Customer Reviews

Scosche tapSTICK Polycarbonate Case with Integrated Controls for iPod shuffle 3 Gen, 4GB (Black)

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(34)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Unfortunately the design of the new shuffle precludes the use of any other headphones except the provided Apple phones and once they get damp they don't function anymore. You can't change the volume or use the voice over feature. Bad design. Go to Apple forums and read all the people's comments on these dreary phones. With this unit the controls are on the shuffle and best of all you can now use any phones that you like. I waited for months for this unit to be available and I'm so glad I didn't throw the shuffle out which was my first instinct! This unit works just as promised and now I can enjoy the benefit of a 4gb ipod with the phones of MY choice. Thank you Scosche.

I am pleased with the Tapstick, plan to keep it.
I am not sure which I will end up using regularly at the gym with my shuffle: Tapline or Tapstick?

There are a few caveats to the Tapstick that I will spell out below. Also, I can't help but think that the previous generation Shuffle was easier to use than any of these, but it's not a big deal. I definitely want the 4 gig of the new shuffle, and also reviewers claim it sounds better (quieter background?) which I find a subtle difference if at all. Not losing sleep over this!

Pros

Sonically transparent.
Easy to use.
Looks sharp.
Pricing is ok.
Looks less sloppy than having an accessory wire for the controls (e.g. Tapline).

Cons

Size: Roughly doubles the size of the latest shuffle, but hey if you double the size of something tiny, you still get something tiny!

On/off: Tapstick covers the shuffle on/off switch. Argh! You literally have to remove Tapstick to gain access to the on/off switch. I have observed that the shuffle goes into standby after a few minutes of non-use, so I'm going to gamble that I can just leave the Tapstick on the shuffle all the time. Not sure though. Need more testing to see if all the functionality is available in this mode. OPEN QUESTIONS: (1) Will it awaken by itself or do I have to remove the cover and cycle the on/off switch? Forgot to test this, sorry. Later. This would be a bummer. (2) How much battery will it use in standby? TBD

Quality Control?: When I first installed it, Tapstick did not communicate with the shuffle. I had to remove it and reinstall it a couple times. Once it clicked in, it seemed fine. Works great. This could just be initial break-in or it might suggest problems down the road.

Bottom Line: I'm grateful to Scosche for producing Tapline and Tapstick so that I can finally enjoy the latest generation iPod shuffle with high quality earphones (I use Westones :)

Have used this project for over a month and find no fault with it. I am now pleased to use my ipod shuffle (3rd gen) for all of my workouts without fear that sweat will destroy my apple earbuds rendering the shuffle useless. I recommend this product for those of you who want a simple solution to your headphone issues.

Problem: the new (4th generation) shuffles have the controls in the earphone cord, so you have to use the included Apple earphones. I have big ears, and the erphones fall out on the treadmill. I read all the Amazon reviews trying to figure out how to adapt my JVC headphones to the shuffle. Most of the reviews suggested this TapStick (which I then ordered from Amazon). Since the shuffle has the on/ play/ shuffle switch on top, once you turn it on and slide it into the TapStick, you have to slide it back out to turn it off (although you can hit pause on the TapStick).

The three large buttons on the TapStick work just like the three little buttons on the Apple earphone cord, only now you can plug in your own headphones. Also included is a cord that plugs into the earphone jack so you can plug the shuffle into a stereo. You also have to remove the TapStick to charge or download the shuffle on a laptop, since everything uses the same jack on the shuffle.

That's all there is to it. It's an extra twenty bucks or so to make the shuffle work like you thought it would all along, but nevertheless, it's TapStick to the rescue.

INTRODUCTION.
To provide an objective view of my review, I think it is important to state my relationship with mp3 players. I have used 11 mp3 players, 7 of them ipods. I am a
workout fanatic and a professional athlete thus all the mp3 players I use must be resistant to soaking sweat, rain, durable, and have convenient fast controls. I started years back with the Rio 300 32 MB which came out in the late 90's which could only squeeze on 5 songs at a time but rubber casing kept it working for roughly 2-3 years. I have gone through the Sony Stick, Samsung Stick, Shuffle first gen, Nano first gen, Shuffle second gen, and Shuffle third gen.

