First Impressions of Apple In-Ear Headphones

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/05/first-impressions-of-apple-in-ear-headphones/)


http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/12/05/102117-buds.jpg

Image from Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/04/apple-in-ear-headphones-hands-on-ears-on-and-impressions/)
After months of delay, Apple's In-Ear headphones (http://www.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/) have started arriving to customers. Here are some early first impressions of the $79 headphones:

Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5102091/lightning-review-new-apple-in+ear-headphones) - "After a history of offering lackluster earbuds, Apple has come through with a product that sounds really good and is reasonably priced, all things considered. The balanced sound and dual drivers makes all the difference in the quality factor."

Engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/04/apple-in-ear-headphones-hands-on-ears-on-and-impressions/) - "Imagine our surprise, then, at the discovery that they not only sound really, really good (warm lows and crisp highs, a distinct lack of that modern, pushy mid-range), but they do work with the iPhone (the 3G we've got here, at least). "

CNet (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10113368-1.html) - "They don't quite have the crisp, high frequency detail of the Etymotic HF2 headphones I had at my desk, but they blow away Apple's stock earbuds (not too difficult a feat) with a buttery low end and pleasant mids and highs."


Article Link: First Impressions of Apple In-Ear Headphones (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/05/first-impressions-of-apple-in-ear-headphones/)

[Dejavu]

I guess I will pick up a pair for running, since the originals keep falling out of my ears.

[themoonisdown09]

I would like to try them out. I wonder if they will have them on display in the Apple stores.

[iParis]

Well this is good news.
I hope to get a pair in the near furture.

[happydude]

i loves me a buttery low end . . .

[ryanmcv]

I ordered these from Apple.com a few days ago, but it looks like they won't arrive until after Christmas. It's good to see these positive reviews though!

[BigD58]

Wow I didnt realize these were supposed to sound so well...I might have to go buy me a pair:D. But do the volume controls work with the iPhone:confused:

[themoonisdown09]

Wow I didnt realize these were supposed to sound so well...I might have to go buy me a pair:D. But do the volume controls work with the iPhone:confused:

It looks like they work with the iPhone 3G from what Engadget said.

[UnseenLlama]

I would like to try them out. I wonder if they will have them on display in the Apple stores.

I wouldn't suggest mixing earwax with others... :D

[BigD58]

It looks like they work with the iPhone 3G from what Engadget said.

Woot! Im sold:D

[DeaconGraves]

It looks like they work with the iPhone 3G from what Engadget said.

Macrumors didn't quote the remainder of the article unfortunately.

Regular playback is a charm, and we had no problem making and receiving calls with the buds and attached mic -- though strangely the remote doesn't seem operable on the phone, thus deflating our excitement ever-so-slightly

[Duke2]

Wow I didnt realize these were supposed to sound so well...I might have to go buy me a pair:D. But do the volume controls work with the iPhone:confused:

Volume control does not work on iPhone, everything else does.

[guzhogi]

i loves me a buttery low end . . .

I personally prefer the smooth, Barry White lows. :cool: :D

[noway]

It looks like they work with the iPhone 3G from what Engadget said.

No the volume control wont work as of now on the iphone. Hardware is ok but software is not present yet... read info that comes from Apple guys...

I would like to try them out. I wonder if they will have them on display in the Apple stores.

No they wont be on demo, just like any Shure, or Bose earphones. In ear implies hygiene issues so they wont be on Demo.

[Hard-Hat-Mac]

It looks like they work with the iPhone 3G from what Engadget said.

They work, but don't allow for the remote functionality i.e. three click to go back previous etc.

watch the keynote where el jobso demo'd them to see what i mean.

[aristobrat]

Giz makes it sound like they work just like the included iPhone headphones, meaning the only thing that doesn't work is the volume control button.

On the iPhone 3G, you can't use the volume. You can still play/pause a song, answer/end a call, change tracks and make use of the microphone. But all of those work perfectly fine on the iPhone.


No they wont be on demo, just like any Shure, or Bose earphones. In ear implies hygiene issues so they wont be on Demo.
Weird, the Apple Store near me has always had in-ear earphones on display for the public to try. Why the public would chose to do so is beyond me, but there are earbuds everywhere.

[Lesser Evets]

...are started arriving...

Hmmm. Need an edit, there, guys.

AT LAST! I can't wait for mine to ship and arrive. How they work with Voip on iPT is a big concern for me right now. Was there ever any serious doubt the sound wouldn't deliver? Sure, they might not be the best audio experience ever, but they sure will beat the old ear buds any day and offer control and mic for the iPod again.

[Clancycoop]

Who cares about the remote? I mean, sure the volume would be nice, but the real deal here is the dual drivers contained within the headphones for great sound. The song forward/back/pause still works.

Who changes their volume enough for that to be an issue? I just keep it loud as I can without hurting my eardrums, and I'm good. If I need to talk to someone, I pause the music.

If someone else can show me some in-ear dual driver headphones for $80 or less with pause/song skip capability, please post a link and I will go buy them right now.

[Robbadore64]

Does anyone think the next iPhone software update will enable the volume controls etc?

I'd like to get some better headphones than what came with the iPhone 3g but for $79 (I'm poor) I'd like to have a little increased functionality too.

[RamblinWreck]

I was interested in these until I saw that Gizmodo had compared them to my current earbuds in their review. Since they don't stack up to my Shure's, I guess I will move on. Man I'd love the remote function.

[Foxtrot Oscar]

i loves me a buttery low end . . .

I read that and I picture a laughing cow... go figure!

The ear thingys look nice!!

[Wayfarer]

LOL @ buttery low end. :D

Me likey.

