[Mink]

He seems to be making a big issue out of this and most probably he has some point in doing so. He asks Apple to recall all the headphones because he says they even may cause health issues! He accuses the use of aluminum for this whole condition. Who knows what is going to happen, we will see...

I can see Bear Grylls wearing a pair in his latest rendition of Ultimate Survivor. Chilling to some tunes in a dry desert meanwhile maintaining a steady water supply

 

[angelom]

After switching from Android to iPhone, curiosity got the best of me so I sold off my Panda and picked a pair of APM from a scalper (i paid 615 so only about 35 extra after tax). My initial reaction is kind of what I expected - for Apple users these are solid if unspectacular. The integration with my iPhone is superb and they feel premium. The sound is good enough - definitely better the XM4 and Bose and other "consumer" ANC cans I've heard. Close call with the Panda. I think it comes down to preference. I do prefer that these are a little less warm than the Panda. I hear some bass bloom and bleed, not terrible but definitely not as controlled as the Panda. They are certainly more comfortable despite the weight. For pure sound quality, I don't think the APM is worth the extra money over the Panda - it's at best a draw. For iPhone users, if you have the money, these make more sense. For everyone else, there are better options. I still think they are too expensive for what they offer but I've paid more for less. I'll give them a B-largely based on price to value. If they came in at $399, I would give them an A-.

So, after all this time, you buying the APM finally...you can't resisting! I hope is sufficient good for you after the price you paying. At least you must knowing we paying many more here in Europe for retail price (629€ / $775 USD)

 

[tailslol]

Great to hear your thoughts on APM versus PX7. I own px7 carbons and thinking if is changing to APM the right choice. For me px7 are extremely comfortable and enjoy the sound pretty much. I listen to all genres but rock, pop and metal are the power here.
The sound on px7 for me is just lacking detail on high frequency... but I love the viscerally attack of drums and the energy of the sound. All is well controlled... do you think changing to apm is a valid option thinking just in the sound?
Btw the px7 go loud if you would measure them considering the 100db on apm what would you think about px7 loudness?

No, I wouldn't simply switch for sound quality alone. PX7 is a good headphone. But the clamping force was uncomfortable for me. So if they fit you, I'd keep them.

 

[tinyman392]

So, after all this time, you buying the APM finally...you can't resisting! I hope is sufficient good for you after the price you paying. At least you must knowing we paying many more here in Europe for retail price (629€ / $775 USD)

Yeah, pricing for Apple products around the world can be quite ridiculous 600 (after tax) isn't enough to make me want to return them, but 775 definitely would.

At the same time, the markup for a pair of XM4 in Britain is 337 pounds/450 USD which is nearly a 30% markup. A similar markup with the APM would put it about 518 pounds/700 USD; they actually retail for 550 pounds in the UK.

 

[Ilomaenkimi]

I think i'm gonna test Valco's VMK20 for music. I'm very sure that i would like APM but it's better to wait what is going on with them...
APP is very good for my other purposes for now.

Valco's FR:

 

[Malevolent]

It appears that a cheaper AirPods Max is in the works, featuring near-equivalent sound quality in a lighter, plastic build. More importantly, rumors state that it might be priced at just $350.

 

[fabripav]

Not to go all apple fanboy on these but the audiogram really is a powerful thing, the amount of detail i can get is staggering!

 

[SparkOnShore]

It appears that a cheaper AirPods Max is in the works, featuring near-equivalent sound quality in a lighter, plastic build. More importantly, rumors state that it might be priced at just $350.

Perfect!! This one I will buy immediately! Light plastic for ever!!

 

[MayaTlab]

It appears that a cheaper AirPods Max is in the works, featuring near-equivalent sound quality in a lighter, plastic build. More importantly, rumors state that it might be priced at just $350.

LeaksApplePro's track record makes him/her irrelevant.

