[kscherer]

Fancy new earbuds from Apple. $249; active noise cancellation; Great Sound™; and just in time to not get any for Xmas*!

Apple

Macrumors

Look nice, and I'm sure they're awesome. And, since I don't use earbuds, they have no place in my life.

Bring on a new, redesigned iMac and we'll talk turkey.

*Also makes me wonder if tomorrow might see something else new? This could be one of those weeks.

[chucker]

I think I would prefer the Beats X style with a different color and the H1.

[kscherer]

It's interesting the very different design paths that Apple is on between AirPods and Beats. They own both companies, and the sale of both products is off the charts. Clearly, there is a different customer for each, as your post clearly demonstrates.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by kscherer It's interesting the very different design paths that Apple is on between AirPods and Beats. They own both companies, and the sale of both products is off the charts. Clearly, there is a different customer for each, as your post clearly demonstrates.

Yup.

(My long-held dream is that they do something similar for the Mac, where there's an "Orange" brand that offers macOS computers that address different markets, thus not muddling the Apple brand and also not having to open macOS up for licensing.)

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by chucker (My long-held dream is that they do something similar for the Mac, where there's an "Orange" brand that offers macOS computers that address different markets, thus not muddling the Apple brand and also not having to open macOS up for licensing.)

Hey, you trying to derail my thread?

[709]

Originally Posted by kscherer *Also makes me wonder if tomorrow might see something else new? This could be one of those weeks.

Oooo that would be fun. Maybe a new Apple TV on Friday with the beginning of TV+? A 16" MBP, updated iPad Pros and the Second Coming of Cheesegrater to fill in the days between now and then?

*edit: also the Tags thingies.

[kscherer]

Possible. We shall see.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by kscherer Hey, you trying to derail my thread?

Yes.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by chucker Yes.

Well, don't!

[Yontsey]

I've been using these for about 5 days now and these are what I wish the original AirPods had been. These are awesome. First off, they stay in your ear. I've went through a couple workouts with them in to try out and see if they'd stay and I didn't have to adjust them at all. I couldn't even try with the other AirPods because I was adjusting them as soon as I put them in. The rubber tips make all the difference in the world.

The Active Noise Cancelation is a great feature too. I have over the ear Beats that have them but to have them in these little guys is fantastic. I used them yesterday while vacuuming and steam cleaning the floors and it works fantastic. Was able to listen to podcasts without any interrupting background noise.

I haven't really had any times to try out the battery length because I only wear them for an hour at a time at most and put them back in the case.

[chucker]

There's even little things — like, they switch to Transparency mode if you take one out.

[kscherer]

In the same way that Beats are up-scale headphones, these computers would also have to be upscale. Apple must avoid another fiasco like they had in the '90's when their licensing partners were underselling them and nearly killed them.

[chucker]

Are you replying to the wrong thread?

[kscherer]

Holy crap, I am!

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by chucker There's even little things — like, they switch to Transparency mode if you take one out.

Yeah it's pretty wild when you are taking them out or putting them in and you can hear them switch from Transparency to Noise Cancelation and vice versa.

[torifile]

Got them on day 1. I just popped into the Apple Store sure they wouldn't have any but they did. I bought them on a whim with the expectation that I'd return them.

I still have them. They are awesome. They stay put, sound good and ANC/transparency mode are game changers for me. Transparency mode means I can wear them while cycling outside. Usually wearing any headphones while riding outside is a terrible idea but you can hear perfectly with these. "Hey Siri" works well while riding except at high speeds when the wind noise makes it hard for the mic to pick you up well.

I also did 90 minutes on my Peloton yesterday. They stayed put and seemed no worse for the wear when I got really sweaty.

Most importantly, they sound as good as any IEMs I've owned aside from the crazy expensive Campfire Audio Andromedas.

The only downside so far is that "hey Siri" isn't restricted to your voice. My son was "hey Siri'ing" our homepod yesterday while I was in the kitchen and the AirPods picked it up. My phone and iPad don't.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by torifile ... I also did 90 minutes on my Peloton yesterday. They stayed put and seemed no worse for the wear when I got really sweaty...

Off topic, but how do you like your Peloton? I'm thinking about getting one. I either lift or hit the elliptical in my home every day and have been thinking about getting one of these to mix up daily routines.

[Brave Ulysses]

Tried them at the Apple store. The ear fit test failed for all three inserts for me. Despite the poor fit, the sound and isolation was good but the sound quality was not $250 in my opinion. I also found the new pressure touch buttons to be a terrible experience. I wish they would add a simple way to raise and lower volume and start and stop music that is easy to do while running as well.

