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[Mario007]

Not that many people here wearing beats. They were either the earbuds from Apple or some of the 50cent "Beats" you can buy everywhere and change them every months.
Most people here in China also wear in-ears. It seems on-ears or over-ears arent that popular here.

In HK it was different, but I thought everyone wears different ones there.



I saw quite a few people wearing Beats, but generally it seems the people here rather prefer In-ears. I see more Beats in one day in Germany, than I have ever seen in China.

I don't know, I suppose it could be different from city to city. Now that I think more about it, I saw almost no one wearing them in Guangzhou whereas in Shanghai I've seen loads.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I just don't understand. Is this akin to facebook buying whatsapp?

I think that made more sense than this tbh :/

 

[cafemomo]

Who are the peeps on the right and left?

 

[KtSlime]

Who are the peeps on the right and left?

On Tim Cook's right is Jimmy Iovine, music industry legend and co-founder of Interscope Records, on Dre's left is their new boss, Eddy Cue, Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services (iTunes/iCloud/AppStore) at Apple.

 

[iMax]

Who are the peeps on the right and left?

Just some Apple employees.

 

[SpinningBirdKick]

This is such a strange acquisition for Apple. If anything it devalues their image to me. I get that Beats are popular and all, but any techies in the know know that they make shit products with shit sound. Anyway, with these matters it's all about the business side so as long as it's profitable for them I guess.

The meat of the deal is likely for Beats music streaming service. While downloads of music fell last year 1%-2%, music streaming saw increases of ~50%. Beats streaming is likely fairly popular but not in the acquisition price range of a bigger player like Spotify. It looks like a typical acquiring growth type transaction from Apple.

The fact that the average Beats customer values branding over quality is likely icing on the cake for Apple who will be able to sell some of their own product to the Beats user base.

 

[Timbuktu]

All kidding aside, is this the first year Apple would have a female and a non-white person as an executive?

 

[numble]

All kidding aside, is this the first year Apple would have a female and a non-white person as an executive?

They have had female and minority execs for a long time. They just aren't the Senior Vice Presidents, and since these new guys are reporting to Cue and Schiller, they aren't going to be SVPs either.

 

[Majine]

 

[twobear]

I still don't get it. It's as though Apple have started buying into inaccurate view of Apple products as being about branding and style over quality.

 

[teruterubozu]

The meat of the deal is likely for Beats music streaming service. While downloads of music fell last year 1%-2%, music streaming saw increases of ~50%. Beats streaming is likely fairly popular but not in the acquisition price range of a bigger player like Spotify. It looks like a typical acquiring growth type transaction from Apple.

The fact that the average Beats customer values branding over quality is likely icing on the cake for Apple who will be able to sell some of their own product to the Beats user base.

Still makes no sense. Apple was beefing up ITunes for streaming with ITunes Radio. Going the Spotify route would have involved just a few more tweaks. Apple coulda crushed Beats without spending Billions.

 

[iMax]

I still don't get it. It's as though Apple have started buying into inaccurate view of Apple products as being about branding and style over quality.

They're buying it for the streaming service which is probably the best there is right now.

 

[twobear]

They're buying it for the streaming service which is probably the best there is right now.

I guess. I can see no reason in the forseeable future to drop Spotify, though (unless Beats gets better, and free).

 

[Cipherr]

Beats has a nice design (the service). But its not better than Spotify. No way no how, and its market reception to date doesn't surprise me at all. Its interesting but its not the best.

 

[Xisiqomelir]

Literally the only thing I know about this brand is that Kuroko wears them in WataMote.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Flawless victory.

 

[Ken Masters]

I lol'd

 

[FyreWulff]

Apple's going to take out the anti-fray protectors on the wire where it comes out of the earpiece as it's first step

 

[1st Course]

Tim Cook letter to employees

Team,

This afternoon we announced that Apple is acquiring Beats Music and Beats Electronics, two fast-growing businesses which complement our product line and will help extend the Apple ecosystem in the future. Bringing our companies together paves the way for amazing developments which our customers will love.