INFERIORITY OF THE 3RD GEN WHEN COMPARED TO THE WELL DESIGNED 2ND GEN.
Let me state first of all the best iPod created by Apple FOR working out is the shuffle second gen. When you are working out, you want big buttons you can quickly tap once to switch or replay a track. Especially on an mp3 player without a display where you can manually select a song, it is KEY to have the ability to get to the song you want immediately (when I sprint, I switch to my favorite rock song...when I walk I switch to a more mellow one). This is because music is used to influence mood and I would go as far as to say even release epinephrine at the right times. Because the new 3rd gen shuffle requires tapping the middle button twice or three times at minimum to switch tracks, finding the track you want takes more conscious effort and is two - three times more tedious.

WHY THE TAPSTICK IS BETTER THAN ANY REMOTE.
The second reason the second gen is perfect for working out is because the actual unit is the remote itself, you have the flexibility of choosing where the remote is located. For running, where your arms are conveniently gliding next to your waist and torso, it is fast to switch tracks. You simply have to lower your arm to your waist where your shuffle (and your remote) is attached. With the remote system attached to the headsets found on the 3rd gen shuffle, you are forced to raise your hands to your face. If you are running or jogging, this is a kinesiologically out of place movement requiring concentration that can be put into the quality of the run. Furthermore, the former point of being forced to tap the remote a minimum of two times keeps your hands there throwing your body off balance. Because I do not use the original 3rd gen ipod shuffle headphones, I was forced to buy two remotes. Both of them were belkin. If you look at all the 3rd gen shuffle headset remotes on amazon, they all ARE NOT resistant to sweat. My two remotes broke within 2 days. My first one broke at the end of my 3 hour workout. My second one broke my 3rd workout. It is especially inconvenient to have the remotes if you attach your ipod to your waist. This area is SWEAT HEAVY on an exercising individual and the remotes get DRENCHED in sweat. I even took apart the remotes to try to fix them. No avail. The remotes are composed of one chip and 3 sets of 2 metallic plates that link the chip to the controls. This is not to mention the remotes attach right to your unit then to your headphones. With controls you have to tap two to three times right next to your ipod, you wonder if this kind of design even makes sense. Usually to locate your custom third party remote, you have to find your ipod, then trace your hand up to the remote. It feels awkward and superfluous. Then in anger you wonder if iPod created the third generation ipod just to other companies such as belkin could benefit from contracts.

After trying multiple ipods and remotes, I looked up the tapstick and bought it. Let me say I am EXTREMELY happy with it. It makes the ipod shuffle 3rd gen almost like the perfectly designed 2nd gen. The fact you have to tap the buttons two - three times is offset by the benefit of having voice overs. Now in terms of durability, this product gets 6/5 stars. When soaked in sweat (this is after two hours of 80 percent HR intense cardio) it continues to function. There was one workout where it stopped working after the sweat but when it dried up, IT WAS FULLY FUNCTIONAL THE NEXT DAY. I even made the mistake of throwing the tapstick in my washer and after it dried out IT STILL WORKED. I am really rough with my stuff and thats why I have a blackberry instead of an iPhone because I drop my stuff alot. I have epoxy surfboards instead of fiberglass because they ding less easily. I SELECT ITEMS BASED ON DURABILITY because everything breaks on me. My tapstick has salt leaking out of the cracks and it still works.

The only complaint I have on this product is how it makes the shuffle much longer. In this case, when you snap it onto your waist if there is any torso movement (extension or flexion) it makes the product come off. this is because the thing that attaches the ipod to your pants is only roughly 60 percent the length of the tapstick ipod. SO you have this extra long bit that rubs against your tummy when you run, do elliptical, or stairs. I have learned to put my tapstick 3rd gen shuffle on the side to avoid this problem.

