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AirPods Max

apple.com

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Re: AirPods Max

#741

Post by fbelzile »

zcw100 wrote: post #240

I think this is actually a fantastic place for Apple. I'm happy to trash Apple where appropriate and I've got plenty of complaints. I think Apple does it's best when the integration of hardware and software is really important and there is a very low tolerance for, I won't say bugs, but issues. They're headphones. I want to put them on and they need to make noise. I'm not dealing with connectivity issues, battery iss…

> I'm happy to pay $500 for something that works

Sure, if by "works" you mean "only works with other Apple products." The cost isn't just $500, it's also the opportunity cost of going with any other competing (and possibly better) product in the future. Apple's pricing is high, but is even higher if you account for the hidden hand of future buying power you give them. It's a brilliant business strategy as it limits your choice as a consumer for the lifetime of the headphones.

Say Apple decides to slow down your old iPhone again (what? no! [1])... Or maybe you just like the new Google Pixel. Sucks to be you, time to buy a new iPhone again ($$$) if you don't want your headphones to stop "just working."

[1] https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51413724

Re: AirPods Max

#742

Post by dghlsakjg »

deergomoo wrote: post #722
partiallypro wrote: post #707

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I won't be wearing them, they look absolutely terrible. Honestly like headphones you'd find at a dollar store bin (in terms of design.) But they will probably catch on, I think the AirPods themselves looked silly but so many wear them now as a fashion statement. Apple has somehow convinced people that they are a fashion/status company, it's incredible.

Amazing how some people just cannot accept that something made by Apple could sell millions because it’s actually good . The “fashion statement” argument is completely farcical, always has been.

Anecdote time:

I'm normally an apple user, butttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt (I'll explain that in a second) I have a pc for gaming and casual browsing. I bought a Microsoft brand keyboard under the assumption that it would be good since Microsoft hardware seems to be well reviewed when it comes to the surface line.

The keyboard is garbage, feels cheap, has dumb 'emoji' and office hotkeys that I can't easily disable or remap. And it typed that super long string of t's up there for some reason.

I know that apple has made bad keyboards, but I use one of their butterfly keyboards daily and it is better than the Microsoft one. I can walk into the apple store and know that even if I buy the cheapest product, it is still a well-built product.

I've tried to give non-apple hardware a fair shake, and it just never matches up. I had a project where I needed to use a windows laptop and the company provided me with a Lenovo Carbon x1 (admittedly not the most recent generation). I still can't believe that was what people recommend from Lenovo against macbook pros.

Re: AirPods Max

#743

Post by john_minsk »

turtlebits wrote: post #733
blantonl wrote: post #308

For all the complaining about the pricing here, just set a reminder to yourself for 1 year later, when the pandemic has waned and some workplaces begin to return to normal. Then take a visual survey of how many people are wearing these in those hip open office development workspaces. You'll see the pricing didn't matter at all. You'll probably be wearing a pair yourself when you do that visual survey.

I think spatial audio might be the killer feature. They just added an update for the Airpods Pro, and some of the comments/reactions to it sound promising. Homepods sound amazing in a stereo pair, and Apple just released an update for Dolby Atmos support.

Could you please elaborate a bit more or may be just share a link. I was thinking about using 2 HomePods as a sound system for my TV, but figured it was too much to ask.

Re: AirPods Max

#744

Post by stouset »

rootusrootus wrote: post #693
tjoff wrote: post #685

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You know what doesn't have a battery never had any connectivity issues (before apple) and just works? The 3.5mm jack. I'm all for options though! But apple don't so I guess it doesn't matter.

I will tell you this, I do not miss headphone cords at all. Not one bit. I don't miss the cord snagging on parts of my desk, or my legs, or the arms of my office chair, or under the casters, etc. Not to mention cord noise on IEMs, which admittedly isn't really a problem on over-the-ear headphones anyway. I'll probably never buy another pair of corded headphones.

Not to mention spending five minutes untangling cords every time I take them out of my pocket, even when I want to listen to something for like 20 seconds.

