Tag: headphones

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Beats Studio Pro Wireless Headphones (black, 2023)

Beats by Dr. Dre (“Beats”) was founded in 2006 by Dr. Dre and Jimmy lovine. Beats makes a collection of headphones, earphones, and speakers, and aims to “bring the energy, emotion and excitement of playback in the recording studio back to the listening experience for music lovers worldwide.” Beats was acquired by Apple in July 2014.

As a company owned by Apple, Beats have many of the same features found in Apple-branded audio products, but Beats seems to more prominently feature Android compatibility in product specifications (compared to Apple’s AirPods products). The Beats product overview notes:

“The Beats Studio Pro custom acoustic platform delivers an immersive listening experience. Each custom 40mm driver has been engineered for optimal clarity, with near-zero distortion even at high volume – an improvement of up to 80% compared to Beats Studio3, providing increased audio fidelity. An integrated digital processor optimizes the final frequency response for a powerful, yet balanced sound profile crafted to bring out the subtle details of whatever you’re listening to.”

The product packaging touts the following features:

  • Sound that surrounds you with Personalized Spatial Audio and dynamic head tracking
  • Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) for immersive listening
  • Transparency mode blends your listening experience with the world around you
  • Two additional EQ-optimized sound profiles while using USB-C audio
  • Voice targeting mics for clear call performance
  • UltraPlush engineered leather cushions for extended comfort and durability

The “Enhanced Apple Compatibility” features of Beats Studio Pro Wireless Headphones include one-touch pairing with every device in your iCloud account, “Hey Siri” compatibility, Find My suport, and Over-the-air updates.

“Enhanced Android Compatibility” features include Google Fast Pair to all Android or Chrome devices registered to a Gmail account, Audio Switch between Android and Chromebook devices, Google Find My Device support, and a Beats app for Android to “unlock access to product customization, software updates, and new features to get the most out of your headphones.”

The headphones measure 7.125 inches high, by 7 inches long, by 3.1 inches wide, and weigh 9.17 ounces. They include a custom-fitted carrying case, USB-C-to-USB-C cable (charging and audio), and a 3.5 mm analog audio cable. Bluetooth (version 5.3) delivers up to 40 hours of listening time and offers a “Fast Fuel” charge that delivers up to 4 hours of playback from a 10-minute charge.

Sources: Beats, Apple

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Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic (Generation 2, 2008)

Apple introduced their In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic in September 2008 as a follow-up to their original In-Ear Headphones. This Generation 2 model included an on-wire remote control and microphone. According to 9to5Mac, these earphones “featured more impressive sound isolation and were designed with the iPhone in mind.”

These were a follow-up to the original “premium” iPod In-Ear Headphones from January 2004.

The Generation 2 Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic are described in a review from CNET:

“Out of the box, the Apple In-Ear headphones include a plastic carrying case with a cable wrap, three pairs of silicone ear tips (small, medium, and large) and a set of replacement mesh caps…The earpieces are very light, comfortable, and stylish, and the cable runs around 3.5 feet long.”

CNET corroborates the iPhone features:

“An in-line clicker remote and microphone are included on these headphones, located on the cable about 4 inches down from the right earpiece. The remote includes plus and minus buttons for volume control and a central button for playing, pausing, and skipping songs. If you’re using the In-Ear headphones with a first- or second-generation iPhone, the center button also works for answering or ending incoming calls; however, the volume control buttons will only work with the iPhone 3GS.”

The retail packaging of this product was described by Rene Ritchie in an iMore review:

“In the box are two plastic capsules. The first is a rounded triangle that contains the ear pieces in the center and the cord wrapped around the edge… The second capsule contains smaller and larger silicone ear tips in case the default ones don’t fit you properly.”

The example in my collection includes only the triangle carrying case with the “default” silicone ear tips. I do not have the capsule with the additional silicone ear tip sizes.

Sources: 9to5Mac, CNET, iMore

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AirPods Max (space gray, 2020)

Apple announced their AirPods Max over-ear headphones on December 8, 2020, and they shipped one week later on December 15. The original press release touted:

“AirPods Max feature incredible high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio”

The headphones featured a brand new design and included the Digital Crown from the Apple Watch as the primary control interface. Materials included a “breathable knit mesh canopy” that spanned the headband to reduce pressure on the head while wearing the headphones for extended periods. The headband frame was made from stainless steel and telescoped to allow a custom fit. The ear cushions were made from a “custom-designed mesh textile [that] wraps the ear cushions to provide pillow-like softness while listening.” The outer ear cup was aluminum in a rectangular shape with rounded corners (as opposed to a round or oval design seen on other over-the-ear headphone designs).

The audio technology included “H1 chips, and advanced software to power computational audio for a breakthrough listening experience with Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and spatial audio.” The battery on AirPods Max was advertised at 20 hours.

AirPods Max headphones were available in five colors: space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. The colors consistently referred to the color of the outer ear cup of the AirPods Max—since each color option used a different combination of accent colors. Space gray used space gray outer ear cups with black ear cushions and headband. Silver used silver outer ear cups with white ear cushions and headband. Sky blue used light blue outer ear cups with light blue ear cushions and a dark blue headband. Green used light green outer ear cups with light green ear cushions and a pale green (white tinted with green) headband. Pink used pale pink (similar to Apple’s rose gold) outer ear cups with dark pink ear cushions and a red headband.

AirPods Max Ear Cushions were also sold separately by Apple as replacements—or to allow users to customize their headphone style. By mixing and matching the Ear Cushions, 25 color combinations were possible, or 125 combinations if two different ear cushion colors were used.