[mr.steevo]

Hi,

They look interesting but are not for me.

The 'buds that came with my iPod won't stay in my ears, but I will not be paying near $100 CAN for more Apple buds. I'd rather pay that amount for a headset type of headphone, like a Grado.

s.

[jessica.]

I would like to try them out. I wonder if they will have them on display in the Apple stores.

Doubtful because that is just gross. Bose actually offers a sample of their in-ears but they change the nibs each time ... at least the Bose store by my house does.

[Kar98]

http://loudlibrarian1965.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/drooling-homer1.gif

Hmmmm, buttery low-ends!

Wait, $79 and tax? I'll stick with my off the shelf Sony headphones for half the price then.

[phuong]

wait a minute
what is that thing that looks like a giant pill?

[dasein]

I guess I will pick up a pair for running, since the originals keep falling out of my ears.
I thought I was the only one that had that problem...my ears were weird or something. Are these supposed to fit snug without having to hassle with them every 20 seconds?

[puckhead193]

anyone have these yet? How would they compare with the shure e2cs? Do these isolate background noises like the shure's?

[Digital Skunk]

Sounds typical. I just want to know how long they will last. Since many earbuds, even good ones, tend to break after six months or so.

Glad to hear that they do sound much, much better than the pretty terrible earbuds that come with the iPods.

[blairwillis]

I'm tired of say-nothing pseudo reviews. "Buttery"? How about a real comparison of frequency response and other quantifiable facts, with accurate stats from a range of competitors products (etymotic, shure, bose) that relies on third-party gathered data and a large pool of independent double blind testers.

No, I guess it's just: "These earbuds are buttery. There's seriously freakin' butter dripping off of them because that's what I lubed them up with before putting the promo set in my ears. Now click on my affiliate link and buy some dang earbuds, loser."

I think the pill-case thing is a butter reservoir.
:rolleyes:

[Digital Skunk]

I'm tired of say-nothing pseudo reviews. "Buttery"? How about a real comparison of frequency response and other quantifiable facts, with accurate stats from a range of competitors products (etymotic, shure, bose) that relies on third-party gathered data and a large pool of independent double blind testers.

No, I guess it's just: "These earbuds are buttery. There's seriously freakin' butter dripping off of them because that's what I lubed them up with before putting the promo set in my ears. Now click on my affiliate link and buy some dang earbuds, loser."

I think the pill-case thing is a butter reservoir.
:rolleyes:

HA!

From Apple fan sites like those! HA!

[Niiro13]

Does anyone think the next iPhone software update will enable the volume controls etc?

I'd like to get some better headphones than what came with the iPhone 3g but for $79 (I'm poor) I'd like to have a little increased functionality too.

I believe that it would have to be a hardware update (otherwise they would have released an update already, right?) on the headphone jack (unless it's already there cause they were already planning it...just like a three axis accelerometer just happened to be there).

[iWizzard]

These seam nice, but i hate cables I want wireless.
A2DP Bluetooth, apple plase? pretty please?

[slimpaul]

I'm happy to hear that the sound good, but will they sound better than the Bose On-Ear? If so, I could finally cary my earphones everywhere :rolleyes:

[tbishh]

Finally...These were announced in October. :mad:

I would think Apple would release an update for the iphone in 2.2.1. it'd be silly for their own product not to be fully compatible with one of the most sold and highly reguarded items they produce.

Has anyone bought or listened with them yet, and if so, are they worth $80??

[synapse9579]

I can't wait to pick up a pair of MyPhonies so that people think I'm cool! I might stop by the Apple store tonight to see if it's available!!

what is that thing that looks like a giant pill?

If it's like the Bose in-ear, the pill has the different ear bud sizes. S for Small and L for Large and the one attached to the headphones would be medium. That would be my guess.

[Kar98]

I thought I was the only one that had that problem...my ears were weird or something.

Hell no, I don't know anybody who likes the stock iPod earphones.

[Shasterball]

Hell no, I don't know anybody who likes the stock iPod earphones.

And this blows my mind. How can Apple manufacture millions of headphones that NO ONE LIKES TO USE or can even keep in their ears? I really don't get it. :mad:

[ogbuke]

Sounds typical. I just want to know how long they will last. Since many earbuds, even good ones, tend to break after six months or so.

Glad to hear that they do sound much, much better than the pretty terrible earbuds that come with the iPods.

I agree after using mines for my new ipod touch, they are already falling apart.

[sukanas]

And this blows my mind. How can Apple manufacture millions of headphones that NO ONE LIKES TO USE or can even keep in their ears? I really don't get it. :mad:

cause it looks cool and it comes with the ipod

[ogbuke]

Finally...These were announced in October. :mad:

I would think Apple would release an update for the iphone in 2.2.1. it'd be silly for their own product not to be fully compatible with one of the most sold and highly reguarded items they produce.

Has anyone bought or listened with them yet, and if so, are they worth $80??

It is compatible, you just can't change the volume with remote.

[kavika411]

I've read through this thread, but don't think these two particular questions have been answered. Forgive me if I missed them.

(1) External volume/click control issues aside, will these headphones work with the first generation iPhone?

(2) I know we all want a 2.x iPhone update to enable external volume/click controlling, but do we think such can be accomplished with a software update? I'm a novice on software vs. hardware updates. Sometimes it seems that only a hardware/next generation update can fix something, and sometimes it seems that a mere software update can do it. Just wondering how confident we are that a software update can fix it.

Thanks.

[plumbingandtech]

I swallowed the white pill. (Neo from the Mapple Matrix)

[MrCrowbar]

Hell no, I don't know anybody who likes the stock iPod earphones.

