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Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

experian.com

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Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#121

Post by MBCook »

jowiar wrote: post #50
burke wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sad that Beats was the one headphone brand that Apple ended up purchasing when they wanted to expand that space. B&O felt like a natural synergy for them too. I would love to be able to buy better-sounding AirPods under an Apple/B&O label.

Thisx1000. B&O, B&W, Sonus Faber, PSB... I'd run out and buy any of them with a W1 Bluetooth chip in a heartbeat.

I really do wonder if Apple will license it to anyone. For example, I'd be quite happy to get Bose noise canceling headphones with a W1 in it.

It's obvious why Beats gets it, the question is whether anyone else will.

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#122

Post by MBCook »

stcredzero wrote: post #84
smnscu wrote: post #3

I don't doubt the ergonomics are amazing, but it's somewhat surprising to me that people are happy with such mediocre audio performance.

it's somewhat surprising to me that people are happy with such mediocre audio performance. Especially since you can buy a set of wired earpods that actually sound really good for $5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZbCWaY2KXo I bought a pair for myself and my girlfriend. I think they sound better than my Grados on certain material, and almost as good as my Portapros. (I suspect my pair of Grados SR60e is below avera…

Do they? People seem to think these are good enough (and I agree, they sound quite nice). Plus they have additional constraints on them because they're using Bluetooth. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple added a proprietary protocol to fix Bluetooth issues in the future version, but for now it's Bluetooth. Wired headphones don't have that same issue.

Either way they're back ordered six weeks. Even if Apple were to improve the sound quality my guess is they couldn't produce them any faster so why bother?

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#123

Post by MBCook »

sushid wrote: post #90
primitivesuave wrote: post #49

I can't get the damn things to stay in my ears if I'm doing any physical activity beyond brisk walking. Working out in them is out of the question, so I'm still using my regular bluetooth headphones, and I looked quite comical running to catch the train with both hands over my ears so they wouldn't fall out. I'm surprised only 1 out of every 50 people who bought Airpods are experiencing similar dissatisfaction.

Personally, I knew that the airpods would never fit my ears right so I knew I wouldn't be buying them once they came out. Perhaps the market is self-selecting and thus only those with the proper ear shape actually opt for them?

Is that because of the fit you get with the wired ones?

The wired ones more or less fit in my ears, but I found that when I was walking or doing any kind of exercise they fall out in less I use the little plastic thing to cinch them up.

I was worried I have the same problem with the AirPods but they work just fine for me. I guess not having that cable tugging on them makes the difference.

But the old ones worked if I was just sitting still. That didn't even work well for my brother and he wasn't able to use AirPods either.

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#124

Post by MBCook »

Nullabillity wrote: post #64

And suddenly Apple's usual marketing strategy makes a whole lot more sense. Price it high enough that nobody who has to care about money would buy it, and make it crappy enough that nobody who cares about quality would buy it. And, apparently, it seems the people who aren't filtered by that will say anything is the second coming of christ as long as it comes in a shiny enough box.

That's an off a lot of ad hominem attacks for a single post.

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#125

Post by MBCook »

derefr wrote: post #80
MBCook wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a pretty good argument they bought Beats for the music service (and it's people and relationships), which they turned into/merged with Apple music. They seem to have left the headphone business alone (other than giving one kind of Beats have the same chipset that the AirPods have).

> They seem to have left the headphone business alone Well, why wouldn't they? Going by my argument, it was already being done "the way they would have done it." It's like moving in with someone who already has the same cleaning habits that you do: you can just leave them alone and trust them to do the right thing, and then be happy with the results.

Apple has never really bought something and left it alone before. While the Beats headphone brand was good, some people wondered if they would change it somehow. "Beats presented by Apple" or something like that. Start putting their logo on the product, etc.

I'm not saying it would be a smart idea. I think Apple did the right thing. But Apple couple years ago may well have made a change like that.

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#126

Post by stcredzero »

MBCook wrote: post #122
stcredzero wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's somewhat surprising to me that people are happy with such mediocre audio performance. Especially since you can buy a set of wired earpods that actually sound really good for $5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZbCWaY2KXo I bought a pair for myself and my girlfriend. I think they sound better than my Grados on certain material, and almost as good as my Portapros. (I suspect my pair of Grados SR60e is below avera…

Do they? People seem to think these are good enough (and I agree, they sound quite nice). Plus they have additional constraints on them because they're using Bluetooth. It wouldn't surprise me if Apple added a proprietary protocol to fix Bluetooth issues in the future version, but for now it's Bluetooth. Wired headphones don't have that same issue. Either way they're back ordered six weeks. Even if Apple were to impr…

Even if Apple were to improve the sound quality my guess is they couldn't produce them any faster so why bother?

Because cachet is a vital part of Apple's marketing strategy. If they could capture some of that kind of attention for doing something respectable, they would benefit.

Plus they have additional constraints on them because they're using Bluetooth.

That is significant. However, Bluetooth is improving. Other forms of technology are improving as well. We're getting to the point where very linear drivers combined with digital processing are starting to make a difference. Soon, we'll be able to make such devices cheaply, with sensors that are fast enough to make regular consumer devices perform like today's high end headphones.

Apple has traditionally cared about aesthetics enabling technology. Their screens are good, and while not high end with sound, they have sold decent sound hardware in their laptops. They were early with Toslink. Steve Jobs cared about decent sound as well.

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#128

Post by kreisquadratur »

MBCook wrote: post #120
glhaynes wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've also been discussed a lot in those terms because of the prevailing narrative of Apple being in a slump or not being able to innovate anymore.

I've also heard the guys on ATP, rebound, and Gruber use nearly identical language. It would be easy to subconsciously pick up those phrases.

Cryptomnesia.

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#129

Post by mercer »

tedmiston wrote: post #17

> New Experian survey explores consumer satisfaction with AirPods and other voice-first hardware > Conversational user interfaces are now mainstream. I really like my AirPods, but... this is a strange comment to make about them. The Siri integration / audio controls is the most awkward part of using AirPods. Honestly really hoping they revisit in v2.

My AirPods are the pretty much my favorite piece of technology I've bought in at least two years, as far as day to day (or even hour to hour) usefulness.

And yet I still reach for my phone and hold the home button to do any siri-related task...

Re: Apple AirPods satisfaction at a remarkable 98% for customers

#130

Post by smnscu »

stcredzero wrote: post #92
pavel_lishin wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I lose my headphones often enough that I balk at anything about $15. I'd probably be quite happy with the Airpods' quality... ... right until I dropped one onto the subway tracks.

How about $5? VE Monks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZbCWaY2KXo I have a $400 pair of headphones, but I like these earbuds as well.

Wow, that's mind blowing. Great channel as well, thanks for the share!
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