Re: AirPods Max

#745

Post by wpietri »

lm28469 wrote: post #435
blantonl wrote: post #308

For all the complaining about the pricing here, just set a reminder to yourself for 1 year later, when the pandemic has waned and some workplaces begin to return to normal. Then take a visual survey of how many people are wearing these in those hip open office development workspaces. You'll see the pricing didn't matter at all. You'll probably be wearing a pair yourself when you do that visual survey.

Pricing is rarely an issue. People spend stupid amount of money to show their status, if anything it's a feature

I think that's a big part of what Apple sells. And I think it also helps explain how pretty much any Apple product announcement is contentious on here. Most people buying status goods won't say, "I buy it so people think I'm more interesting and important." They instead justify purchases in conventional terms like quality. That makes objective discussion of quality fraught because they create feelings of status threat and cognitive dissonance.

Re: AirPods Max

#746

Post by malshe »

john_minsk wrote: post #743
turtlebits wrote: post #733

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think spatial audio might be the killer feature. They just added an update for the Airpods Pro, and some of the comments/reactions to it sound promising. Homepods sound amazing in a stereo pair, and Apple just released an update for Dolby Atmos support.

Could you please elaborate a bit more or may be just share a link. I was thinking about using 2 HomePods as a sound system for my TV, but figured it was too much to ask.

If you are asking about stereo pairing, here is the official link: https://support.apple.com/guide/homepod/set-up-stereo-pairin...

I use a pair with my TV and the effects are really awesome.

Re: AirPods Max

#747

Post by na85 »

zcw100 wrote: post #240

I think this is actually a fantastic place for Apple. I'm happy to trash Apple where appropriate and I've got plenty of complaints. I think Apple does it's best when the integration of hardware and software is really important and there is a very low tolerance for, I won't say bugs, but issues. They're headphones. I want to put them on and they need to make noise. I'm not dealing with connectivity issues, battery iss…

>I want to put them on and they need to make noise.

>I'm not dealing with connectivity issues, battery issues, etc.

>Battery, I need to be able to easily and quickly know what the status is and I need to know that if I plugged them in before I go to bed I'll be good to go all day, the next day and I don't have to think about charging.

>Connectivity. When I go to use them I need them to connect and work. No fiddling around with loss of connection or not connecting in the first place.

Wired headphones tick all these boxes. If not for Jony Ive's quest for a legacy and absurd fetish for thinner phones we wouldn't have to live the dongle life to have every feature you listed.

Re: AirPods Max

#748

Post by wpietri »

ogre_codes wrote: post #577
jayd16 wrote: post #494

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you saying they're popular or good? AirPods are popular but I don't think they're very good at all. At least the pros have the rubber tips.

This whole "People just buy them because they are popular" thing is trite. AirPods were tremendously mocked when they were launched and became popular in spite of that. You don't like them. Millions of people do. Lots of people don't value the things you (or I!) value.

It may be trite, and I have no idea if it applies to AirPods specifically. But it's certainly a true pattern with other goods. Just look at the amount of marketing that works to create the impression that all the cool or important people are using a product.

Re: AirPods Max

#749

Post by jeanofthedead »

jkubicek wrote: post #719
friday99 wrote: post #575

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for pointing out the spatial audio. It amazes me all the comments about price but not discussing what features these actually have. Dynamic head tracking for spatial audio could be really amazing and is not cheap to implement. These aren't just some "dumb" headphones with speakers in them. I'm really interested in trying these out on the Xbox X which has Dolby Atmos on a big screen and hearing the sounds move…

Dynamic head tracking spacial audio is available today with the Airpods Pro and it is amazing. Watching surround-sound TV with spacial audio enabled is basically indistinguishable from watching TV with a surround sound system and no headphones, to the point where I have to check to make sure the audio is playing through my headphones and not external speakers. Downside is that it only works with iPhone, iPad and Appl…

...as far as I'm aware, Spatial Audio does /not/ work on ATV4K. Could you show me where it does?
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