[MICHAELSD]

Since we’re on the topic of the gym, AirPods and its various knockoff versions have become incredibly popular for gym use. It feels like one in every few people are wearing AirPods, which is no surprise since the design is truly liberating for the gym on a level any other type of headphone can’t touch.

It is a little annoying seeing the knockoff version become so prevalent since they stick out like a sore thumb (they have a bulkier design) and cheapen the aesthetic. This is definitely a case of getting what you pay for.

AirPods for the gym are great when you want good quality music with a form factor that doesn’t get in the way of why you’re there in the first place, which is to exercise and move around without worrying about over-ear headphones falling off your head or getting damaged during bench/bent-over exercises or wires getting caught, etc. For the majority of people whose ears can support AirPods without them falling out, there isn’t a more versatile gym headphone.

 

[MICHAELSD]

(My) AirPods Pro Concept

- Dual-driver design that allows for deep bass and clear mids.

- Real-time audio calibration building off of the technology in the HomePod that adjusts the sound signature, particularly bass, depending on the track.

- Soft rubber exterior that molds to the ear over time for a perfect fit/seal.

The audio calibration could also be baked into Apple Music so each track is analyzed in the cloud and provides equalizer settings to the AirPods themselves on a track-by-track basis rather than using up the limited resources inside the AirPods to process the track.

Let’s face it: the two main flaws with AirPods are that they have a lack of deep bass and provide inadequate isolation when needed. Once Apple builds upon the current model to provide better sound and isolation to customers that desire it, then AirPods will be nearly flawless.

Then they could also sell the standard AirPods as a more cost-effective model that provides less isolation as there is still a market that would prefer a higher level of awareness. Alternatively, they could figure out a way to incorporate adjustable isolation into the AirPods design without overcomplicating it.

I am sure they are working on a product similar to this concept but it may not be in the same convenient earbud design. It’s still exciting to think what they can do with the EarPods/AirPods design since they’re selling them separately from the iPhone and can therefore charge whatever is necessary to put in more quality components including multiple higher quality drivers.

It is incredibly futuristic to think that AirPods can already fit the majority of people’s ears without any other support. We can applaud Apple for the EarPods design as it was totally unique and ended up working perfectly evolved into a truly wireless form factor. The future is dazzlingly bright for AirPods.

 

[trellus]

Since we’re on the topic of the gym, AirPods and its various knockoff versions have become incredibly popular for gym use. It feels like one in every few people are wearing AirPods, which is no surprise since the design is truly liberating for the gym on a level any other type of headphone can’t touch.

It is a little annoying seeing the knockoff version become so prevalent since they stick out like a sore thumb (they have a bulkier design) and cheapen the aesthetic. This is definitely a case of getting what you pay for.

AirPods for the gym are great when you want good quality music with a form factor that doesn’t get in the way of why you’re there in the first place, which is to exercise and move around without worrying about over-ear headphones falling off your head or getting damaged during bench/bent-over exercises or wires getting caught, etc. For the majority of people whose ears can support AirPods without them falling out, there isn’t a more versatile gym headphone.

I've not noticed a lot of AirPods at the gym -- I still see as the single most common earphone or headphone at the gym: BEATS. But I can see how AirPods would make a lot of sense, given their diminutive form factor. I'm not so sure that would work for me though because of their open nature.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I've not noticed a lot of AirPods at the gym -- I still see as the single most common earphone or headphone at the gym: BEATS. But I can see how AirPods would make a lot of sense, given their diminutive form factor. I'm not so sure that would work for me though because of their open nature.

They’re not as bad as you would think. They provide enough isolation to enjoy the music even if finer details can tend to get drowned out by the grunts and racking weights. Music is present in the foreground yet you still get to hear background noise, for better or worse.

 

[trellus]

They’re not as bad as you would think. They provide enough isolation to enjoy the music even if finer details can tend to get drowned out by the grunts and racking weights. Music is present in the foreground yet you still get to hear background noise, for better or worse.