I kinda do. They're alright for casual listening, podcasts and phone calls. I'm still looking for an adequate replacement for the stock iPhone earbuds. I need something with a straight plug, not in-ear (gets dangerous when you don't hear what's happening around you and the wiggling cable noise drives me crazy) and the microphone and button, preferably not a thumb-sized gizmo in silver-look-alike finish and a big logo on it.

EDIT: The ultimate ears one look promising. I shall check those out.

If you're looking for great headphones in that price range, go for full sized ones. I reccomend the AKG K240 studios (very comfortable, great, open sound) and the Sennheiser HD280 Pro (superb isolation, beats noise canceling phones hands down, but you feel a bit closed off). Both will make you look like a complete dork if you wear them in the subway though. :p

Right now, I get warranty replacements every 2 or 3 months. Somehow, those earbuds wear off really fast, either one of the drivers, the plug, isolation, cable, microphon, rubber ring around the grille so that the grille falls out of the plastic... and I don't absue them either.

I expect those in-earbuds have the same cable and plug than the original ones, so I'd honestly recommend everyone here to stay away from them if you don't want to be bothered with warranty replacements.

[Romanesq]

whenever I see folks wearing those white Apple buds I cringe. Those things are just horrible at any volume.

I'm sure these must be an improvement. Almost any effort would be and since they cost much more, they can't be anything but two times or more better.

But I still will stay with Ultimate Ears triple fi buds. Yes, it costs real money. And for another $100, I had molds made for them. That's it, I'm done.

But even the .5 super fi should beat these buds and are in the same price range I'd venture to guess.

The bar Apple was going for was so low I'd be willing to guess they have not matched ultimate ears or shure for similar cost.

[gearkraft]

I really cant imagine these being worth the money for 80 bucks. You can find shure e2s, on sale shure e3's, or even sennheisers for the same price. I'd be curious to know if they outsourced the gutty-whats to a bigger audio company.

I'd also stake a big claim that just because they're white and match the overall apple aesthetic that this alone will be the big sell point. Like, "Oh, you've only got the normal iPod headphones, I just got these sweet upgraded ones." Most people cant tell the difference between garbage and quality...

[ebika]

And this blows my mind. How can Apple manufacture millions of headphones that NO ONE LIKES TO USE or can even keep in their ears? I really don't get it. :mad:

I don't think it is quite that dire. I would say very few consider the headphones to be top notch, but they do work and fit into many ears just fine. There are so many other distractions in day-to-day life, that having a pristine audio experience isn't always top priority for everyone.

[Quillz]

It looks like they work with the iPhone 3G from what Engadget said.
That's good news. I might be getting an iPhone 3G as early as later today, and my Shure earbuds don't have inline controls like these ones do. For only $79, I just might pick up a pair.

[The Phazer]

Who cares about the remote? I mean, sure the volume would be nice, but the real deal here is the dual drivers contained within the headphones for great sound. The song forward/back/pause still works.

I've been change my volume a lot - podcasts tend to be mastered at amazingly different levels, and frankly the sound level I require to comfortably hear while walking around my street is completely different from the sound level and track noise of being on the Tube.

Phazer

[Dagless]

Hey Apple, fancy trading your useless old in-ear headphones for some new ones? I don't think I've used the old ones for more than a few minutes. I'll probably get a new pair when my current stock iPod headphones break.

[Quillz]

I really cant imagine these being worth the money for 80 bucks. You can find shure e2s, on sale shure e3's, or even sennheisers for the same price. I'd be curious to know if they outsourced the gutty-whats to a bigger audio company.

I'd also stake a big claim that just because they're white and match the overall apple aesthetic that this alone will be the big sell point. Like, "Oh, you've only got the normal iPod headphones, I just got these sweet upgraded ones." Most people cant tell the difference between garbage and quality...
They could if their music was ripped at good quality. I find the real problem with most people's music on their iPod is that the bit rate quality is generally no higher than 128-160 kbps. But once you get to a respectable bit rate, such as 320 kbps, you'll be able to tell what a difference a real good pair of earbuds can make.

[mark34]

So are these "jam them in your ear canal until it hurts if you want isolation and any bass whatsoever" style like many of the good ones, or do you just plop the correct sized one in your ear? I like the former, like Etymotics, but they fatigue me quickly.

[suprajoe]

I don't see how CNet can compare these to the Etymotic HF2. I have the Etymotic HF2 and have been a very big fan of Etymotic for a long time. You just cannot compare these new Apple ear phones to these.

However, these new Apple ear phones are a huge step above the normal ear phones you get with their devices. If I didn't have the Etymotic HF2, these would be a wonderful replacement. The price is great! Once again, I think Apple pulled off another great product.

[chrisgeleven]

I've been change my volume a lot - podcasts tend to be mastered at amazingly different levels, and frankly the sound level I require to comfortably hear while walking around my street is completely different from the sound level and track noise of being on the Tube.

Phazer

That is why I turn on Sound Check. Sound Check works for podcasts, so the volume difference issue is solved.

Remember to turn on Sound Check on both iTunes AND your iPod/iPhone. If you don't turn it on for both, it won't work.

[bigmc6000]

So are these "jam them in your ear canal until it hurts if you want isolation and any bass whatsoever" style like many of the good ones, or do you just plop the correct sized one in your ear? I like the former, like Etymotics, but they fatigue me quickly.

Really? You'd rather jam them in your ear until it hurts? Doesn't sound very pleasant to me. I'd much prefer the latter.

