4 ms·
The Beats meme is outdated and tired. Their newest models with the Apple wireless chips in them are actually quite good - they balance a lot of qualities consum
by askafriend 8y ago
The Beats meme is outdated and tired. Their newest models with the Apple wireless chips in them are actually quite good - they balance a lot of qualities consumers care about well. The sound is great (just check the reviews), and the wireless connectivity is the best in the market. They also integrate really well with the Apple ecosystem due to the A1 chip. They also look better than 99% of headphones out there and that matters to people.
If aesthetics, wireless performance, portability or integration aren’t import to you and the only thing you care about is raw sound quality, that’s fine. Beats probably won’t fit your requirements. But the vast majority of people want something that balances a lot of different qualities well and Beats does that today (maybe not so well in the past).
As for the price, what good active noise canceling headphone on the market isn’t at least $350?
FYI: I have the Sony WH1000XM2. I paid $400 for them. I tested all ANC headphones on the entire market before settling on the Sonys. Beats were not the worst by any means. They gripped my big head too tight and hurt so I couldn’t consider them. Other than that, the A1 chip was amazing for connectivity and the sound curve was great for hip hop. They were also much more pleasing aesthetically and more portable than the competition. Ultimately comfort was the #1 thing I was looking for and they didn’t check that box.
- b3b0p 8y agoSimilar to you, I'm shopping a pair of wireless headphones right now. I am considering Beats because of the reasons you stated, but also most sites have the latest Studio model at only $230. While the Sony model you mention (which is my number one choice right now tied with the H9i), are most places $350 ($450 for the H9i). Given I'm buying these mostly for convenience first and portability, and given they are wireless sound quality is not the most important attribute. I'm going to take the best, maybe even considered bad choice, for me and my uses.
- fphhotchips 8y agoOut of curiosity, is there a reason the Bose QC35 isn't in consideration? When I bought my Sonys that was the most obvious comparison.
- Fins 8y agoPossibly, because Bose has been doing "Beats" thing since there were Beats. They sound pretty bad regardless of the price, and for the price they are atrocious.
- askafriend 8y agoIf you listen to any music that is remotely bass-oriented, the Bose falls flat on it's face. It's unfortunate because I actually think it's the most comfortable and lightweight option in the market. The noise canceling is also some of the best I've ever experienced. The sound though, just can't keep up with any of the competition. For some people this isn't an issue - so they love the headphones, as they should. For someone like me who listens to a lot of hip hop and electronic music, it's a complete dealbreaker. The wireless ANC headphone market is in a weird place right now. All of the headphones do some things really well, but have major tradeoffs to make one way or another. It all comes down to which tradeoff you want to make and what part of the experience is most important to you depending on your use-case. Like I said, I've tried nearly every option in the market. Maybe I should write a blog post around this since I've invested so much time into it already.
- b3b0p 8y agoWhen turning off the NC they were noticeably lacking.