
Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine Would Both Join Apple in Beats Deal - sarreph
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304655304579552363078848706
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thefreeman
Non pay-walled version
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2FSB10001424052702304655304579552363078848706&oq=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Fnews%2Farticles%2FSB10001424052702304655304579552363078848706)

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bede
Does anyone else feel that this deal tarnishes their perception of the Apple
brand? I struggle to think of a brand of consumer electronics for which I have
more contempt than Beats Electronics (and Monster Cable, who once manufactured
all Beats products, between tricking the naive masses into buying hundred
dollar HDMI cables…).

The cultural values of these two companies couldn't be much more different.
While both are extremely image-conscious and fashionable, Apple has
nevertheless built its reputation by delivering innovation and quality to its
customers. Beats on the other hand has a built a reputation by selling very
expensive headphones of highly questionable quality whose value, I would
argue, is primarily superficial.

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w4
I hate to be that guy, but have you ever actually _listened_ to a pair of
Beats? It seems like most people are agressively derisive of them without
having actually tried on a pair. Hell, even I used to be that guy.

I use a pair of Sennheisers as my go to headphones because I prefer the
accuracy, but Beats are kind of great to listen to. They're inaccurate and
hyped as all hell, but in a really pleasing way ( _so_ much bass) if you
mostly listen to modern pop or dance music.

EDIT: And with respect to having a reputation of selling overpriced, inferior
products on the basis of fashionability: isn't that what Android fans say
about Apple and the iPhone? Seems to me the two companies have a lot in
common. Both sell well designed products at high markups on the basis of
fashion, and not necessarily on feature superiority. Plus, I wouldn't expect
Apple to integrate the Beats brand into their own, as that'd destroy a lot of
the value associated with the acquisition.

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bede
Yes – I had a good listen to a friend's Studio headphones in 2010. They were
not bad and I understand why the sound appeals to some – I just thought they
represented terrible value for money. IIRC they cost >£200 in 2010. This
particular pair was stored in a hard case yet snapped due to fatigue in the
plastic headband after a few months, although I expect their construction has
improved a fair bit since then.

In response to your edit, the difference between the two companies is that
Apple generally backs up the superficial appeal of its products with very
good, if not market leading user experience, engineering and manufacturing.
The iPhone is relatively expensive (part of the reason I own a Nexus device),
but its quality is undeniable.

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w4
Fair enough -- and I don't disagree in the slightest about value for the money
(my Sennheisers are a tank, sound great, and they were only about $100).

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xSwag
Anybody else more interested in when Dr.Dre is going to release Detox? I'd
love to hear him rap about multi-billion deal

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DevX101
Dre wasn't really the type of rapper to brag about his money.

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mikhailt
Then why did he brag about it in the Facebook video that was taken down?

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torbit
He didn't. It looked like Tyrese Gibson camera since he was the one talking,
and it was posted on Tyrese Gibson facebook.

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mikhailt
Yes, he did. Here's the youtube copy:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guMFKBXp544](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guMFKBXp544)

Watch it all the way through, it was Dre himself who spoke and did that "first
hip-hop billionaire on the mother$$#8ker west coast" quote.

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fatjokes
Can an audiophile comment on the actual quality of Beats' technology? Or is it
just successful due to celebrity endorsements?

I am not an audiophile, and I'm usually happy with sub-$10 earbuds from
Amazon.

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buro9
I'm not sure who calls themselves an audiophile, but would guess that most
people would call me one (music industry background, more money spent on
stereo equipment than computer equipment, etc).

I've used two pairs of Beats headphones and disliked both. I guess the best
way to describe it is that they sounded non-neutral... they change the audio.

When I try stereo equipment I have a few pieces of music I always return to
and I know well, my reference points. I, and most audiophiles, shoot for
equipment that is as neutral as possible, that introduces nothing new into the
recording whilst reproducing the recording as faithfully as possible.

If you're asking audiophiles what equates to good, the answer will be
neutrality; not modifying the audio at all. Usually this means introducing no
warmth where there was none, no harshness where there was none, emphasising
nothing that wasn't originally emphasised in the recording and studio, etc.
You shouldn't hear the equipment used for reproduction in the music that
you're reproducing.

Beats headphones are a bit like a Mega-Bass switch on old Walkman systems.
What they do to the audio isn't enjoyable if you tend to like things with
acoustic sections, folk music, classical, jazz, and rock.

But... for House music, Hip Hop and other club beats the changes may actually
be something you enjoy and seek as they reproduce an element of how you enjoy
music (closer to the memory of the club, or a loud car stereo than a perfect
recording).

They are crap, for want of a better word, because they change the music
noticeably. But you've got to realise this is super-subjective stuff as some
people _want_ those changes.