Also, I took these off my Christmas list when I found out the volume rocker doesn't work. Now if apple updates the software to work w/ the rocker then count me in but until then I'll stick w/ the stock earbuds.

[gearkraft]

They could if their music was ripped at good quality. I find the real problem with most people's music on their iPod is that the bit rate quality is generally no higher than 128-160 kbps. But once you get to a respectable bit rate, such as 320 kbps, you'll be able to tell what a difference a real good pair of earbuds can make.

absolutely, but the average user doesn't even know what a bitrate is, let alone how to change it and how it effects their music. People will still continue to listen to insanely loud music regardless of the quality. Furthering the annoying moment when you say "hey" to somebody with their headphones on, and they go "what?!"

[Sport73]

wait a minute
what is that thing that looks like a giant pill?

That's the bass module suppository. If you put it in your butt, you get a real bass thump.:D

[slicecom]

I was very excited about these when they were announced, but there's no way I'm spending $80 them if one of their major selling points wont even work on my iPhone 3G. Volume control was my most looked forward to feature. It would have been great for those of us who live in a cold climate and do a lot of walking.

[rstansby]

Who changes their volume enough for that to be an issue? I just keep it loud as I can without hurting my eardrums, and I'm good. If I need to talk to someone, I pause the music.


That is like saying "Who advances the tracks when listening to music? I just start the music on a playlist I like and I'm good." The earbuds are what they are, but they would obviously be better if they had volume controls.

[khongaeng]

I was just looking at the picture of the headphones box from engadget and it looks like the headphone jack has the same features as the headphone jack for the iPhone 3G -- It has 3 white strips, or 4 sections for signal transfer. I believe that the 4 sections on the current iphone headset are used in this manner:

2 for left and right stereo audio
1 for the mic input
1 for all button controls (in the case of iphone 3G it is just a clicker -- 1 to pause/play, 2 clicks to move forward a track, and 3 clicks to go back a track)

Unless there is a specific hardware requirement on the iphone side to be able register something more than just the clicks of one button, then I think support for the 3 buttons on the new in-ear headphones could be achieved with a mere software update.

I hope so, because the second they release the update I will head over to the Apple Store and pick up a pair

[Duke2]

It is compatible, you just can't change the volume with remote.

Hence the INCOMPATIBILITY

[elmateo487]

I was very excited about these when they were announced, but there's no way I'm spending $80 them if one of their major selling points wont even work on my iPhone 3G. Volume control was my most looked forward to feature. It would have been great for those of us who live in a cold climate and do a lot of walking.

No offense, but i REALLY think the majority of you all are over-reacting a little bit about not having the volume function.

I live in a cold climate, and will rarely if EVER take my ipod out of my pocket to do something, ive learned to pause through my jacket, or pants, to change the track, and to even change the volume if it is in my shirt pocket.

Having a remote on a decent pair of headphones, that PAUSES, CHANGES TRACK FORWARD, and BACKWARDS AND HAS A BUILT IN MIC is worth the money alone.

How often do you change your volume!? HONESTLY!? if someone talks to you, you pause it anyways, and unless if your collection is poorly ripped or mixed, you will not need to change volume often.

But i have an ipod classic. So I'm cooler than you all... and will have volume control. lol.

[lazyboy922]

I really hope Apple has improved the fitment. Neither the stock, nor the higher end ones (the $40 ear buds things) stay in my ear worth a darn. The only thing they are good for are plane rides for me. Any type of exercise movement and they fall out of my ears. So annoying!!!

[actorkid]

here's the reason why I really don't mind that the volume buttons won't work on the iPhone....


The iPhone HAS a physical volume rocker. I go to school in Boston where it is pretty cold. The only thing that ever bothered me was having to take off my gloves in the freezing weather to change a track on my phone.....You can change the volume on the iPhone with gloves on, without causing any discomfort at all...

Don't get me wrong, I'd much PREFER to have the volume buttons work...but it definitely isn't a deal breaker for me.

[Duke2]

No offense, but i REALLY think the majority of you all are over-reacting a little bit about not having the volume function.

I live in a cold climate, and will rarely if EVER take my ipod out of my pocket to do something, ive learned to pause through my jacket, or pants, to change the track, and to even change the volume if it is in my shirt pocket.

Having a remote on a decent pair of headphones, that PAUSES, CHANGES TRACK FORWARD, and BACKWARDS AND HAS A BUILT IN MIC is worth the money alone.

How often do you change your volume!? HONESTLY!? if someone talks to you, you pause it anyways, and unless if your collection is poorly ripped or mixed, you will not need to change volume often.

But i have an ipod classic. So I'm cooler than you all... and will have volume control. lol.

Wow- way to miss the point...

It the folks that have the iPhone that are upset the volume control doesn't work on the new headphones. They can't change tracks, pause, adjust volume, etc through their pants using an iPhone. Get it... Mr Fancy Pants???

[JollyRogers]

I am gonna give them a try. Ordered some today for my wife to give to me for Xmas :) probably be a late gift :D

[ThunderBull4]

I always wondered when apple would come out with some decent headphones

[slicecom]

No offense, but i REALLY think the majority of you all are over-reacting a little bit about not having the volume function.

I live in a cold climate, and will rarely if EVER take my ipod out of my pocket to do something, ive learned to pause through my jacket, or pants, to change the track, and to even change the volume if it is in my shirt pocket.

Having a remote on a decent pair of headphones, that PAUSES, CHANGES TRACK FORWARD, and BACKWARDS AND HAS A BUILT IN MIC is worth the money alone.

How often do you change your volume!? HONESTLY!? if someone talks to you, you pause it anyways, and unless if your collection is poorly ripped or mixed, you will not need to change volume often.

