Why Are Beats Headphones So Popular? [Chart]

What I think I know about Beats headphones:

1. They don't sound good.  They produce too much bass.  True audiophiles look down on them.

2. Their original guts were engineered by Monster, a consumer products company built on deceiving its customers.  They have since moved on.

3. Their leadership team decided to branch out into streaming audio, purchasing and re-branding the MOG music service as BeatsMusic.  Its lack of a free tier, may prevent it from gaining ground on services like Spotify and Rdio.

4, They are going to make Dr. Dre a billionaire.  A proposed $3.2 billion sale of the company could net a big payday for the rapper and music business mogul.   If only Eazy E could have lived to see this.

5. Despite all of this, the kids love them.  And for kids it's less about sound and more about fashion.  With key celebrity endorsements and product placements, we're looking a firm that knows how to push buttons, to make impressionable young minds want these items.  Yes, it's more about marketing than product.

A good purchase for Apple?  Here's a chart from the graphics and research firm Statista.  If the children are indeed the future, then Apple just grabbed the savvy and to win them over.