If you're not familiar with Apple ecosystem, it might seem peculiar. But Apple's integration means that "just works" entails, for instance, automatic switching between devices. So I'm listening to music on my iPad, I pause it, pick up my phone and start a YouTube video. The AirPods automatically switch from the iPad to the iPhone without me doing anything. Nothing else "just works" like that, and it's one reason people like to stay within the Apple ecosystem.
I can see where you're coming from, but I expect versatility if I'm paying $500 for headphones. I want to be able to either plugin my headphones into my controller or connect to my gaming console when I'm playing. I want to connect to my TV's bluetooth when I'm watching TV. Every company does ecosystem lock to some basic level but Apple takes it to a whole new level and clearly people seem to be ok with it (and even praise them for it?)
> I want to connect to my TV's bluetooth when I'm watching TV.
I'm confused here. There's no Appke secret sauce chip in the TV so connecting my headphones (Airpods Pro) to it is the same hassle it is connecting any bluetooth device, but they work together just fine. The Apple secret sauce for switching between devices is like an escalator breaking and becoming stairs: when you use the to connect to any other bluetooth device they work as well as any dumber bluetooth headphone/speaker.
>Every company does ecosystem lock to some basic level but Apple takes it to a whole new level and clearly people seem to be ok with it (and even praise them for it?)
Wait what? How does it lock you into anything? Sure, you might not get some Apple-ecosystem-specific perks if you are using their Airpods with non-apple devices (like the automatic switching described in the parent comment), but you still get the same benefits you would expect from other non-airpods wireless headphones. You can use airpods with android phones or your tv or whatever other device supporting bluetooth headsets, just like you would with non-airpods wireless headphones. You can also plug Airpods Max into anything using a 3.5mm jack cable, just like you could with literally any other wired headphones (and many wireless over the ear ones).
I cannot think of a single feature [that is also present on non-apple wireless headphones] that Apple locks you out of if you are using airpods with a non-apple device (e.g., the automatic switching between devices based on the content played doesn't count here, because I cannot think of a single non-apple wireless headset that supports it; you get the idea).
Any product which contains an non-removable battery eventually "just dies" whether it costs $550 and is made by Apple or not.
Decades-old Bose QC 15 headphones still work because the battery is replaceable. Pop in some new ear cushions every few years from Amazon and they are like new.
Don't expect these $550 headphones to be working 10 years after purchase.
I absolutely love my AirPods Pro but it's primarily for ease of wear _(comfy)_, the lack of inner ear pressure and transparency mode.
The connectivity has been one of the worst experiences i've had lol. Both in and out of Apple ecosystem.
I think it's primarily my laptop to be honest (2018 Macbook Pro), because they do better when connected to my phone; but the ~4 other bluetooth devices including one in-ear bluetooth pair i have never have connectivity issues. Yet i can't count the number of times these AirPods have disconnected, or connected one ear but not the other, etc.
I still love my AirPods, but connectivity has been the worst out of all my bluetooth devices. It's been frustrating.
>The connectivity has been one of the worst experiences i've had lol. Both in and out of Apple ecosystem. (...) I think it's primarily my laptop to be honest (2018 Macbook Pro)
Not sure why, I have AirPods and then AirPods Pro with a late-2017 Macbook Pro and never had a problem. Ditto with 2 iPhone models...
For what it's worth, connectivity for me with the Pros has gotten much better with Big Sur. I don't think the easy switching even worked prior to this release (despite being a touted feature when announced). It's still not perfect though.
Not the person you responded to, but I have Jabra Elites as well and I've been able to switch between my Windows computer and iPhone seamlessly. In fact, the reason I bought the Jabras was because this was the exact feature I was looking for and saw many recommendations for the Elite.
Right. Lots of stuff works with non-Mac hardware. Lots of stuff doesn't work with Mac hardware. My laptop is from my job (MBP), and I have an iPhone to keep in sync with my wife. Hence my specific question.
Yeah, I have Jabra Elite 75t and it can be connected to multiple devices at same time. For me this means PC + iPhone. Works fine for taking meetings, calls, listening to music, etc.
Bose QC 35 II work exactly as you described. Yes, Previous Beats Studio bought from Apple failed to deliver such experience, hence why Apple spent some dough on custom connectivity chips, but proper headphones OEMs figure it out as well with just latest Bluetooth generation
I honestly think there are good batches and bad ones of the QC35s. I have gen 1 and they are rock solid with the connections, never fail. Have coworkers who would swear by theirs too, while others have similar complaints as you do.
FWIW, I love my Airpods Pro and it's insane that neither Sennheiser nor Bose could beat Apple to the punch with something that works as well as those do. That being said, my Airpods Pro aren't without issues: they seem to hate my iMac. Not even the Big Sur update could change my Airpods' aversion towards reliably connecting to it.
Concur—I have the QC35, I’ve given up with all the endless niggles of multiple device support and limited them to just the phone which is my use case 95% of the time.
Yeah, my connectivity story with these got so bad at one point I ended up with two pairs, each with a little sticker telling which is for my laptop and which is for my phone. Ironically, connectivity improved with FW updates...
I use the app and "flawlessly" is a joke. The app doesn't even connect to the headphones reliably, even if they're paired and I'm listening to audio through them. Maybe 10% of the time I have to force-close the app and power cycle the headphones for the app to connect.
