[SparkOnShore]

As I’ve heard/read some Android devices have subpar AAC implementations, which could affect the sound of the APM with those as a source.

Regarding this issue I would like your opinion; could this also be valid for third party headphones? Meaning, could Sennheiser, Sony or Bose who claim they have AAC on their devices, present a subpar implementation like some Android phones?

 

[MayaTlab]

Regarding this issue I would like your opinion; could this also be valid for third party headphones? Meaning, could Sennheiser, Sony or Bose who claim they have AAC on their devices, present a subpar implementation like some Android phones?

I think that you mean that we observe on the emitting device (ie variable quality of the AAC implementation) might also be present on the receiving end as well ? This is something I've long wondered. I've seen that occasionally tested on ASR with BT dongles, you may find the Qudelix 5K's AAC results in that thread : https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...qudelix-5k-bluetooth-dac-headphone-amp.17386/

 

[plakat]

Regarding this issue I would like your opinion; could this also be valid for third party headphones? Meaning, could Sennheiser, Sony or Bose who claim they have AAC on their devices, present a subpar implementation like some Android phones?

Disclaimer: I don't have practical experience with this problem, so this is just what I heard/read about.
The source of problem seems to be the complexity of AAC encoding, while decoding is much easier (CPU wise as well as implementation wise). I've never heard about specific problems with AAC receiver implementations.
Many other headphones that cater to the Android market offer aptX as an alternative, which seems to be better supported on that plattform.

 

[plakat]

I have experienced this is the past with OnePlus brand phones.

Good to know its not only hearsay. I never owned any Android phone, so I was a bit hesitant answering.

 

[jasonb]

Good to know it’s not only hearsay. I never owned any Android phone, so I was a bit hesitant answering.

This was back years ago when I had the Samsung Galaxy Buds and switched from a Pixel to a Oneplus phone. The difference was quite obvious using the same buds with the two different phones.

 

[SparkOnShore]

I think that you mean that we observe on the emitting device (ie variable quality of the AAC implementation) might also be present on the receiving end as well ? This is something I've long wondered. I've seen that occasionally tested on ASR with BT dongles, you may find the Qudelix 5K's AAC results in that thread : https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...qudelix-5k-bluetooth-dac-headphone-amp.17386/

Yes exactly. Thanks for the link.

 

[deviltrombone]

Does the APM remember separate volume settings for wired and wireless modes? I'm thinking I'd like to max out the volume on the headphones for wired mode and control volume with my amp, like with passive headphones, and I obviously don't want to be adjusting volume on the APM every time I switch between wired and wireless.

 

[plakat]

Addendum to AAC:
https://www.iis.fraunhofer.de/conte...17-Conference_mp3-and-AAC-explained_AES17.pdf

This document explicitly mentions the design target of simple software or hardware decoders (section 1 on generic requirements for audio codecs) and also mentions the complexity of the AAC encoding process with possible shortcuts and problems (section 5.4)

 

[SparkOnShore]

Looking at some demo samples that's also what I feared, and I think that mine is arriving to that point as well.

Update: Apple Athens/Greece informed me that most probably they will replace my APM due to this loosen canopy issue. They just gave me back the magnetic ear pads and the case and they kept the headphone itself for further investigation. Not sure yet, because they say they have not faced such a request before, but on the other hand it was obvious to their eyes that canopy has anymore the appearance of a straight line fabric and not at all curved as it was brand new. They also told me that they are not aware of the ability to just change the headband and that they have never received such memo and instructions from Apple USA.
In any case, even if they change it, it is quite a disappointment since it will certainly happen again after some time. Proven that you cannot use a piece of fabric as headband since it is obvious it will get loosen after use, exactly as any t shirt or pair of jeans would behave. No other headphone manufacturer has done it before, so why reinvent the wheel?
I bought it on February 2021, so the 2 years warranty are about to expire as well!

 

[heathman]

Proven that you cannot use a piece of fabric as headband since it is obvious it will get loosen after use, exactly as any t shirt or pair of jeans would behave.

Proven? Not really. It's anecdotal evidence of something that doesn't seem to be a widespread issue. I do hope Apple replaces it for you, though.

 

[SparkOnShore]

Proven? Not really. It's anecdotal evidence of something that doesn't seem to be a widespread issue. I do hope Apple replaces it for you, though.

For how long have you been owning the APM and how often do you use them? I believe that after 2 years of continuous usage it will happen to everybody since no special problem was present to the canopy mesh of mine and I have always been treating them quite carefully. In any case to each his own.

 

[tyk103]

I've been using mine every single day since early 2021 and the fabric is fine. These are my daily drivers and I toss them in my bag every time I leave my home.

 

[heathman]

For how long have you been owning the APM and how often do you use them? I believe that after 2 years of continuous usage it will happen to everybody since no special problem was present to the canopy mesh of mine and I have always been treating them quite carefully. In any case to each his own.

I've had mine for 18 months, and use them regularly. The canopy remains as good as new. I don't anticipate it fail any time during the next six months.

Please don't get me wrong, though. I'm not suggesting that the canopy on your pair isn't damaged. It's just that we're not hearing widespread reports of this issue, so I don't think it's fair to characterize it as a "proven" flaw at this time. It seems like you just unfortunately got a defective product, and fortunately Apple is going to do the right thing and get you a replacement. (I will also stand corrected if, within a few months, we start reading numerous reports of the canopy falling apart.)

 

[MayaTlab]

I've had mine for 18 months, and use them regularly. The canopy remains as good as new. I don't anticipate it fail any time during the next six months.

Please don't get me wrong, though. I'm not suggesting that the canopy on your pair isn't damaged. It's just that we're not hearing widespread reports of this issue, so I don't think it's fair to characterize it as a "proven" flaw at this time. It seems like you just unfortunately got a defective product, and fortunately Apple is going to do the right thing and get you a replacement. (I will also stand corrected if, within a few months, we start reading numerous reports of the canopy falling apart.)

I'm wondering if the material is susceptible to get more or less distended over time because of concerns such as humidity levels or chemical reactions with hair or hair products. I've seen quite a few demo units with a completely distended mesh, but they're put under very heavy use, so, who knows. Also, since because of various QC / QA issues I've had a lot of APM, there was, at least up until the last manufactured pair I received, quite a lot of worrying variation between units in terms of the mesh tension out of the box.

 

[yticolev]

Proven that you cannot use a piece of fabric as headband since it is obvious it will get loosen after use, exactly as any t shirt or pair of jeans would behave.

The headband appears to be made out of a synthetic material such as nylon or polypropylene and is going to have a very different deforming/stretch profile than cotton jeans or t shirts. Cotton is spun of many fibers where most synthetics are single strand. Weave also impacts how fabric deforms.