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Bunuel
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Conclusion: Bose must have reduced the quality of ear-cups in QC35 to make up for additional cost

Basis: Bose did not increase the price of QC35 despite adding wireless capability. It is also given in the premises that frequency of replacement of ear cups in QC35 is double the frequency of replacement in QC25.

Gaps: What if the use of earphones has increased, leading to replacement of earcups.

Option B is somewhat in line but not too clear.
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Maybe that is me but I do not sse any relation in this question between the conclusion - the extra costs claimed by Bose - and the fact that the substitute ration for the C35 id double than that for the C25

while all the other answer choices do not weaken the argument I do not know how B could weaken the argument's conclusion either.

:dontknow:

Ans B - Since QC35 is wireless, it can also be worn while sleeping to reduce ambient noise.
Maybe since they can also be used while sleeping, thus increasing the regular usage leading to earlier ware of the product. This will decrease the product life and result in increase in the buying behavior, keeping the quality intact.
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Debating between B and E.
Conclusion is Bose "reduced the quality of ear-cups in QC35 to make up for additional cost."

B - More usage of the product can lead to it deteriorating more quickly thus needing to be replaced more often. The replacement is not because of the reduced quality but because of the increase in usage.
E - The lower cost of the replacement ear cups can encourage owners to have theirs replaced often even if the quality has not significantly deteriorated.
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While we can clearly option A C and D, I am stuck between the other two options.

As option B states,
B: Since QC35 is wireless, it can also be worn while sleeping to reduce ambient noise.
This might be because, if people were to wear it to sleep, this might increase the usage as compared to QC25 which would lead them to buy, ear cups frequently than QC25 users.

As for option E,
E:Bose charges a lower price for replacement ear-cups of QC35 than it does for QC25.
This may be a possibility as, the Q25 people would think against changing the earcups until its not in the best condition to use to avoid spending money.
Since QC35 earcups were cheaper, the QC35 users are more prone to replace it sooner even if the quality has not deteriorated as it is available for less cost.
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I marked option E. Can someone tell me why is it incorrect?
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carcass
Maybe that is me but I do not sse any relation in this question between the conclusion - the extra costs claimed by Bose - and the fact that the substitute ration for the C35 id double than that for the C25

while all the other answer choices do not weaken the argument I do not know how B could weaken the argument's conclusion either.

:dontknow:


carcass maybe they want to say that because of the wireless; it can be worn while sleeping; and this increases the chance of damaging ear cups.
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Bunuel, can you please help clear the confusion between B & E?

My rationale for B/E is I am looking for alternate causality which can explain why QC35's earcups are changed more frequently.
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Looking a little closer we can see that the argument's main inference is - that since the price of the QC35 is same as qc 25, and with the above evidence it must have reduced the quality of ear-cups in QC35 to make up for additional cost.

Hence we need to find an option which weakens the above inference.

B: this one attacks the inference as by putting up a point that the use of the new qc35 has increased thus making it wear out faster. This weakens the inference as by saying the use has increased and not the reduction in quality.
E: this one suggests an alternative reasoning to why a person would be tempted to buy another one but our inference still stands and it is not weakend.
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I chose E over B at the beginning but finally B since, even E offers another possibility that people will have a cheaper price to change the earcups comparing with QC25, in reality nobody is gonna change it only bcs of the lower price unless it's broken, which B indicates the possibility that there are more scenarios that the earcups go broken.
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since bose charges less for the replacement hence the quality must be low i.e. it supports the conclusion
so E out.
A,C apply equally in the wear n tear of the cups for both types, so out.
D states excess use of 25 model than 35, hence supports conclusion that despite less use cups in 35 model are replaced at higher frequency.
so we are left with B, which flashes another possibility than quality for replacement of cups in 35 model at higher frequency.
IMO
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Bose released Wireless headphones – QC35 as a successor to their vastly popular QC25 wired headphones. While Bose claims that QC35 uses the same frame and technology as QC25 does, the average QC35 owner replaces the earcups every 12 months, twice as frequently as QC25 owner does. Since Bose did not increase the price of QC35 despite adding wireless capability, it must have reduced the quality of ear-cups in QC35 to make up for additional cost.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the author’s argument?


(A) Very few of Bose’s customers periodically clean their ear-cups, actions which can increase their life drastically.

(B) Since QC35 is wireless, it can also be worn while sleeping to reduce ambient noise.

(C) Most ear-cups tear apart when the headphones are stored in a backpack with a sharp object such as a scissor.

(D) While most QC25s are shared devices, most QC35s are used exclusively as personal devices.

(E) Bose charges a lower price for replacement ear-cups of QC35 than it does for QC25.

glagad
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Given argument mentions that QC25 is a wired headphone and QC35 is a wireless device.
The conclusion of the given argument mainly claims that QC35's quality has reduced.
To weaken this conclusion, we require an option that goes in the other direction rather than reduced quality.

Option B renders a reason to believe that the careless usage of the device could be a reason for QC35's not-that-great performance.
Hence B sufficiently casts doubt on the given conclusion. Option B is correct.

Option E can be eliminated because it discusses money while the argument is not about money but the quality of the new modified device QC35.
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hi GMATNinja Bunuel, can someone explain B) vs E) - the reasoning behind why B) is correct, and E) is wrong? thank you!
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My Opinion:

A: Doesn't differ between 25 and 35.
B: Indicates that there are other reason for the cups being damaged.
C: Same as A
D: Irrelevant
E: Actually strengthens the argument that Bose has actually produced lower quality cups so that they get easily damaged and they can earn more money by selling replacement.

IMO B
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