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AirPods don't “just work”

philip.design

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Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#531

Post by _t2kx »

wtetzner wrote: post #476
dpark wrote: post #467

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but the choice has been made for all people who do not experience that What are you talking about? Is someone stopping you from using wired earbuds?

You're not technically stopped, you just have to pay extra money to get an adapter, with the additional downside that you can no longer charge the phone while using those headphones.

Or, if you get a wired->BT adapter like the FiiO uBTR, it’s another device you have to remember to keep charged.

(Btw there are 3.5mm to lightning adapters that let you charge while listening, just not made by Apple)

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#532

Post by greedo »

grp000 wrote: post #421
strogonoff wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having cycled through WH1000XM3, XM4, AirPods Pro, I am back to my trusty Shure SE215 that I use wired. — They never deafen me with connected/disconnected sounds (which can never be configured quiet enough) or music briefly playing at insane volume after switching or connecting. — I know I get the source quality. — I would never lose one randomly (always a chance with “true wireless” models). — I don’t get weird phas…

As far as their SE215 model goes, the sound, isolation, and ergonomics are great, but I've always had issues with the cable breaking at the ear curve next to the connection point to the earbuds.

It's been awhile since I used Shure's in ear monitors, but they once sent me a kit with one of everything in that part of their product line. Nice stuff, and if you can tolerate in-ear stuff, incredible sound. But all the cables failed over time. Not heavily used either. They were great about sending replacements, but they were very aware of the reliability issues. And these were monitors that had MSRPs over $800.

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#533

Post by greedo »

silent_cal wrote: post #271
chii wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to be like you. Then i tried, for real, a pair of bluetooth headphones. The disadvantages of the bluetooth is by far outweighed by the wireless advantage. The mobility, flexibility and convenience of no tangles and accidental wire pulling and causing phone to drop - all worth it. And wireless UX is only going to get better. Wired is dead.

Did you try putting the wire under your clothes or something?

That's incredibly inconvenient and often uncomfortable.

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#534

Post by _t2kx »

dpark wrote: post #517
wtetzner wrote: post #476

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're not technically stopped, you just have to pay extra money to get an adapter, with the additional downside that you can no longer charge the phone while using those headphones.

Did they stop including the dongle in the box? I haven’t bought phone in a couple of years so I honestly don’t know. I can understand the complaint about charging. Although the fanboy answer is of course wireless charging.

They stopped including it a while ago, I think they stopped with the XS.

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#535

Post by mcot2 »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #100
dt2m wrote: post #63

All valid annoyances, but I really think OP should try using another brand of Bluetooth headphones for a week just to get some perspective of how well AirPods "just work" compared to the competition. Manually having to re-pair once in every blue moon, one earbud playing while the other isn't, no automatic device switching without having to go through the Settings app everytime, A/V desync, dodgy mic quality, earbuds…

Y’know what headphones really did “just work” though? Wired headphones, circa 2017. Their battery life was infinite. You could “pair” them in seconds to any device with a headphone jack, aka any device, because we’re in 2017. Oh, and they were cheaper and better for the environment. Courage, indeed. And this is why I’m currently typing my comment on an iPhone 6S...

I’m surprised you are not using a typewriter.

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#536

Post by ashtonkem »

falcolas wrote: post #400
ashtonkem wrote: post #328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Opposite for me. The wifi in my office beats out my USB C adapter by a factor of 4. Wifi is great, consumer grade routers are not though.

Beats... how? Bandwidth? Packet loss? Latency? One, that wifi bandwidth is being shared by everyone around you. Ideally, you'll only have about 4 peers for your given hotspot, but most companies are a bit more... frugal... than that. Two, that WiFi is going through those same routers. Just sayin'.

Bandwidth is typically what I’ve measured. Never had a noticeable issue with packet loss. Or latency.

Edit: the difference between my work laptop (wireless) and my gaming machine (wired) in my office is a mere 5ms to the same external server. That’s in the “meh” territory for me.

Currently I have five APs inside and outside my house, and they’re averaging about 5-6 clients per AP. The really network intensive stuff is connected via Ethernet to avoid crowding out the airwaves. In my case that means the Apple TV and my gaming rig, both of which are conveniently non mobile and close to wall plates.

