How Beats Tricks You Into Thinking It Makes a Premium Product

[SEAWOLF97]

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http://gizmodo.com/how-beats-tricks-you-into-thinking-it-makes-a-premium-p-1712319045

[LowPhreak]

They're not what mom & dad used (AKG, Beyer, Senn) and one of the homies put his name on 'em, so they must be cool! :bash:

[dr_gallup]

I don't think anyone ever confused them with a quality product. My niece asked for a pair for Christmas a couple of years ago but even she knew they were junk and had picked them for the cool factor. She got Sennheisers.

[SEAWOLF97]

"Incidentally, Louie’s writes that the costs of materials used in a pair of $200 Beats headphones comes out to about $16.90 (not including R&D or labor costs). Still, those are some margins that even Apple has to be impressed with."

http://bgr.com/2015/06/19/beats-by-dre-headphones-trick-illusion-luxury-premium/

[Don C]

I'm no fan of the Beat's brand, associated as it is with much exaggerated bass. But the article is not being completely fair. Why criticise them for putting metal in the structure? They deserve their success, they're giving people what they want. Much exaggerated bass sells.

[Mr. Widget]

I'm no fan of the Beat's brand, associated as it is with much exaggerated bass. But the article is not being completely fair. Why criticise them for putting metal in the structure? They deserve their success, they're giving people what they want. Much exaggerated bass sells. +1

I would add that they are a fashion product as much as an audio product.


Widget

[SEAWOLF97]

I'm no fan of the Beat's brand, associated as it is with much exaggerated bass. But the article is not being completely fair. Why criticise them for putting metal in the structure? They deserve their success, they're giving people what they want. Much exaggerated bass sells.

it seems that you missed the point. the weight is increased by 30% by adding non-essential metal parts to create the impression of quality. we do associate weight with quality.

weight is interpreted as NOT having light weight plastic and of being something that may last a while. adding ballast to give that false impression is worth criticizing.

as for giving the public what they want .... did they want unrealistic bass before Beats or after ? ie: did they fulfill the market need or did they create it ? ( just as DeBeers created a desire in a market segment (women) for diamonds .. that didn't exist before that time ?)

[Don C]

The metal appears to me to be part of the headband adjustment mechanism.

[SEAWOLF97]

The metal appears to me to be part of the headband adjustment mechanism.

the people that actually tore down a set said

"One of the great things about the solo headphones is how substantial they feel,” Louie explains. “A little bit of weight makes the product feel solid, durable, and valuable. One way to do this cheaply is to make some components out of metal in order to add weight. In these headphones, 30% of the weight comes from four tiny metal parts that are there for the sole purpose of adding weight.”

[dr_gallup]

as for giving the public what they want .... did they want unrealistic bass before Beats or after ? ie: did they fulfill the market need or did they create it ? ( just as DeBeers created a desire in a market segment (women) for diamonds .. that didn't exist before that time ?)

When did women not want diamonds?

[fpitas]

I don't think anyone ever confused them with a quality product. My niece asked for a pair for Christmas a couple of years ago but even she knew they were junk and had picked them for the cool factor. She got Sennheisers.

Yeah, anyone that cares about sound quality, and has bothered to look up Beats on the internet knows that they're subpar. Some people don't care, because they're cool. Oh well.

[SEAWOLF97]

When did women not want diamonds?

B4 1930's. wow ..do a little homework.
There was little demand for diamonds by women before DeBeers started looking for a way to get the huge stockpiles moving , so DB gave diamond jewelry to royalty and Hollywood types for free as long as they'd be worn in public. It worked. They then started the diamond as wedding ring "tradition"

"Americans exchange diamond rings as part of the engagement process, because in 1938 De Beers decided that they would like us to. Prior to a stunningly successful marketing campaign 1938, Americans occasionally exchanged engagement rings, but wasn't a pervasive occurrence. Not only is the demand for diamonds a marketing invention, but diamonds aren't actually that rare. Only by carefully restricting the supply has De Beers kept the price of a diamond high.

"Countless American dudes will attest that the societal obligation to furnish a diamond engagement ring is both stressful and expensive. But here's the thing -- this obligation only exists because the company that stands to profit from it willed it into existence. " http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rohin-dhar/diamonds-are-bullshit_b_3708562.html

"N.W. Ayer did exhaustive market research to figure out exactly what Americans thought about diamonds in the late 1930s. What they found was that diamonds were considered a luxury reserved only for the super wealthy, and that Americans were spending their money on other things like cars and appliances. To sell more and bigger diamonds, Ayer would have to market to consumers at varying income levels.