Music is an important part of our lives and our culture. Music has the power to inspire us, to comfort us, and to send our emotions soaring. It brings people together and transcends the limits of spoken language.

Apple’s history in music began with selling Macs to musicians. That remains important to us today, but we also bring music to hundreds of millions of customers with iTunes, which is at the forefront of the digital music revolution. Music holds a special place in our hearts at Apple, and we know that we can make an even bigger contribution to something that is so important to our society. That’s why we have kept investing in music and why we’re bringing together these extraordinary teams — so we can continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world.

Beats co-founders and music industry pioneers Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre will join Apple, along with their team of employees. Jimmy has been on the cutting edge of innovation in the music industry for decades, including as a key partner for Apple in the launch of the iTunes Music Store more than ten years ago. He has produced or collaborated with some of the most popular artists in history, and been an important contributor to the success of the iTunes Store.

Beats Music was built with deep respect for both artists and fans. We think it’s the first subscription service to really get it right. Both Apple and Beats believe that a great music service requires a strong editorial and curation team, and we will continue to expand what we do in those areas. The addition of Beats will make our incredible iTunes lineup even better, extending the emotional connection our customers have with music.

The Beats Music team will report to Eddy. The teams will be getting to know each other better in the weeks ahead, and we are very excited about the possibilities for the future.
Beats Electronics has become the brand of choice for headphones and speakers in both the music and sports world, just five years after its launch. They are among the most popular and highest-rated third-party products sold today in Apple’s retail and online stores. We see an incredible opportunity to bring Apple’s legendary design and engineering capabilities to these popular products under Phil’s leadership.

Please join me in welcoming Beats to Apple. I hope you are as excited as I am about this new chapter in our history.

Tim

http://www.gsmarena.com/tim_cook_shares_his_vision_with_beats_in_a_letter_to_employees-news-8646.php

 

[CrankyJay]

Still makes no sense. Apple was beefing up ITunes for streaming with ITunes Radio. Going the Spotify route would have involved just a few more tweaks. Apple coulda crushed Beats without spending Billions.

I'm going to trust they know more than you regarding how they spend their chump change.

 

[Camoxide]

This is such a strange acquisition for Apple. If anything it devalues their image to me. I get that Beats are popular and all, but any techies in the know know that they make shit products with shit sound. Anyway, with these matters it's all about the business side so as long as it's profitable for them I guess.

They probably didn't buy them for the headphones but more the music service and Dre.

I wouldn't be surprised if they sell off the headphones later on.

 

[Tatersalad]

I'm going to trust they know more than you regarding how they spend their chump change.

I understand people questioning this decision, but I imagine those making this choice know a bit more about their future goals and objectives than the people posting.

 

[Ninja Dom]

It'll soon be really nice getting Beats headphones packaged with our new iPhone's.

In my headphone history I've had a pair of Bose in-ear headphones. These were the best headphones I ever used. I got them in 2007 and they stopped working around 2010. I thought the sound was amazing.

Since then I've had two pairs of Beats in-ear headphones and I found them both to be far too uncomfortable and didn't use each of them for long. I got them for free so no big deal. Now I just listen to my music on my iPhone using the free Apple headphones that come with the 5S.

Now if Apple could remodel the Beats in ear headphones with the Beats audio quality and the Apple default comfort then that'd be just splendid.

 

[Opus Angelorum]

Listened to some Beats Audio headphones the other day, and besides the Executive line...they sounded horrible. People had always said they were poor, but I couldn't believe my ears whilst looking at the price.

I think the cheapest ones were £99, and honestly my £20 Sennheisers sound better.

 

[Ninja Dom]

Listened to some Beats Audio headphones the other day, and besides the Executive line...they sounded horrible. People had always said they were poor, but I couldn't believe my ears whilst looking at the price.

