Bad News: Beats Controls 57% of High-End Headphones Market

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boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
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I actually look at it as a good thing. Yes, most people are buying these as a fashion statement and not for performance. But that said, would these same people buy anything that resembles a decent headphone otherwise? Probably not. Before Beats got popular almost everyone I saw was using stock earbuds. At least now they are getting better sound. Maybe not as good as they could have for the money but better than otherwise.
 

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
97,031
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I actually look at it as a good thing. Yes, most people are buying these as a fashion statement and not for performance. But that said, would these same people buy anything that resembles a decent headphone otherwise? Probably not. Before Beats got popular almost everyone I saw was using stock earbuds. At least now they are getting better sound. Maybe not as good as they could have for the money but better than otherwise.

Apple will probably buy Beats then.
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
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Um, no the problem is Beats just offer poor performance. There are a lot of good headphones for you to choose from, even if you want style as much or more than sound quality. There's nothing wrong with different priorities, but let's face it, most people buying Beats are buying it because them and Bose are about the only real "premium" headphones they've been marketed to, and because some celebrity wore a special flashy gold pair so they want one to match their Nikes.

Grados are really just as bad, although really they evolved into a sorta audiophile version of Beats, style and stigma over substance. Beats at least made their headphones mostly comfortable. The best thing about Grados is that you can get about the best of what they offer from their lowest rung model.

The Yamaha Pro 500 are basically a copy of the Beats pro with a different logo and much better drivers inside them. Beats were made by Monster Products for a time, the same company that tries to sell you a $80 HDMI cable at Best Buy. The selling point was Dr.Dre putting his name on them. As for Grado's headphones they sound really good for certain types of music. They are really good at reproducing the distortion of an electric guitar.

I am surprised that Apple didn't try marketing some high end headphones for their ipods.
 

desura

Diamond Member
Mar 22, 2013
4,627
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I can imagine an "approved by Jonathan Ive" line of headphones...

come to think of it, aren't those what the earpods were?

I actually think that the in ear monitors that Apple sold for a while probably were essentially Steve Jobs "beats". I bet he was the driving force behind Apple offering them in the first place...as well as gapless playback...
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,222
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I actually listed to a set once....very bass heavy, otherwise distant, muffled, soft. Others have said they sound overly bright....guess it's who made them as Beats, no longer made by Monster, uses several manufacturers and the end sound seems very variable, except the bass heavy sound. Guess that's why there sort of good for kids, given the "music" they would choose to listen to.
 

BrightCandle

Diamond Member
Mar 15, 2007
4,762
0
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I found a shop here in London that was selling only Beats headphones a few years back. I hadn't heard of them so I thought I would go have a listen. I was astonished by the price tag considering I thought I was listening to a $30 per of Bose headphones from the quality of the sound delivered. They had very poor separation, sound stage, a lot of bass but no real good range in the bass and they were definitely doing something odd with voice. Honestly they are terrible headphones, but form over function drives a lot of purchasing decisions, humans aren't as rational as we think we are and not ever purchasing decision any of us makes is based on good science.
 

Kneedragger

Golden Member
Feb 18, 2013
1,187
43
91
This doesn't surprise me. Last year all the big names in MMA and NFL have been wearing Beats headphones. I'm sure there are more I missed. I would never get caught wearing a pair of those...
 

Anubis

No Lifer
Aug 31, 2001
78,712
427
126
tbqhwy.com
I found a shop here in London that was selling only Beats headphones a few years back. I hadn't heard of them so I thought I would go have a listen. I was astonished by the price tag considering I thought I was listening to a $30 per of Bose headphones from the quality of the sound delivered. They had very poor separation, sound stage, a lot of bass but no real good range in the bass and they were definitely doing something odd with voice. Honestly they are terrible headphones, but form over function drives a lot of purchasing decisions, humans aren't as rational as we think we are and not ever purchasing decision any of us makes is based on good science.

yep this,

for 300$ or whatever you can get an amazing pair of Grados or Senns or whatever
 

alcoholbob

Diamond Member
May 24, 2005
6,317
366
126
57% is not too bad, I figured it would be 70%+ at first. Still can't compete with Bose :D
 

Wingznut

Elite Member
Dec 28, 1999
16,968
2
0
I love Beats headphones. I recently found a pair at Goodwill for $20, and then sold them on eBay for $100.

