two audio products brought new technologies that made them best of class.

    Apple makes some of the ‘best in class’ computer and handheld devices - coupled with a decent OS. 
    In the audio world - their products are lower-midrange consumer-grade at best. They are designed to offer quality at a price point for the masses. 
    Dont confuse that with overall performance. 
    HomePod sounds good for a smart speaker toy. But it’s a Fisher Price plastic hammer on a construction site when it comes to sound quality. 
    It may be the best plastic toy hammer on the market - but it’s still a plastic toy.
    The same goes for Beats. 

     
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 45 of 68
    Apple already has the Apple Beats brand, which they’ve spent a lot of money building up.

    Are they likely to offer a premium version of their current offerings? Sure.

    But thinking they are going to step away from Beats is dumb.

    Apple Beats products are inferior, so they could use an upgrade.  Right now, they’re more of a fashion accessory...
  • Reply 46 of 68
    anomeanome Posts: 1,533member
    Wonder if they’ll have AirPlay? Not just for the highest possible quality but to allow other features (like streaming directly to your headphones without having to actually pair them to a phone).

    As I understand it, AirPods, and in a sense even EarPods, are already using AirPlay. AirPlay is Apple's solution for sending media to a destination, whether it's connected by Bluetooth, WiFi, or even wired. What I don't expect they'll do is put WiFi in the headset, which is what would allow you to just AirPlay without pairing. You'll still have to connect to them over Bluetooth, and the pairing is part of that.

    iOS 11 makes it relatively simple to switch destinations, including Bluetooth devices. I haven't checked macOS, so I don't know if there's an equivalent. I should check.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 47 of 68
    xbitxbit Posts: 390member
    bluefire1 said:
    Good luck equaling Bose's QuietComfort 35.
    Sony and Bowers & Wilkins have already bested Bose. I don't see why Apple couldn't join that gang too.
    watto_cobrabluefire1
  • Reply 48 of 68
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member
    rain22 said:
    mjtomlin said:

    bluefire1 said:
    Good luck equaling Bose's QuietComfort 35.

    I wouldn’t exactly count Apple out, they’re last two audio products brought new technologies that made them best of class.

    Apple makes some of the ‘best in class’ computer and handheld devices - coupled with a decent OS. 
    In the audio world - their products are lower-midrange consumer-grade at best. They are designed to offer quality at a price point for the masses. 
    Dont confuse that with overall performance. 
    HomePod sounds good for a smart speaker toy. But it’s a Fisher Price plastic hammer on a construction site when it comes to sound quality. 
    It may be the best plastic toy hammer on the market - but it’s still a plastic toy.
    The same goes for Beats. 

     
    Lots of blah blah with no proof. For the price, or even 3x more,  it's not a "toy" (sic), not even close and yeah, I have those fracking expensive systems so you can't BS me. BS and do the poseur with some of your friends instead.
    watto_cobrarandominternetperson
  • Reply 49 of 68
    radarthekatradarthekat Posts: 3,842moderator
    flaneur said:
    Soli said:
    Kuo says Apple is aiming to deliver a product that boasts the convenience of AirPods but with better acoustic qualities.

    Considering the above is referencing big ass over the ear headphones, the quote is idiotic.
    I wouldn't go that far. Convenience comes in many forms, like the W1 chip for pairing and switching sources. Then if it's wireless with inductive charging with a battery that exceeds AirPods between placing them back in their case for charging or especially if they exceed the total time of the charging case time (which is very doubtful) plus higher quality audio and better comfort that would be more convenient. I'd love to have AirPods but the discomfort from that type of earbud is inconvenient to my usability.
    I’m with you.  My tragus (that part of the ear in front of the ear canal) is stiff and offers a straight inner wall to Apple’s earbud designs (mirrored in the AirPods).  So I can insert Apple’s earbuds or AirPods straight into my ear, but cannot turn them forward to get them to lock as they are designed to be worn.  I’ve never been able to keep earbuds in my ears for more than one slight head turn. Out they pop.