I think the cheapest ones were £99, and honestly my £20 Sennheisers sound better.

Ah fuck, I bought Sennheiser CX475's from HMV last year. £40 reduced to £20. Massive Bass the packaging says. No good - no bass and they've stopped working. I've had no luck with expensive in-ear headphones (Beats in-ear being too uncomfortable) or cheap £20 in-ear ones. Except the Bose ones I had 7 years ago.

 

[Exile20]

Apple will pay $2.6 billion in cash

That is a long to time to stand in front of an ATM in.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

This is such a strange acquisition for Apple. If anything it devalues their image to me. I get that Beats are popular and all, but any techies in the know know that they make shit products with shit sound. Anyway, with these matters it's all about the business side so as long as it's profitable for them I guess.

You and other techies are in the minority. To the vast majority Beats is seen as a premium brand, just like Apple. This is why they are able to sell so many headphones at such a high cost and make billions. Enthusiasts seem to have trouble stepping outside their box and looking at things through the perspective of a more casual consumer. Yes you can crow about other headphone lines and site specific stats that show how inferior beats are to them, but to the common consumer, Beats are just good enough. They sound good, they look good, and they are the same headphones all of my friends are buying. SOLD. It happens in all genres and all industries. It's the same reason why, over on the gaming side, people can't seem to fathom why someone wouldn't just spend $400 on a PS4 or $800 on a gaming PC to play games instead of playing stuff on their tablet or phone. To those people, mobile games are "just good enough". And telling them that they are ignorant or just don't get it, is not going to change that, it's just going to make you look out of touch.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I'm going to trust they know more than you regarding how they spend their chump change.

Yes, because no business has ever made a stupid decision before and can't be called out on it. Guess every other person questioning it, even paid analysts, should just be quiet cos they're a business and so know exactly what they're doing.

 

[Slayven]

I wonder if there will be a white-flight from Apple, the way some of the people on Macrumors are making a giant stink is hilarious.

Yes, so much salt. I said goddamn and why do folks think rap is stuck in early 1990s when insulting it?

 

[twobear]

You and other techies are in the minority. To the vast majority Beats is seen as a premium brand, just like Apple. This is why they are able to sell so many headphones at such a high cost and make billions. Enthusiasts seem to have trouble stepping outside their box and looking at things through the perspective of a more casual consumer. Yes you can crow about other headphone lines and site specific stats that show how inferior beats are to them, but to the common consumer, Beats are just good enough. They sound good, they look good, and they are the same headphones all of my friends are buying. SOLD. It happens in all genres and all industries. It's the same reason why, over on the gaming side, people can't seem to fathom why someone wouldn't just spend $400 on a PS4 or $800 on a gaming PC to play games instead of playing stuff on their tablet or phone. To those people, mobile games are "just good enough". And telling them that they are ignorant or just don't get it, is not going to change that, it's just going to make you look out of touch.

I get that Beats have a lot of cachet with average joe consumers but, you know, so do Samsung; but I don't think that Samsung and Apple could be more opposed in their design philosophies.

Although ironically Apple already sell mediocre headphones for exorbitant prices so I guess in that regard their MO is pretty similar to Beats.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Yes, because no business has ever made a stupid decision before and can't be called out on it. Guess every other person questioning it, even paid analysts, should just be quiet cos they're a business and so know exactly what they're doing.

Who are you calling out exactly, when you know nothing of the details of this deal.

Seriously, if it turns out to have been a complete dud in a year's time, call them out. Scream it from the rooftops.
Apple obviously has big plans. Wether they'll pan out is anyone's guess right now.

 

[KtSlime]

Yes, so much salt. I said goddamn and why do folks think rap is stuck in early 1990s when insulting it?

Racists are ignorant, doesn't surprise me too much. It's just one more thing to be ignorant about, if they knew about it, they would have defiled themselves, became tainted, just like they view Cook is doing to Apple.