But i have an ipod classic. So I'm cooler than you all... and will have volume control. lol.

I change volume quite a bit. As an audiophile (all of my tracks are in Apple Lossless format, none are low quality downloads), I don't like Apple's Sound Check deciding the appropiate song volume for me. Often times there are quiet parts to songs which I'd like to hear at a higher volume.

As for this:

Having a remote on a decent pair of headphones, that PAUSES, CHANGES TRACK FORWARD, and BACKWARDS AND HAS A BUILT IN MIC is worth the money alone.

There are already a ton of these on the market from other companies. Some with better sound than Apple's version, some at a lower price than Apple's version. The fact that these are an "official" Apple product don't excite me. So what I'm left with is a crippled version of in-ear headphones, that don't sound better than my existing in ears, and offer no additional functionality.

[QCassidy352]

i loves me a buttery low end . . .

somehow that sounds wrong.

They work, but don't allow for the remote functionality i.e. three click to go back previous etc.

watch the keynote where el jobso demo'd them to see what i mean.

Who cares about the remote? I mean, sure the volume would be nice, but the real deal here is the dual drivers contained within the headphones for great sound. The song forward/back/pause still works.

Ok, to clarify this issue (from engadget review):
"It looks like the remote can be used for answering and ending calls on the iPhone, as well as pausing, playing, and advancing tracks. No volume control though -- very odd!"

But while we're on the subject, WHY would they not just enable full functionality on the iphone? Could it really be that hard?

[Glenny2lappies]

Look excellent, and good value for money for a good quality bit of kit with accessories. Especially if the remote works on an iPhone.

But for goodness sake, why white? I know it's to show everyone that you're an Apple aficionado, but they just scream "mug me". You also can't wear them when the boss/customer/teacher/inspector is around. My black Sennhauser CX300's, no problems; nobody notices.

I suppose one could buy a black marker pen. Just need to make sure it's a permanent marker:-)

[QCassidy352]

I don't see how CNet can compare these to the Etymotic HF2. I have the Etymotic HF2 and have been a very big fan of Etymotic for a long time. You just cannot compare these new Apple ear phones to these.

and you know this how...? Have you tried the new apple ear phones, or are you just assuming because you don't want to believe that an $80 pair of headphones could be as good as your precious etymotics?

[Glenny2lappies]

... No volume control though -- very odd!

One can live without a volume control as there's a 'hard' volume control on the iPhone which can be operated by feel (as opposed to 'soft' iPod controls which need to be operated by eye: the only way to pause it is to pull the headphones out -- or dig it out of your pocket, look at it, unlock the screen, aim your fingers.... and crash the car).

[GQB]

Does any of the remote functionality work with a 1st Generation touch?
Or is this simply earphones with that model?

[Solfeggio4]

Someone asked earlier, but I don't think it was answered - Do they work at all with the first generation iPhone?

Also, I think there is reason for people to be upset about the volume thing. Apple makes both the iPhone (a massive seller) and these headphones. Why should we accept anything less than full-functionality? I am a Mac/iPhone fan for life, but seriously, there have been so many aspects of compatibility, crashing, coming up with "workarounds," etc. since this phone has been released. It feels a lot like my dealing with my old PC sometimes. I guess I just don't think this would have been so easily forgiven a couple of years ago.

[99MustangGTman]

I hope they come out with versions that wrap over the ear as well, I like to wear them at the gym, but I constantly tug on the cord from doing exercises so these kind always fall out of my ear.

[klittle32]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)

Can I do everything with these that I can with the earbids that came with my iPhone? I have a FIRST generation 8 gb iPhone and don't really care about volume control from the remote, just being able to answer calls with a click, change tracks when listening to music, and using the mic.

[slicecom]

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Can I do everything with these that I can with the earbids that came with my iPhone? I have a FIRST generation 8 gb iPhone and don't really care about volume control from the remote, just being able to answer calls with a click, change tracks when listening to music, and using the mic.

Yes, you can. But there are many other in ear headphones with arguably better quality sound and better prices that can do the same.

[jcosmide]

Yes, you can. But there are many other in ear headphones with arguably better quality sound and better prices that can do the same.

Such as...

[bigmc6000]

One can live without a volume control as there's a 'hard' volume control on the iPhone which can be operated by feel (as opposed to 'soft' iPod controls which need to be operated by eye: the only way to pause it is to pull the headphones out -- or dig it out of your pocket, look at it, unlock the screen, aim your fingers.... and crash the car).

Umm - what?!?!?! You shouldn't be driving with headphones in listening to music. I'll use them when I'm going handsfree but I'll never listen to music with them. In fact, I believe it's illegal in most states for you to do this...

[twoodcc]

they seem pretty nice, but i won't be spending $80 on a pair of headphones, but that's just me

[schneb]

I wouldn't suggest mixing earwax with others... :D
Bring an alcohol wipe.

[Freis968]

Doubtful because that is just gross. Bose actually offers a sample of their in-ears but they change the nibs each time ... at least the Bose store by my house does.

Good point, if you try these things out after 1,000 people have you need to have your head examined. I imagine these type of people don't wash their hands after leaving a restroom after going #1 or #2...THINK ABOUT IT!

Hygiene is king! You will be sick less often and won't spread your germs around...:p

[yeknommonkey]

is that headphone case thing going to become known as the iSuppository?
it does look cool though.

Anyway,,,
I bought some super cool headphones recently, (AKG K-701's) and they really are amazing, I literally keep hitting pause on iTunes just to check the 'new' noises i'm hearing are actually part of the songs i've had all these years,,,,, BUT good headphones really do highlight how badly 80% of my music has been 'ripped'.All those early 128kb mp3's (and even some hard drive skimping 64kb files!) not to mention ITMS music sounds really quite awful compared to good old 320kbps M4A.

