Customer Reviews

Apple In-ear Headphones for iPod (White)

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(41)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

I am a long time audiophile and dedicated headphone/earphone buff. I currently own the top line `phones from most of the major manufacturers including Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, Sony, Etymotic, AKG, AT, etc. I state this only in an effort to establish my bona fides and not to put down the views any other reviewer. This said, let me state unequivocally that I consider these earphones to be an excellent value. Contrary to the previous review, the bass response is both plentiful and very well balanced. However, as with all in-ear-monitors, the seal between the silicone tip and the ear canal is all important. No seal, no bass--it's that simple. These shouldn't be confused with Apple's other, cheaper in-ear model. These are dual driver earphones and offer considerably higher fidelity than most single driver designs. Despite being much cheaper than most other maker's dual driver models, they are the equal of earphones costing twice as much or more. To compare them to iPod earbuds is absolutely ludicrous. Very highly recommended.

Very impressed with these!! MUCH MUCH better than the typical iPhone / iPod headphones. Bass response is very, very good. I didn't have any 'cable noise' like a previous reviewer. These are in-ear headphones, they need to be pressed lightly into the ear canal for best use. By far the best headphones I've had yet for my iPhone - I also had the V-Moda Vibe Duos and the bass response and frequency range of the Apple In-Ear Headphones KILLS the Vibe Duos. I'll eBay those... great headphones for the price, highly recommend.

Ok, so I'm an audiophile.
au'di'o'phile -noun
- a person who is especially interested in high-fidelity sound reproduction.

I hear a lot of subtle differences in sound. A good pair of headphones can make all the difference in listening to music. You'll hear things you would have never heard with a pair of stock headphones or speakers from a laptop. I like to quote Dolby Digital when it comes to audio, especially when it comes to video. "A good tv will make you feel like your in a rainstorm, but a great sound system will make you pull out your umbrella." Apple's new in-ear headphones definitely do just that.

Now don't get me wrong I've tried a lot of different pairs of headphones. Now comparing these to a $300 pair of Bose, I can honestly tell very little difference between these and the Bose. The Apple's are double driver professional headphones. No doubt about it. If you're a fan of techno/electronica and huge bass, these are gonna be your friend for quite some time. Also, if you're using a iPod classic, 2nd gen iPod Touch, or 4th Gen nano you get volume controls right on the cord. It also half works with the iPhone with it's built in microphone and pause/stop clicker, but no volume. They work as a great set of speakers for any device though. Oh, did i forget to mention, they're $79?

Wait did he just say $79? Yes. Yes he did. Now I ask you, why would you not buy a pair of pro headphones for less than half of what you could get comparably from any other company? They're purely worth it just at the price point to go out and buy them on a whim. Especially if you've never used a pair of non-stock headphones before, or just the standard iPod headphones. These are going to blow you away. (use them with a high fidelity version of Such Great Heights - Postal Service, astounding)

So what do you get for $79? Well, a cord wrap and case for the headphones, replaceable screw-tops for the mesh covers that are covering the sound chamber, and 3 different types of silicone heads, small, medium, and large. I've been content with just the mediums and I think I have pretty normal ears. They're relatively comfortable considering you're shoving something in your ear, and that takes getting used to, don't get me wrong. It's not exactly natural to stick something in your ear. Definitely a huge bang for your buck. Buy them, NOW! (Or use your Christmas money to get them. You won't be disappointed.)

Although I got these headphones after reading lots of negative reviews, I am still disappointed. I decided to get it because I needed microphone for iPod touch (skype) and I was hoping I will get some decent sound for ($80), because I am satisfied with some $40 something sony's mdr-ex earphones. Maybe these headphones are more accurate but they just do not sound better than my everyday's sony's. I have managed to get some bass, by pushing it deep in the ear channel, but switching back to sony's just proved how flat and miserable it was. There is also a chance that headphones need some warm up.

I would probably keep this headphones, as a backup, and when I need to use some voice applications. Microphone works very well and remote is nice, but substantial feature - music reproduction, is not that good.

Pros:
- microphone
- remote
- nice "apple" packaging
- promotes music listening on audiophile equipment (vs portable devices)

Cons:
- sound quality

As a audio engineer, I own about a dozen different sets of earphones and in-ear 'phones. My favorite, by far, are my sure SE530s. I have some Sennheiser cx400s which are good workhorses, but lack the finesse, clarity and stunning accuracy of the Shures. For convenience, I bought the Apple's, as I wanted something I could use with the phone for calls.

I found the sound to be quite clear and beautifully clean, but like many, no matter how I tried, the stock Apple tips never made a good seal. The seal is absolutely essential to getting bass out of a balanced armature design. For you non-engineers, just trust me that if you don't have a proper seal, you will have no bass.

