New iPod headphones

[iEric]

Who is going to buy the new headphones? The ones that go into your ear. I got my order.
And also i bought iLife '04

[rainman::|:|]

if they can give me better bass than the current ones, i'll buy. i'm waiting to hear reviews before i spend the $40, especially after i just got a new pair of earbuds for my birthday.

paul

[B@SS_SHOCK]

Hmmm.... I was gonna buy a pair of Bang & Olufsen earphones with an iPod but i'll wait to see if these are extra spectacular for their price.

Btw, is it wise to buy the now defunct 10Gb model over the new 15Gb one? Would Apple retailers discount them to get rid of em?

[Sharky II]

Hi guys

These look like rebranded sony fontopia headphones - or at least are copying the principle of ear-plug like 'in ear' design' - and my earphones are awesome.

They give LOADS of bass, they're fantastic.

I use mine on my sony mzn1 md player (shoulda got an ipod :() and it's awesome - would be even better on an ipod!

Cheers

Edd

[noel4r]

i might get a pair, it depends how well reviewed they are....

[rainman::|:|]

Originally posted by Sharky II
Hi guys...

Hey, thanks for the words on the 'plugs. Have another question for you, how are they about sound leakage? One of my biggest problems with these earbuds (i think it's the little holes on the back, but not sure) is that my partner (and i'm assuming coworkers) can hear the music i'm listening to, all too well. When i've got punk rock blasting in my ears, I don't really want my boss knowing it... So if there's less sound leakage (at very high volume) i'll definitely buy...

Thx :)

paul

[Sharky II]

Hi - no worries

They are MUCH better for sound leakage, although you still get a bit. They are basically these fontopia headphones - check reviews on amazon ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008XYJL/ref=sr_aps_electronics_1_1/026-1857602-1430050 ) (ps - everyone who has given it 1/5 clearly isn't pushing it far enough into their ears! notice everyone else has given it 5/5 :))

They also block out outside noise more so you don't have to turn it up as loud. The only thing which is wierd about them is that you have to stick it IN your ear, not just place it on your outer ear ;)

Also, make sure you're ears are clean, or else they'll really get mucky! (Tip - if your earwax clogs up the middle, use a needle/pin to poke through where the holes was that's now covered with our ear-gunk).

Anyway, very recommended

Cheers

[iMook]

To get nitpicky on your Fontopia-to-iPod neo-earbuds:

The shape of the iPod earbud's ear gasket (that's what the in-ear sound-bloking part is called) is different from that of the Fontopia. The iPod gasket is more conical, while the Fontopia gasket is more spherical. This could possibly create differences in sound leakage. The spherical Fontopia gaskets will press outwards against your ear canals more, while the more conical iPod gaskets will slip in and out more easily.

Of course, I've never listened to the iPod earbuds, but I think the Fontopias, just from photos, most probably have better sound insulation.

[iEric]

I have the sony ones and it is very comfortable and thats why I bought the Apples one so fast, cause i know the Apple one would even give better sound than the sony due to the Rings...Sony has Green rings and iPod/Apple has white ones...and if u use white ones on the iPods it sounds better. Its like using a Sony Headphone with a Panasonic CD player. It just sounds not up to sony's work. But yea...I trust they are very good headphones.

And hey paul, which headphones did you get for your b.day?

[plasticparadox]

Originally posted by Sharky II
(Tip - if your earwax clogs up the middle, use a needle/pin to poke through where the holes was that's now covered with our ear-gunk).

Oh man.. :eek: That's disgusting. Thanks for the tip, I have to go throw up now. :p

[andrewh]

Those new buds could be manufactured by Sony or some other major company. I was in the Bang & Olufsen store in San Francisco in early December and the guy there told me Apple tried to negotiate a deal for the A8 (or whatever the model number is.. the aluminum and rubber wrap around model) but they couldn't agree on price. The B&O's are $160 retail so I'm not surprised. I've had them for about a year with my iPod and I absolutely love them. Great clean sound. If you want lots of bass though go for the Fontopia in-ear buds or the new Apple's. Mega bass is not my thing though.

[plasticparadox]

Originally posted by andrewh
Apple tried to negotiate a deal for the A8 ...
The B&O's are $160 retail


I'm impressed that Apple was looking for quality rather than going for the cheap stuff. I think that says a lot about Apple's priorities. Good stuff.

[sonofslim]

they're not in stores yet, so i suppose we'll have to wait until online orders start arriving before we get real reviews.

the folks at apple soho said they didn't know when to expect them in store, but their best guess was along with the ipod minis.

[iEric]

I ordered them yesterday (06) and they shipped this morning (07)! Thats fast. But I have a question...The carrier is: SAME DAY RIGHT AWAY..and they gave a tracking number...but what Carrier is that..and where can I go check the status?



Now all i have to wait for is the iLife '04 shipment

[Kwyjibo]

i have a pair of sony fontopia, they are nice headphones, I like em a lot and they block a good amoun of sound. I'm glad apple went in this direction

[ipoddin]

Originally posted by iEric
I ordered them yesterday (06) and they shipped this morning (07)! Thats fast. But I have a question...The carrier is: SAME DAY RIGHT AWAY..and they gave a tracking number...but what Carrier is that..and where can I go check the status?



