[Ruppin]

  If Apple had any desire to make a Head-Fi quality headphone they could afford to buy just about any of the existing highly regarded companies. ....

Ironically, if Apple purchased a quality headphone company, a lot more people would purchase those phones and learn just how much better sound can be. Apple has been a great force behind quality and good design. That is why a Beats deal would be so awful. IMHO, of course.

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

Ironically, if Apple purchased a quality headphone company, a lot more people would purchase those phones and learn just how much better sound can be. Apple has been a great force behind quality and good design. That is why a Beats deal would be so awful. IMHO, of course.

I think they want the market share and branding, what Beats sound like is totally irrelevant to Apple. It's all about the mindless followers, kind of like Apple's other products... just kidding . If they really wanted to, they could start producing quality headphones under the Beats name as long as they keep a slightly bass emphasized sound, but that's not what Beats is about. Beats is about name-branding, style, and bass that sounds like common low quality subwoofers.

 

[Hapster]

"Meanwhile if it is about streaming why not aim for the very top since Spotify itself carries a valuation of roughly $4 billion. Apple takes top spot and removes its biggest rival in one fell swoop."

This is extremely important, if it were about streaming, thet could literally buy spotify for just 800M more.

 

[Smarty-pants]

^LOL, you are assuming that Spotify is for sale at the price you think Apple should pay.
A very large and illogical assumption imo.

 

[ivanflo]

Beats purchase May be related to manufacturing processes or perhaps current factories. Who's to say apple doesn't re engineer beats headphones for the better and make some great quality headphones. I think beats has the capability to make brilliant headphones, they have just targeted a specific market > bass HEAVY sound.

I would assume the brands would remain separate, perhaps beats as a sub brand, a la xbox. Some of the ideas around the beasts streaming service is quite brilliant, Apple could take alot from it.

 

[Hapster]

Then it'd be similar to logitech buying UE. They want a seperate branch so that they cover more of the market. Beats and apple were already represented together (selling beats in apple storess) so it's not hard to believe they would rather profit from that.

I still think it's dillusional to think we're gonna get hifi beats, but I do see $500+ mediocre beats in our future.

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

I still think it's dillusional to think we're gonna get hifi beats, but I do see $500+ mediocre beats in our future.

Even if there were 90% of Head-Fiers would refuse to buy them because they're a consumer marketed headphone . Everyone here seems to have an elitist attitude toward Beats whether they mean to or not. I'm all right with Monster's other headphones because they're attempting to improve sound quality.

 

[thatBeatsguy]

Even if there were 90% of Head-Fiers would refuse to buy them because they're a consumer marketed headphone

. Everyone here seems to have an elitist attitude toward Beats whether they mean to or not. I'm all right with Monster's other headphones because they're attempting to improve sound quality.

Apparently, Monster knows what they're doing. Having come from hi-fi speakers, I think they're competent enough to be respected as a headphone brand, despite their affiliation with Beats in the past. But that's gone now. Now, we know them as a great brand with awesome offerings like the Turbines, Gratitudes, Trumpets, and most recently, the DNA Pro (which the almighty Jude Mansilla uses as an on-the-go can).

 

[thievesarmy]

"Meanwhile if it is about streaming why not aim for the very top since Spotify itself carries a valuation of roughly $4 billion. Apple takes top spot and removes its biggest rival in one fell swoop."

This is extremely important, if it were about streaming, thet could literally buy spotify for just 800M more.

 
Except for the fact that Spotify is just a streaming service, and it isn't profitable. At least with Beats, they get a ready-made streaming service AND a profitable headphone business, not to mention the brainpower / cachet from Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre coming on board. Spotify doesn't really have any big names attached to it, except for CEO Daniel Ek who isn't an icon of the music industry like the other 2 guys are.
 
I think from Apple's perspective, they feel like if they get in the game they can probably overtake Spotify, so this deal makes the most sense from all angles and especially when it comes to satisfying their stockholders.

 

[ToddTheMetalGod]

Apparently, Monster knows what they're doing. Having come from hi-fi speakers, I think they're competent enough to be respected as a headphone brand, despite their affiliation with Beats in the past. But that's gone now. Now, we know them as a great brand with awesome offerings like the Turbines, Gratitudes, Trumpets, and most recently, the DNA Pro (which the almighty Jude Mansilla uses as an on-the-go can).

I didn't even know they made speakers too, cool. I thought they were just a cable company outside of headphones. They really aren't a bad company at all, especially for a regular consumer brand. Most of us here are used to odd and exotic headphones, but a regular consumer wouldn't consider those brands. They're pretty much on the same level as Ultimate Ears, Yamaha's new portable headphone line, and V-Moda.

They do deserve more respect here, but at the same time they are highly overpriced for what you get, don't have the greatest build quality, and have marketing that is shameful towards the audio community.

 

[Sonido]

It's funny how loudness of Beats in stores is what allows it to sell. I do notice that they're always setup by themselves. Perhaps they're pulling a card from Monster where their HDMI cables were compared comes next to TVs with standard definition. Perhaps that Beats station in store has a special EQ.

 

[thievesarmy]

Those in-store demo's are BS. I have NEVER seen one where you use your own source, it's always the one where you just push a button and it lights up. Also, most of the demo units I have seen (in Best Buy's) there was little to no selection of headphones to choose from. This was like a year ago, but it was almost ALL Beats, maybe 1 or 2 of the Sony DJ-style / Bass-heavy models, and some ugly-as-sin Monster or Skull Candy's. That's it. In fact, it was the terrible selection that led me to find Head-Fi. I went in hoping to find something, and I didn't know much at the time, but I knew I didn't want Beats or Skull Candy. Since their options were so limited, I left the store and started searching online, THANK GOD. 

 

[CJs06]

I'm not too sure what to think about this news. Other than a retardedly strong brand that Beats has... I don't think their Beats music service would be any sort of a competitive advantage. Licensing? Infrastructure? IP?
 
Curious indeed.

 

[Bansaku]

The more I have been reading on the possible acquisition, the more I realize that literally every site that has reported on it is basically regurgitating the same 'rumour', backed up by no facts or hyperlinks. There has been lots of speculation but nothing even remotely concrete to validate the story.
 
Anyway, the more I think about it the more I see the logic behind Apple's potential purchase. Headphones with built in iPods with Siri anyone? New pack in IEM vs the standard white buds? 3.2 Billion would probably be more than enough to buy out Sennheiser, Sony's headphone department, UE, B&W, and probably every other company that makes headphones. That is no small sum to the average company that is not above 600pts on the stock market. Obviously there is more to their thinking than acquiring good headphone tech. Beats already is well established with the 'in' crowd/hipsters/sheep. Apple could easily tweak Beats and transition into a more balanced market. As I stated, Beats is not bad, just tailored to a specific demography willing to overpay for ok sound that puts the smile of the faces of otolaryngologists the same way Halloween does for dentists.
 
Hopefully more reliable news comes forward this next week and shed some light on this very heated rumour!

 

[StanD]

Siri said that if the deal goes through, she's quiting and getting a job at Google.