Apple announces over the ear headphones called the Apple AirPods Max...Price? $549

[LukeTbk]

It is more than close enough. A chunk of the rest of that 20% of revenue is literally from things like commercial licensing and movie licensing. Unless your argument is that consumers are pirating music (specifically lossless audio too not lossy mp3s - the only argument that would prove consimers) there isn’t really any other place that it’s coming from.

That 20% breakdown:
9% are physical musical sales
9% digital download
2% sync

That 80% was for the recorded music industry from the IRAA in the US market, not the complete music industry.

That said 2021 numbers would be different, revenues from that target audience would also be different.

I know that bitrate are quite lower than CD, but with how much compression innovation/power there is now than in the early days of the CD, is something like Apple Music streaming quality that different than CD ?

Tidal streaming is above CD quality I would imagine and the premium version of the spotify similar quality no ?

 

[RanceJustice]

Like most Apple items, its hard not to have a visceral objection given their past behavior. The fact that these are $500 headphones isn't necessarily in and of itself a reason to balk at them (at least, not without balking at so many other so called audiophiles ) but the big question is how they will compete on sound, features, and usability vs existing headphones roughly in their range and below. If it follows the Apple pattern, it will be that some modestly-to-significantly cheaper headphone will offer much the same feature sets, audio and build quality, more usability etc - and that's the frustrating thing when the market ties itself in knots to justify the superiority of Apple items (not counting when Apple involves a very proprietary aspect or walled garden of some sort which to me, is anathema ). I'll guess we'll have to see.

 

[paradoxical]

If it follows the Apple pattern, it will be that some modestly-to-significantly cheaper headphone will offer much the same feature sets, audio and build quality, more usability etc

Everyone always says that, and then uses an example of a more expensive competing product that lacks the same feature set, build quality, and usability.

"I can buy a Dell XPS 13 with the same processor, slower storage, less storage, the same ram, worse build quality, less thunderbolt ports, worse support, and that runs the worst operating system of the last decade. And it's the same price. HAH I told you Apple is TRASH the MBP got pWNED!"

That being said, I doubt these headphones will offer sound quality comparable with even something like the Sennheiser HD650. However, to be a success it doesn't need to because those audiophile headphones are not wireless and not noise cancelling. It just needs to beat the Sony and Bose competitors, both of which sound like garbage (I own both). I have found Apple's audio offerings to be lacking so far, so I don't have high hopes for these. But we will see; the cost is really not an issue if they are better than the competition. The Sony and Bose alternatives are already $300+. Someone buying niche $300+ noise cancelling headphones doesn't give a flying fuck about the cost difference between $350 and $550.

 

[GoodBoy]

Cool, but they aren’t convenient.
Audio snobs know that if you listen to music on Spotify then you’re a scrub. Better be on FLAC!

If that’s your attitude then 99% of headphones that are made for people and audio equipment in general don’t even meet your criteria. You have to be a hipster with a dedicated audio device that has a good dac along with your portable amp and $1000+ headphones.

I think it’s needless to say these aren’t for them. And that’s fine. Not every product is for them. And in fact few are. I would say again, if that’s your attitude, then you’re missing the point.

The point was that these are not AudioSnob quality, which is very high as you pointed out, but yet are priced like the AudioSnob equipment is priced.
AudioSnob Price? Check!
AudioSnob Quality? LOLz

 

[t1337duder]

what, that people value convenience, ease of use, items in apple ecosystem, and some level of fashion?

I'm sure that's what these people think they are getting. That's what they advertise, right?

 

[UnknownSouljer]

That 20% breakdown:
9% are physical musical sales
9% digital download
2% sync

That 80% was for the recorded music industry from the IRAA in the US market, not the complete music industry.

That said 2021 numbers would be different, revenues from that target audience would also be different.

I know that bitrate are quite lower than CD, but with how much compression innovation/power there is now than in the early days of the CD, is something like Apple Music streaming quality that different than CD ?

Tidal streaming is above CD quality I would imagine and the premium version of the spotify similar quality no ?

I imagine 2020 and 2021 would skew further into stream only. And even if we say that streaming audio is “decent” the audio loss there isn’t going to be furthered by some AptX or AAC protocol headphones. Either either way my point stands that the headphones will hardly be the weak link and audiophile gear is a very small niche audience and these headphones are targeted at a much broader consumer audience.

