Vanilla pods didn’t sell well cos ANC is pretty much a standard these days. The money you’d spend on them you might as well reach for the pros. Apple have been flooding the market with endless variety for a while now. Definitely not the simple and clean product line like back in the day.
But the article said that the vanilla Gen 3s aren’t selling because people are still buying new 2s.
There is a market for vanilla headphones. It’s the middle tier that’s doesn’t make sense.
The 2s can often be purchased for $100, and the 3s are often more expansive that the Gen 1 Pros when they’re on sale.
All in all, AirPod 3s are a weird in-between product that doesn’t make sense.
Which makes me worry that they would rather scrap the 2 at that price range and make 3 the base cheaper (but more expensive) price.
3 definitely feels like a bit of an after thought product. I’m just glad they’re not touching the pros for a while. Literally just bought the usbc one on a sale this week
The article doesn’t even mention the change in AirPods’ “one-size fits most” design. Most people I know have refused to go past 2nd gen due to the new fit.
Exactly, my wife mentioned just last week that she doesn’t like her AirPod 3’s due to the fit, and that she’s considering asking for a new pair of 2’s this Christmas instead. Glad to hear they might be going back on that design change, for her sake.
Uh, yes it does absolutely mention that.
But curiously, Gurman says that neither is likely to include replaceable silicone ear tips; we’ll probably get the same one-size-fits-most, open-air design that the standard AirPods have always had.
My issue is that the article doesn’t address that Apple changed the physical design of the AirPods with Gen 3 so it sits in the ear or more accurately falls out of the ear differently. It is a completely different ear design when compared to the Gen 1&2 AirPods or wired EarPods. 2021 Apple AirPods Announcement
The new design of AirPods is lightweight and contoured, sitting at just the right angle for comfort and to direct audio into the ear.
I liked the change. The 1’s were always falling out of my ears, the 3’s felt secure. But the pros are better than either for me.
Pros with the Comply foam tips are my current favorites. The 3s were pretty good once I put some grip stickers on them.
If they ditch the silicone tips, how are they expecting to achieve premium fit and noise cancelling? Seems like a bad move IMO.
As an owner of the AirPods 1 and the Pro, I absolutely agree.
Personally even with the changeable tips I’ve had issues with fit and staying in over a short period of time, so this just feels like further backwards in functionality, configurability, and comfort.
All around what-the-fuck-is-this bs
Well, it’s still a rumor at this point, so who knows what’s actually going to happen. If they actually do that, I’m going to stick with my current buds until they die. If buying second hand buds doesn’t work out, I may have to go back to Bose or Sennheiser.
Really wish Apple would launch a service partnered with an audiology company to make custom moulded earpieces. I’d buy a set in a heartbeat.
i don’t think apple will ever do that themselves, but their are plenty of custom moulded IEMs out there, if you really want them.
That’s like the complete opposite of their demographic lol
Fully customized earphones with perfect sound isolation?
You’ve obviously never tried them. They’re exactly for their target demographic. Custom and comfy but expensive.
I had a pair from another manufacturer but lost them on a trip.
Best headphones ever. Perfect fit, amazing comfort and total sound isolation. Crying babies, gunshots, you name it - total silence.
Apple’s crowd tends to be one-size-fits-all and don’t care about customization. I’m sure they’re good, that’s something more Android users would go for imo. Apple users aren’t that informed on tech lol.
Proving you really don’t know what you’re talking about. Ok.
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I can’t imagine trying to wear the AR headset while wearing AirPods Max. It would cause neck injuries.
Couldn’t Apple just sell a neck brace in addition to the top strap to ensure a better wearing experience and remove neck strain?
We’d start looking like shitty versions of Robocop.
The neck brace would be “only” $1899
Still cheaper than getting one from a paramedic
This is exactly the reason why VR is never going to be cool.
I figure they’ll eventually get it down to Geordie visors. Then I’m on board.
But the Vision Pro is not supposed to be VR, it’s MR. Completely different things
And still it’s not cool. Your comment actually made it even more uncool.
Basically people buy the cheapest AirPods, the 2s, or the Pros with ANC. Not the middle ground.
The weird middle tier just doesn’t sell well. If you don’t want ANC, you can get new 2s for a lot less. And if you really want spatial audio, you might as well spend an extra few bucks to get the pros or some refurbished pros. They might even been cheaper than the MSRP 3s if you go with Gen 1 Pros.
I feel like most people probably buy 3s because they are a good fit for a specific ear shape. If you’re comparing features and prices, they’re an odd choice.
