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Why are so many people upset by this? It’s like they have some kind visceral reaction to seeing someone who isn’t being thrifty and researching every little th

Why are so many people upset by this? It’s like they have some kind visceral reaction to seeing someone who isn’t being thrifty and researching every little thing out with spreadsheets. It doesn’t affect you. They’re not telling you to do it. If you want to get a better deal by doing the research then do it. I’ll probably get these for the same reason as the parent; I vaguely want some air pods but I haven’t got around to it and I prefer this form factor. I trust apple not to sell useless knockoff rubbish in a shiny box. My relationship with them is no more complex than that.

Unklejoe 6y ago
It's a discussion. If I saw someone on the street wearing these, it's not like I'd go up to them and be like "why did you waste your money on those?". Anyway, the issue for me is that these are supposed to be audiophile/professional grade headphones - something you buy explicitly because you want the best audio quality. If you need these in the first place, then it's worth doing 20 minutes of research to see if it's the best quality for your money, or even in general. I hate to say it, but I agree with the comments that mention these being more of a status symbol than anything. There's nothing wrong with that either, but that's the reality. I mean, they are pretty much guaranteed to perform worse than high end Sennheisers while still costing more, so what else could it be? I find the argument of "I need professional grade headphones to do my job, but don't have the time to research the best option" just disappointing I guess. I own AirPods Pro myself, but those are intended for a different market and are actually a decent value (compared to the Sony which has better sound quality but worse integration with Apple stuff).
- pm90 6y ago
  > Anyway, the issue for me is that these are supposed to be audiophile/professional grade headphones - something you buy explicitly because you want the best audio quality. If you need these in the first place, then it's worth doing 20 minutes of research to see if it's the best quality for your money, or even in general. This is where you’re wrong. That’s not the audience they’re targeting. Their target is Apple users bought into the ecosystem who may or may not use AirPods. If they see an Apple made headphone, they implicitly trust it to be not crap and hardy even if it may not compare well to the competitors. Your passionate arguments for why there are cheaper alternatives don’t matter, this has been the same argument for a lot of Apple made products. They are one of the few companies on the market that has demonstrated a commitment to quality (for a premium, of course) for the masses. Their brand is very very strong. I am not an audiophile and I don’t care to be. I like AirPods and my first reaction to this was: oh nice, my Bose headphones are pretty old. These look quite pricy but it’s Apple, I trust that I’ll get a fairly reliable product that looks beautiful and works really well with my phone (no custom janky apps).
- ogre_codes 6y ago
  > Anyway, the issue for me is that these are supposed to be audiophile/professional grade headphones - something you buy explicitly because you want the best audio quality. No, they are not. It's unlikely professionals are buying any wireless headphones and professionals definitely don't want/ need ANC. These are headphones for people who want good quality sound and value the other features these offer. If you don't find the other features these offer appealing, they aren't worth the money. Almost every criticism of these pits them against top end wired audiophile headphones... that's not what these are primarily competing against.
Terrario 6y ago
> Why are so many people upset by this? > It’s like they have some kind visceral reaction to seeing someone who isn’t being thrifty and researching every little thing out with spreadsheets. It doesn’t affect you. They’re not telling you to do it. Would you pay $100 for a 100MB usb drive? Would you not react and try to dissuade a friend from making a purchase you recognize to be ill-considered? It’s your money, do what you want, but people are upset because there are (probably, since we dont know yet) better options that don’t have an Apple pricetag. The purchase would be based on complacency with a brand, and not conformity to rational principles and knowledge. Few have already posted that they would buy this because it’s Apple, in order to avoid 1-2 hours of research. I really hope these aren’t the same people complaining about how terrible capitalism is.
- Spivak 6y ago
  I mean that's basically Yubikey. There are cheaper alternatives for the actual product and a browser-based password manager and a sw authenticator on your phone gives you all the same phishing and security benefits for $0. I'm not about to be upset that someone still wants a Yubikey though.
onli 6y ago