The point was that these are not AudioSnob quality, which is very high as you pointed out, but yet are priced like the AudioSnob equipment is priced.
AudioSnob Price? Check!
AudioSnob Quality? LOLz

At what price do you consider that you’re spending for “audio snob” quality. These are supposed to compete with Sony wh1000xm4’s and Bose 700’s. Both of which had their original msrp above $350. Both of which one could buy “wired audiophile headphones” that “sound better”. Again I would say you don’t understand the market that this set is targeting.

I'm sure that's what these people think they are getting. That's what they advertise, right?

Yes in fact. In addition to audio quality - which is a debatable aspect.

 

[Hakaba]

I saw this, the fact that Apple products usually does not have any significant discount, this is going to be a tough sell. The airpods and airpods pro specifically are great products for the price point. These, not so sure. The Sony WH-1000XM4 started at around $350 but have been discounted down to $280. Going to be rough paying double.

So, the AirPod Pros are nice for quick uses, runs, PT Test, phone calls, maybe even for the quick car wash. But I use the MX3 for everything else, especially 15+ hour international flights.

 

[Jinto]

Don't get the argument over price. If you feel that it is poor value just don't buy it. People value things differently. If I was in the market for a portable over-the-ear I'd definitely consider one. It is a lot of money but if the product is good and I get enough utilization out of it then it is worth it.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

that's stupid expensive... oh wait that is triple double dawg stupid expensive...

 

[spacedrone808]

Products for dumb asses.
For such money you could buy pro iems with palestine of drivers and much better amplitude-frequency characteristics & save 200$ for misc stuff.

 

[DukenukemX]

you’re doing it now it’s called complaining.

I think you're mistaking complaining with making fun of.

this might explain a lot about you. There is zero difference between your “logical arguments” and sarcasm.

Or you have a hard time picking up on sarcasm.

Again, and? It has long been shown that people really do not care about accurate audio. A good portion of the population likes vinyl records and tube amps. Neither of which are accurate at all. People just want something that sounds “nice.”

I doubt many people will notice any difference with these unless they're coming from a cheap $10 set of headphones from 7-Eleven.

Which again no one uses (in the consumer market). And clearly no one cares about. The problem with a lot of your arguments comes from the fact, which I mentioned before, that you are only seeing your own personal opinions.

It's called a bias and everyone has it, including you.

And not what the market is interested in or desires. That is why there is a big disconnect between what you think something should be worth and also what people are willing to pay for.

To be honest, I can't figure out Apple consumers. The overwhelming majority of the industry is not Apple, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of people buying Apple products. My guess is that at some point the white glossy finish and the Apple logo, really resonates with consumers. It used to be that Apple products looked really good on the outside but functioned like crap in the inside. Nowdays Apple is trying really hard to make their products work good in the inside as well, which is why I believe these headphones won't suck.

Good chance this is just a Beats Studio³ Wireless with Apple flare thrown in. By flare I mean they added $200 to the price. Even the Beats Pro is $399 with a traditional 2-meter audio cable with 3.5-millimeter connector and gold-plated quarter-inch adapter. All these products are essentially from the same source, in a sense.

you probably are one of the people that complained a lot when the AirPods first came out. “Wow people will probably lose these all the time.” Turns out it’s what the Market wanted. And now every third-party on the planet makes completely wireless iems.

I am one of those people and was also right. My niece bought them and of course she lost them... both. Being the smart uncle that I am, I bought cheap knock off Chinese replica AirPods for a fraction of the price and she can't tell the difference. I believe Apple today is like the Sony of my era, in which you gotta own a Apple product otherwise you're not cool. Apple products signal prestige and wealth, even though they're just consumer electronics. They're like the Sony Walkman's and Nike Shoes of today, where a man will kill you for one. I know many people who own the latest iPhone but are technically homeless. This is what Apple has become, hence the overpriced crap.

Again, being overpriced is only relative to what you think something is worth and not what other people think something is worth.

That's called capitalism.

 

[DejaWiz]

I'll continue voting with my wallet and take a hard pass on any overpriced (my subjective viewpoint) Apple products.