In my case, I think the trouble had to do with the largest size being a tiny bit too small, and the silicon being too rigid, yet slick, so they left small airgaps and were easy to remove. I tried using some foam tips from a third party, but their large was more of a medium, and never came close to a snug fit.

As an experiment, I dug around in my ear-tips from my Shure's and tried their rubber tips which are about the same size as Apple's large tips, but made of a more pliant and slightly sticky rubber.

OMG, what a transformation. Suddenly the sound blossomed, the bass became rich and well balanced, and the "top-heavy" sound was totally mellowed into a rich, well balanced and incredibly detailed presentation.

Make no mistake, these are the best 'phones under $200 I have ever heard. The bass is deep and warm, very detailed, and totally lacking fuzz or buzz that I can hear in the Sennheiser set. Look at getting tips from a better headphone. The trick is it has to have a soft rubber base that can expand over Apple's slightly larger stub. Some tips, like the Shure foam tips, have a rigid plastic sleave in the tip to keep it's position correct, and these won't expand over the larger Apple posts.

The Apple website states: "The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models."

The remote (minus the volume functionality) does indeed work with my iPhone 3G. This wasn't news to me as I had seen others mention that in their reviews, but what I did not know was the the remote (including the volume functionality) and mic work on my 15" Macbook Pro (one of the new unibody units Model: MB471X/A). The mic takes over for the built in microphone and the remote works with iTunes and the system volume. The audio quality is great, but this functionality with my laptop was not expected and is a great extra!

I'll start this review with the obvious caveat for iPhone 3G owners: yes, the mic and click controls for the iphone work. The volume buttons do not. This the main reason I am leaving a star off these otherwise well executed headphones.

I've been kicking around with the included iPhone 3G head phones for a few weeks mainly due to the built in mic. I'm a believer in the mic/headphone combo. I've been sacrificing audio quality for the mic's utility, but the trade off has been worth it in terms of productivity. With the new in-ear phones from Apple on the block I was eager to get my hands on a sonically superior set of phones with a built-in mic.

My previous 'phones were Shure E2c's - which I loved with a passion. They provided excellent sound for the price. By comparison, I feel that the Apple in-ears are as good sonically, with the included mic. To wit, be sure to fit the earbuds appropriately. The bass will be anemic if the headphones aren't inserted correctly. But, when properly fit - these rock. They are actually far more comfortable than my E2C's.

Here's a quick list of pro's and cons:

Pros:
1. Sound. Great sound during media playback. Just be sure to use the appropriately sized silicone cover for your ears. I've tested these so far with Rock (ie: Radiohead - Airbag/OK Computer), Hip Hop (ie: Aesop Rock - Battery/Labor Days), Symphonic/Classical (ie: Opening Titles/John Adams Soundtrack) - all sound great. Excellent Bass and Treble and a good sonic balance. I leave my iPod EQ flat - and the details in playback are clear and brilliant.

Sound on calls: good to great. These are an excellent way to go hands-free during phone calls. The built-in mic has been a godsend at work and when talking with long-winded relatives!

2. Design. These look nice and are extremely comfortable in the ear. I think a black option would have been a good choice - but I understand the color choice, it is part of the Apple 'look'. At times it's nice to have some things that don't scream: IPOD HEADPHONES! So a color choice like Black or clear would be a killer future rev. These are visually similar from a distance to a pair of Sony headphones that I had a few years back.

3. Controls. I am a believer in the sheer utility of being able to advance and rewind tracks, as well as pause and start playback via the cable. If the volume controls begin to work in a future software update for the iPhone 3g I'll be sold 100%.

4. Sound Isolation. Good bye background noise. I tried these out a (very) busy outdoor mall with music piped over outdoor speakers and tons of pedestrians all around. Once inserted and playing - the entire world around me melted away as Flogging Molly took over the scene. I'd rank the sound isolation on this set to be on par with that of the Shure E2c's. To be sure, these are not 'noise canceling' - but they'll drown out noisy cube-mates and other sonic nuisances with aplomb.

5. Cable noise (or lack thereof). Cable 'thump' has been fairly minimal in routine tasks. Chewing gum isn't tortuous (this was nearly impossible with the E2c's), but I'd personally find a way to secure the cable if running, etc to avoid the thunderous thump inherent with in-ear headphones when the cable is jostled continuously.

6. Safe listening volume. The quality of the sound allows the headphones to be used at a safe volume. The in-ear style phones also have a minimal amount of sound leakage, so you'll be a considerate listener in public.

Cons:
1. Controls. Lack of volume control for the iPhone 3g is a minus in my book. Yes, I was fully aware of this limitation at the time of purchase - but I am a firm believer that Apple should have included this as a working feature for their flagship mobile product. I am holding out hope that this will be fixed with a future firmware update on the iPhone. If not, my heart will go on ;).