I don't see much that Apple can remove from the APM without a complete redesign as it's already a very bare-bone device compared to the technology Apple patented for over-ear headphones over the last few years. As it stands it's a fairly conventional pair of ANC BT headphones as far as the basic principles are concerned (feedforward + feedback mics, etc., optical sensor for ear detection, etc.). It's only the build and mechanical design that are way, way different (particularly the symmetrical design front to back and all that it implied at very step of the design / mechanical engineering process, such as the very complicated joint mechanism between the cups and headband, which alone possibly costs quite a bit more to make than most components in other over-ears ANC BT headphones)... but mostly because of the technology Apple intended to put in them but failed to do so (such as the left / right agnostic design they patented).

Switching to plastic cups won't bring anywhere near as much cost savings as Apple would likely want to see to sell them at $350, at least for a while - I'd bet that a lot of money goes into the internal components anyway given the teardown we've seen. That joint mechanism will still be in there, unless Apple redesign the entire thing.
Besides, Aluminium already is quite lightweight. The heavy components are inside and integral to the entire design (piston mechanism, joint mechanism, driver magnets, etc.)

At this price point what I'd rather expect is a Beats Studio 4, or another AirPods (perhaps on ears) dedicated to portability first, with a completely different design slotting in between the super-small APPs and the APM.

Perhaps when the APM 2 is released (maybe with some of the technology Apple intended the design for), the current one will become the "SE" version at the $450 price point or so.

 

[fabripav]

Don't think a cheaper build would necessarily be about about cost savings, just lower margin to increase sales. That would lower the needed production amounts for the aluminum Max (on which I'd assume they still have lots of margins), and higher produced quantities for the cheaper version would justify the lower price.

If it happens though it'll still be a year from now, i think

 

[Rackhour]

I would give a cheaper iteration more thought.

I love (at least, the idea of) what Apple has featured, but I personally do not see enough value in the current pricing and iteration of APM because the active-at-all-listening-times approach places a set lifespan on the battery. That said, if there were no pandemic, and I commuted via public transit, then chances are that the APM would be far far more attractive. Different circumstances definitely would change the value proposition.

 

[3Putter]

Yeah, pricing for Apple products around the world can be quite ridiculous 600 (after tax) isn't enough to make me want to return them, but 775 definitely would.

At the same time, the markup for a pair of XM4 in Britain is 337 pounds/450 USD which is nearly a 30% markup. A similar markup with the APM would put it about 518 pounds/700 USD; they actually retail for 550 pounds in the UK.

Flat price comparisons is one thing. Highly doubt Apple is charging more in some countries simply because they can. They have a target profit to achieve and each market presents easier and more difficult conditions of which to obtain that profit.

 

[tinyman392]

I think i'm gonna test Valco's VMK20 for music. I'm very sure that i would like APM but it's better to wait what is going on with them...
APP is very good for my other purposes for now.

Valco's FR:

I tend to rarely trust manufacturer's FR charts, though there are sometimes some exceptions. A no name brand typically isn't one of them. Especially if they don't tell you what compensation they're using. If that's a raw chart (no compensation) that's going to have a very heavy V-shape to its sound signature.

 

[Rackhour]

Yeah, pricing for Apple products around the world can be quite ridiculous 600 (after tax) isn't enough to make me want to return them, but 775 definitely would.

At the same time, the markup for a pair of XM4 in Britain is 337 pounds/450 USD which is nearly a 30% markup. A similar markup with the APM would put it about 518 pounds/700 USD; they actually retail for 550 pounds in the UK.

For what it’s worth, different regions have different VAT rates and warranty regulations. The extra discrepancy could explain that to some extent. And US prices almost never have sales tax on the product pages.

 

[tinyman392]

For what it’s worth, different regions have different VAT rates and warranty regulations. The extra discrepancy could explain that to some extent. And US prices almost never have sales tax on the product pages.

Yup, I figured that much. I feel like US prices don't include tax because tax varies, not by state, but by county. The 3 closest Apple Stores in my area have the following sales tax: 10.0%, 7.75%, and 7.5%. The 10% and 7.75% stores are actually about a 10-15 minute drive from one another.