There are about as many headphone and earbud applications out there as there are the best headphones and earbuds — ask me how I know. My iPhone is filled to bursting with apps for different headsets, all looking to do mostly the same thing.
Now, while it might seem rich for someone in my position to complain about all my headphone app problems (my steak is too juicy, my lobster too buttery), I do think there are issues for your average user as well.
So let me explain the crux of the problem — and how I think the situation could be improved. If not only for my sanity (and iPhone storage space).
The problem
First, I'd like to demonstrate the problem. You might think it was an app for each manufacturer — but that's not the case. Unfortunately, there are often dedicated apps for different products from the same brand. Not only does that raise an issue for my iPhone (and my blood pressure), it also makes it harder for new users to know what's up.
Imagine that you've just bought yourself a brand new pair of the best earbuds, and you want to delve into all the features and settings that the buds have to offer. You head to the App Store and go to find the app that fits with your headphones, only to be presented with three different options, all called similar things.
Some earbuds and headphones come with QR codes on the box or the instructions, but given people's tendency to ignore such scraps, it's entirely possible they might not even know there's an app at all.
Even once you've gotten everything installed, things might not be plain sailing. Perhaps you've switched manufacturers since your old pair of buds. Now you've got a whole new problem — working out where everything is and how it all works. You might now be missing a feature, or there's a new one that you don't know how to use.
Some headphone apps are at least fairly intuitive, but there are still issues. EQ settings often don't explain themselves very well, and working out how to get noise-canceling settings can often be like a job unto itself.
It's all very annoying — and I know people who've completely given up on the idea and avoided some key parts of their buds because of their applications. When you've spent sometimes upwards of $300 for earbuds and even more for headphones, that feels like a massive shame.
The solution
I should perhaps call this section "The World According to Tammy" instead, but I do think there are better ways of managing earbuds and headphones settings and features. Apple, Samsung and Google have the right idea, although they're able to build everything into the OSes because all their audio gear is built in-house. Even then, those same settings menus don't work universally, so we're back to square one should you buy buds that don't match your phone.
But there's an interesting place to start there. Instead of disparate apps filled with features, perhaps those should all land in the Settings menu on your device. They could be laid out the same, no matter the headphones or earbuds, and work without the need for extra software. Or, maybe there's a headphone "master app" that all headphones and earbuds work with, negating the need for all those different applications.
Unfortunately, that's likely never to happen. After all, apps and features are great ways for makers of the best noise-canceling headphones to make their products stand out, and popping everything into one place would reduce the impact. We'd need manufacturers to work together more — something they often don't have the want to do — and create something that would become universal.
Still, I can dream. And if you do ever get stuck with your headphone apps, don't hesitate to get in contact for help. I've used pretty much all of them.
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