2. The Case. The jury is still out for me on the included case. The cord is wound around a case that snaps together and is an odd rounded triangular shape that makes the non-flexible parts of the cord a chore to secure (the mic/control and plug). This requires some caution before simply clamping the case down to avoid crimping the wire. I am also gauging this in comparison to the elegantly simple E2C case from Shure that has a more well thought-out zippered enclosure.

3. Availability (as of late Dec '08). The release date and current availability (especially considering ship time via Amazon or Apple directly) for this product is ill-timed on Apple's part. I procured mine directly from an Apple Store. This con will undoubtedly change given time, but for the immediate term it is a bit puzzling.

Overall, these are great headphones for the price. Apple has provided a sonically impressive set of headphones with some great utilitarian features that are truly useful.

Add in working volume controls on the cord and these are 5-star. If you are a fan of the iPhone 3g headphones due to the mic and controls, I'd recommend these as a worthy upgrade.

The sound quality is excellent and the fit is very comfortable (I would suggest starting with the smallest earbuds and working upward, I think the big ones are enormous and will probably be uncomfortable for most people). They block outside noise to the point where I couldn't even hear a phone ringing that was right next to me. And as long as you are not moving (like sitting on a plane), there's not much more to say - five stars.

The problem is that every little movement of the cord gets transmitted through the headphones and amplified, which basically sounds like you're wearing a stethoscope and somebody is drumming on the other end. Quite uncomfortable, actually. This is true even when I'm typing, let alone walking. Reading other reviews of similar products, this seems to be a common problem of in-ear headphones, but unfortunately it still means that I cannot use them most of the time when I'd actually like to be using them. The only solution seems to be to pull them out of the ear canal and use them like regular buds, but that kills the bass response completely.

Having read some of the less positive reviews, I put off getting these for a long time, but finally picked them up last week, since logic insists that the dual element driver cannot be anything but an improvement, and others with similar technology cost more than my iphone did.. The improvement in bass response over the earbuds included with my ipod and iphone is really major. The sound is shockingly clear and the bass is just so much more than I expected- not overpowering, but much much richer and more clear. I can only assume that people who didn't care for them were wearing them wrong, as the difference is really very dramatic. I will still drag my iphone pack-ins along for phone calls, but for music I wouldn't use anything other than these. Very very happy I picked them up.

I chose these headphones because they I wanted ones that have an in-line remote/mic that is *fully* (able to control volume & trigger voice control, not just pause/play/skip) compatible with both my iphone and macbook pro. That pretty much meant I had to get Apple earphones and these were the obvious choice over the default iphone headphones. Not really having a choice, I purchased these earphones and was at first a little apprehensive about the sound quality. Those fears turned out to be unwarranted.

These sound great to me. Sound, however, is pretty subjective and not everyone may enjoy them. These are very balanced and detailed. The highs and mids are extremely clear and get a chance to shine alongside the bass. The bass is clear and tight, but it's not as heavy as some people might like. It's very much present, but it is not overwhelming like the bass of most other popular/well-rated earphones below $100 (if you like the sound of those earphones and *don't* find them at least slightly bass-heavy, then these may not be for you). I liken the sound of these earphones to the Shure-SRH440 monitor headphones'; many people dislike those headphones because they say it lacks bass, but few dispute that the sound is very balanced and accurate.

These will sound great if you're listening in a relatively quiet area (library, office, etc.) where you can enjoy the nuances of the highs and mids. They are NOT, however, good commuters headphones.. in a noisy atmosphere, you really can't hear the details regardless of headphones and the low rumble of cars/trains/etc. will drown out the lesser lows of these headphones, you're left with an unpleasant, seemingly bass-less sound (I love JVC Air Cushion headphones for commuting... sub-$20, booming bass, and it doesn't matter that highs and mids are sort of muddy).

I should also note that a proper fit is essential to the sound. This is the case with most in-ear headphones, but for these in particular, because the sound is so balanced, if you don't get a good seal with the tips, the bass will go from being ample to virtually non-existent. I lost the medium-sized tips for my headphones which fit me perfectly, and I tried to use the small tips but the headphones then sounded so terrible that I threw them in a box and never used them. I recently bought a pair of replacement medium tips and these are my favorite earphones again.

The common complaint for these headphones is lack of bass. I don't know if the other reviewers who complained about lack of bass prefer bass-heavy sound or just didn't get a good seal, but it should be noted that these are two separate causes. If you know you love a booming bass, don't get these.. but if you know you like balanced sound, then don't be too concerned about the reviews because with a good seal, which you can get with these, it'll sound great.