    Most people have a soft tragus that folds back, offering a little catch in which the earbuds/AirPods nicely seat.  I wonder how many of us have my issue. I bet it’s less than the 10% of us lefties, and totally unrelated.  For reference, I also have inherited tight skin, such that the third knuckle on each finger doesn’t bend as I close my fist.  I can manually bend those knuckles, but the skin over them is so tight as to be smooth (zero wrinkles) and so prevents them from being pulled in by the opposing muscles as I close my fist.  This genetic aberration, I think, is a cousin of webbing, but I and my relatives exhibit none of that.  But I do have tight skin and tendons and so I imagine this is what causes my ear to have the shape it does.  
    Very interesting. But I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that handedness and ear shape/skin tightness/tendon design are unrelated. We don’t know enough about clusters of inheritance factors to rule out the possibility that all these could be part of some adaptation. 

    To give one very fringe-y example, the late Stan Gooch wrote a series of books about Neanderthals, speculating in one of them — I don’t remember which — that they may have been more leftie that “modern” humans. What if your unusual cartilege were part of an ancient cold-weather strategy? 

    If I were part of a minority group overlooked or excluded by Apple’s wearables designers, I’d campaign for equal treatment.

    Neanderthals unite¡¡¡
    In my case I’m ambidextrous, using my left for writing and holding a fork/spoon, and my right for throwing, batting, tennis, bowling, etc.  Except that I’m equally good with either for table tennis and squash.  And my inherited skin tightness is shared by one of my brothers and my mother’s side of the family, all of whom are right-handed. 
    edited February 2018
  • Reply 50 of 68
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,275member
    While this is certainly possible -- Apple may well want to release a line of reference-quality headphones to distinguish from the artificially bass-enhanced Beats line -- expect these to be really pricey: headphones of high quality range to the upper three figures (and in some cases, beyond).

    The potential inherent in the latest releases of Bluetooth plus the W1 chip make for an exciting proposition in wireless, particularly for headphones not intended to do noise-cancelling. I particularly hope Apple can solve the engineering problem of making wireless over-ears light enough to be truly comfortable for prolonged listening sessions. I have some wonderful headphones for this presently, but they're not wireless and while the earcups are very comfortable, they are quite heavy.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 51 of 68
    Apple has something up their sleeve if they're doing their own branded over-ear headphones. There must be something very unique on the audio technology side, similar to how they handled the HomePod. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 52 of 68
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    jungmark said:
    bluefire1 said:
    Good luck equaling Bose's QuietComfort 35.
    Never doubt Apple. 

    Companies/analysts doubted the iPod, iPhone, iPad, AppleWatch. 
    I never doubt Apple; I'm just saying that the competition here is Bose, not Samsung, so they have their work cut out for them.  I'm hoping they can actually improve upon the Bose headphones since I'd gladly buy them and give the Bose handset to my wife. 
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 53 of 68
    Rayz2016Rayz2016 Posts: 6,957member
    bluefire1 said:
    jungmark said:
    bluefire1 said:
    Good luck equaling Bose's QuietComfort 35.
    Never doubt Apple. 

    Companies/analysts doubted the iPod, iPhone, iPad, AppleWatch. 
    I never doubt Apple; I'm just saying that the competition here is Bose, not Samsung, so they have their work cut out for them.  I'm hoping they can actually improve upon the Bose headphones since I'd gladly buy them and give the Bose handset to my wife. 

    We’ve struggled and learned for years to build a decent phone. They’re not just going to walk in.

    The Palm CEO, after Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone.  
    edited February 2018 randominternetpersonbluefire1
  • Reply 54 of 68
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    This weekend, you guys can get in an argument resulting in rules violations on anything.

    If you can't see your comment, take a minute to re-read the commenting guidelines linked at the bottom of the page, and reflect on your sins.
    bluefire1
  • Reply 55 of 68
    I’m with you.  My tragus (that part of the ear in front of the ear canal) is stiff and offers a straight inner wall to Apple’s earbud designs (mirrored in the AirPods).  So I can insert Apple’s earbuds or AirPods straight into my ear, but cannot turn them forward to get them to lock as they are designed to be worn.  I’ve never been able to keep earbuds in my ears for more than one slight head turn. Out they pop.   