The issue for my work laptop is that the cheaper USB C hubs only pull 100mbps. So I can get 100mbps wired, 450mbps wireless, or the full 950 by replacing my hub. On the balance the wireless is more convenient, especially with a sit/stand desk like mine making more wires more annoying. If I replace the hub I’ll reconsider, but 450 is plenty for my needs.

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#537

Post by ashtonkem »

falcolas wrote: post #410
ashtonkem wrote: post #319

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did that until I updated the wifi in my house. There’s a combination wired/wireless wire plate under my desk, but I don’t bother wiring it into my work computer, because the wifi is faster than what the cheap USB C adapter can offer.

Faster and lower latency are not the same things. > the cheap USB C adapter I have to ask, what kind of internet speeds do you have where even a cheap wired adapter can't beat it? That's pretty incredible.

950 down, 50 up. Wifi will pull 450 easy, but my hub will only do 100, despite claims to the contrary.

450 is good enough for my use case, so it’s easier to just not worry about it and avoid running another wire up the sit stand desk. If I upgrade my hub to something that’ll pull the claimed 1G, I might change. Or maybe not. I dunno. Literally nothing I do on the internet can get close to saturating it.

Edit: wifi adds a mere 5ms of latency in my office. I consider this beneath my notice for basically everything but gaming. And even there it probably is meaningless given my relatively low skill level.

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#538

Post by [deleted] »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #100
dt2m wrote: post #63

All valid annoyances, but I really think OP should try using another brand of Bluetooth headphones for a week just to get some perspective of how well AirPods "just work" compared to the competition. Manually having to re-pair once in every blue moon, one earbud playing while the other isn't, no automatic device switching without having to go through the Settings app everytime, A/V desync, dodgy mic quality, earbuds…

Y’know what headphones really did “just work” though? Wired headphones, circa 2017. Their battery life was infinite. You could “pair” them in seconds to any device with a headphone jack, aka any device, because we’re in 2017. Oh, and they were cheaper and better for the environment. Courage, indeed. And this is why I’m currently typing my comment on an iPhone 6S...

[deleted]

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#539

Post by kristjansson »

DoingIsLearning wrote: post #52

I would add to the list that it is environmentally negligent to allow for such a complex device to be near irreparable (specifically on battery replacement). Unless you are selling medical devices your electronics should never be thrown away because after-sales cannot swap a battery. Then again Google just dropped the Pixel 3 after just 3 years so this is clearly an issue with the consumer electronics business model.…

Just as a gentle counterpoint, consider the magnitude of the problem. Let's say there are 300m AirPod units that have been produced (60m sales per year for the last 5 years). Each unit is about 2oz, mostly plastic and batteries. That's roughly 20,000 tons. Los Angeles County alone (to pick a place) generates about 100,000 tons of solid waste per _day_, of which about 20,000 tons makes it to landfill[0][1]. If they were all thrown away at once, all in Los Angeles, they'd hardly notice.

Semiconductors and consumer electronics are more environmentally sensitive than they were, and can be better than they are. With the lithium and trace metals, AirPods are more damaging pound for pound than bulk waste, and you're right to insist that Apple do a better supporting recycle and recapture. We should also focus on how those materials are mined in the first place.

However, even a repairable AirPod would generate lithium waste as the batteries wear out. If we're going to have consumer electronics, there's going to be a bit of waste. Let's just keep in mind that real problems are coal and SUVs and beef and so on. A business like AirPods (or all of electronics) that generates fractional ounces (or pounds considering everything) of waste per person-year while enabling environmentally-positive changes like remote work is perhaps not the first target for reprobation.

[0]: https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/swims/OnlineServices/reports.as... [1]: https://www.laalmanac.com/environment/ev04.php

Re: AirPods don't “just work”

#540

Post by ljm »

yoz-y wrote: post #113
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Y’know what headphones really did “just work” though? Wired headphones, circa 2017. Their battery life was infinite. You could “pair” them in seconds to any device with a headphone jack, aka any device, because we’re in 2017. Oh, and they were cheaper and better for the environment. Courage, indeed. And this is why I’m currently typing my comment on an iPhone 6S...

Honestly, the fact that I no longer snag my earphones on random protrusions, like doorknobs and bus ticket validating machines is a bliss. Cables inside at a desk: sure, why not. Cables outside: hard pass.

I always feed the cable down the back of my neck and underneath my shirt or jumper. The bonus is that I can take them out of my ears and they'll dangle like a necklace, so I can tuck those under my shirt as well.
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