4 ms·

Why should one need an app to control their headphones? Give me hardware interface to control the functions.

by loki2005 7y ago

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
algesten 7y ago
The one thing I use the app for is system updates.
- jmiserez 7y ago
  I too have these headphones. I don't really know what the frequent firmware updates do, or if they are necessary. I can understand why the mechanism for firmware updates exists, but this constant updating of every single thing is insane. Bluetooth headphones aren't even exposed/connected to the internet.
- hadrien01 7y ago
  You can update the headphones through a PC application: https://btu.bose.com/ https://btu.bose.com/
tty2300 7y ago
I used the app breifly when setting mine up before deleting it. The 2 things I used it for was updating the firmware and remapping the voice control button to instead change the noise canceling amount.
- petre 7y ago
  The app doesn't do anything in Color Soundlink models that you can't do with the buttons. I couldn't even set the bass/treble so I erased it. It's quite useless.
  - eswat 7y ago
    It hasn’t been useful for the past 2-years since they’ve stopped making firmware updates for that device.
theDoug 7y ago
In the instance of these headphones, the app allows you to adjust the level of active noise cancellation as well as choose which sources can send audio to the headphones. Neither of which are set up to be done directly via the device.
- falcolas 7y ago
  The source choosing can be done (with the power slider) without the app. Just FYI.
jdietrich 7y ago
You couldn't physically fit those controls onto a pair of headphones. There's simple stuff like the level of noise cancellation, but also language settings for the voice prompts and saved profiles for different paired devices. The Bose app is relatively simple as headphone apps go. Nuro and Even offer headphones with custom DSP profiles to match your hearing and the Audeze Mobius has spatial audio with motion tracking. It's simply not possible to implement features like that without some kind of companion app.
- gaspoweredcat 7y ago
  id argue that the bose app was only really useful for updating firmware, noise cancellation level could be adjusted on the device and it didnt really do much of anything else last time i used it the mobius is different though but only slightly, all the sound modes etc are switchable on the device its only the head tracking setup that really needs the app (by the way im not complaining, anyone with my spotify username can know what ive been listening to and it doesnt bother me one bit)
- jacquesm 7y ago
  An embedded web server would take care of that. And you'd not need an App, besides it would also work for people without smartphones.
  - jdietrich 7y ago
    There's over-engineering, and then there's putting a web server in a pair of headphones. There are obvious disadvantages in terms of cost, complexity, security and battery life.
    - jacquesm 7y ago
      Absolutely but those are still much less bad than having an app that leaks your data back to the manufacturer.
      - brokenmachine 7y ago
insickness 7y ago
My $35 pair of Phaiser BHS-760 bluetooth headphones connect far, far better than my $350 Bose QCII headphones and the BHS-760s don't require an app.
- noitsnot 7y ago
  Your $35'rs aren't a good comparison when they don't provide noise cancelation.

Why should one need an app to control their headphones? Give me hardware interface to control the functions.

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

algesten 7y ago

The one thing I use the app for is system updates.

jmiserez 7y ago
I too have these headphones. I don't really know what the frequent firmware updates do, or if they are necessary. I can understand why the mechanism for firmware updates exists, but this constant updating of every single thing is insane. Bluetooth headphones aren't even exposed/connected to the internet.
hadrien01 7y ago
You can update the headphones through a PC application: https://btu.bose.com/ https://btu.bose.com/

tty2300 7y ago

I used the app breifly when setting mine up before deleting it. The 2 things I used it for was updating the firmware and remapping the voice control button to instead change the noise canceling amount.

petre 7y ago
The app doesn't do anything in Color Soundlink models that you can't do with the buttons. I couldn't even set the bass/treble so I erased it. It's quite useless.
- eswat 7y ago
  It hasn’t been useful for the past 2-years since they’ve stopped making firmware updates for that device.

theDoug 7y ago

In the instance of these headphones, the app allows you to adjust the level of active noise cancellation as well as choose which sources can send audio to the headphones. Neither of which are set up to be done directly via the device.

falcolas 7y ago
The source choosing can be done (with the power slider) without the app. Just FYI.

jdietrich 7y ago

You couldn't physically fit those controls onto a pair of headphones. There's simple stuff like the level of noise cancellation, but also language settings for the voice prompts and saved profiles for different paired devices. The Bose app is relatively simple as headphone apps go. Nuro and Even offer headphones with custom DSP profiles to match your hearing and the Audeze Mobius has spatial audio with motion tracking. It's simply not possible to implement features like that without some kind of companion app.

gaspoweredcat 7y ago
id argue that the bose app was only really useful for updating firmware, noise cancellation level could be adjusted on the device and it didnt really do much of anything else last time i used it the mobius is different though but only slightly, all the sound modes etc are switchable on the device its only the head tracking setup that really needs the app (by the way im not complaining, anyone with my spotify username can know what ive been listening to and it doesnt bother me one bit)
jacquesm 7y ago
An embedded web server would take care of that. And you'd not need an App, besides it would also work for people without smartphones.
- jdietrich 7y ago
  There's over-engineering, and then there's putting a web server in a pair of headphones. There are obvious disadvantages in terms of cost, complexity, security and battery life.
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    Absolutely but those are still much less bad than having an app that leaks your data back to the manufacturer.
    - brokenmachine 7y ago

insickness 7y ago

My $35 pair of Phaiser BHS-760 bluetooth headphones connect far, far better than my $350 Bose QCII headphones and the BHS-760s don't require an app.

noitsnot 7y ago
Your $35'rs aren't a good comparison when they don't provide noise cancelation.