Griffin EarThump Earphones (Black)

by Griffin Technology

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 2 x 6.8 inches ; 2.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000CQXI6A
• Item model number: 94001-TUNBDSB
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004

Product Description

EarThumps are earbuds that are designed to isolate your listening experience from outside sound by fitting comfortably inside the ears, to deliver rich, crystal clear audio. Exceptional noise isolation. Greater sound output and enhanced bass.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Throw your Apple ear buds in a box. You'll want to use these instead!, January 22, 2006

By 

S. Nigl "Chugach124" (Anchorage, AK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Griffin EarThump Earphones (Black) (Electronics)

My review seems to be the polar opposite of Arun's. Hmmm.


Let me start this review by stating that I am a headphone and ear bud junkie. I currently own at least five pairs. So when I had the opportunity to review the Griffin EarThumps, I leapt at the chance.

For those who do not know the difference, `headphones' refer to over-the-ear units with a connecting bonnet of some kind. They fall to two sub-categories open and closed air. Then there are `ear buds', or `earbuds' if you prefer. These are the hearing-aid style headphones that get inserted into the ear or, in some cases, ear canal. For the audiophile on the go, buds are the ticket. They're small, consume little power and can deliver astounding audio quality. Many have the added benefit of blocking out external noise allowing for music to be enjoyed at a lower volume.

Headphone and ear bud design is an exercise in compromise. In the lower price range, even more so. When shopping for ear buds, expect to find prices ranging from below -$10.00 to over $200.00. As you climb the scale, audio quality and comfort go up, distortion goes down, and the range of sound from low bass to high treble gets wider. In cheaper units, you will usually find units with good base at the expense of high-end frequency response; the exact opposite (good high/poor base); or a mid frequency compromise that doesn't do justice to either. So. Enter the Griffin EarThumps at a retail price of $19.99. I did not expect too much and was extremely surprised by what I've found.

First the basics. What is in the box? A pair of ear buds offered in either white or black. Matching the current iPod, and iPod nano models. A very high quality zippered fabric case (more on that later), and interchangeable soft-rubber tips in three sizes - you know, the part that actually gets inserted into your ear. The EarThumps connect via the ubiquitous 3.5mm stereo plug and will work with any audio playing gear using a standard headphone jack.

Next up is the build quality. Wow. The fit and finish and attention to detail is amazing at this price point. Griffin provides a product that looks like it should have a three digit dollar figure. The supplied case seems to be some kind of Cordura. Unzip and it opens like a book. Each half equipped with a little elastic mesh pocket. The left side also sports it's own zippered sub-pocket to store the extra ear-tips. To use the case, place an ear bud in each mesh pocket. Allow the cord to dangle free. Zip the case shut three-quarters shut, twirl the headphone cord around two fingers and stuff the resulting spool into the case. Zip shut. I also own a set of Griffin EarJams, which are an add-on accessory to the stock Apple ear buds. The EarJams come with the exact same case. So I've had time to develop my technique.

When setting up the EarThumps for use, try them with the `middle size' tips, If too tight or loose, pull off the tip and snap on a different size. By the way, there is no rule that says they must be symmetrical. You can have a medium tip on the left and a large on the right. Ideally, the buds should fit well enough not to fall out, and you should forget that they are in. Some of the high-end bud manufacturers advise wetting the ear buds before inserting. They also recommend tugging your ear up and back as you insert the bud. When you let-go of your ear, the fit on the bud gets tighter. With the EarThumps, mercifully, no wetting is needed. And usually no tugging either, unless you just can't get the bud to stay in your ear regardless of the size tip used.

WARNING: TURN YOUR IPOD VOLUME DOWN BEFORE HITTING PLAY. If your volume is high, these ear buds will feel like you're resting your head on a state monitor at a concert.

On to audio quality. The EarThumps have superb high-end frequency response. Very low distortion and so-so base response (definitely good enough to get by). They are so crisp that I find myself re-discovering my old music collection - hearing nuances that I never knew were there. Compare these to the standard issue Apple ear buds and you will find cleaner high-end sound and comparable, maybe slightly lower base.

Comfort. I have not shelled out the big money for some truly elitist ear buds, so cannot speak to their comfort. But within my budget, I have never found ear buds that are 100% totally comfortable. The EarThumps come close. Also, living in Alaska usually means having to wear a hat from time-to-time. The Griffin EarThumps are the first ear buds, or headphones of any type, that I have been able to wear with a winter hat pulled over my ears. Every other model of buds seem to get knocked out of the ear after a few minutes under a hat. The EarThumps have a very low profile and the hat just doesn't have much contact with them.

In conclusion, Griffin could have prices the EarThumps at twice the price and I strongly believe that the consumer would be getting their money's worth at that! At under twenty dollars U.S., they are quite a gem of a bargain. If I were Sony or even Etymotic, I would be worried about now. I've been using the EarThumps for the past 10 days now. They have climbed the ranks to become my favorite all-around ear bud.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love my EarThumps!!!, March 13, 2007

By 

Elisabeth Kuhn "Internet Marketing Advisor fo... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Griffin EarThump Earphones (Black) (Electronics)

I love my EarThump Earphones!!! They fit my ears (the smallest of the three sizes), and their sound is great too. Before I found them, I was about to despair at the original ones my iPod came with -- painful, and they kept falling out. I started wondering what the fuss was all about and was almost ready to chuck the whole thing. I tried two other models of earbuds in that price range (one set even came with thingies that wrapped around the ears) but they were hardly better -- and still fell off. I even tried full-size headphones, but that seemed kind of silly.

Enter EarThumps: Saw them at the airport, bought them, and never looked back. It's been six months, and I still love them, and they still work great. If they should break one of these days, I will definitely get another set!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quality has dropped with new stock, January 24, 2008

By 

SurfZen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Griffin EarThump Earphones (Black) (Electronics)

The new EarThumps use a thinner gauge wire, which might account for signal downgrade. In a side-by-side comparison to a pair I bought about 6 months ago, the new ones have visibly thinner and less flexible wire, making them prone to breaking and shorting. If Griffin changed the wire, they may have changed other components as well, which might account for the discrepancies in reviews here.

I bought my first pair of EarThumps because the ear buds that came with my iPod were uncomfortable and, due to their design, leaked a lot of sound and forced me to keep the volume high, affecting battery life.

The EarThumps were an immediate improvement, fitting comfortably and sealing nicely so that I didn't have to crank the volume. This also provided a fuller bass and dynamic range.

After a few months the wire broke near the jack and I would lose the left channel unless I held the wire straight. I figured dropping it repeatedly into my pocket was stressing the wire at this sensitive point and eventually caused it to break. I vowed to be more careful with the next set.

Within a week I bought a new pair of EarThumps and immediately noticed it had a thinner gauge wire which was less flexible and didn't hang like the old one (I compared the two side by side and the difference was obvious). The only reason I can figure they did this was to save money on manufacture, once they had developed a good reputation. Too bad, because I could easily do without the little case that comes with them, which is useless to anyone not suffering from a neatness compulsion or OCD.

Obviously I'm disappointed in the change and the underhanded marketing. Since the wire wasn't very resilient in the first place, it will only be weaker now. I bought the EarThumps based on my previous experience, and I feel like they've used the old "bait and switch" on me.

I'll definitely look elsewhere when it comes time to replace them. My recommendation to Griffin: keep the essentials and the quality (i.e. cabling and components) and drop the fluff like little zipper bags the next time you want to cut costs.