[Doublej]

I think Apple lost the visionary, Steve Jobs. Now they rely on other companies and engineers, something that was stolen from somebody else.

Apple has always relied on other companies and engineers. Most notably left out from list because it wasn't an acquisition is whatever they stole/leveraged/expanded up from Xerox.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mergers_and_acquisitions_by_Apple

[geowak]

You didn't respond to the key point that makes Beats better - their matching algorithm helps me find things that Spotify can't find.

Yes I did get your key point. I have found just about everything I've looked for on Spotify, except for a few albums, so I do not think that searching software makes Beats the better service. I guess we will see how Beats transforms, once again, now that Apple owns it??

[Folsom]

How else can you resell headphones, again?

The only good thing that's being added is digital out. No more expensive docks...

However, muting and volume on the cable, any monkey can design that. I'm not even talking about passive volume, either. Plus you don't change the jack what-so-ever. You simply add a digital circuit that rides on the same line but doesn't go to the drivers, and then one extra rung on the 1/8 plug. My headphones that came with my HTC One M8 already has this extra rung, and a mute button. If you want digital you just use a different cable and select digital out on the same wires, without the digital bypass to analog circuit/add a connector midline on the volume control piece. And the phone can even not send any digital signal if it senses the wrong load for the digital, if you want to use traditional headphones.

It's not rocket science. How do you think DSL works while we talk on the phone? It's ancient technology.

What isn't ancient, is Apple proving they can up their asshole game to put is back into an archaic fart zone of non-universal equipment. 

[sts9fan]

You guys use Beats headphones? 

[Folsom]

Some of them use Apple products.

There will be contention to using Apple products even if you don't.... if say Samsung etc begins to adopt this... It's obvious they want to sway the whole industry; especially since the majority of people buy Beat headphones these days. Then everyone pays them rights...

The only upside is if we all get a digital out from our devices.