> It doesn’t affect you. They’re not telling you to do it. Sure it does. This religious consumerism is favouring one of the biggest polluters on earth, with products that are as hard to repair as possible. And the favorism it's not even warranted: Apple produced a bunch of crap over the years. But zealots just ignore that. And not only has this a negative effect on our shared resources, many people also plainly abhor when other people refuse to think.
- mikestew 6y ago
  many people also plainly abhor when other people refuse to think. Yes, many do not put as much thought into their purchase as you think is warranted. That is something you’re just going to have to quit obsessing over. Or here’s a thought to keep you up at night: I put more thought into the decision to buy a pair of Beats than you put into not buying them, and I still bought them anyway. You’d buy some to, if only you’d quit being an anti-Apple zealot and think about it.
- bun_at_work 6y ago
  You have a good point regarding pollution and repair policy, however you claim they have produced a bunch of crap over the years. Are you saying some of their products haven't been up to snuff? Or everything they produce is crap? Also, the comment about people refusing to think is a bit obtuse, don't you think? Assuming that people who buy Apple products don't think is a ridiculous claim. At least recognize that those people might have a different calculus for their purchasing choices. It's nuts how much toxicity there is around Apple.
  - onli 6y ago
    > Are you saying some of their products haven't been up to snuff? Or everything they produce is crap? Some. They also make good stuff. But look at Louis Rossman's Youtube channel, he rants about the common defects in the bad Apple products better than I could. > Also, the comment about people refusing to think is a bit obtuse, don't you think? Assuming that people who buy Apple products don't think is a ridiculous claim It was the nice variant of what I was trying to say ;) The mechanisms of Apple fanboyism work like a religion or a cult, and that's not a novel thought by me. In that context it's not absurd, it really is what happens: People buy these products often enough without an ounce of thought, it's religious conviction and our primate brain wanting to signal status. Not always of course, but often enough. And that does produce the negative reaction in others -> parent was asking.
PartiallyTyped 6y ago
> Why are so many people upset by this? They feel uncomfortable that the person above can shell that money on stuff that is slightly more than what they can afford. They then need to rationalise their decision that they made the best choice. If I make $50 an hour, I am not going to waste 8+ hours searching and doing spreadsheets to figure out 'what is the best for the money' because I am already losing 50$ per hour. The new pair that is 'cheaper' costs as much as the device itself + as much as I 'paid' searching for it. If it isn't my hobby, there is no reason to waste time on it.
- imtringued 6y ago
  Honestly, you're doing the same thing you are complaining about.
  - PartiallyTyped 6y ago
    What exactly?
    - leafmeal 6y ago
      I'm only interpreting here (not judging). But I think s/he means you're spending a lot of time justifying the position that expediency is what's important, which is ironic.
      - PartiallyTyped 6y ago
        I see. I gave the explanation because I experienced it and understand where it comes from. I am not particularly affluent, and therefore I often need to make the 'best for the buck' decisions, that also includes buying books and whatnot. I know that had I been affluent, I'd spent more on my hobbies over minmaxing.
schwartzworld 6y ago
> Why are so many people upset by this? I can't even imagine why my response sounded "upset". > someone who isn’t being thrifty and researching every little thing out with spreadsheets. No, I don't think spreadsheets are required. I probably wouldn't spend $600 on something that doesn't seem like it usually costs that much without reading a couple of reputable reviews first, or maybe checking to see if the features I want exist in a popular cheaper brand. OP isn't doing this because OP isn't buying the headphones to fulfill any need, but because they "trust apple". It's bizarre and hard to understand for anybody who isn't used to thinking of $600 as pocket change, I guess. > I’ll probably get these for the same reason as the parent; I vaguely want some air pods but I haven’t got around to it and I prefer this form factor. This was the part that confused me. OP has AirPods and AirPods pro and claims that he loves both. The part I don't get is blindly dropping $600 to buy something that doesn't even solve a problem for you. Apple puts it out, OP buys because it's an apple product. > I trust apple not to sell useless knockoff rubbish in a shiny box. My relationship with them is no more complex than that. This is the part that DOES upset me. You think Apple never made useless rubbish? As we speak I'm typing this on a piece of shit 2019 MB Pro issued by my job. It sucks. Bad design (no ports, no magsafe, no escape key).