Now all i have to wait for is the iLife '04 shipment

Just visit each carriers site and enter the number to see what happens. You'll eventually find it by process of elimination.

Please post your review of the headphones here!

[rueyeet]

I also have the $50 Sony Fontopia ones, and I can say that they allow me to listen to my music back and forth on the bus to work every day without having to turn up the music beyond what I do at home! Sound leakage is pretty minimal at the volume I use--if I take them out of my ears and hold them a foot or so away I can't hear them at all.

They DO screen out external noise to a fair extent too, though, so you wouldn't want to wear these in an environment where you need to hear--conversations with co-workers, your boss suddenly barging in, etc.

You also really do have to get them in there, and get a good seal, for the sound to be right. The instructions recommend pulling your earlobe out a bit to slip them in, and if you still can't get a good seal, to try moistening the silicon. They aren't kidding, either--I routinely have to use the ear-pull technique to get them properly in far enough.

I'm very intrigued with Apple's version, given the quality of their ordinary earbuds for the price...too bad this would be even more unsanitary to try out in the store! :p

[WinterMute]

Now these are really going to have to go some to beat the pair of Sennheisser MX500 I've got which sound great and are cheaper.

Bu**er the sound leakage, if I'm listening to great music, everyone else should too.

Sod it, I'm gonna strap a pair of B&W 802's top my head:D

[gemio17]

I just hope that after dropping 40 bucks that these new ones won't shock the ever lovings@#t out of me like the earbuds that came with my iPod- I'm on my 4th pair and when it gets cold outside, they SHOCK my ears. ouch....

[iEric]

I'm just glad I'm still a Student. I love the education discount. Every penny counts!

[gemio17]

Originally posted by iEric
I'm just glad I'm still a Student. I love the education discount. Every penny counts!

what's even better than the student discount?? I'll tell you- working in a cool, creative position in a non-profit museum and getting the state and local government discount (usually a little more disc. than students get)....oh yeah

[Flowbee]

I bought a pair of the new iPod in-ear headphones today at the Emeryville, CA Apple store. My impressions so far...

They do offer noticeably increased bass response over the standard ear buds. However, it's not as dramatic as I was hoping. If you're not familiar with in-ear style headphones, you have to make sure they're inserted into your ear properly to get optimal sound. They need to fit snugly in your ear canal. Apple includes 3 sizes of rubber tips so that you can get a good fit. It takes a bit of practice and adjustment to get them in properly. Once they're in, I find them quite comfortable.

The overall sound quality (to my ears) is quite good... though I'm sure audiophiles won't be very impressed. The real benefit of these headphones is that they block out external noise very well, and they don't leak much sound at all. This will be especially useful for those of us that like to listen to music at night, but share a bed with a light sleeper. I have a pair of Koss PortaPros which I absolutely love, but when I use them, everyone can hear what I'm listening to (no, I don't have the volume up too loud).

I would say if you're happy with the headphones you are currently using, definately try to listen to a pair of these before you upgrade... you may find that it's not worth it. But if blocking out external noise (or not disturbing those around you) is important, they're a decent (and affordable) upgrade. I'm glad I bought them.

I'll be giving them a work-out on Monday when I fly from San Francisco to London.

[Flowbee]

Sorry about the quality...

[oldschool]

Originally posted by iEric
I ordered them yesterday (06) and they shipped this morning (07)! Thats fast. But I have a question...The carrier is: SAME DAY RIGHT AWAY..and they gave a tracking number...but what Carrier is that..and where can I go check the status?



Now all i have to wait for is the iLife '04 shipment


sameday.ca

[ibookin']

Originally posted by WinterMute
Sod it, I'm gonna strap a pair of B&W 802's top my head:D

Why not the 801s? :D

[psycho bob]

Just use a pair of Grado RS1's they should keep the music flowing;) they work realy well.
Along the speaker theme try a pair of Wilson Benesh Bishops or Discovery's or maybe some Krell LAT 1's I've never been over keen on B&Ws

[switchedanhappy]

Originally posted by WinterMute
Now these are really going to have to go some to beat the pair of Sennheisser MX500 I've got which sound great and are cheaper.

Bu**er the sound leakage, if I'm listening to great music, everyone else should too.

Sod it, I'm gonna strap a pair of B&W 802's top my head:D

to all americans: bu**er i believe he means as the term "bugger" which is not a swearword, you nutter, and always, go New Zealand cricket:p

[WinterMute]

Originally posted by ibookin'
Why not the 801s? :D

a bit too heavy....:eek:

[iEric]

Got mine today. I like the old ones better. I'm going to return these.
For the same song, I found that with the old headphones, I got better sound.
However, the new headphones are more comfortable.

5 pics are uploaded at
www.geocities.com/eckslusive

oh btw, one big thing...For those concerned about the ear wax...this one is more cleanable because with apple's you can actually take off the soft plastic part and use a wet cloth and wipe it out...or use your shirt. :D

[asai256]

I have purchased the new Apple headphones, which Apple says are an improvement, and I must say they have terrible bass reception. I love Hip-Hop and I was turning up the bass and I could not hear anything. Infact, the overall sound quality was extremely poor. I placed the headphones in as far as they could go in my ear, however, the experience was not worth the $29 (educational) that I spent for these. Stick to the original headphones. They are much better and already give great bass response.