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I know nothing about headphones, nor do I want to invest any time learning about headphones. I’ve had a bunch of Apple products that have never disappointed me
by r0fl 6y ago
I know nothing about headphones, nor do I want to invest any time learning about headphones.
I’ve had a bunch of Apple products that have never disappointed me in the last 10+ years.
I’ll buy these overpriced headphones because an extra $200 for a product I’ll probably use for 5 years will not break my bank account.
- runawaybottle 6y agoDude, I can promise you for 600 dollars you can buy more amazing headphones. You can probably find two cans for 300 each that will be better. These are Apple Beats.
- Throwaway1771 6y agoWhich is funny, because I think Apple owns Beats©®™.
- JCharante 6y agoPlease recommend more amazing headphones that meet the basic specs that the NCH 700/WX-/AirPods Max have: - 20 hours battery life - wireless - noise cancellation - has microphone(s) Does audio quality matter that much when they have to work with bluetooth where the bandwidth will be halved whenever you have to use the microphone?
- dougmwne 6y agoWell designed Bluetooth audio can be indistinguishable from wired. There needs to be good codec support on both ends and strong signal quality. All Bluetooth codecs are lossy, but the higher bitrate ones should not be perceptually different from lossless. Most of the problems with bad Bluetooth come from the SBC codec(degrades badly with low signal quality) or bad implementations. One advantage Apple has is that their AAC codec can transmit without any recompression if you are using an AAC source file. I have a Fiio Bluetooth dongle that uses LDAC with nice headphones and IEMs and I can absolutely not hear a difference with wired. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-bluetooth-audio/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-you-need-to-kno... And by the way, the Bose and Sony's are considered top of the line for noise canceling wireless headphones. You absolutely lose sound quality from the noise canceling though, so that feature is a trade-off. Airpod Max may well be a contender, though it is not out yet, so it's premature to give it the noise canceling crown.
- axaxs 6y agohttps://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth-Microphone/dp/B07RXXJ8YD/ https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Cancelling-Headphones-Bluetooth-... It's not strictly fair because you asked for 20 hours, and these do 30, so perhaps disqualified. I use a similar model MPOW at home. They sound great! Not like audiophile perfect great, but good enough. I have a kid who likes to play with everything, so $500 headphones are a big no. I'm not arguing that these are dumb, or overpriced, or anything, I don't really care. But there are decent alternatives in this space already.
- bitcharmer 6y agoSennheiser Momentum 3
- runawaybottle 6y agoGo down this path: https://www.head-fi.org/threads/airpods-max.949152/ https://www.head-fi.org/threads/airpods-max.949152/
- runawaybottle 6y agoSorry for double reply, I did not do heavy research but just going through Amazon’s recommendations and identifying good audiophile brands, here is what I found: $200 https://www.amazon.com/WH-1000XM3-Wireless-canceling-Headset-International/dp/B07H2DBFQZ/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=sony+xm4&qid=1607491055&sr=8-3 https://www.amazon.com/WH-1000XM3-Wireless-canceling-Headset... $300 https://www.amazon.com/Senheisser-Momentum-Cancelling-Headphones-Functionality/dp/B07VW98ZKG/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=sennheiser%2Bmomentum%2B3&qid=1607490428&sprefix=senheisser%2Bmom&sr=8-3&th=1&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/Senheisser-Momentum-Cancelling-Headph... https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08K3TWS4W/ref=sspa_mw_detail_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE1ODUwVkxRRTNIT0ImZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTAxMzI2MDEzMTc3SlNFWFowSzg2JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTAyNDIyMzgyMEk0NUo1U1BSODk0JndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08K3TWS4W/ref=sspa_mw_detail... $500 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RHWDY9N/ref=sspa_mw_detail_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07RHWDY9N/ref=sspa_mw_detail... I really really don’t think Apple is going to make better headphones than Sennheiser and Shure, or even Sony. I’m particularly intrigued by the Sony XM4’s battery life of 30 hours, and 10 minute charge that gets it a 5 hour charge. The worst thing about all day use of wireless headphones is that it will just die on you if you have a podcast or music on in the background all day.