I did buy them as a gift... for my roommate, so I have briefly heard them, and while I didn't think they were bad-sounding, I didn't think they were great, and volume was definitely an issue for me even at home, so I'm thinking at the gym, where it's quite loud, it could be a problem. It's not unique to the AirPods, but being open, I think it might be worse -- I have a pair of Sony, water-resistant Bluetooth in-ears that barely get loud enough at the gym for me, although they're more than loud enough elsewhere.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I did buy them as a gift... for my roommate, so I have briefly heard them, and while I didn't think they were bad-sounding, I didn't think they were great, and volume was definitely an issue for me even at home, so I'm thinking at the gym, where it's quite loud, it could be a problem. It's not unique to the AirPods, but being open, I think it might be worse -- I have a pair of Sony, water-resistant Bluetooth in-ears that barely get loud enough at the gym for me, although they're more than loud enough elsewhere.

I find 75% is the absolute best volume for distortion-free listening that’s still loud enough to enjoy in most environments. For the usefulness of AirPods the isolation isn’t too bad but more isolation in the next version or a new model would be appreciated.

 

[trellus]

Interestingly enough, I found that the AirPods stayed in my ears without any problems -- unlike the EarPods, which would frequently fall out of my apparently abnormally shaped ear canals. It seems with the EarPods, it's the cord moving that yanks down on the EarPod, so the lack of cord to yank on the AirPods means they sit even in my abnormal ear canals just fine. Strange!

 

[MICHAELSD]

Interestingly enough, I found that the AirPods stayed in my ears without any problems -- unlike the EarPods, which would frequently fall out of my apparently abnormally shaped ear canals. It seems with the EarPods, it's the cord moving that yanks down on the EarPod, so the lack of cord to yank on the AirPods means they sit even in my abnormal ear canals just fine. Strange!

Hmm, theory: maybe EarPods were designed to be the concept for AirPods so Apple could gauge the reaction to hundreds of millions of people using the freebie EarPods and adjust the shape accordingly.

 

[trellus]

Hmm, theory: maybe EarPods were designed to be the concept for AirPods so Apple could gauge the reaction to hundreds of millions of people using the freebie EarPods and adjust the shape accordingly.

So far as I could tell, the AirPods are shaped exactly the same as the EarPods -- just missing the wires, and the wires are enough to drag them out of my ears.

 

[MICHAELSD]

So far as I could tell, the AirPods are shaped exactly the same as the EarPods -- just missing the wires, and the wires are enough to drag them out of my ears.

It’s incredible how much of a difference going wireless made for the fit.

 

[Peddler]

I still love mine. I use a set of foamies on mine which seems to offer improved bass (more to do with bring able to get a consistent fit I suspect).

 

[AlwaysForward]

Sounds like @MICHAELSD might get his wish of sealed high end Airpods:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-to-amplify-its-audio-device-strategy-in-2019

I don't think noise cancellation works without a seal. Actually pretty excited by this development. Apple's Audio team supposedly doubled during homepod development.

Let me tell you, as a guy who makes his living Recruiting tech talent for Tier 1 tech companies: the chances this team could be the best Audio team on the planet are quite high.

Apple's Recruiting teams are very strong and the methods used in their talent acquisition, without a doubt, is leaps beyond what traditional audio companies can deploy. It's a nuanced game, talent acquisition, and imperative to producing Product results.

Whether it's having Univeristy partners, hiring "magnets" who people want to work with/for or simply having enough Recruiters to bring a volume of targeted/vetted profiles in for interviews and then the compensation to win against competint offers... Apple has it. Oh, and Engineers usually want to push the tech boundaries AND have their product used by many people with good reviews. Apple can make all of this happen.

It's why I was hopeful for Beats turnaround but it seems the real Audio talent is working on products for Apple proper and beats still uses their core original teams to develop beats product. Makes sense. And Dollars.