Good luck to those that actually count out enough pennies to buy these headphones...hope they are worth the price to your ears.

 

[Aurelius]

To be honest, I can't figure out Apple consumers. The overwhelming majority of the industry is not Apple, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of people buying Apple products. My guess is that at some point the white glossy finish and the Apple logo, really resonates with consumers. It used to be that Apple products looked really good on the outside but functioned like crap in the inside. Nowdays Apple is trying really hard to make their products work good in the inside as well, which is why I believe these headphones won't suck.

Good chance this is just a Beats Studio³ Wireless with Apple flare thrown in. By flare I mean they added $200 to the price. Even the Beats Pro is $399 with a traditional 2-meter audio cable with 3.5-millimeter connector and gold-plated quarter-inch adapter. All these products are essentially from the same source, in a sense.

Branding is part of it, but Apple also has a knack for design that many companies don't. Look at the AirPods Max, for example. Whatever you think of the design, it stands out compared to the generic '90s electronics aesthetic that often passes for style in headphones. More like what you see with Bang & Olufsen or Bowers & Wilkins.

And speaking as a long-time Apple device user, part of it is the elegance of the interface and tight integration. That Apple is more interested in removing friction than chasing specs. It's hard to fully quantify, but there's an aura of mediocrity that pervades Android and Windows. The hardware is often great, but you're reminded of that mediocrity every time you wait four months for an Android update, every time you buy a PC loaded with bloatware and stickers, every time you fight with drivers or make your third call to tech support. Like they're more interested in branding partnerships and cost-cutting than making a good product. (Not that Apple never has problems, but you get the idea.)

I'd add that Macs work very well for some workflows, including mine, but there are clearly many more iPhone users than there are Mac users.

These aren't just rebranded Beats. Apple singled out that the AirPods Max are using custom drivers, and there's clearly some intelligence that isn't available elsewhere (like spatial audio). These will very likely sound different than Beats — probably better-balanced and more detailed, for one thing.

 

[Deleted whining member 223597]

These threads always bring out the haters. Kind of funny how they always need to tell everyone how much a sheep you are for buying Apple devices or how shitty Apple is. If $500 is too much for headphones, then don’t buy them.

 

[HeadRusch]

This never gets old...

 

[LukeTbk]

Kind of funny how they always need to tell everyone how much a sheep you are for buying Apple devices or how shitty Apple is. If $500 is too much for headphones, then don’t buy them.

I would add in 2020, have some appreciation when something in that space is trying to have the buyer has the customer and the money being made at the sales (PC Gpu/CPU with incredibly giant margin, Apple in general) versus the alternatives. The amount of innovation in those space are quite something.

 

[DukenukemX]

Branding is part of it, but Apple also has a knack for design that many companies don't. Look at the AirPods Max, for example. Whatever you think of the design, it stands out compared to the generic '90s electronics aesthetic that often passes for style in headphones. More like what you see with Bang & Olufsen or Bowers & Wilkins.

The problem with Apple's design's is that for better or worse they're a trend setter. Which means whatever they do, a lot of other companies will mimic them. No slide out qwerty keyboard for phones? Industry copied them. No SD Card slot? Industry copied them. No headphone jack? Industry copied them. No removable battery? Industry copied them. It all looks good but it functions like crap. I want a phone with a SD Card slot, removable battery, headphone jack, and a slide out qwerty keyboard. I can't find a phone like this unless I want to go back to the stone ages. They claim it's better but it's really just cheaper and more profitable. I guarantee you a bunch of idiot companies are going to copy this headphone design as well, because yea it looks good. And yea, people are dumb and buy it anyway for that price or more. Why you think this meme was created? Because Apple users will buy anything from Apple no matter how it functions or it's price.

And speaking as a long-time Apple device user, part of it is the elegance of the interface and tight integration. That Apple is more interested in removing friction than chasing specs. It's hard to fully quantify, but there's an aura of mediocrity that pervades Android and Windows. The hardware is often great, but you're reminded of that mediocrity every time you wait four months for an Android update, every time you buy a PC loaded with bloatware and stickers, every time you fight with drivers or make your third call to tech support. Like they're more interested in branding partnerships and cost-cutting than making a good product. (Not that Apple never has problems, but you get the idea.)