So if you are going to upgrade your headphones, be prepared to upgrade your rip's too!

[Dejavu]

I'm no audio expert but the freq. response chart Apple provides looks awful (and misleading)!

http://images.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/images/chart20080909.jpg

Notice how the 1-1K appears to be a smooth response (over 3 quadrants), yet the 1K-10K band (which is where most of the music resides) is one small quadrant and shows a rough response. These in-ear may not be that good, as one would expect from a pair of in-ears. The chart is MISLEADING!

[DaBrain]

I thought I was the only one that had that problem...my ears were weird or something. Are these supposed to fit snug without having to hassle with them every 20 seconds?

My biggest and only gripe is this issue! Ya think they could do a bit better with the stock earphones! I gave up on them a longggg time ago! For the price of an iPod touch or the iPhone something that fits better should have been changed/ redesigned by now.

And nope your not the only one--))) ;)

[DaBrain]

I'm no audio expert but the freq. response chart Apple provides looks awful (and misleading)!

http://images.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/images/chart20080909.jpg

Notice how the 1-1K appears to be a smooth response (over 3 quadrants), yet the 1K-10K band (which is where most of the music resides) is one small quadrant and shows a rough response. These in-ear may not be that good, as one would expect from a pair of in-ears. The chart is MISLEADING!

Yes! BUT, you need to consider this graph more closely before jumping to conclusions. Why you ask?

Because what you point out is not whats actually depicted in the graph. You can not compare the frequency response from 10 Hz to 100Hz and 1,000 Hz to 10,000 Hz as truly reflective of the response.

From 10 to 100 Hz is only 100 cycles depicted, 1,000 to 10,000 Hz is 10,000 cycles! Quite a difference! If they would have graphed the response out over a longer period or in 100Hz increments you would see a much flatter and overall less fluctuating and better response then what this graph displays!

[Mac Brown]

Woo hoo! Ordering mine today.

[8CoreWhore]

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3310

[Killyp]

I'm no audio expert but the freq. response chart Apple provides looks awful (and misleading)!

http://images.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/images/chart20080909.jpg

Notice how the 1-1K appears to be a smooth response (over 3 quadrants), yet the 1K-10K band (which is where most of the music resides) is one small quadrant and shows a rough response. These in-ear may not be that good, as one would expect from a pair of in-ears. The chart is MISLEADING!

It's not. Any frequency power/amplitude response plot of a speaker is measured like this. Sound in Hz vs. Musical 'note' follows a doubling rule.

That plot actually doesn't look too bad in comparison to most earbuds of that price, although not what I'd expect from two-way earphones. It also looks considerably 'smoothed' by a computer. In real life, it'll be much more jagged.

[crisss1205]

Does anyone think the next iPhone software update will enable the volume controls etc?

I'd like to get some better headphones than what came with the iPhone 3g but for $79 (I'm poor) I'd like to have a little increased functionality too.

A software update should fix the problem with the volume controls on the headphones since they use the same input specs.

(Pic on bottom is of in-ear headphones and on the top are my iPhone headphones)

[teflon]

anyone have these yet? How would they compare with the shure e2cs? Do these isolate background noises like the shure's?

The reviews says that they don't isolate as well as Shure SE110 or sound as good. Not too sure how it compares to E2Cs in terms of sound quality, SE110 was an improvement to EC2.

and you know this how...? Have you tried the new apple ear phones, or are you just assuming because you don't want to believe that an $80 pair of headphones could be as good as your precious etymotics?

Well the CNet review said it was not as good as the etymotics, which is how I assume he/she knew that the Apple ones were not as good.

[O. Frabjous-Dey]

I don't see how CNet can compare these to the Etymotic HF2. I have the Etymotic HF2 and have been a very big fan of Etymotic for a long time. You just cannot compare these new Apple ear phones to these.

However, these new Apple ear phones are a huge step above the normal ear phones you get with their devices. If I didn't have the Etymotic HF2, these would be a wonderful replacement. The price is great! Once again, I think Apple pulled off another great product.

Well, they're both in-ear phones, and presumably targeted at the same market - listeners who will spend more for better sound quality.

That said, I hope this doesn't cannibalize the HF2's market, because the HF2s are really pretty amazing phones - comparable to the studio-quality ER-4Ps. And Etymotic treats their customers right. After about a year of daily usage and lots of wrapping and bending, the right channel gave out. I returned it to Etymotic and they shipped me a brand new unit within the week.

There are so many companies out there that just seem to want to screw you and steal your wallet that the few remaining good ones should be publicly lauded.

[VoR]

A company honouring its warranty!?
Better off naming and shaming the companies that don't - I've had my fair share of headphones and headsets and haven't had a problem getting replacements. Plantronics put up a little fight and I've never tried sonys notoriously bad after sales support.
What about companies like microsoft, that happily replace peripherals instantly when they're years and years out of warranty?

[nacengineer]

Macrumors didn't quote the remainder of the article unfortunately.

The volume controls won't work as there isn't a connection for this in the iPhone headphone jack.

[shigzeo]

I guess I will pick up a pair for running, since the originals keep falling out of my ears.

with in ears, you will likely get a very noisy phone unless apple's cable is noiseless like the audio technica ck10 or westone um2 cable. i doubt it though and you will likely become annoyed very quickly. i am very excited about these phones.

