The Truth About Beats by Dre!

9 replies
  • OFF TOPIC
  • |

Joe Mobley
  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Yeah, I always though the BBD was just DUMB! It is NOT a company! It is NOT a product! It is basically a policy and trademark! I mean THINK about it! Do you REALLY think they make the speakers and chipsets for the laptops advertised as being BBD? NOPE!

    As for ME? I often buy the lowest priced product I can. They are usually about as good, and I could RARELY buy just what I want, since the store may not have it. Don't get me wrong, sometimes the CHEAPEST are not capable, or I have bad experience with them, and I buy a more expensive one. Sometimes, I buy the MOST expensive. SOMETIMES, I don't buy ANY! But usually, for something like headphones, I buy the cheapest.

    Steve
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9484115].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
      I can only guess his manufacturing estimates are way off.

      I'd assume it costs a lot less than $150 to manufacture a pair of those headphones.

      That doesn't deter from the overall message though..
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9484666].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author BigFrank
        Banned
        Originally Posted by Daniel Evans View Post

        I can only guess his manufacturing estimates are way off.

        I'd assume it costs a lot less than $150 to manufacture a pair of those headphones.

        That doesn't deter from the overall message though..
        I made a post about the cost of producing this particular brand done by an independent acoustical laboratory, a few months back, I believe on this forum. I'll check.

        If I recall correctly, the price was somewhere around $17.

        That said, you won't find a worse sounding headphone unless you are a total 'bass' freak.

        Cheers. - Frank

        EDIT: Found the post. I wasn't that far off on the cost. Not too bad for being as brain dead as I am, but it wasn't a lab that estimated the cost. I read that elsewhere, I believe. :-)

        Apple to acquire, 'Beats." Here's all you need to know about this acquisition:

        "Beats began to sell its sleek, bass-heavy headphones in 2008 as an alternative to the lightweight earbuds that Apple included free with its iPod players. And even at prices of up to $450 apiece, they quickly became fashion statements. The company’s headphones have fat profit margins. Headphone designers estimate the cost of making a fancy headset is as low as $14."

        I have always found the desire for more bass to be inversely proportional to IQ, but that's just derived from a personal observation of the people in my life.

        I find myself being the only person I know that craves less bass and a greater ability to hear the 'highs' in my music.

        Paging Big Frank - party of one. Your table is ready.

        Cheers. - Frank
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9484708].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author whateverpedia
          Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

          I find myself being the only person I know that craves less bass and a greater ability to hear the 'highs' in my music.
          No Frank, you're not alone in that. If there's an instrument being played, I want to hear it, not have it drowned out by "rumble".
          Signature
          Why do garden gnomes smell so bad?
          So that blind people can hate them as well.
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9484769].message }}
          • Profile picture of the author Floyd Fisher
            Originally Posted by whateverpedia View Post

            No Frank, you're not alone in that. If there's an instrument being played, I want to hear it, not have it drowned out by "rumble".
            It all depends on what kind of music you listen to.

            If you're listening to the Scorpions and AC/DC all day long (or hip hop for that matter), Beats by Dre may be all you need.

            If you're listening to other kinds of music (like orchesteral music), yeah, you want to hear the wood winds, and the trumpets and sax, as well as the drums...and Beats by Dre would get it's lunch handed to it when compared to other headphones in it's price range.

            Bose has the same issue....it's good bass, and average at everything else beyond bass. A good pair of Wharfdales would hand Bose their lunch in a paper sack when compared side by side.

            Every speaker and headphone is designed differently, for different clientele, and different musical tastes.
            {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9486372].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author seasoned
          Originally Posted by BigFrank View Post

          I have always found the desire for more bass to be inversely proportional to IQ, but that's just derived from a personal observation of the people in my life.

          I find myself being the only person I know that craves less bass and a greater ability to hear the 'highs' in my music.
          It IS interesting that classical music and the like is more into treble,and rap and the like is heavily into bass.

          As for dre, you KNOW that just adding the name is going to cost you. The package, complexity of the package, and nice little things, like the zippered pouch the guy exposed, are going to cost you. The company and colors are going to cost. Because that costs SO much, they add antitheft devices that cost still MORE. It shouldn't be a secret that most of the cost goes into anything BUT the main product. MOST of the product is the same old thing that has been around like 100 years. HECK, bass is easier to play back well than treble is. When people talk about fidelity, it is usually the TREBLE they are talking about.

          Steve
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9484784].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author WalkingCarpet
    Banned
    Perfect reasoning.
    I unfortunately love the look of the beats ear buds and find myself having to physically slap myself into not clicking the Buy button, in favor of some Velodyne vPulses.
    They look incredibly good, tho, and no wonder people with weak minds cannot help but getting them.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9484982].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    You folks are missing the whole point. It's all about the style.

    Are Air Jordan shoes any better than a China knock-off for half the price? Both shoes are probably made in the same China factory (or wherever). The shoes don't make you run faster or jump higher, they're all about style.

    Who cares what the price/quality of the headphones are, thousands of people are still buying them.

    I thought this was a marketing forum. What happened?
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9485408].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author seasoned
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      You folks are missing the whole point. It's all about the style.

      Are Air Jordan shoes any better than a China knock-off for half the price? Both shoes are probably made in the same China factory (or wherever). The shoes don't make you run faster or jump higher, they're all about style.

      Who cares what the price/quality of the headphones are, thousands of people are still buying them.

      I thought this was a marketing forum. What happened?
      OH, you could EASILY "Market" things! HEY, I have a pill that will cause your BMI to go to 20, strength will TRIPLE, and you will look FANTASTIC to all people you find attractive. You will get PERFECT pitch, be able to hold your breath 10 minutes, it will make you healthy, happy, and immortal, ALSO, your ability to remember will quadruple! You can get a full eternities supply for $40 USD! RUSH SHIPPING is $70 extra! Just call 1800-844-7565 That is 1800-this-joke.

      I bet a lot of people that don't believe any of that would STILL call. The trick isn't to make a bunch of baseless claims, or play off of unrelated celebrity status, but to tell the truth and make it enticing enough to get people to CHOOSE it.

      Steve
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[9485630].message }}

Trending Topics