Customer Reviews

Griffin TuneBuds Mobile for iPhone 3G, 3GS (Black)

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(51)
1 star:		(56)

 

 

For months, I've been looking for a good alternative to the Apple headphones. This was one of the first alternatives available (and only 10 months after the iPhone was released!), so I ordered a pair. I was looking for slightly better sound quality than the Apple ear buds(in particular, better bass response), and headphones that would stick in my ears (so I could wear them in the gym). Currently, this is a unique product: there isn't any other pair of earphones for the iPhone available for $40. I'm happy with my purchase.

The audio quality is acceptable. There is more bass than the Apple ear buds, though they are not very balanced or detailed. (I had to set the EQ to "bass reducer" and they were still a little too bassy for my taste.) The cables are made of a woven material, which makes them a little less slippery than standard wires. Finally, the microphone/button seems functional (no one has complained about the quality when I spoke to them through the headset). The replaceable silicone ear pads are a nice touch; they're comfortable, easy to clean, and do a good job blocking out ambient noise.

In short, I'd recommend these headphones to anyone looking for better audio than the stock apple ear buds, needs a built-in microphone, and doesn't want to spend a lot of money.

[Updated 11/3/2008: Since writing that review, the microphone and button on the headphones have stopped working. I have contacted Griffin about getting them repaired/replaced, and they have refused to help me. I guess that you get what you pay for.]

I've been using these earbuds for about a month now and am mostly happy with them. First the good stuff. Like others here, I cannot use the earbuds that come with the iPhone. They barely stay in my ears. The TuneBuds fit really well in my ears and offer decent isolation from outside noise as well. The cloth lining of the cords is great for minimizing tangling, as is the carrying case that is included. I've had no complaints about the microphone. It is well placed, unobtrusive, and the button is easy to locate and press.

The only problem I have with these earbuds is the piercing treble. This is not a problem with most music, but it's really bad when listening to "talk radio" style podcasts. Whenever someone says the "s" sound, it actually hurts my ears. Running with the EQ set to Treble Reducer makes it tolerable.

We got two iPhones, and from day one we were furious with the design of the earbuds supplied with them. Unless your ears are of a very specific shape, it is almost impossible to keep the original earbuds into position. Lying down with these is almost impossible, and I like to fall asleep listening to music.

Since I have been using iPods for years I thought who cares? I'll just get a pair of whatever Sony or Philips sells as the equivalent.

No dice. There was no such thing. If you don't like the earbuds in your classic iPod, you have thousands of replacements to choose from. If you have an iPhone, it's not the same since it has a microphone/button and the plug base is much narrower.

The only replacements that would work with the iPhone were very high end, close to $100. I was not ready to put 25% of the cost of the phone for earbuds.

Eventually I found the Griffin Tunebuds. They were the right price, and I have purchased Griffin products in the past so I was familiar with the brand.

What I like: three pairs of ear pads, which means you can find a much better fit. In my case I can use two of the three pairs just fine. The difference is amazing.

The cable is covered with a very tough fiber weave, so it is much harder to break the cables accidentally. The microphone/button works exactly as the original. I also like that they are black, since I don't like to advertise that I am listening to an iPod/iPhone.

What I don't like: Once I am out of earpads, I have to call Griffin, these are no longer available through their website.

I've gone through three pairs of these junky earbuds, and each pair has failed in the same way. The end of the cord that plugs into my iPhone breaks and I lose sound if I move the cord at all.

They're not bad when they work, and they have the click button/mic that I've been going crazy to find on a good quality pair of earbuds... But they just keep breaking!

I tried contacting Griffin but they just blow me off. Save your money and buy something better.

I'm happy with the quality of this headset but I've just lost my second pair to the same problem - the wire breaks near the connector. I've never has this problem with any other pair of earbuds or iphone headset before.

OK, I knew from the reviews that the sound would have "sss's" with speaking. So I set the iPhone to "spoken word" and it seemed to help. But then the cable connection apparently broke at the junction with the plug. No rough handling, just average like with other buds I have. This Griffin did not last three weeks.

