* Posts by BasculeW

3 publicly visible posts • joined 21 Oct 2015

La, la, la, I can't hear you! Apple to challenge Bose's noise-proof cans

BasculeW

As a frequent long haul flyer for many years I was grateful for my Bose QC headphones, but never ever let them near the audio gear at home! Having tried many, I have yet to hear any NC or wireless phones even remotely approaching 'hifi' quality. (Tbh, even as a customer that's where Bose sits with me for all their products - your opinion may vary.)

Based on this, I don't currently buy into the marketing, that NC = improved audio. Its a very different need. NC has it's place - on long (oh so long) flights, I found in-ear too uncomfortable and over ear too hot, so the 'on ear' Bose ones were an acceptable compromise, and useful when an 11 hour flight follows a 15hour working day.

Tech usually improves though. If they can pull off an Audeze-bothering SQ from active NC headphones like these, at a comparatively reasonable price then that's great. Til then, for me and I suspect like most who are into their audio gear, there'll be headphones for at home, IEMs for out and about, and maybe NCs for flying if the need is there.

If the recent Homepod is anything to go by they may well sound perfectly reasonable, but will be crippled and only work with apple devices as their source, at which point they will be immediately ruled out. Breath is not being held!

Remember those holy tech wars we used to have? Heh, good times

BasculeW

Go ask 'Nikon or Canon?' on a photography forum, or offer basically any opinion at all on a HiFi forum.. Streaming vs Vinyl? Class A vs Class D? Audiophile grade USB cables? The haters are alive and well, and the only thing worse than a Mac Fanboi is an anti-apple zealot!

Millions of people forget to cancel Apple Music subscription

BasculeW

Audio quality is king

Despite having multiple Apple devices, and while accepting that there is merit in these services for many, Apple music still fails to offer a high quality feed, not even up to Spotify standards. This makes it fine for mobiles / in car use, but IMO not worth the cost. Having tried Spotify (and other services), it's an ongoing frustration of vast selections of content delivered in a dumbed-down suit-the-masses quality format. These, along with 320k feeds from ad-free stations like Radio Paradise, great for background music, but when you really want to sit and listen? It has taken Tidal to break this, and be the first serious alternative to the monthly CD purchases or HD audio downloads - the quality in it's lossless HiFi format is absolutely superb (but so it should be) and I'm happily paying the £20 per month - very happy indeed, the app is good, the integration with the HiFi is good, the selection is good and the quality is superb - and no, not remotely a fan of Jay-z or his Mrs! You don't need topflight kit to hear this difference, any half-decent headphones will be a revelation... (Naim streamer at home for sure, but laptop and good headphones at work are still superb on Tidal..)