I don't think anyone will do that. Blind listening tests are so hard to set up, and are next to worthless without many data points. Interest is key, and I don't think there are enough people interested in deciding between smartphones based solely on SQ to make setting up such a test worthwhile.
1. Apple EarPods are not garbage for the most people on this planet. Go out to metro, buses, stations, stadiums, streets and you will confirm by yourself what I say. Actually they may be the best bundled earphones ever...
2. Apple users are not the small subset. They are the majority who just want to enjoy music with the good enough audio quality of Apple's products, which by the way is more than enough! They are the people who don't sit testing 2000$ headphones for "accuracy" but live and enjoy the audio coming out of their devices... Apple is producing for them because profit is coming from them and not from idiosyncratic audiophiles who are the 0,00001% of this world...
3. 700$ is very little money for what an iPhone can offer. Especially in an era of competition's exploding devices. Expensive are the 3000$ electrostatic earphones, the audio quality of which is important and discernible by the 0,00000001% of the population...
Since you are a fanatic Apple hater there is no logic to what you're saying. But what the heck, lets reply to you;
Other companies try to sell high quality by AptX and the like. Apple believes that high quality for most people's ears has been achieved with AAC and W1, and their developments over time of course. I agree with Apple. You agree with the other companies. To each their own. What exactly is so difficult for you to understand???........
Here's the problem for me when it comes to wireless audio, not just Apple but wireless in general. I have devices with AptX (phone and receiver end) and honestly the audio quality just isn't there yet.If you are comparing sound quality with the 'very average' bundled earbuds that ship in the box with devices wireless is perhaps on a par or just below but throw something better, even something as cheap as the Monk+ at the phone and you will see the improvement. I've not actually heard AptX-HD in person because there aren't that many devices out there that use it, from what I've seen reported it is better but still not quite up to CD quality.
The W1 chip does nothing to improve audio quality, what it does is add some nice new iDevice specific features to wireless headphones.
The other problem with bluetooth is that where there are lots of competing signals you can get more frequent audio dropouts, I've experience this most in London in places such as the underground where lots of people in a small space are using devices with wireless signals running, I can only assume that this is some sort of signal conflict.
Please don't see this as a direct criticism of Apple, it is a criticism of wireless audio, where I would criticise Apple is in their arrogant assumption that the consumer will settle for wireless just because Apple say they should, but on the other hand Apple are known for doing their own thing and thus far it doesn't seem to have hurt them.
I know quite a few people here on Head Fi that are very happy with their itunes AAC purchases and have little interest uncompressed files. So for them I suppose a wireless technology that transmits AAC files without additional quality loss should go over pretty well.
With regard to the wired ear buds -- I do not care for the sound of the base level Apple earbuds. But as noted you see more of those than anything else. Because they are included. Not because they are good; just included. Depending on how you look at it they may be good or not good. But being included is what is driving the usage not the sound quality.
I hope this is changing with audio as Blue Bottle, Intelligentsia, Stumptown, etc have been doing with coffee, that is that the public is being educated, but even the more well heeled people I know almost always find the thought of external dacs and amps ridiculous for headphones. One friend refuses to spend more than "$1" on headphones and uses the included ones, as most do, by default.
I still use Firewire 400 via the IEEE 1394 interface on my Dell Laptop for my hard drive, in order to save a USB port for my other devices.
As my computer has a wonk eSATA interface and the USB 2.0 port is slow , I'm quite happy with my Firewire port.
I enjoyed my Firewire 800 port as well on my Mac, before USB 3.0 came out. Sometimes the BT interference from the USB 3.0 makes me want to switch back, but the sheer speed bump is addicting enough.
Goes to show there are still people using older ports for varying reasons. Really, it's because I'm too cheap to spend money to upgrade everything.
I still use Firewire 400 via the IEEE 1394 interface on my Dell Laptop for my hard drive, in order to save a USB port for my other devices.
As my computer has a wonk eSATA interface and the USB 2.0 port is slow , I'm quite happy with my Firewire port.
I enjoyed my Firewire 800 port as well on my Mac, before USB 3.0 came out. Sometimes the BT interference from the USB 3.0 makes me want to switch back, but the sheer speed bump is addicting enough.
Goes to show there are still people using older ports for varying reasons. Really, it's because I'm too cheap to spend money to upgrade everything.
You bet. I'm using my Thunderbolt ports on the MacBook. But if I had known that Apple would dump their new standard so quickly I would have stuck to USB. The new MacBook has a single usb-c port. Everybody buy adapters. Wait wasn't that iPhone 7. Nope it's all Apple hardware. Planned Obsolescence. I can't imagine all the electronic waste that has been generated by Apple. Astounding.
1. Apple EarPods are not garbage for the most people on this planet. Go out to metro, buses, stations, stadiums, streets and you will confirm by yourself what I say. Actually they may be the best bundled earphones ever...
2. Apple users are not the small subset. They are the majority who just want to enjoy music with the good enough audio quality of Apple's products, which by the way is more than enough! They are the people who don't sit testing 2000$ headphones for "accuracy" but live and enjoy the audio coming out of their devices... Apple is producing for them because profit is coming from them and not from idiosyncratic audiophiles who are the 0,00001% of this world...
3. 700$ is very little money for what an iPhone can offer. Especially in an era of competition's exploding devices. Expensive are the 3000$ electrostatic earphones, the audio quality of which is important and discernible by the 0,00000001% of the population...
While Apple is Revolutionizing portable audio, one of the ways they do it is to purchase distributors of Hi-Resolution music. Then shut them down. Apple Hates Competition. Apple Hates Hi-Res audio. Just like when the auto engineer invents a way to save gas and the gasoline company buys the invention and then destroys it. No difference at all. You think i'm kidding. Go look at the Pono website. Apple shut them down.
While Apple is Revolutionizing portable audio, one of the ways they do it is to purchase distributors of Hi-Resolution music. Then shut them down. Apple Hates Competition. Apple Hates Hi-Res audio. Just like when the auto engineer invents a way to save gas and the gasoline company buys the invention and then destroys it. No difference at all. You think i'm kidding. Go look at the Pono website. Apple shut them down.
Is there a press release that supports this? Apple already has hi-res music in the vault, thanks to the "mastered for iTunes" program they have had in place for some years now.
Is there a press release that supports this? Apple already has hi-res music in the vault, thanks to the "mastered for iTunes" program they have had in place for some years now.
Go to the Pono website. And search the Pono threads for the statement from Neil Young. Pono had another distributor lined up but then Apple Just bought them too. I can't believe how insecure Apple must feel with all theses microscopic Hi-Res and DSD sellers they keep killing.
While Apple is Revolutionizing portable audio, one of the ways they do it is to purchase distributors of Hi-Resolution music. Then shut them down. Apple Hates Competition. Apple Hates Hi-Res audio. Just like when the auto engineer invents a way to save gas and the gasoline company buys the invention and then destroys it. No difference at all. You think i'm kidding. Go look at the Pono website. Apple shut them down.
Correction: for-sale technology or companies are not competition, they buyer-shopping tech depots. As for Apple hating hi-res, you have no evidence for that. Apple have supported hi-resolution audio for a very long time, on all their devices. 24-bit files play on iPods from 2005, limited of course to 48kHz, but the market for hi-res at the time was next to nil. Incorporating purchased IP into your tech portfolio is different to shutting down that technology. Apple often make long-term purchases which may or may not make it into their lineup. Apple purchased 7 and cut Pono out of the deal. That's that. Pono should have done the same thing.
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