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Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

kevinrooke.com

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Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#601

Post by lorenzhs »

zepto wrote: post #389
eikenberry wrote: post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Audio quality may be only one metric, but it is by far the most important. When shopping for headphones/iems you first listen to them and find the ones that sound how you like, then you compare on all other factors. I think most people who buy them do so because the marketing, not due to the experience. They know the brand and know they won't suck. Not that they are the best.

It isn’t by far the most important. I have numerous audiophile headphones which provide a better listening experience than AirPods, but I use AirPods almost all the time because they are with me when I need them.

"The best camera is the one you have with you" is a saying among photographers, and the same goes for headphones. Apple realised this a long time ago, and they sell both.

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#602

Post by scarface74 »

JoBrad wrote: post #542
scarface74 wrote: post #529

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I haven’t needed to connect an iOS device to iTunes since iOS 5 in 2011.

It’s pretty much the main way to get any movies from a Windows personal drive on an iPad, etc., unless you’re using something like Plex. Edit: added Windows clarification

I do in fact use Plex. The last time I downloaded a video, I used VLC. There are plenty of ways to get movies into VLC - any cloud storage provider and its own website. The VLC app on iOS exposes a website you can use to upload movies.

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#603

Post by benhurmarcel »

rkuykendall-com wrote: post #201
Fnoord wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Sony for example was unable to parlay its Walkman dominance into similar positions with new devices. Sony WF-1000XM3 are a popular in-ear Bluetooth headphones with noise cancelling. 80 EUR cheaper than Apple Airpods Pro.

Stupid name and impossible to distinguish from their other wireless headphones. This is the Dell XXHBE 34-9q276d.snfd2 vs Macbook Pro all over again.

If the name is the main criticism you can come up with, it's probably a really good product.

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#604

Post by neuronic »

manquer wrote: post #549
lowboy wrote: post #333

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Audio quality is only one of the metrics for comparison, including: - form factor (my powerbeats pro case is huge compared to airpods) - handoff between different Apple devices - BT reliability/connection strength (mostly down to BT 4 vs 5) - fit and finish - noise cancellation People weigh all of these things differently to arrive at what is "best". If a broad range of wireless buds all meet someone's threshold for…

Form factor is largely a fashion parameter which is what OP is saying , it is not purely technical superiority driving buying decisions

Usability is by far the biggest factor for me when it comes to AirPods.

3 years ago, they were the first seamlessly and reliably working product to free me of the cabled ear buds mess.

Were there other bluetooth ear buds before? Yes. Were they complete and utter shit to use? Also yes.

Now, 3 years later, a few competitors arise and some are better in some ways than AirPods - but again none are better than AirPods Pro. Active noise cancellation always has a markup of around $100 no matter the brand or product. So still, these AirPods Pro are fairly priced in my opinion (AirPods + $100).

You have to actively hate on Apple for even claiming any bluetooth in-ear buds are better than AirPods Pro as of today.

Samsung etc. caught on to AirPods after 3 years - but certainly not to AirPods Pro.

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#606

Post by Fnoord »

nomel wrote: post #282
Fnoord wrote: post #243

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My iRiver H340 was ahead of its time. It supported MP3 and Ogg Vorbis and had 40 GB, while the iPods of around that time were running around with 4 GB. Oh, and iTunes DRM. I bought an iPod Classic later on (with 160 GB) to experience the genius usability of the iPod. Except, I didn't experience it. The major innovation of the iPhone was that it had a capacitive touch UI (which allows finger use, gestures, etc). The i…

Why was this downvoted? The first thing I thought of was the iRiver. It was incredible at the time.

Because on HN it is allowed to downvote based on disagreement, and it is a thread about how well Apple is currently doing.

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#607

Post by wrboyce »

damnyou wrote: post #448
wrboyce wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can think of the AirPods being paired to your iCloud account, and connecting to any authenticated devices is generally seamless and very quick.

So, not seamless if you use Android, Windows, Linux, a Mac laptop and an iPad like I do.

It would be seamless between the Mac and iPad… I'm unsure how you would expect Apple to achieve it on devices they do not control though?

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#608

Post by gimboland »

derefr wrote: post #442
ikeboy wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My understanding is that the Airpods are not better than the high-end competition. There's plenty of $100-150 Bluetooth earbuds that have better sound quality, and a handful of sub-$100 ones that are just as good. You're paying for the name. https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-airpods-review-wireles... >The biggest downside? Their sound is just OK. AirPods produce a perfectly average sound that's clear in the mid-t…

AirPods are the only Bluetooth earbuds that don't give me instant pressure headaches. For some reason, nobody other than Apple wants to make wireless earbuds, or even semi-wired Bluetooth "sport" earbuds, that don't have some kind of conformant in-ear seal to them. In at least this sense, Apple's product is decidedly "better." Or, one might say, Apple's product is the only satisfactory product on the market. It could…

OTOH, AirPods don't meet a minimum standard of quality for me, namely that of actually staying in my ears. They just kind of sit there, dangling, and fall out as soon as I turn my head. Only earbuds with an in-ear seal stay in — it just seems to be how my ears are. (I haven't tried out the Pros, however.)

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#609

Post by Nextgrid »

asdff wrote: post #518
the_watcher wrote: post #297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The iTunes UI was, by far , the best for legally acquiring digital music when it launched.

It was also the best for maintaining a library of illegally acquired music until they diluted the feature set into what the music app is today.

And completely fucked it by the looks of it. I'd take iTunes back over that mess any day.

Re: Apple AirPods: iPhone accessory or the next big thing?

#610

Post by lotsofpulp »

snypox wrote: post #578
chiefalchemist wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. But $10 x 12 = $120 subscription per year. That's a decent buck and a fairly large market.

And on a long term, more profitable probably. We won’t see Spotify disappearing for a while.

Spotify rents music that it itself rents from 3 companies that own most of the music. Why would those 3 companies not just raise their rents if Spotify starts making a decent profit?

Spotify has been around since 2006 and just eked out a tiny profit last year. Unless they plan on owning music themselves, I don’t see why the music owners wouldn’t try to capture most of the profit.

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