What's not to like??? ;)
 

TheAdvocate

Platinum Member
Mar 7, 2005
2,561
7
81
I can readily believe that beats are heavily marketed mediocrity, but I find headphones to be so subjective... case by case depending on the music and the environment. I have a pair of original sennheiser px100s that I use at work, and I think sometimes that they are pound for pound the best value/most versatile I have ever owned. But they cannot do everything. At home, I have a set of AKG 240s, because I wanted to try studio cans... they sound great in some circumstances... I just dont think, other than those senns, that I have ever found one set of phones, especially cans, that were definitively great for a wide selection of sources. Is there something in the Beats price range that fits that bill?
 

reallyscrued

Platinum Member
Jul 28, 2004
2,618
5
81

exar333

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2004
8,518
8
91
Friend of mine got their noise-cancelling set (the Studio? I think) as a gift from their office. They're OK. I didn't do a hard-core test on them or anything, but they definitely aren't what I would get for $300.

I got a pair (honestly) thru Groupon last year for $100. They has color choices and they work fine for OK noise-canceling and sound decent. Would I pay $300? Heck no, but they are OK. I am more of a speaker/home audio snob and really don't like headphones, unless I have no other choice.
 

WhoBeDaPlaya

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2000
7,413
401
126
Surprisingly, Sennheiser went the Beats route with the on-ear Momentum.
Sounded heckuva lot more V-shaped than its over-ear brother. Combined with 0.5N more clamping force, I can't see myself spending $200 for the on-ears, when the much better over-ears are only $100 more (or less).
 

cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
126
Surprisingly, Sennheiser went the Beats route with the on-ear Momentum.
Sounded heckuva lot more V-shaped than its over-ear brother. Combined with 0.5N more clamping force, I can't see myself spending $200 for the on-ears, when the much better over-ears are only $100 more (or less).

I dont know if they break in but the clamping force seems lessened after I have used them for some time. I am happy with the sound but I do eq them a little with a phone app when I use them that way.
 

krumme

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 2009
5,956
1,595
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A lot of recordings today is so messed up and compressed a pair of bad phones doesn't make a huge difference.

Unfortunately when the interest goes away I don't think the interest for good sound remains because it's not about sound. It's short lived interest imho. Think about it. What good did bose do for hifi?

I think it's the opposite effect. Beats gives the impression it's about sound but doesn't deliver. Bad effect in the long run. And we need more focus on sound and sound quality.

Perhaps gaming can move this stagnating area.
 
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sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
97,031
16,248
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A lot of recordings today is so messed up and compressed a pair of bad phones doesn't make a huge difference.

Unfortunately when the interest goes away I don't think the interest for good sound remains because it's not about sound. It's short lived interest imho. Think about it. What good did bose do for hifi?

I think it's the opposite effect. Beats gives the impression it's about sound but doesn't deliver. Bad effect in the long run. And we need more focus on sound and sound quality.

Perhaps gaming can move this stagnating area.

Unlikely since gaming is more about surround effects these days. And no music label is interested in giving consumer access to high def audio recording even though BRD has the specs for high def music.
 
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cmdrdredd

Lifer
Dec 12, 2001
27,052
357
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I think there are certain types of music that people may listen to that don't benefit all that much from enhanced sound quality like HD Audio. The song of the week pop stuff and all that really doesn't call for it IMO. Some genres demand it more than others and even the band or artist and the way it was recorded can make a huge difference in whether or not the sound is actually enhanced in a meaningful way.
 
Sep 29, 2004
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In marketing terms, seems like over $100 is high end headphone $50-100 seems to be midrange, and <$50 is the lowend.

I have some Audio Technica's also. $150 pair over ear. Upgraded from the Senn HD280. I miss my Senns. I really need an amp for my Audio Technicas.
 

Railgun

Golden Member
Mar 27, 2010
1,289
2
81
Controls? Kind of a stong word. They have no influence over my decision to get by Klipsch X10s for example. While people can buy them up at stupid paces, it has no bearing on those that can think for themselves.