- millerm 6y agoI'll have to say that the spatial audio stuff is friggin' cool in the AirPods Pro. This is a bit spicy for me in the $ department as I already have too many professional over-the-ear headphones. But, would be nice... Dammit. Don't make me do it! I haven't looked, but if this has spatial audio that is compatible with an upcoming AppleTV or something, I'd probably just say "ummm, yeah, I will not be putting any surround sound in this room and I'll just enjoy this movie with my headphones."
- theklr 6y agoThat’s the feature I was waiting (and continue to wait) on. I think there’s a future there they’re not pushing quite yet.
- vinay427 6y agoA proper surround setup (5.1 is more than enough for a mid-size room) or even Atmos speakers can be had for a reasonable price if you shop around. There's really no substitute (in my opinion) for the experience if you watch movies and have a compatible receiver/amplifier. A large and well-designed subwoofer is incredibly noticeable as well depending on your use case. It can easily sound better than the large majority of seats in your average theater which aren't ideally positioned without spending too much.
- radmarshallb 6y agoHeadphones won't wake up the neighbors
- thefourthchime 6y agoIf all I did was watch Micheal Bay movies I guess I would agree. I have a very nice amp and speaker setup hooked up to my TV. It sounds fantastic. I never turn it on, I use my TV speakers. Even with cinematic shows I find they mix the dynamic range so high that it's insufferably loud when something exciting happens, and then I can't hear anyone talk for the rest of the show. I'm constantly changing the volume.
- Benjamin_Dobell 6y agoI can certainly understand when going to make a purchase wanting to choose a reliable brand. However, if you know nothing about headphones, why do you suddenly need an expensive pair now that Apple are selling them?
- baxtr 6y agoWhy “suddenly”? As I read the comment, OP transfers his previous experience with the brand to the next product? That’s how I buy too.
- eloisant 6y agoI guess most people already have a brand of expensive headphones they like, or don't use expensive headphones.
- chrisseaton 6y agoYou don't need to know anything about headphones to appreciate good sound quality, comfort, and connectivity.
- drcoopster 6y agoAnd for most people, sound quality is largely subjective. What "sounds good" to person A might sound like garbage to person B.
- shotta 6y agoYou answered the question. It’s because Apple is selling them. Apple has a unique ability to tell me what I need. Reality Distortion.
- ship_it 6y agoWe call that being naive here.
- lethologica 6y ago
- nathias 6y agoFascinating, I always suspected people like this existed.
- nxmnxm99 6y agoYou are the human embodiment of hacker news
- dang 6y agoPlease don't do this here. Edit: you've unfortunately been breaking the site guidelines a ton. We ban accounts that do that, because we're trying for something different on this site. Would you please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and take the intended spirit to heart when commenting here?
- dang 6y agoPlease don't do this here. Edit: We've had to warn you about flamebait comments and personal attacks before. Continuing like this will get you banned. If you would please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and use the site as intended, we'd appreciate it.
- mellosouls 6y ago(paraphrased) "I know nothing about the subject..." "Not gonna learn about other options..." "Apple doesn't disappoint me..." "I'll buy the overpriced stuff because I can afford it..." This Apple-blinkers comment is telling, and refreshingly honest. I'm sure there are other brands with that sort of attachment, but none that exemplify the phenomenon more.
- lnenad 6y agoTbh it's a valid point. I'm the same for Bosch home appliances, or Miele if I'm going for the long haul. It just works^TM
- Unklejoe 6y agoWell, for appliances, those are probably the same brands you'd end up with anyway even after doing research.
- andy_ppp 6y agoYes, after less than a year my Samsung washing machine is making a horrendous grinding sound when spinning... I regret not getting a Miele that is likely to work better for longer.
- Unklejoe 6y agoOkay, I wanted to say this before but felt it was too off topic: Never, ever, buy any Samsung appliances. I own a few rental properties. The failure rate on any and all Samsung appliances is insane. Their dryers are the worst. The belt tensioner is a plastic pulley with no bearing at all - it just rides on a sleeve. I've had a few of these go. The front loader washers use some sort of zinc mounting place that reacts with the stainless steel drum and causes a failure (usually right after the warranty is up). Just don't do it. With companies like Samsung, quality doesn't necessarily translate across divisions. Their phones may be okay, but those aren't the same people designing the appliances.