I have the QC 35 II and now have them wired a USB mic to make multiple devices actually work seamlessly because it was so flakey with a few devices. AirPod Pros OTOH have been perfect between iPhone, iPad, work and personal MacBook and Apple TVs. Connected to one device and all the others are automatically paired and switch with no effort.
I have a few different sets of headphones ranging from cheap workout bluetooth ones to the over ear I use for work. None of them have the issues you imply.
They all happily switch from phone to laptop to other device, going in and out of range, etc
I had the AirPods and AT MX50 but wanted NC for the office, so I bought the Sony WH1000MX3 (the highest rated, $400, wireless nc headphones with the best NC) before I got the AirPods Pro. Those were praised on reviews as beating the Bose NC (which was considered king until then).
They required me to manually disconnect from one device in order to connect to another (e.g. from laptop to phone or tablet). As far as first world problems go, it was a huge pain in the arse. And nobody cared to mention it in their reviews (found out later in forums it was just not supported).
I ended up preferring the AirPods Pro (and the slightly worse nc, but much lighter and automatically connecting) over them, and now I hardly ever use them. So those were $400 down the drain.
If those AirPods Max work like I want (which, judging from the AirPods Pro, they will), that would be a solid $500 spent without the remorse and dissapointment, which is much better than my Sony purchase...
I have the XM4s, and they support multi device connections - which is how I use them. They can be paired with up to 8 devices, can be connected to 2 devices at a time, and support one active audio stream.
I also have a similar experience, I hate the unpair-pair dance and just use my AirPods even though Sony has a better sound quality and a bit better ANC.
The new version (WH1000MX4, terrible naming scheme) supposedly have multi device support but I haven't experienced it yet so not sure if it's as smooth as the AirPods.
I have the XM4s, and the multi device support does work. My only real complaint with that is it has to be initially configured in the companion app, and enabling multi device support disables certain higher quality codecs. Once configured, the app isn't necessary for multi device switching.
I bought and sold my MX3s having had this exact experience, and have been waiting for Apple to release over ears so that I could have the same seamless experience I have with my AirPods Pro.
The number of times I’ve had to pull my laptop out of the overhead compartment on a flight to turn off Bluetooth so I could pair them with my iPad meant I eventually gave up using them. As you say, definitely a first world problem, but I guess that just means I’m in the target demographic.
My jabras work seamlessly between my phone and laptop (and that's basically all that I need). It's weird to not have multiple device connectivity with wireless headphones these days.
The question for me is, why do the Apple iphone, computers, appleTV etc. not support the "just works" experience on non-Apple headphones? Bluetooth is supposed to be a standard, no?
While I like the ergonomics, I'm wondering how much of the lack of it in non-apple headphones products is the result of Apple not fully supporting them and thus, monopolistic practices.
Replacing the cable with (modified?) bluetooth technology allows distinguishing "our hardware" from "their hardware" and adjusting software to only support certain features.
So, why would not apple devices only support these features on Apple headphones?
Bluetooth is a garbage standard riddled with decades of legacy support. Apple achieves the "just works" functionality with a proprietary chip and a proprietary protocol. Bluetooth still can't support simultaneous high-quality voice and audio.
Actually multi-point Bluetooth devices work just like that. They remain connected to 2 or more devices on the A2DP profile and switch to the source that's currently playing.
I get exactly this sort of functionality with my two (non-Apple) bluetooth headphones - the Jabra Elite 85T & the Sony XM4s. The Sony's can be paired with up to 8 devices, support two simultaneous device connections, and one active audio stream at a time. The experience is the same with the Jabras. I listen to podcasts on my iPhone, pause, and can seamlessly switch to Netflix on the iPad. It "just works".
Different use cases, mostly. The XM4s are over ear and have much better sound, but they're overkill for work (my workplace is fairly quiet, at least these days). The Jabras are a better fit for that. The XM4s were a bit of an impulse buy when I needed good ANC for my frequent Zoom calls while sharing an apartment with noisy family.
The Jabras are earbuds. The XM4 is a pair of over ear headphones.
I'm not the parent but I typically use a cheap set of earbuds for exercise/active commuting and my over ear headphones while in the office or at home due to better comfort/noise cancellation/audio quality.
I get this use case, but I'm always suspicious how useful the workflow such "integration" supports may be. I have a feeling a lot of folks who flit between multiple devices are staying occupied to avoid doing difficult or onerous work.
In other words, the real "productivity" hack is to not support a dilute workflow. One will save a _lot_ more time that way compared to some device interoperability.
I have a feeling a lot of folks who flit between multiple devices are staying occupied to avoid doing difficult or onerous work.
That's an interesting connection you've drawn between switching audio sources and malingering work.
On the flip side, a mere anecdote of where this kind of flipping was actually beneficial, if you will?
It came in the form of being on a zoom call on the Macbook (which I have in a dock and connected to a pair of displays) with a single airpod in, hearing the kid having a kid moment, and being able to just reach over, open up my ipad, join the call and immediately have audio switched so I could walk down stairs to help buckaroo with a chore, walk back upstairs, put the ipad away and switch back to the Macbook was kind of...well awesome.
No one on the call had a clue.
(also comes in handy when I want to switch from work macbook to personal macbook after hours, or vice versa, if I'm on personal macbook after hours and get paged and need to jump on a slack call. Definitely not avoiding onerous or difficult work there either)
What a weird reflex. Inventing arbitrary character flaws because someone wants to do something as harmless as be able to switch audio sources seamlessly, and then being so uncreative that the only reason you can come up with is to procrastinate work.
Someone people truly can't handle gadget chit-chat.