Unklejoe 6y ago

It's a discussion. If I saw someone on the street wearing these, it's not like I'd go up to them and be like "why did you waste your money on those?". Anyway, the issue for me is that these are supposed to be audiophile/professional grade headphones - something you buy explicitly because you want the best audio quality. If you need these in the first place, then it's worth doing 20 minutes of research to see if it's the best quality for your money, or even in general. I hate to say it, but I agree with the comments that mention these being more of a status symbol than anything. There's nothing wrong with that either, but that's the reality. I mean, they are pretty much guaranteed to perform worse than high end Sennheisers while still costing more, so what else could it be? I find the argument of "I need professional grade headphones to do my job, but don't have the time to research the best option" just disappointing I guess. I own AirPods Pro myself, but those are intended for a different market and are actually a decent value (compared to the Sony which has better sound quality but worse integration with Apple stuff).

pm90 6y ago
> Anyway, the issue for me is that these are supposed to be audiophile/professional grade headphones - something you buy explicitly because you want the best audio quality. If you need these in the first place, then it's worth doing 20 minutes of research to see if it's the best quality for your money, or even in general. This is where you’re wrong. That’s not the audience they’re targeting. Their target is Apple users bought into the ecosystem who may or may not use AirPods. If they see an Apple made headphone, they implicitly trust it to be not crap and hardy even if it may not compare well to the competitors. Your passionate arguments for why there are cheaper alternatives don’t matter, this has been the same argument for a lot of Apple made products. They are one of the few companies on the market that has demonstrated a commitment to quality (for a premium, of course) for the masses. Their brand is very very strong. I am not an audiophile and I don’t care to be. I like AirPods and my first reaction to this was: oh nice, my Bose headphones are pretty old. These look quite pricy but it’s Apple, I trust that I’ll get a fairly reliable product that looks beautiful and works really well with my phone (no custom janky apps).
ogre_codes 6y ago
> Anyway, the issue for me is that these are supposed to be audiophile/professional grade headphones - something you buy explicitly because you want the best audio quality. No, they are not. It's unlikely professionals are buying any wireless headphones and professionals definitely don't want/ need ANC. These are headphones for people who want good quality sound and value the other features these offer. If you don't find the other features these offer appealing, they aren't worth the money. Almost every criticism of these pits them against top end wired audiophile headphones... that's not what these are primarily competing against.

Terrario 6y ago

> Why are so many people upset by this? > It’s like they have some kind visceral reaction to seeing someone who isn’t being thrifty and researching every little thing out with spreadsheets. It doesn’t affect you. They’re not telling you to do it. Would you pay $100 for a 100MB usb drive? Would you not react and try to dissuade a friend from making a purchase you recognize to be ill-considered? It’s your money, do what you want, but people are upset because there are (probably, since we dont know yet) better options that don’t have an Apple pricetag. The purchase would be based on complacency with a brand, and not conformity to rational principles and knowledge. Few have already posted that they would buy this because it’s Apple, in order to avoid 1-2 hours of research. I really hope these aren’t the same people complaining about how terrible capitalism is.