I get the same feeling with Apple products. The only difference is that I see them polishing crap. Not that PC or Android phones can't be polished crap as well, but Apple has a smug approach in what they think passes as an acceptable practice. We accept that MacOSX is only available on Apple hardware. BTW, good luck Hackintosh people. We accept that we can't remove the SSD or upgrade the ram. We accept that these Apple headphones have a feature that only works with Siri on Apple products, and makes no attempt to work with Android or Windows equivalent.

These aren't just rebranded Beats. Apple singled out that the AirPods Max are using custom drivers, and there's clearly some intelligence that isn't available elsewhere (like spatial audio). These will very likely sound different than Beats — probably better-balanced and more detailed, for one thing.

I call that Apple flare.

 

[sphinx99]

I am curious if the ANC is improved over the Sony and Bose units. I would pay a comfortable premium for a set that's more effective at noise cancellation in more settings but it would have to be substantial. Otherwise, IMO debating price in audio is a fruitless endeavor for a field where some people can't understand why the earbuds that came with their phone aren't good enough for everyone, while others hawk $500 for RCA cables and power cords that they deem absolutely essential--and with every taste and price point in between fully represented by some group.

I don't feel my hearing is good enough at this point to know to evaluate the best headphones. I have a set of HD650s and a pair of Oppos (PM-1, PM-3) and am completely happy with them and see no reason to replace them. However I can definitely tell the difference between good and great ANC. Just moving from from my Sony WM1000 mk2s to mk3s (the former broke) revealed a difference I could make out.

 

[Krenum]

$549?! LOL, I bet my Phillips SPH9500's sound just as good or better.

 

[Deleted member 89018]

This announcement got me into a conversation with my friends about wireless headphones / headsets in general, specifically, what other options are out there with decent audio quality.

For a while I had a Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless and really liked it. I was happy with the audio quality, I liked being able to use it over Bluetooth and the base station, battery life was passable (and helped by being able to rapidly swap if I was at home).

I ended up selling because I wasn’t really using them much since the covid. But now I’m curious. I see the Sony WH1000MX4 recommended frequently, but they either “sound great” or “sound terrible” (so I assume they’re just fine for someone whose ears are not as discerning as they used to be).

Are there other decent options for a wireless over-ear type with a focus on music? Most of the ones I’ve seen sit in the $250-$350 range - with some notably cheaper, but I figure these are more geared towards “high end office headset for calls and meetings” than “good music listening experience.”

on-topic, I’m asking because the price of Apple’s set seems to be much higher than other comparable ones. So either I’m missing a whole market segment, or they seriously think their audio quality is $200 better than the alternatives. I don’t know if I trust Beats for audio the way I would say, Philips or Sennheiser or Sony.

 

[vegeta535]

If you want stuff built to these standards then yes. I also find it ironic that the only thing you can site is an optional accessory that a lot of pros would forgo anyway in favor of using their own ergotron arms. And instead of Apple forcing you to buy an arm or a stand that they don’t even need they gave the option to simply opt out. If you ask me it sounds like Apple made every possible attempt at making it so people didn’t have to buy this.

To be fair that monitor didn't even come with a stand. For the price of the monitor it is ridiculous to not even to include a basic stand and try to peddle a $250 mount or $1000 stand. Not to mention there were issues with the mount. Hard to defend selling something for $1000 which probably only cost $10 to produce. R&D shouldn't been that much either.

 

[paradoxical]

To be fair that monitor didn't even come with a stand. For the price of the monitor it is ridiculous to not even to include a basic stand and try to peddle a $250 mount or $1000 stand. Not to mention there were issues with the mount. Hard to defend selling something for $1000 which probably only cost $10 to produce. R&D shouldn't been that much either.

That stand cost a couple hundred dollars to produce if it was CNCd, even in quantity. Maybe with Apple being Apple, they could get it closer to $150ish. We have stuff CNCd in China all the time at work, and even something relatively simple a little bit bigger than your hand would be about $100 done in Asia. In the USA, if you had a CNC shop do it in qty 1 it would be a couple grand easily.

I'm not saying the stand is worth it - just that if it was machined, it cost a shit ton to make.