While listening to episode 280 of Upgrade on vacation, I think I figured out why we still haven’t seen an Apple branded over ear headphone while Beats has released what many would assume the technological equivalent.
My hunch is that Apple wants to make a statement about these studio grade headphones and that technology isn’t ready yet. Latency.
As someone who edits audio using AirPods and AirPods Pro regularly, I can tell you the latency, while improving, isn’t ideal for most of the podcast editing I do. That said, it is not that big of a deal and the conveniences of AirPods make it worth it. However with professional music applications and studios where mobility isn’t a primary concern, the technology isn’t there yet.
I think when Apple does release an over the ear headphone, they will embrace its ability to be used in professional studio applications because of a latency breakthrough.