Spivak 6y ago
I mean that's basically Yubikey. There are cheaper alternatives for the actual product and a browser-based password manager and a sw authenticator on your phone gives you all the same phishing and security benefits for $0. I'm not about to be upset that someone still wants a Yubikey though.

onli 6y ago

> It doesn’t affect you. They’re not telling you to do it. Sure it does. This religious consumerism is favouring one of the biggest polluters on earth, with products that are as hard to repair as possible. And the favorism it's not even warranted: Apple produced a bunch of crap over the years. But zealots just ignore that. And not only has this a negative effect on our shared resources, many people also plainly abhor when other people refuse to think.

mikestew 6y ago
many people also plainly abhor when other people refuse to think. Yes, many do not put as much thought into their purchase as you think is warranted. That is something you’re just going to have to quit obsessing over. Or here’s a thought to keep you up at night: I put more thought into the decision to buy a pair of Beats than you put into not buying them, and I still bought them anyway. You’d buy some to, if only you’d quit being an anti-Apple zealot and think about it.
bun_at_work 6y ago
You have a good point regarding pollution and repair policy, however you claim they have produced a bunch of crap over the years. Are you saying some of their products haven't been up to snuff? Or everything they produce is crap? Also, the comment about people refusing to think is a bit obtuse, don't you think? Assuming that people who buy Apple products don't think is a ridiculous claim. At least recognize that those people might have a different calculus for their purchasing choices. It's nuts how much toxicity there is around Apple.
- onli 6y ago
  > Are you saying some of their products haven't been up to snuff? Or everything they produce is crap? Some. They also make good stuff. But look at Louis Rossman's Youtube channel, he rants about the common defects in the bad Apple products better than I could. > Also, the comment about people refusing to think is a bit obtuse, don't you think? Assuming that people who buy Apple products don't think is a ridiculous claim It was the nice variant of what I was trying to say ;) The mechanisms of Apple fanboyism work like a religion or a cult, and that's not a novel thought by me. In that context it's not absurd, it really is what happens: People buy these products often enough without an ounce of thought, it's religious conviction and our primate brain wanting to signal status. Not always of course, but often enough. And that does produce the negative reaction in others -> parent was asking.

PartiallyTyped 6y ago

> Why are so many people upset by this? They feel uncomfortable that the person above can shell that money on stuff that is slightly more than what they can afford. They then need to rationalise their decision that they made the best choice. If I make $50 an hour, I am not going to waste 8+ hours searching and doing spreadsheets to figure out 'what is the best for the money' because I am already losing 50$ per hour. The new pair that is 'cheaper' costs as much as the device itself + as much as I 'paid' searching for it. If it isn't my hobby, there is no reason to waste time on it.

imtringued 6y ago
Honestly, you're doing the same thing you are complaining about.
- PartiallyTyped 6y ago
  What exactly?
  - leafmeal 6y ago
    I'm only interpreting here (not judging). But I think s/he means you're spending a lot of time justifying the position that expediency is what's important, which is ironic.
    - PartiallyTyped 6y ago
      I see. I gave the explanation because I experienced it and understand where it comes from. I am not particularly affluent, and therefore I often need to make the 'best for the buck' decisions, that also includes buying books and whatnot. I know that had I been affluent, I'd spent more on my hobbies over minmaxing.

schwartzworld 6y ago

> Why are so many people upset by this? I can't even imagine why my response sounded "upset". > someone who isn’t being thrifty and researching every little thing out with spreadsheets. No, I don't think spreadsheets are required. I probably wouldn't spend $600 on something that doesn't seem like it usually costs that much without reading a couple of reputable reviews first, or maybe checking to see if the features I want exist in a popular cheaper brand. OP isn't doing this because OP isn't buying the headphones to fulfill any need, but because they "trust apple". It's bizarre and hard to understand for anybody who isn't used to thinking of $600 as pocket change, I guess. > I’ll probably get these for the same reason as the parent; I vaguely want some air pods but I haven’t got around to it and I prefer this form factor. This was the part that confused me. OP has AirPods and AirPods pro and claims that he loves both. The part I don't get is blindly dropping $600 to buy something that doesn't even solve a problem for you. Apple puts it out, OP buys because it's an apple product. > I trust apple not to sell useless knockoff rubbish in a shiny box. My relationship with them is no more complex than that. This is the part that DOES upset me. You think Apple never made useless rubbish? As we speak I'm typing this on a piece of shit 2019 MB Pro issued by my job. It sucks. Bad design (no ports, no magsafe, no escape key).