[shigzeo]

I hope they come out with versions that wrap over the ear as well, I like to wear them at the gym, but I constantly tug on the cord from doing exercises so these kind always fall out of my ear.

just turn them up and wrap the cable around your ear, you can do this with almost any phone though it may seem strange.

[atsang]

why don't all the whiners just go buy the other dual-driver buds for under $100? Wait, YOU CAN'T.

[alexbates]

I would like to try them out. I wonder if they will have them on display in the Apple stores.

Me too. The next time I go to an Apple store, I am going to try them out.

I bought a pair of the Bose in-ear headphones and one side of the earbuds stopped working within a couple of months. If Apple's new headphones are good quality, I would love to buy a pair.

[kid rock]

Apple store in the bluewater shopping centre, england doesnt have them and i orderd them from the online store today and my email response was that they will be sent out on the 29th of Dec and ill get them on the 2nd of jan!


Simon

[xicemanx]

do the volume controls work with the unibody macbooks?

[pianoplayer1]

Apparently the Chicago Tribune didn't like them...

As for sound, it’s better than what ships with iPods and about as good as the more affordable Koss or Blockade models I recently reviewed. They are not as good as the Shure or V-Moda models.
Nor are they as good as the pair of Klipsch Custom-1 headphones, which also arrived after deadline.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2008/12/new-apple-headp.html

[kavika411]

Will the volume and click controls work with my Newton?

[Compile 'em all]

The reviews says that they don't isolate as well as Shure SE110 or sound as good. Not too sure how it compares to E2Cs in terms of sound quality, SE110 was an improvement to EC2.



Well the CNet review said it was not as good as the etymotics, which is how I assume he/she knew that the Apple ones were not as good.

They don't compare to ANY of those you mentioned and probably anything else for that matter.

The verdict from the reviews is that they are better than regular buds (anything is anyway), but that's about it.

[SuperMacMan]

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Does any of the remote functionality work with a 1st Generation touch?
Or is this simply earphones with that model?

Yes I'd love to know the same.
I have a first ten iPod Touch. The normal buds I hate, but I've never gotten round to getting new ones.
Would these work just as earphones on the first gen, or would a firmware update do the trick? Even a hack?I'm jailbroken.

Thanks!

[aaquib]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)



Yes I'd love to know the same.
I have a first ten iPod Touch. The normal buds I hate, but I've never gotten round to getting new ones.
Would these work just as earphones on the first gen, or would a firmware update do the trick? Even a hack?I'm jailbroken.

Thanks!

Of course! These work as normal earbuds on all iPods.

[xicemanx]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)



Yes I'd love to know the same.
I have a first ten iPod Touch. The normal buds I hate, but I've never gotten round to getting new ones.
Would these work just as earphones on the first gen, or would a firmware update do the trick? Even a hack?I'm jailbroken.

Thanks!

the remote does not work with the 1st generation touch. the headphone jack of the 1st gen touch is just capable of standard headphones with 2 connectors for stereo sound.
the old remote headset of the iphone (1st and 3G) has 3 connectors and was capable of using the clicker of the remote.

the new headphones have 4 connectors, 2 for stereo, 1 for the clicker and 1 for the volume controls. so the hardware of the device must be capable using these connectors.
right now this is just the new generation of ipods presented at the september event.


edit: you can still use the new headphones with all ipods, but you wont get any bonuses of the remote controls.

[SuperMacMan]

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Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5G77 Safari/525.20)



Yes I'd love to know the same.
I have a first ten iPod Touch. The normal buds I hate, but I've never gotten round to getting new ones.
Would these work just as earphones on the first gen, or would a firmware update do the trick? Even a hack?I'm jailbroken.

Thanks!

the remote does not work with the 1st generation touch. the headphone jack of the 1st gen touch is just capable of standard headphones with 2 connectors for stereo sound.
the old remote headset of the iphone (1st and 3G) has 3 connectors and was capable of using the clicker of the remote.

the new headphones have 4 connectors, 2 for stereo, 1 for the clicker and 1 for the volume controls. so the hardware of the device must be capable of use the these connectors.
right now this is just the new generation of ipods presented at the september event.


edit: you can still use the new headphones with all ipods, but you wont get any bonuses of the remote controls.

Alright, thanks very much! *puts onto Christmas wishlist*

[daneoni]

Still cant buy them...they just scream 'mug me'

[teflon]

They don't compare to ANY of those you mentioned and probably anything else for that matter.

The verdict from the reviews is that they are better than regular buds (anything is anyway), but that's about it.

CNet (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10113368-1.html) - "They don't quite have the crisp, high frequency detail of the Etymotic HF2 headphones I had at my desk

Gizmodo (http://gizmodo.com/5102091/lightning-review-new-apple-in+ear-headphones) - To see how they stacked up in the headphone scheme of things, I tested them against a pair of standard iPod headphones, the premium Zune headphones, and the Shure SE110s

Please actually read the reviews before you make a comment. The Gizmodo review specifically said that the Shure SE110 had better isolation and sound quality.

[scotty96LSC]

The Apple site states the new ear phones are not compatible with 1st Gen iPod touch. I'm sure they work just some of the features (mic) will not.

[ogbuke]

Please actually read the reviews before you make a comment. The Gizmodo review specifically said that the Shure SE110 had better isolation and sound quality.

Yeah but they are more expensive.

[pianoplayer1]

Sonically, these headphones juice a little on the highs and lows, with a pleasantly transparent midrange. Compared with V-Moda's Vibe II, the Apple In-Ear headphones offer a more restrained low end and better articulation in the higher frequencies (we also found them lighter and more comfortable to wear). When heard side-by-side with Etymotic's HF2 headphones we had the opposite reaction, noticing the HF2's improved clarity and overall transparent sonic character but occasionally preferring the way Apple's In-Ear headphones emphasized lower frequencies.