Edit: this is an example of a "magnet:" https://www.macrumors.com/2011/05/04/apple-reportedly-hires-audio-pioneer-tomlinson-holman/

 

[AlwaysForward]

I should also add that it's probably good to temper expectations. With all Product development, there will be a set of goals a team will Optimize for.

Things like price bracket, design from Ive’s team, incorporating engineering from other teams (Siri, W1, capacitive controls).

These won’t be optimized like a hardcore audiophile design. That’s not the purpose. But they’ll sound great for what they are meant to be + include the sexy designs and innovative tech for a cool end product.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Sounds like @MICHAELSD might get his wish of sealed high end Airpods:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-to-amplify-its-audio-device-strategy-in-2019

I don't think noise cancellation works without a seal. Actually pretty excited by this development. Apple's Audio team supposedly doubled during homepod development.

Let me tell you, as a guy who makes his living Recruiting tech talent for Tier 1 tech companies: the chances this team could be the best Audio team on the planet are quite high.

Apple's Recruiting teams are very strong and the methods used in their talent acquisition, without a doubt, is leaps beyond what traditional audio companies can deploy. It's a nuanced game, talent acquisition, and imperative to producing Product results.

Whether it's having Univeristy partners, hiring "magnets" who people want to work with/for or simply having enough Recruiters to bring a volume of targeted/vetted profiles in for interviews and then the compensation to win against competint offers... Apple has it. Oh, and Engineers usually want to push the tech boundaries AND have their product used by many people with good reviews. Apple can make all of this happen.

It's why I was hopeful for Beats turnaround but it seems the real Audio talent is working on products for Apple proper and beats still uses their core original teams to develop beats product. Makes sense. And Dollars.

Apple will be catalyzing a lot of innovation in this space. I have no doubt that their next generation of products will change the way consumers think about audio by bringing true audiophile sound to the masses. Combined with the convenience these products are sure to bring, it could make it difficult for competitors as high-end AirPods and over-ear Apple headphones could be that much of a winning proposition and years ahead of the competition thanks to their audio team.

I have no doubt you’re right. While AirPods don’t necessarily demonstrate it, they have the best of the best working on audio at Apple. It’s only a matter of time before they release a product with high-fidelity sound that changes the industry on the same scale that AirPods did.

I am curious as to how they’ll be approaching noise cancellation on AirPods. I don’t think keeping the current design and adding traditional active noise canceling would work well at all. They’ll be much better off with an approach that offers real, adjustable isolation.

I wouldn’t be too surprised if every headphone in my collection was by Apple and Audeze in a few years. There are also rumors that Apple will be removing all physical connectors from the iPhone as soon as next year, which makes the timing of these new high-end AirPods and over-ear headphones perfect. The only piece of the puzzle missing to make this work for audiophiles is a lossless format, which I believe we will see at the same time.

Apple tries to influence Beats but they’re still operating on their own with their own separate audio engineers and designers. The hype for Studio3 was definitely misdirected, but I think the Apple over-ear headphones will be the high-tech wireless headphones with best-in-class sound the market didn’t know it wanted.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I should also add that it's probably good to temper expectations. With all Product development, there will be a set of goals a team will Optimize for.

Things like price bracket, design from Ive’s team, incorporating engineering from other teams (Siri, W1, capacitive controls).

These won’t be optimized like a hardcore audiophile design. That’s not the purpose. But they’ll sound great for what they are meant to be + include the sexy designs and innovative tech for a cool end product.

It’ll definitely be designed to sound good to the average consumer as well as audiophiles (which means a touch more bass, likely intelligently calibrated, than some audiophiles may prefer) but it will likely be best-in-class in every way. It wouldn’t be too difficult for Apple to beat Sony, Bose, and ironically Beats with the best ANC headphone on the market — or best wireless, period. I do think they could sound absolutely fantastic, and combined with the convenience it could make other headphones a hard sell.