So in summary

Ipod Second Gen - BEST, but no longer manufactured and must be bought on craigslist. If your existing iPod Second Gen breaks, try to find another one on craigslist. The biggest weakness of this model in my opinion is the charger. It is a flat platform with a thin stick sticking up. This easily breaks when traveling or packing it in the gym bag.

Ipod Third gen /w TAPSTICK - NEXT TO BEST - best designed charger system (durable), good tapstick remote (extremely durable). Cons of this setup is having to tap the unit two- three times per track and is very expensive.

I was experiencing the same problem as many other iPod Shuffle 3rd Gen users: the controls stop working after some workout sessions. This is supposedly due to sweat entering the controls, which to me means "bad design". I started searching for an accessory to work around the problem and find the tapStick just when it had just been launched. I have already used it several times and yes, it works very fine. It is a very clever solution, of good finishing quality, and it preserves the original Shuffle 3G style. The only things I can say that it could additionally feature are the possibility to plug a second cable e a way to turn it on and off without dettaching it from the iPod.

This little device rescues the tiny shuffle & makes it be actually useful.
Works well, exactly as promised. Reasonably priced.
2 minor issues: (1) the USB adapter for charging and sync-ing do not work with this device, so you have to slide it out to recharge, and (2) the shuffle fits a little too tightly, it's a bit of a chore to slide it out.

I bought this adapter so that I could use my expensive in-ear headphones with the iPod shuffle my sister and her husband gave me, and also so that I could play music at the shop I worked at. The TapSTICK definitely does the trick!

For the other reviewer who was griping about the functionality being the exact same as the buttons on the stock iPod headphones that come with the shuffle.. that's exactly what it's supposed to do! There is no expanded functionality when the product you are buying is just mimicking what the headphones can do. It's' purpose is solely to open up the possibility of using third-party headphones.

The construction is pretty solid- the adapter snaps into place firmly when the iPod is plugged in. I can see how it can theoretically get unplugged if it's jostled about very hard, but it would have to be VERY hard. The buttons are responsive, although sometimes the play button thinks I did two or three clicks when I do a somewhat undecided single click. This isn't enough of a problem to be detrimental to the experience, I just couldn't think of any other shortcomings in terms of hardware. Otherwise the buttons are large and easy to locate even when the TapSTICK is in my pocket.

The sound quality is about the same, if anything slightly less since it passes through an additional little system. I set my iTunes to convert all the songs on my iPod to 128kbps anyway, so it's not like I'm losing all that much. Also, I mostly listen to it while I'm walking to class or on the bus or subway going somewhere, so quality of sound isn't the most pressing concern.

Overall it is a very useful little adapter to have if you want to listen to your own headphones while using your iPod shuffle 3rd gen. I definitely recommend.

This is the same as the TapSTICK made by Scosche; for some reason Amazon only has the TapSTICK name with the black version of the product.

Construction quality is okay; call it "polycarbonate" if you want but it's just plastic. As such, it's a bit overpriced ... but we're told the company has to pay a license fee to Apple so no wonder.

The buttons are a good size and function well - doesn't take too much pressure to get them to do their thing.

As others have noted, it fits very snugly over the Shuffle, which makes it a little difficult to separate when needed (like for charging or syncing.) But I'd rather have a tight fit than have it loose and falling off by itself. I do like this design better than the other cable-type controllers made by Belkin and Scosche.

Overall this is a nice improvement over the cheap and small in-line controls on the Shuffle headphones. It lets you connect any headphones you want, or you can plug your Shuffle into another amplifier system with the included connector cable. Very handy!

It's unfortunate that Apple didn't make something like this available with the Shuffle; we're viewing it as a somewhat expensive (relative to the Shuffle's price) add-on that lets us get much more use out of the Shuffle.

Thank God for this or else I would have never used my Ipod shuffle to do any kind of serious workout as sweat drips into headphone controls and renders them useless. Shame on apple for creating a product that needs extraneous products to make its own useful. Now that I have the tapstick, I'm glad that I can at least use my Ipod shuffle to go run. I give an "A" to tapstick, but give an "F" to 3rd generation Ipod shuffle for being useless on its own.