- dougmwne 6y agoI've been using my pairs of Grados and Sennheisers for 20 years each. The Grados were $200 and the Sennheisers were $150. Apple has never been known for hitting audiophile quality, so even though we don't have reviews yet, they likely don't sound as good. Your Apple headphones will be in the trash in a few years and mine will still be delivering wonderful sound.
- eldaisfish 6y agoto the majority of apple's target consumer, none of this matters.
- mellavora 6y agoSome might disagree, and cheekily point out that apple's high-end customers care deeply about NOT having 20 year old gear. Because fashion.
- bitcharmer 6y agoDoes this imply the majority of consumers care more about the brand perception than actual value? I mean, we all know apple fan-bois are vividly after the apple logo, but come on, there's still the majority of sensible people who put actual value higher than the show-off effect.
- Throwaway1771 6y agoWhere the hell are they, and why aren't they paying for quality home goods, cars, technology, etc?
- oblio 6y ago> Does this imply the majority of consumers care more about the brand perception than actual value? YES. People are vain. News at 11. Stop betting against vanity.
- molestrangler 6y agoBeen using my Grado RS2 headphones for around 18 years. Their repair service is excellent! Also I expect each Grado headphone to have a overall lower carbon footprint. I did notice the Apple website does not list the Frequency Response specs.
- untog 6y ago> nor do I want to invest any time learning about headphones https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-over-ear-headphones/ https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-over-ear-hea... ~ 5 minutes of reading time and done.
- whynaut 6y agohow is this helpful? You’re not proving anything, and likely just pissing off GP.
- untog 6y agoHow is it helpful to post an example of a buying guide for over the ear headphones? It solves the exact problem the OP pointed out: that they don't know what to buy and don't want to spend the time researching themselves. It gives you an answer right at the top of the page, from someone who did the research for you. EDIT: would love to continue this conversation with those who replied to me but HN has decided I am "posting too fast" (my last post was an hour ago?) so... shrug.
- whynaut 6y ago>nor do I want to invest any time learning about headphones That categorically sounds like not wanting to read any such articles. I highly doubt the barrier is to do with Google skills or finding them in the first place. GP just doesn’t want to. Not to mention most people will not feel they have sufficiently researched a topic by reading the first piece they see.
- oblio 6y agoThere are many reasons why this doesn't work, at least sometimes. First of all, you have to trust that the reviewer is truthful (this case, NY Times, might be given a pass). So you either check a bunch of reviews and frequently come out more confused than going in, even as someone who's knowledgeable about the subject or you just buy something from a brand you already trust. Secondly, the problem with reviews is that they're done by specialists. To give you an example for movies. I've watched some of the movies which are top rated by experts. Frequently I've found that I just don't like them. Too artsy. You know what they say about specialists: they know more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing. At some point specialists basically turn into aliens. Their tastes stop intersecting with those of the average J. Doe. In many cases you just want a brain-dead solution to a problem because you're using your neurons for something else. And one of the safest brain-dead solutions is to go with a brand you already trust. Another one is to go with the crowd. Apple is kind of both. And I say this as someone that generally avoids Apple products :-)
- bitcharmer 6y agoAre you trolling on purpose?
- qwertox 6y agoI can get behind this mentality. It's not mine, the only Apple products I owned were iPod nanos, and compared to what was on the market back then, they were really good. Always trying to get the best for the smallest possible price starts to drain you. You get to a point where you say "I trust them and I can afford it" and that is ok. I wish I could do that.
- halgir 6y ago> Always trying to get the best for the smallest possible price starts to drain you. So true. I've been doing this lately, and have realized how mentally draining it really is to conduct exhaustive research to maximize the value/price you get for a product. Not to mention the time spent easily runs into the hundreds of dollars worth. For enthusiasts it can be a joy to research a product. For example audiophiles with headphones. But for average consumers like me, just going with the expensive but safe option is on average a really good heuristic.
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- okokwhatever 6y agoThis is the reason why i buy Apple stocks.