 

[The Lamonster]

And Apple got that much dorkier.

 

[genjiZERO]

This and the whole imessage fiasco (I still have problems getting all my text messages) are starting to really making me question Apple as a company.

 

[SeanR1221]

Ooooooo I get it! Beats are overpriced and apples is even more overpriced for the same exact thing! Lollllll

 

[Lord Error]

Apple doesn't exactly make the best audio equipment either, even if Beats is mediocre that's still progress.

Ironically, apple makes two of the best earbuds in their class / price range right now. Their dual driver in-ear ones sound really great and are not too expensive for a dual driver earphone, and their earpods are the best sounding non-isolating earbuds I've seen.

 

[LCfiner]

I get that Beats have a lot of cachet with average joe consumers but, you know, so do Samsung; but I don't think that Samsung and Apple could be more opposed in their design philosophies.

Although ironically Apple already sell mediocre headphones for exorbitant prices so I guess in that regard their MO is pretty similar to Beats.

do you mean the apple branded headphones? or just headphones sold in the apple store? 30 bucks for the earpod and 80 for their dual driver IEM are not exorbitant prices. and both those options are pretty good sounding - and this is coming from someone who has tried IEMs that cost more than a macbook.

earpod is a big upgrade over old apple buds and the IEMs main weakness is a thin bass but is otherwise accurate and fast.

If Apple were charging $200 for the IEMs, then it would be way overpriced compared to the competition. but it's not. it's a solid dual driver balanced armature IEM for under 100.

Apple has really improved their earphones from what they had just 3 or 4 years ago. My (probably unrealistic) hope is they offer a new beats headphone option that is more accurate and detailed than current models.

 

[victreeb3l]

My biggest complaint with Apple earpods are that theyre very uncomfortable to put on and use. They keep falling out of my ear.

 

[Hoo-doo]

My biggest complaint with Apple earpods are that theyre very uncomfortable to put on and use. They keep falling out of my ear.

The new earpods?

Strange, they have managed to become my defacto running-earbuds because they fit so damn well.

I could be doing cartwheels and they stay in perfectly.

 

[Deleted member 22576]

Do the earpods really sound that much better? I'm on my second pair of them (just got a fresh one a month ago) and I've never thought they sounded better than the old generic Apple earbuds.

I like the new design quite a bit more, they fit in my ear better. But they sound about the same.

 

[pxleyes]

Do the earpods really sound that much better? I'm on my second pair of them (just got a fresh one a month ago) and I've never thought they sounded better than the old generic Apple earbuds.

I like the new design quite a bit more, they fit in my ear better. But they sound about the same.

Sooooo much better. They aren't going to compete against a big driver, but for the size and price they are impossible to beat. Not to mention they have inline controls, which is always a bonus.

 

[victreeb3l]

The new earpods?

Strange, they have managed to become my defacto running-earbuds because they fit so damn well.

I could be doing cartwheels and they stay in perfectly.

Yep. I think I just have small ears because none of the Apple earphones ever fit me well.

If they had changeable rubber tips then that would be great. I usually get the smallest size in any earbuds that I buy.

 

[twobear]

do you mean the apple branded headphones? or just headphones sold in the apple store? 30 bucks for the earpod and 80 for their dual driver IEM are not exorbitant prices. and both those options are pretty good sounding - and this is coming from someone who has tried IEMs that cost more than a macbook.

earpod is a big upgrade over old apple buds and the IEMs main weakness is a thin bass but is otherwise accurate and fast.

If Apple were charging $200 for the IEMs, then it would be way overpriced compared to the competition. but it's not. it's a solid dual driver balanced armature IEM for under 100.

Apple has really improved their earphones from what they had just 3 or 4 years ago. My (probably unrealistic) hope is they offer a new beats headphone option that is more accurate and detailed than current models.

Yeah it was mostly a cheap dig at Apple's expense regarding their past performance regarding headphones.

