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Looks by Dr. Dre

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Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#101

Post by angryasian »

threeseed wrote: post #71
InclinedPlane wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're misreading what I'm saying. I'm not saying that Apple is just a fashion company. I'm saying that a lot of folks, especially the silicon valley alpha geek types, who are die hard Apple fans try to rationalize their preferences in a way that excludes the fashion aspect out of a sense of embarrassment or what-have-you.

A lot of people, including myself, like Apple products less so for the design and more for the actual technical qualities. They make the best laptops by far. The operating system marries UNIX with ease of use like nothing before. There is genuine attention to detail in their software that Microsoft or Ubuntu simply doesn't have. I am sick to death of idiots like you who dismiss my choice as being "fashionable".

as a mac user and ubuntu user.. the fact that mac still requires managers like macports/finch/homebrew make me question the "marries UNIX with ease" statement.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#102

Post by rev087 »

andrenotgiant wrote: post #92
paulgerhardt wrote: post #39

As nerd-ragey as some people are about the Beats deal, they have some amazing fit and finish with regards to manufacturing. See for instance their paint: most painted plastics experience an undesirable amount of "orange peeling" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_peel_(effect) ). This is caused in part by not getting the temperature of the paint high enough to form a smooth finish. Metal can withstand significantl…

That's really interesting, I love learning about these manufacturing hurdles that consumers never hear about. Consumers don't buy Beats because they're shinier though. They buy them because of the image that comes with them, thanks to a successful marketing and endorsement campaign. That's why knock-off beats are everywhere in Hong Kong. Manufacturers can add a "b" to any old pair of over-ear headphones and they beco…

To counterbalance, I think the Beats products look great and I've been tempted to buy them, but this very "image" around the brand sets me off greatly. That's the problem with endorsements, you end up wrangling your brand image with that of the celebrities endorsing your product.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#103

Post by chipotle_coyote »

angryasian wrote: post #101
threeseed wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A lot of people, including myself, like Apple products less so for the design and more for the actual technical qualities. They make the best laptops by far. The operating system marries UNIX with ease of use like nothing before. There is genuine attention to detail in their software that Microsoft or Ubuntu simply doesn't have. I am sick to death of idiots like you who dismiss my choice as being "fashionable".

as a mac user and ubuntu user.. the fact that mac still requires managers like macports/finch/homebrew make me question the "marries UNIX with ease" statement.

If you're a terminal nerd you have to go through a couple extra steps with OS X that you don't with Ubuntu, sure. But if you're the sort of person who gives a flying fig about the kinds of programs homebrew installs for you, are you really going to scream, "WHAT? I have to spend five or six minutes installing Xcode's command line tools and the Homebrew package manager? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" and flip over the table in rage?

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#104

Post by cyphunk »

XorNot wrote: post #95
stonemetal wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Apple care what audiophiles think? iPods and the default ear buds are low quality compared to most audiophile gear.

Apple's customers should probably care that they are going to be ripped off on headphones. The issue isn't "audiophiles don't like them". It's that you can pay a lot less money and get much better headphones.

let me correct that for you...

Apple's customers ██ █████ ███ ██ ██ are going to be ripped off █ ██████.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#105

Post by incision »

andrenotgiant wrote: post #92
paulgerhardt wrote: post #39

As nerd-ragey as some people are about the Beats deal, they have some amazing fit and finish with regards to manufacturing. See for instance their paint: most painted plastics experience an undesirable amount of "orange peeling" ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_peel_(effect) ). This is caused in part by not getting the temperature of the paint high enough to form a smooth finish. Metal can withstand significantl…

That's really interesting, I love learning about these manufacturing hurdles that consumers never hear about. Consumers don't buy Beats because they're shinier though. They buy them because of the image that comes with them, thanks to a successful marketing and endorsement campaign. That's why knock-off beats are everywhere in Hong Kong. Manufacturers can add a "b" to any old pair of over-ear headphones and they beco…

>'Consumers don't buy Beats because they're shinier though. They buy them because of the image that comes with them, thanks to a successful marketing and endorsement campaign.'

Sure, but exceptional shine is exactly the sort of hard to replicate detail that maintains the brand value and sense of exclusivity they spent so much to build in the first place.

If I ask one of our high school age interns how to spot bootleg Beats, Jordans, fitted caps or whatever they'll run off a laundry list of incredible detail - shine, screws, stitching or some tiny seam that isn't quite flush.

They obsess over these things and would probably sooner have nothing than run the risk of being found guilty of the poverty / envy that wearing bootlegs would imply to among their peers.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#106

Post by s_baby »

brickmort wrote: post #51
moheeb wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

" Next time you roll into a Best Buy, compare the 'shinyness' and 'smoothness' of Beats to any other product " Yeah...just don't compare the sound.

Audiophiles almost unanimously agree that Beats headphones are sub-par when it comes to overall quality of sound.

They're not terrible just poor bang per buck.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#107

Post by tptacek »

chipotle_coyote wrote: post #103
angryasian wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as a mac user and ubuntu user.. the fact that mac still requires managers like macports/finch/homebrew make me question the "marries UNIX with ease" statement.

If you're a terminal nerd you have to go through a couple extra steps with OS X that you don't with Ubuntu, sure. But if you're the sort of person who gives a flying fig about the kinds of programs homebrew installs for you, are you really going to scream, "WHAT? I have to spend five or six minutes installing Xcode's command line tools and the Homebrew package manager? THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!" and flip over the table i…

If table-flipping over package management quirks isn't a fundamental part of the Unix heritage, I don't know what is.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#108

Post by sahaj »

tptacek wrote: post #72
wglb wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Personal attacks are not welcome on HN.

It's funny how close that came to being a decent comment; the first sentence is like an own-goal.

I sense a financial stake in the companies is what's at play here.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#109

Post by jpalomaki »

This article has a good point, which I never had thought.

Headphones are also a fashion accessory. They are very visible, the most visible piece of technology you are carrying.

Same thing goes with watches. For many people its about brand and fashion, not so much about the features.

Maybe Apple wants to be in the fashion business. If you have watches and headphones, you pretty much cover all the technology people are currently wearing. And it makes very much sense to have both products inside the same company so that you can provide matching pairs.

If the pricing is reasonable, you could even imagine selling multiple sets of products for same customers. This headphone/watch pair for jogging, another one for your business look.

Also the Apple Store chain would fit in the picture quite nicely. One problem could be that Apple is getting lots of people to the stores, but they currently have a limited range of products to sell for them. You don't need that many iPhones or Macs, iPads are a little bit expensive for impulse purchase.

Re: Looks by Dr. Dre

#110

Post by hluska »

eflowers wrote: post #89
bcohen5055 wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sound is a very objective measurement so I won't go ahead and say that beats sounds "better" or "worse". However (I can't seem to find the link now) on many audiophile forums Beats have been measured to skew to better frequency response in the low range. Therefore they will sound more thumpy but without warm mids and crisp highs. Beats has engineered their headphones this way for a specific marketing demographic, I j…

The skew is exactly what Dr. Dre's fans, and other pop fans, want. They are made by a former gangsta rapper turned pop rapper. Who can listen to Dre without a trio of 12" subs rumbling their car or house or the dancefloor? I have had Beats for 2.5 years. I like a lot of rap, and rap sounds awesome. Nicer headphones may have a better sound for a more broad range of music - but they don't replicate the 808's and fat ba…

This isn't even close to being on topic, but I upvoted you because 'fat basslines on Novation' reminded me of the Wu Tang Clan! Triumph is a great song...
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