    I have the same problem you do, except that I'm completely right handed, not left or ambidextrous.

    I have two sets of Nokia 905 Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones that blew out anything then available for similar price, as well as beating a good many higher priced ones.  The only thing I've found that rivals them for the price is a pair of Sennheisers a friend of mine has.  But since the Nokias are still going strong...

  • Reply 56 of 68
    GG1GG1 Posts: 483member
    "CanPods" ;)

    kkqd1337 said:
    Excited for Bose to have some decent competition. There is no way I would ever buy beats headphones.
    Apple must know there are some demographics that won't buy Beats. Apple must know that the Apple brand can cast a wider net than Beats (AirPods, HomePod, CanPods).

    My guess is that the audio processing that debuted in the HomePod's A8 can be cut down to serve headphones (over-the-ear headphones will give more product volume for electronics than AirPods), most likely in the field of noise cancellation.

    To the audio enthusiasts out there: is there an audio quality difference between open and closed headphones? I know the open cans bleed out the music much more, but what about audio quality?
  • Reply 57 of 68
    tipootipoo Posts: 1,141member
    I'm interested. W1/W2 convenience with the audio lab that put out the Macbook/2016rMBP/Homepod, that has a lot of appeal. 

    Though I'd also be split with that and an Earpods 2 that improved the sound quality too. 
  • Reply 58 of 68
    I'm thrilled so far with my Bose QC's, but my wife has been trying to decide if she likes those or my airpods better.  Combine the two and she might have a winner.  She is without an AW by choice, so airpods aren't as big a need for her.  She works from home and good, comfortable, reliable headphones with a great microphone would be a huge selling point.
  • Reply 59 of 68
    Why is Apple developing an audio accessories line separate from Beats?
    I'm probably the exception here as a gen-X poster, but I don't like the look of Beats.  Bose looks more refined and that's why I got them, i don't want gaudy or flashy headphones.  

    i'd expect Apple to be more refined, subtle.  Even if they use the same guts but have a more polished look, that might have swayed me.  
    kkqd1337
  • Reply 60 of 68
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    bluefire1 said:
    jungmark said:
    bluefire1 said:
    Good luck equaling Bose's QuietComfort 35.
    Never doubt Apple. 

    Companies/analysts doubted the iPod, iPhone, iPad, AppleWatch. 
    I never doubt Apple; I'm just saying that the competition here is Bose, not Samsung, so they have their work cut out for them.  I'm hoping they can actually improve upon the Bose headphones since I'd gladly buy them and give the Bose handset to my wife. 

    Currently, Beats has about 25% and Apple has about 3% of the retail headphone market in terms of unit share. Like in other market segments, Beats and Apple branded headphones have about 50% of the revenue share in the market. Beats is the vast majority (~45%) of this though since Apple has only recently started selling a headset for over $100.

    Bose is a well known brand, but they are not the market leaders. It’s Beats. Bose is currently second with about 8%. If there are some recent statistics with AirPods for end of 2018, I would not be surprised to see Apple closing the gap with Bose in terms of both unit and revenue share.

    I would bet a lot that Apple will not be competing with Bose or whatever boutique headphone maker on sound quality alone. It’ll be as good or close enough to not matter in terms of sound quality. Apple will be selling the headset based on ease of use, comfort and sound quality. It’s not going to be a generic “headphone”. There are going to be Apple platform exclusive features, the same that you see with AirPods, that will sell the device.

    Things like easy switching of audio sources from Watch, iPhone all the way to the iMac Pro. There may be an array of microphones to make Siri interaction easier and better. Maybe there will be an A8 or A9 SoC inside to do computational audio stuff. Maybe it’ll be charged through a Lightning port, but maybe there will be something unique about how it charges.
    randominternetpersonbluefire1
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