The AirPods Max shipped with an arguably unusual case design that provided little protection, but allowed the headphones to go into “an ultralow power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.” The case was frequently maligned by critics.

When AirPods Max were released, they were almost universally praised for their superior sound quality and noise-cancelling features, but panned for their high price of $549. The primary technical issue shared by some reviewers was the tendency for AirPods Max to “form condensation under the earcups and the water that is formed gets inside the drivers causing ear detection problems.”

This set of AirPods Max headphones is Space Gray.

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, AirPods Max, ear cushions), Wikipedia

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AirPods Max (sky blue, 2020)

Apple announced their AirPods Max over-ear headphones on December 8, 2020, and they shipped one week later on December 15. The original press release touted:

“AirPods Max feature incredible high-fidelity audio, Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, and spatial audio”

The headphones featured a brand new design and included the Digital Crown from the Apple Watch as the primary control interface. Materials included a “breathable knit mesh canopy” that spanned the entire headband that was meant to reduce pressure on the head while wearing the headphones for extended periods. The headband frame was made from stainless steel and telescoped to allow a custom fit. The ear cushions were made from a “custom-designed mesh textile [that] wraps the ear cushions to provide pillow-like softness while listening.” The outer ear cup was aluminum in a rectangular shape with steeply rounded corners (as opposed to a round or oval design seen on other over-the-ear headphone designs).

The audio technology included “H1 chips, and advanced software to power computational audio for a breakthrough listening experience with Adaptive EQ, Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode, and spatial audio.” The battery on AirPods Max was advertised at 20 hours.

AirPods Max headphones were available in five colors: space gray, silver, sky blue, green, and pink. The colors consistently referred to the color of the outer ear cup of the AirPods Max, since each color option used a different combination of accent colors. Space gray used space gray outer ear cups with black ear cushions and headband. Silver used silver outer ear cups with white ear cushions and headband. Sky blue used light blue outer ear cups with light blue ear cushions and a dark blue headband. Green used light green outer ear cups with light green ear cushions and a pale green (white tinted with green) headband. Pink used pale pink (similar to Apple’s Rose Gold) outer ear cups with dark pink ear cushions and a red headband.

AirPods Max Ear Cushions were also sold separately by Apple as replacements or to allow users to customize their headphone style. By mixing and matching the Ear Cushions, 25 color combinations were possible—or 125 combinations if two different ear cushion colors were used.

The AirPods Max shipped with an arguably unusual case design that provided little protection, but allowed the headphones to go into “an ultralow power state that helps to preserve battery charge when not in use.”

When AirPods Max were released, they were almost universally praised for their superior sound quality and noise-cancelling features, but panned for their high price of $549. The primary technical issue shared by some reviewers was the tendency for AirPods Max to “form condensation under the earcups and the water that is formed gets inside the drivers causing ear detection problems.”

Sources: Apple (Newsroom, AirPods Max, ear cushions), Wikipedia, MSN

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iPhone XR (packaging, 2018, 2020)

In 2020 Apple made a major change to its iPhone 12 packaging when they stopped including Lightning headphones and a wall power “brick” charger in the box at the time of an iPhone purchase. With these items removed, Apple was able to reduce the size of the iPhone box and reduce the extra packaging associated with the headphones and charger. It was announced that the iPhone 12 would ship only with the phone and a USB-C-to-Lightning charging cable.

Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, announced at an October 2020 Apple event, “Customers already have over 700 million Lightning headphones, and many customers have moved to a wireless experience with AirPods, Beats, or other wireless headphones. And there are also over 2 billion Apple power adapters out in the world, and that’s not counting the billions of third-party adapters. So we are removing these items from the iPhone box.”

With the iPhone 12 announcement, I was not at all expecting this packaging change to also affect older, but still manufactured iPhone models. At the time of the iPhone 12 release, Apple was still offering the iPhone XR as a lower-end and less expensive iPhone option. Surprisingly, the iPhone XR packaging was also reduced in size and shipped without the headphones and charger. Also, the cable was switched to a USB-C-to-Lightning, replacing the former USB-to-Lightning option.

While the change may contribute to some environmental benefits, the situation was not universally accepted as positive. Some critics noted that, “The move saves the company money, but some of the environmental benefits could be offset by people buying earbuds and chargers separately” (The Verge). From a practical standpoint, some users—namely enterprise, government, and school districts like mine—had not switched to USB-C when this decision was made. As Apple indicated, it is likely that most users likely already have more than one charger and at least one set of Lightning headphones.

The photos here represent my school district’s iPhone XR upgrade affected mid-stream—where iPhone XR models purchased before October 2020 used “classic” packaging, and devices purchased in late-October/November 2020 unexpectedly used the new packaging without an announcement or warning.

Sources: AppleInsider, The Verge

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Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic (without Mic for the iPod Shuffle Generation 3, 2009)

These Apple earphones are a bit of an anomaly. The design is based upon its Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic that was sold independently and also included with the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, and iPod touch (Generation 3). Each of those devices used a microphone. At the same time, Apple released the iPod Shuffle Generation 3 that did not have microphone compatibility. Instead of using an old earphones design, they instead produced the same design without a microphone.

This version of the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic without a Mic lacks the small Mic hole in the housing on the right-ear wire. Previous Apple Earphone designs lacked the + and – volume controls and the microphone on models that included the Mic.

Of course, I would love to tear these apart or X-ray them to see if Apple left out the microphone, or simply covered the microphone hole in this version of the earphones.

Sources: Apple, Apple (via webarchive)