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> I’m tempted to preface everything with “Look, I’m not an audiophile…”, but screw that. I’m not an audio expert, but I do know what I like, and I love the way

> I’m tempted to preface everything with “Look, I’m not an audiophile…”, but screw that. I’m not an audio expert, but I do know what I like, and I love the way these headphones sound. They make music sound rich and make movies sound very real. It is almost impossible to wear a $550 device on your ears and not become immediately biased about how "real" the sounds are. The better way would be with a double blind test. Would require some sort of device to conceal both the brand and the weight of the damn thing hah. I wouldn't be surprised if the headphones end up being in line with the rest of the existing offer from other brands.

Skunkleton 6y ago
I have a fairly nice headphone setup at my desk (HD650+Schiit Magni/Modi2). I am willing to admit I am biased against other headphones, especially ones that are cheaper than my setup. I am interested to try out Apple's new cans and see how they hold up. They probably won't survive my own biases.
_underfl0w_ 6y ago
> It is almost impossible to wear a $550 device on your ears and not become immediately biased Not saying I disagree about confirmation bias at play - especially given that TFA states at the beginning that they received a pair for review purposes - however I've personally become upset by dropping large amounts of cash on lackluster products before. Not everyone is necessarily susceptible. Some might ask for their money back. In this case, the author didn't even pay the $550 though.
- IshKebab 6y ago
  But do they get to keep the $550 headphones? That's still a strong motivator. "I just got this really expensive thing - it must be good!" If they have to send them back then I'd say it is fair, but I doubt that is the case.
  - sophiebits 6y ago
    I believe Apple does require their review units back.
- sneak 6y ago
  > Not saying I disagree about confirmation bias at play - especially given that TFA states at the beginning that they received a pair for review purposes You will find it quite difficult to locate any instances of John Gruber saying anything negative about Apple on Daring Fireball. He's basically like an unofficial arm of Apple PR, and he seems to know that his access is likely dependent upon his continued service in furtherance of Apple's marketing agenda.
abstractbarista 6y ago
I'll stick to my wired Sennheisers. They sound absolutely excellent, cost less than half the price, look sexy, and will work essentially forever.
- askafriend 6y ago
  Are they noise canceling? If they're not, then it's not an apt comparison. These compete with Bose QC35 and Sony WH1000XM4.
ogre_codes 6y ago
Every single review called out the fact that these are very expensive. Gruber even made light of it commenting about whether the button quality was worth the price. I suspect the price (rightly so) would give the reviewers extremely high expectations coming into this and they would be looking for the smallest flaws. That is literally their job, indiscriminate reviewers aren't worth a damn. Gruber isn't a reviewer primarily, but other reviewers have said these sound great too.
cactus2093 6y ago
Well if it makes everyone who wears them think it sounds better than the alternatives, that's really just as well. There's not any utility to better sounding headphones other than enjoyment, and you'll enjoy it the same whether it actually sounds amazing or you just think it does.
systemvoltage 6y ago
That's why we use metrology to measure its capabilities. Not human opinions. Sound can be analyzed extremely objectively.

Skunkleton 6y ago

I have a fairly nice headphone setup at my desk (HD650+Schiit Magni/Modi2). I am willing to admit I am biased against other headphones, especially ones that are cheaper than my setup. I am interested to try out Apple's new cans and see how they hold up. They probably won't survive my own biases.

_underfl0w_ 6y ago

> It is almost impossible to wear a $550 device on your ears and not become immediately biased Not saying I disagree about confirmation bias at play - especially given that TFA states at the beginning that they received a pair for review purposes - however I've personally become upset by dropping large amounts of cash on lackluster products before. Not everyone is necessarily susceptible. Some might ask for their money back. In this case, the author didn't even pay the $550 though.

IshKebab 6y ago
But do they get to keep the $550 headphones? That's still a strong motivator. "I just got this really expensive thing - it must be good!" If they have to send them back then I'd say it is fair, but I doubt that is the case.
- sophiebits 6y ago
  I believe Apple does require their review units back.
sneak 6y ago
> Not saying I disagree about confirmation bias at play - especially given that TFA states at the beginning that they received a pair for review purposes You will find it quite difficult to locate any instances of John Gruber saying anything negative about Apple on Daring Fireball. He's basically like an unofficial arm of Apple PR, and he seems to know that his access is likely dependent upon his continued service in furtherance of Apple's marketing agenda.

abstractbarista 6y ago

I'll stick to my wired Sennheisers. They sound absolutely excellent, cost less than half the price, look sexy, and will work essentially forever.

askafriend 6y ago
Are they noise canceling? If they're not, then it's not an apt comparison. These compete with Bose QC35 and Sony WH1000XM4.

ogre_codes 6y ago

Every single review called out the fact that these are very expensive. Gruber even made light of it commenting about whether the button quality was worth the price. I suspect the price (rightly so) would give the reviewers extremely high expectations coming into this and they would be looking for the smallest flaws. That is literally their job, indiscriminate reviewers aren't worth a damn. Gruber isn't a reviewer primarily, but other reviewers have said these sound great too.

cactus2093 6y ago

Well if it makes everyone who wears them think it sounds better than the alternatives, that's really just as well. There's not any utility to better sounding headphones other than enjoyment, and you'll enjoy it the same whether it actually sounds amazing or you just think it does.

systemvoltage 6y ago

That's why we use metrology to measure its capabilities. Not human opinions. Sound can be analyzed extremely objectively.