How Beats beat Monster in the rear end

[Ns1]

Fantastic article by gizmodo

http://gizmodo.com/5981823/beat-by-dre-the-inside-story-of-how-monster-lost-the-world

The same year Beats Electronics dropped Monster, the company put up $519 million in sales (versus $298 the year before), capturing a commanding 64% of the "premium" headphone market ($100 and higher). That's beyond a fad—that's a conquest.

 

[darkewaffle]

It's the classic David vs Goliath story—with one minor edit: David gets his ass kicked and is laughed out of the arena.

Wait, what?

I didn't know Beats ever even caught on. I remember it being shilled in laptops a few years back and thats about it.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Wait, what?

I didn't know Beats ever even caught on. I remember it being shilled in laptops a few years back and thats about it.

Beats are all over the place.

 

[Ns1]

Wait, what?

I didn't know Beats ever even caught on. I remember it being shilled in laptops a few years back and thats about it.

see:

My 11 yo will not stop bugging me about Beatz headphones
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2293158&highlight=son+beats

 

[Fritzo]

I commented on that article this morning Pretty much it comes down to Beats giving you a tangible product with tangible results vs. overpaying for a "behind the scenes" product that supports inaccurate claims.

 

[Fritzo]

Wait, what?

I didn't know Beats ever even caught on. I remember it being shilled in laptops a few years back and thats about it.

Yeah, Beats headphones are the new iPods. All the kids have to have them. I got my son a set of Studios for Christmas and it was the first time he hugged me in a year

Anyway, they are really nice. I'm sure there's better you can get with the money, but Beats took a note from the Apple playbook of looks/feel/presentation into their products to make them appealing. Even opening the box for them was an experience.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Gotta love marketing. People will buy headphones with terrible responses everywhere but the bass for 5x the price of headphones that are better than it.

 

[QueBert]

Gotta love marketing. People will buy headphones with terrible responses everywhere but the bass for 5x the price of headphones that are better than it.

They might be overpriced, but depending on the music you listen to they can sound really nice. I have their bluetooth headphones, and imho they sound better than even the Sennheiser MM500's which cost even more. I also paid for the style, which is no different than paying more for a computer case because you like how it looks.

 

[Krazy4Real]

Gotta love marketing. People will buy headphones with terrible responses everywhere but the bass for 5x the price of headphones that are better than it.

Seriously. Listened to some in a store and was not impressed at all. Love my sennheisers.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

They might be overpriced, but depending on the music you listen to they can sound really nice. I have their bluetooth headphones, and imho they sound better than even the Sennheiser MM500's which cost even more.

The only music they're better for is for music where 80% of their sound is in the bass.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

It really speaks to the incompetency of the guy running Monster. "Oh, we're debating a contract written up by a team of lawyers for a record company? Better send my son with his zero business training to hammer this one out." I'm shocked that didn't work out for them.

 

[Childs]

If I was young I would probably want them. heh...the last time I was in Manhattan I was using these studio cans with my iPod. Then I realized everyone was wearing the standard white buds, and this let everyone know you had an iPod. I caved and broke out the white buds. I wanted to let everyone know I could afford an iPod too!

 

[QueBert]

The only music they're better for is for music where 80% of their sound is in the bass.

Which is what I listen to, so I have good sounding cans that look better, yeah they cost too much, but since I couldn't find another brand that fit all my criteria for less I can't say they're overpriced.

*shrugs*

 

[randay]

It really speaks to the incompetency of the guy running Monster. "Oh, we're debating a contract written up by a team of lawyers for a record company? Better send my son with his zero business training to hammer this one out." I'm shocked that didn't work out for them.

did you even read it?

 

[momeNt]

The only music they're better for is for music where 80% of their sound is in the bass.

You would be better served with some Beyerdynamics if you wanted to experience good bass vs Beats.

They have no redeeming qualities as a good headphone, it's just that quality headphones was always sort of a niche market so Beats was very smart to mark theirs up so much and push them into B&M stores and get Dr. Dre on board.

 

[CPA]

It really speaks to the incompetency of the guy running Monster. "Oh, we're debating a contract written up by a team of lawyers for a record company? Better send my son with his zero business training to hammer this one out." I'm shocked that didn't work out for them.

Probably because they spend all their time suing companies that use the word "monster".

 

[GagHalfrunt]

One set of scumbags > other set of scumbags


The only sad thing is that both companies didn't lose.

 

[biostud]

M-m-m-monster kill

 

[momeNt]

Monster's problem is monoprice and word of mouth saying you can spend $.10 a foot for HDMI cables not $25. Beats also targets parent's credit card with kids being a proxy. Adults are generally the ones buying cables. So there is differing levels of reasonableness between the two consumer bases.

 

[preslove]

Makes sense. More often than not, it isn't some lone visionary who exploits a new market. Tons of people knew in the 70's that pc software would be huge, Bill Gates was the one with a business background in his family. MS software was ok, but Gates raped all the pie eyed visionaries with business acumen.

 

[Fritzo]

They have no redeeming qualities as a good headphone, it's just that quality headphones was always sort of a niche market so Beats was very smart to mark theirs up so much and push them into B&M stores and get Dr. Dre on board.

This is not true at all. Beats are actually very good cans. Not the best for the price, and not the best in any one area, but decent overall.

Truthfully, IMO it's stupid to pay $200+ for ANY headphones and then use them to listen to 128kbps compressed music in your phone, but eh...I'm old so what do I know.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Wow, I feel so sorry for the Monster guys now. What poor, poor souls. They in no way deserved to get screwed over.

 

[momeNt]

This is not true at all. Beats are actually very good cans. Not the best for the price, and not the best in any one area, but decent overall.

Truthfully, IMO it's stupid to pay $200+ for ANY headphones and then use them to listen to 128kbps compressed music in your phone, but eh...I'm old so what do I know.

for $400 I could get 3-4 headphones that are better vs 1 pair of Beats.

As to the second, yes past like $30 cans you aren't doing yourself any favors if you have a bad source.

 

[Ns1]

Monster's problem is monoprice and word of mouth saying you can spend $.10 a foot for HDMI cables not $25. Beats also targets parent's credit card with kids being a proxy. Adults are generally the ones buying cables. So there is differing levels of reasonableness between the two consumer bases.

Monster cables/monoprice is not relevant to the discussion on how beats fucked them in the ass, esp with regards to intellectual property.

 

[Acanthus]

Wait, what?

I didn't know Beats ever even caught on. I remember it being shilled in laptops a few years back and thats about it.

There's like 20 cellphones with it now. Honestly it just sounds like the bass is a little deeper. (which is nice on tiny cellphone speakers)