So, how do they get more people to buy big diamonds in a bad economy? They needed to figure out a way to link diamonds with something emotional. And because diamonds weren't worth much inherently, they also had to keep people from ever reselling them. What was emotional, socially valuable, and eternal? Love and marriage. Bingo."
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/diamond-de-beers-marketing-campaign

How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring

"In the 1930s, few Americans proposed with the precious stone. Then everything changed."
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/02/how-an-ad-campaign-invented-the-diamond-engagement-ring/385376/

De Beers successfully advertised diamonds to manipulate consumer demand. One of the most effective marketing strategies has been the marketing of diamonds as a symbol of love and commitment. A young copywriter working for N. W. Ayer & Son, Frances Gerety, coined the famous advertising line 'A Diamond is Forever' in 1947.[28] In 2000, Advertising Age magazine named 'A Diamond Is Forever' the best advertising slogan of the 20th century.[29]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Beers

bet you also don't know that the Coca-Cola company's ad artist designed our image of what Santa Claus looks like ?

[Ed Zeppeli]

I'm no fan of the Beat's brand, associated as it is with much exaggerated bass. But the article is not being completely fair. Why criticise them for putting metal in the structure? They deserve their success, they're giving people what they want. Much exaggerated bass sells.


Because it seems to be there solely for the purpose of deception. The fad factor is obvious.

[dr_gallup]

B4 1930's. wow ..do a little homework.
There was little demand for diamonds by women before DeBeers started looking for a way to get the huge stockpiles moving , so DB gave diamond jewelry to royalty and Hollywood types for free as long as they'd be worn in public. It worked. They then started the diamond as wedding ring "tradition"



Well I've got a diamond pinky ring that belonged to my great grandfather which is much older than that and my sister has a diamond engagement ring from our grandmother that was bought in the early 1920's. DeBeers may have juiced up the market but there was plenty of diamond jewelry for centuries before that.

[LowPhreak]

I think what Seawolf is saying is engagement rings and the like weren't as much of a 'thing' for average people until the late 1930's and DeBeers' hyping of it.

[SEAWOLF97]

.
Are Beats Headphones Really Designed To Trick You?

http://gizmodo.com/are-beats-headphones-really-designed-to-trick-you-1715413621



I think what Seawolf is saying is engagement rings and the like weren't as much of a 'thing' for average people until the late 1930's and DeBeers' hyping of it.

read & learn. The Diamond Empire

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/programs/transcripts/1209.html

[Lee in Montreal]

I don't think that anybody is really tricked in thinking those Beats byDre are quality products. Kids just buy them to fit in the mold. Kids see them on every single video and they want to belong to the "in" crowd. So they buy them. Just like they buy jeans, sneakers, or a tshirt. Remember the good old "As seen on TV" ? This is just pure marketing. Bose does the same.

Lee

[fpitas]

This is just pure marketing. Bose does the same.

Lee

Good comparison. Although, in the case of Bose you'd hope adults would know better. Oh well.

[Tom Brennan]

Good comparison. Although, in the case of Bose you'd hope adults would know better. Oh well.

I've heard some decent Bose speakers and never heard a Bose so bad I wanted to leave the room, as with some JBLs.

[BMWCCA]

I've heard some decent Bose speakers and never heard a Bose so bad I wanted to leave the room, as with some JBLs.


I'm considering the source! :banghead:

[gibber]

I don't think anyone ever confused them with a quality product. My niece asked for a pair for Christmas a couple of years ago but even she knew they were junk and had picked them for the cool factor. She got Sennheisers.

Won't have done the "optimum" job for her in respect to the fact this product is a mix of cans function and fashion item just as Widget said. My kids put enough emphasis on the latter when starting to shop and dragged me into stores three times to avoid the AKG i thought were right for them.

In the end we all learned, the boys that sound can be a lot more neutral and still fun. Maybe a seed for somethin'? And i heard that Beats "Mixr" (wired, on-ear) and "Studio Wireless" (v.2, not just "Wireless") for over ear users, are acceptable sound + street cred compromises (bass is BIG but not unbearable).
Now, this is if your'e willing to shell out the extra €€ for the recipient to enjoy the cool factor. Didn't have an excuse -- i use an Apple phone. Btw, not the models initially earmarked by the kids, we really tried all from €50 to €450. Surprisingly good stuff below €100 the kids admitted. But street cred won.

One thing that struck me with the Beats Mixr is their efficiency, wish my cans would present the amp of my phone with so little stress.

I bought 2nd hand HV-1A's a few months later and haven't seen them since converted to 3.5mm plugs. Cool factor redefined...

Ralph

[Tom Brennan]

I'm considering the source! :banghead:

An ad hominem argument. But feel free to pound your head against the wall, you might just pound some sense into it.