I have had this headset for less than a month at this point and now the left earbud has went out.. The treble is a bit too much but overall i was really happy with it. However, i have to hold the wire at a certain angle just to get some sound out and who wants to do that. I can tell the whole ear bud will go out in a few days.

I bought these in full faith that Griffin Technologies would deliver a quality iPhone product and I was not disappointed. The bass is great and the overall sound quality is better than that of the Apple iPhone earbuds in my opinion. The cord is amazingly durable and feels great, the microphone works really well, the only downside being that if it's windy outside, it will probably pick up a good amount of that. Nothing too major in the complaint department. I got mine for the 3G iPhone, but the jack will fit an older iPhone and the remote control for music works just like the Apple one. Having a driver earbud in my ear took a little getting used to for calls, especially when I have both in, but I can say that it's definitely not uncomfortable. In fact, if you're in a noisy area, it can even be a plus, since the earbuds block out a lot of ambient noise.

On top of all this, they're sleek and the black color looks really great with my black iPhone 3G. The quality is top-notch and the price is pretty good. I definitely recommend these over the Shure and other pricey brands, simply because they do a great job. Honestly, how high quality are a set of headphones going to get, anyway? Why spend hundreds of dollars on a product that will most likely break when you can get a great quality set for less than half the price?

You won't be sorry if you get these.

After having my OEM earbuds stolen I looked around for replacements, and since I wasn't thrilled with the sound and fit of the ones I had (they always would fall out), I figured I'd take a stab at something third party. The problem was anything decent seemed to be in the price range of $100 and up! Then I found the Griffin Tunebuds and I'm glad I did.

The other reviewers are right: All around Tunebuds are superior to the OEM in just about every way. They fit very nicely in your ear canal providing better bass and superior noise cancellation. They also come with 3 different sizes of ear cushions so it's easy to find the right fit. The black color makes for a more subtle fashion statement and the woven cloth means less tangling. They also come with a handy carrying case.

Compatibility with the iPhone appears seamless. The control button and microphone function as you expect. The only negative I can think of (and this is a very very small gripe) is that to use the control button you need to press exactly on the button whereas on the OEM version the bubble style is slightly easier to use.

However, I do not have a single regret buying the Tunebuds. In fact, whoever the jerk was who stole my originals probably did me a favor. And the best part is that the Tunebuds are roughly the same price as Apple's earbuds.

Recommended without hesitation!

For a lot of users that have bought the IPod Touch like me, and have felt a little left behind for not being able to have recording options, say no more. The Griffin TuneBuds is Awesome.

Unlike the hacked mics that plug into the charge port(not available for the 2g anyway yet) the Tunebuds is very lightweight. The ear buds themselves are very stable in your ear, it does not come off easily like most of us have experienced with the IPod earphones (very bad). ItuneBuds does come with different size buds. It is almost total noise isolating. The cord is nylon, unlike anything I have ever seen before. It's different, I'don't know if it's better, but I've noticed it is easier to untangle than a regular rubbery cord.

Now the Mic is the greatest feature of this device, and I love it for being so unexpensive and cool looking. You can use Griffin's app for the Ipod touch, or any other voice recording app. Most of which are free from the app store. One I highly recommend is Evernote.

The recording quality of the Mic is great, it's not perfect but it sounds like a cell phone call. Pretty great for the price. I use it a lot to create little reminders and to - dos. I can name the files whatever I want and choose what quality recording I would like. Very nifty.

The button on the Mic works as a control for your music player as well. Hit one play/pause. Twice skip forward, 3 times skip backwards. I just love being able to do that without having to tap my way into the music player everytime I need to skip a song or pause for a second. It works from any application you're in as long as the application doesn't have music audio (youtube, tap tap revenge) The music stops automatically.

Now the thing that I bought this mic for and really Amazes me for the coolness of being able to do it is making Voip calls with it. I use it with skype and wlm to make call when I'm on a hotspot. That works like magic it's unbelievable and I love that. The people tell me they can hear me well and that makes me proud of my purchase.

I really see no cons for this device. You should buy it.