6502

Andrew_OSU said:

6502 said:

ihatescreennames said:

Sort of an insulting headline, no? At $1120 these are certainly expensive for earbuds but I plenty of people with LV bags that cost just as much or more. Clearly there are less expensive bags than LV’s offerings but that doesn’t stop many people.

To me, it comes down more to this: are the wireless charging case, leather case and LV branding worth the additional $800? To me, no, because I don’t care about such things.

Some people will buy LV bags and use them for decades, get them refurbished when worn out and even pass them down to their children. I'm not a fashionista, so I don't get that either (to me it is simply a way to brag how much money you have). These are likely cheap chinese earbuds wrapped in a LV shell. When the internal batteries no longer hold a charge and better technology comes out, these will be dumped in the trash. You think anyone is still wearing a $10k gold series 1 Apple watch? Doubt it.

These are Master & Dynamic MW07 Plus earbuds. Some of the best out there. Absolutely not a "cheap Chinese earbud" they branded here.

jcs2305 said:

6502 said:

ihatescreennames said:

Sort of an insulting headline, no? At $1120 these are certainly expensive for earbuds but I plenty of people with LV bags that cost just as much or more. Clearly there are less expensive bags than LV’s offerings but that doesn’t stop many people.

To me, it comes down more to this: are the wireless charging case, leather case and LV branding worth the additional $800? To me, no, because I don’t care about such things.

Some people will buy LV bags and use them for decades, get them refurbished when worn out and even pass them down to their children. I'm not a fashionista, so I don't get that either (to me it is simply a way to brag how much money you have). These are likely cheap chinese earbuds wrapped in a LV shell. When the internal batteries no longer hold a charge and better technology comes out, these will be dumped in the trash. You think anyone is still wearing a $10k gold series 1 Apple watch? Doubt it.

"Luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton has partnered with premium audio company Master & Dynamic for the second time"...  I thought the article confirmed their partnership with M&D?  I doubt these are cheap chinese buds wrapped in a LV shell as you imply.

https://blog.masterdynamic.com/article/master-dynamic-louis-vuitton/

Price is crazy to me, but that doesn't mean they are outright lying about what type of buds they actually are?

Sorry, I'm not an audiophile and never heard of M&D before. I searched the non-LV version on amazon and they're $300 with noise cancelation (reviews were fair to good). Do they design their own DSP or buy off the shelf ones? I'm sure they're made in the same chinese factory as generic earbuds are with mostly similar parts. I'm guessing most people couldn't tell the difference in sound quality between a $1200 pair and a $200 pair, you're paying just for the LV and the right to brag how much money you have. It's kinda like Coach purses made in china. At the end of their shift the workers making the coach purses take the leftover leather, go to the factory next door and make knock-off purses for 1/10th the price. Same skilled worker, same design, same materials.

ihatescreennames said:

Sort of an insulting headline, no? At $1120 these are certainly expensive for earbuds but I plenty of people with LV bags that cost just as much or more. Clearly there are less expensive bags than LV’s offerings but that doesn’t stop many people.

To me, it comes down more to this: are the wireless charging case, leather case and LV branding worth the additional $800? To me, no, because I don’t care about such things.

Some people will buy LV bags and use them for decades, get them refurbished when worn out and even pass them down to their children. I'm not a fashionista, so I don't get that either (to me it is simply a way to brag how much money you have). These are likely cheap chinese earbuds wrapped in a LV shell. When the internal batteries no longer hold a charge and better technology comes out, these will be dumped in the trash. You think anyone is still wearing a $10k gold series 1 Apple watch? Doubt it.

13485 said:

georgie01 said:

SpamSandwich said:

Yes, owning and asserting patent rights IS a legitimate business. Patents are property. Why wouldn’t you assert your rights against an infringer? This hasn’t been a theoretical business advantage or potential liability in the entire history of the patent system. It’s real.

I think EsquireCats was mainly referring to a company waiting to assert their patent. Anyone who thinks these things through can see that some companies look for technologies that might possibly infringe on a patent they have no intention of ever developing, and then bring a lawsuit against that similar technology hoping the courts will rule in their favour.

That might be legal business but it’s not legitimate because it’s very far removed from the fundamental intention of patents.

No, it's not. A patent is a limited monopoly. When the patent expires, the monopoly is over and the invention is fair game for everyone. That the inventor must somehow "develop" (by which you probably mean commercialize) the patent is BS. You can invent it and sell it like any other property you own. And the buyer then acquires all the same legal rights the original patent holder had for the life of the patent.  The whole world agrees with this method. Why is it so hard for you?

Finally someone who knows what they're talking about. Patent law is not a feeling or subjective, there is a very strict interpretation. In exchange for releasing your invention publically you get 20 yrs of exclusivity before it enters the public domain. Companies large and small do due diligence on their product to make sure they are not infringing on anyone else's IP (and vice versa). Either Apple did a poor job at that or just thought they were big enough that they could skirt the law. Doesn't matter who owns the patent, they have the right to defend it while it is still active. It is taken so seriously, that if the court determines that you willfully infringed on someone's patent, they can award triple the damages (treble damages) along with court and lawyer fees. During the discovery phase they can subpoena every notebook you wrote in and every email you sent and if you even hint that you might be infringing on a patent, you are likely done for. Even in my small company we receive significant training on not to comment or make a judgment on patentability or infringement. Anything and everything will end up in court. Apple is simply not above the law.

lkrupp said:

Fatman said:

The US needs to get manufacturing the hell out of that whole region  - Chinese tariffs, communist government, pollution, horrendous labor practices now diseases, Even other Asian countries like Japan have government issues, tsunami/earthquakes - bring it back home Apple!

Are you willing to pay double for your tech and clothing?

We all know it won't be double (even Apple has admitted this), but yes I am. If my $4 T-shirt costs $8, so be it.

Yeah, I'm really looking for deeper insight into Oprah.