My primary hesitation in buying them is their lifespan. My AirPods are basically useless now because their batteries are dead. We are in a weird stage of consumerism right now where everyone is pushing subscriptions but for some reason consumers are not picking up on the fact that nearly everything is a subscription. These AirPods are no different. At $250 we are basically paying $125/year for them as they won’t last more than 2 years.

[turtle]

I'm looking at these but haven't jumped yet. I was at the Apple Store getting my iPad swapped recently and looked at them. They had them in stock but I just couldn't bring myself to buy them yet. One I'd rather wait until the go on sale and I'm just not sure I'm ready to even pay the discounted price of $225 for my veterans pricing.

[Brave Ulysses]

Whether they sound good or not, $250 is a lot of money for earbuds. Especially on top of my just completed annual Apple splurge that occurs every September.

[chucker]

I'm still hoping for better-colored, H1-based Beats X.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by Yontsey Off topic, but how do you like your Peloton? I'm thinking about getting one. I either lift or hit the elliptical in my home every day and have been thinking about getting one of these to mix up daily routines.

I love it. I ride all the time. It's the best health-related purchase I've ever made.

[Yontsey]

Originally Posted by torifile I love it. I ride all the time. It's the best health-related purchase I've ever made.

Finally pulled the trigger and ordered one. Getting it delivered next Wednesday. Beyond excited.

[psmith2.0]

Stupid Question Alert™

I've only ever owned/used wired Apple earbuds on any iPod or iPhone I've ever owned.

On these AirPods, how easy are they to lose, not being tethered to one another and being so small?

I feel like I can always be aware of/hang onto my wired earbuds (you definitely know you're wearing them, and if one were to fall out, you'd know it because it would dangle and hang there and the chanceof losing them completely seems greatly decreased.

Is that a known, accepted problem with AirPods, being extra careful/aware of all that? Are there third-party outfits that make some sort of "behind-the-head" tether cord for those concerned? Or do they just fit so good that falling out and losing them isn't an issue?

Have any of you, in the time AirPods have existed, lost one (or both), due to their design (small, wireless)?

I listen to music and podcasts more these days than probably ever before, but the stock earbuds that come with my iPhone have always been "good enough". But sometimes that cord does get tangled or I accidentally yank it in a way I wish I hadn't, etc.

I've never even seen AirPods in real life.

[kscherer]

Interestingly, the biggest single reason for headphones "falling out" is the wire getting tangled/yanked, thus pulling the earbud out. AirPods do not have a wire to get tangled.

I don't own them, but the complaints we hear about are not loss, but hardware failure (which is rare considering the shear number of these things in the wild). However, that said we do see them get lost (replacements are not "cheap") but it is rare and tends to affect folks who habitually lose things than those who do not.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I've never even seen AirPods in real life.

Huh.

I see them all the frigging time these days in public. They seem to have largely displaced the circa-2010 "the cool kids wear Beats" trend.

[psmith2.0]

Was everyone surprised that these new Pro offerings only came in the white? I know that's the standard, iconic color for so many of Apple's accessories (and their wired earbuds since the dawn of man), but I figured maybe there would be a Space Gray and maybe even another color or two (Product [RED], gold, etc.). A lot of their other products with "Pro" in the name come in Space Gray, so I just assumed that would've been an option on these new ones. Those other colors may not look as good in plastic as they do in aluminum or stainless steel, so that could be a reason as well.

Apple's funny...the products that 90% of the population puts into opaque, protective cases, Apple makes in multiple colors. Then on something like the AirPods, which are highly visible, aren't hidden in protective cases (and would kinda make sense to offer in a few different trendy, rotating colors) Apple just sticks with white. But that's also an established, iconic look at this point, so I can understand them just sticking with that...you see white things in people's ears, you just think "Apple". Free advertising all around the world.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 But that's also an established, iconic look at this point, so I can understand them just sticking with that...you see white things in people's ears, you just think "Apple". Free advertising all around the world.

I think there's all there is to it.

There's knockoffs in white too, of course, but no matter what, any earphones in the next few years will continue to have that brand association. "Oh yeah, that person has an iPod — or lookalike" is now "…a pair of AirPods — or lookalike". Nobody is going to think "hey, those look like Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 3!"

[kscherer]

Yep. White earbuds are Apple, no matter how you shake the bottle.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by Yontsey Finally pulled the trigger and ordered one. Getting it delivered next Wednesday. Beyond excited.

Nice! Did you use a referral code? It gives you like $100 off or something like that. If you didn't, you may be able to add it now (and you can use mine )