Although I still quickly ditched the earpods for Soundmagic E10s.

 

[Lord Error]

do you mean the apple branded headphones? or just headphones sold in the apple store? 30 bucks for the earpod and 80 for their dual driver IEM are not exorbitant prices. and both those options are pretty good sounding - and this is coming from someone who has tried IEMs that cost more than a macbook.

earpod is a big upgrade over old apple buds and the IEMs main weakness is a thin bass but is otherwise accurate and fast.

If Apple were charging $200 for the IEMs, then it would be way overpriced compared to the competition. but it's not. it's a solid dual driver balanced armature IEM for under 100.

Apple has really improved their earphones from what they had just 3 or 4 years ago.

I can confirm/agree with all of this. I'd also like to add that Apple's IEMs are the most comfortable of any I've tried, and the silicon they use for the caps is some next level stuff that I have yet to see from any other manufacturer. Whenever I get any other IEM, I generally just toss away whatever caps came with them and use the ones from Apple's IEMs.

 

[Suzaku]

Tim Cook letter to employees



http://www.gsmarena.com/tim_cook_shares_his_vision_with_beats_in_a_letter_to_employees-news-8646.php

Interesting. After reading that Cook letter, if you notice the order in which he mentions things, it seems Apple bought Beats first and foremost for the talent and their connections to the music industry, specifically Iovine and Dre. The second thing mentioned is the streaming service. They say "It's the first streaming service to get it right", which definitely seems like a dig at Spotify. And lastly, almost as an afterthought, they mention the actual headphone business itself. It seems Apple's main reason for the purchase is not the hardware which Beats makes.

 

[Omega]

You and other techies are in the minority. To the vast majority Beats is seen as a premium brand, just like Apple. This is why they are able to sell so many headphones at such a high cost and make billions. Enthusiasts seem to have trouble stepping outside their box and looking at things through the perspective of a more casual consumer. Yes you can crow about other headphone lines and site specific stats that show how inferior beats are to them, but to the common consumer, Beats are just good enough. They sound good, they look good, and they are the same headphones all of my friends are buying. SOLD. It happens in all genres and all industries. It's the same reason why, over on the gaming side, people can't seem to fathom why someone wouldn't just spend $400 on a PS4 or $800 on a gaming PC to play games instead of playing stuff on their tablet or phone. To those people, mobile games are "just good enough". And telling them that they are ignorant or just don't get it, is not going to change that, it's just going to make you look out of touch.

It's cool that you want to defend absurd pricing for average products because you probably have buyers remorse, but at least come up with better comparisons.

No, a PS4 or PC vs mobile/tablet is not the same as Beats vs Audio Technica

On a PC you can play Day Z, League of Legends, DOTA 2 as well as upcoming titles like Star Citizen, Civilization: Beyond Earth, etc. You can't play any of those on mobile or tablet.

On the other hand, you can enjoy listening to your favorite band/artist on Beats. You can also enjoy listening to those same bands and artists on Audio Technica and every other headphone.

 

[trixx]

Who knows. Maybe with this acquisition we will see better quality beats headphones. As popular as they are now we could see many more people walking around with beats on their heads and that's further marketing

Imagine seeing many college students at local univerisity buying beats along side their MacBook Laptops. Damn

 

[Verano]

Who knows. Maybe with this acquisition we will see better quality beats headphones. As popular as they are now we could see many more people walking around with beats on their heads and that's further marketing

Imagine seeing many college students at local univerisity buying beats along side their MacBook Laptops. Damn

If they can afford either

 

[twobear]

I know that Apple weirdos don't like it when you say this, but it really does seem like a wheel has come off Apple since Jobs left.

 

[trixx]

If they can afford either

Yeah buying both would be a ridiculous amount of cash but at my university MacBooks are still the most popular laptops. I think theres potential in that demographic but i hope they don't mark up the prices drastically