They are also crap, probably the right word this time, because the material
choice at this price point is pretty dire. But hey, they made plastic a luxury
thing again, you could argue there's some brilliance there too. Most issues
around durability come from the choice of materials.

As to whether they're crap full stop... well, no.

If you like the big beats of clubs, reverberating bass that dominates, and you
rank the iconic fashion statement above durability (because fashion isn't
designed to last anyway)... then Beats aren't a bad choice.

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RobinL
The neutrality point is kind of interesting because if the sound engineers
start adjusting recordings to sound best though Beats headphones (or other
audio 'enhancers'), then the recording will actually sound 'worse than
intended' if it's listened to through a neutral system....

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buro9
I've been with artists in the studio and in post-production... a point that
most audiophiles miss is this: Who says the artists knew what the hell they
were doing?

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FireBeyond
Not to mention one of my favorite quotes on audiophiles:

"Regular people buy sound systems to listen to their music. Audiophiles buy
music to listen to their sound system."

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mantrax5
Ok, the deal is not even officially announced, how the ef is so much info
leaking out?

If it's leaking out of Beats, then they're already demonstrating how poor of a
cultural fit for Apple they are. From... _literally_ not day 1, but day -N.

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gnoway
I'm a lot more curious about what the point of this is. Beats is about more
than just headphones - they have the branded audio systems in some laptops and
I think phones - but I didn't realize any of it was technically compelling. I
thought they were all sales and marketing. Apple doesn't really need any help
with that, do they?

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threeseed
There is a fantastic interview with Levine which explains it all:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Fkj427wDE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Fkj427wDE)

Beats' streaming service has a recommendation engine that is a combination of
automated and manual curation. And iTunes Radio has shown that is Apple may be
fine on the first but clearly fails at the second. What Levine mentions during
the interview is how they know which producers and DJs are coming/going etc.
So clearly they have extensive insider connections within the music industry.
That is definitely worth spending money for.

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w4
Iovine (it's an i, not an L) alone is worth spending money on. If Apple is
struggling with iTunes and looking to revamp it with an eye towards streaming,
as has been rumored, a guy with Iovine's connections to the industry is
someone you'd like to have on your team. Add in the fashion aspects the of
Beats brand, the fact that Apple already sells their hardware in large
quantities, the fact that Beats is profitable, and whatever existing streaming
licenses they have with the labels, and the acquisition makes a lot of sense.

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ksec
I watched the Interview, about how he think EarPod quality were poor, and how
he wanted the Music to Feel exactly right, with the Beats Headphone.

All these are great. His sales pitch was Apple ish too. There will likely be
people on the net falls for it.

But may be, just may be he loves Rocks and Dre is Hip Hop, their Beats
Headphone are essentially only suited for these two type of music. And may be
that is what is was talking about how the music should feel.

And may be, just may be, Amercians love the way it sounds, as in Audiophile
world there are people who could distinguish those Stereo equipments from
different region.

I am definitely on the UK and Japan camp, B&W being my favourite. Not that
they are the best, but most of the time it is best suited to me, and it
depends on price range and other factors.

Beats? If it wasn't for the design and looks, i would put it at the bottom of
all branded Headphones. And that is not a problem because there will always be
a loser. But for a Brand that consistently put out crap at its price range,
and talk about it so passionately as if they were the best? I just feel sick.
The worst thing about Beats headphone is the audio coming out has no soul in
it. I dont feel any attention to details were ever put into it.

Heck that is why there are so many cheap knock off, and some even claim those
fake version sounded better.

Now back to Apple, assuming the Headset business worth nothing. Why would you
spend 3.2B on a streaming services? Do knowing what songs next really worth
3.2B?

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bluedino
>> I watched the Interview, about how he think EarPod quality were poor

Do people actually think Apples earbuds (the current as well as the previous
version) sound _good_?

I never liked the first generation ones because they didn't fit in my ear very
well. I saw the presentation about the current earpods, and when I got my new
iPhone I tried them out. They are a joke.

Don't get me wrong - they are about what I was expecting for pack-in
headphones. Apple was known for their earbuds, with the white cord and white
bodies. They are iconic.

But a few years ago, I went headphone crazy since I started working at a place
with an open environment and ended up wearing them most of the day. I didn't
buy anything crazy, the single most expensive pair I bought was $140 and I
even bought a few pair used. But $50/$70 earbuds are just on another level
compared to the Apple earpods and are really worth it if you use them a lot.

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danabramov
I think they're good. Not _good_ good but I hate vacuum buds and I'm happy to
find some that fit my ears nicely. I'd welcome suggestions for quality
headphones if they: (1) fit as good as current Apple model, (2) aren't vacuum,
(3) are the same form factor (I can't wear large headphones).