CNET gave them 4 stars.
http://reviews.cnet.com/headphones/apple-in-ear-headphones/4505-7877_7-33255274.html?tag=mncol;rnav

Beating the Vibe II, thats pretty good.

[archurban]

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They could if their music was ripped at good quality. I find the real problem with most people's music on their iPod is that the bit rate quality is generally no higher than 128-160 kbps. But once you get to a respectable bit rate, such as 320 kbps, you'll be able to tell what a difference a real good pair of earbuds can make.

absolutely, but the average user doesn't even know what a bitrate is, let alone how to change it and how it effects their music. People will still continue to listen to insanely loud music regardless of the quality. Furthering the annoying moment when you say "hey" to somebody with their headphones on, and they go "what?!"

Yes, bit rate is the key to improve sound quality. Nowadays most of my music collection goes with 256kbps just like iTunes DRM free music. Actually the sound is great with my $100 earphones or expensive full size headphones. Most people recommend here ultimate ears or shute, etymotic, v-moda. But try iSkin cerulean x1 earphone. It is amazing. I use it now. It is $100. iLounge review gave it B+. sell it at apple store.

[alexlovesmacs]

Nevermind the volume controls wont work for my 1st gen touch. =[

[4np]

If people just read the compatabilty info on Apple's site you'd see:

Compatibility Information

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.

nothing about the iPhone though..

[pooryou]

Apparently the Chicago Tribune didn't like them...

As for sound, it’s better than what ships with iPods and about as good as the more affordable Koss or Blockade models I recently reviewed. They are not as good as the Shure or V-Moda models.
Nor are they as good as the pair of Klipsch Custom-1 headphones, which also arrived after deadline.

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2008/12/new-apple-headp.html


The reviewer is hurting their credibility by lumping Shure and V-Moda together. Shure's are great, but V-Moda sound horrible and are definitely not better than the other cheap ones mentioned.

[queshy]

I would have preferred full iPhone 3G capability. My Shure SE210s were purchased brand new for $80 and so I won't be giving those up anytime soon.

[kanpachi]

Macrumors didn't quote the remainder of the article unfortunately.

probably was intentional to positively skew the perception of the product so they could get more users to click through their affiliate link to generate more sales... hope im wrong though

macrumors seems to be advertising much more aggressively now.. kinda kills the quality of the site if u ask me... but i suppose its only natural in this economic downturn :(

[teflon]

Yeah but they are more expensive.

Actually if you shop around on the net, they can be had for the same price as the Apple ones.
However, that was not my original point. My point was that the reviewers did compare them to Etymotics and Shures, not just original Apple earbuds.

[SPUY767]

I would like to try them out. I wonder if they will have them on display in the Apple stores.

Probably not, much for the same reason that CVS doesn't let you try out the condoms before you buy them.

[pianoplayer1]

The reviewer is hurting their credibility by lumping Shure and V-Moda together. Shure's are great, but V-Moda sound horrible and are definitely not better than the other cheap ones mentioned.

Well reviewers do say that the Vibe II (the vibes referred to) are better than the normal vibes...

but its kinda weird -- cnet says that the apples definately are better than the Vibe II's, I kinda trust cnet more.

[maxikufy]

hey guys, did anyone try to use them (or the regular with mic ones) with fring or another voip program on the touch 2nd gen?

[alexbates]

The Apple site states the new ear phones are not compatible with 1st Gen iPod touch. I'm sure they work just some of the features (mic) will not.

I hope so also. I have the 1st Gen iPod Touch and would love to get these because it is cheaper than the Bose in-ear headphones that I used to have, but I can't get them unless they will work with my iPod.

[Among-Us]

they look very akward and not user friendly i hate in ear headphones but who knows if it sounds good im good with them.

[Sehnsucht]

i loves me a buttery low end . . .

That's what she said! :D :D

[dL.]

So does the microphone capability work for iPhone 3G?

dL

[xicemanx]

So does the microphone capability work for iPhone 3G?

dL

everything except the volume controls work with the iphone (1st and 2nd generation)

[MacTraveller]

Dammit. Another must-have toy to add to my Christmas list....

[MacTraveller]

I'm no audio expert but the freq. response chart Apple provides looks awful (and misleading)!

http://images.apple.com/ipod/inearheadphones/images/chart20080909.jpg

What's misleading about it? It looks perfectly like a sillhouette of Shub-Niggurath.

[ph0rk]

That graph shows a spike near the 5-7k region - very common. Even my Shure SE530's have one.

Most people don't like how a perfectly flat speaker or headphone sounds, anyway.

[matt550]

Are these in stores yet?

[djdjek]

it looks nice. :apple:

[talkingfuture]

I'm just glad you can get decent headphones and still have the iconic white earbuds and wires. The only thing I don't like about my Shures is the black wires.

[lodenmuse]

... As an audiophile (all of my tracks are in Apple Lossless format, none are low quality downloads) ...


Wow, so how large a collection do you have, and how much space do you allocate? I still haven't ripped much of my music, because I don't want to do it more than once, yet I've imagined that everything in Lossless would take up tons of space.

:cool:

[Quillz]

I'm just glad you can get decent headphones and still have the iconic white earbuds and wires. The only thing I don't like about my Shures is the black wires.
The iconic "mug-me-white."

[alexbates]

Are these in stores yet?

I know that they're atleast in all Apple stores. They have been shipping for a while.

[matt550]

I know that they're atleast in all Apple stores. They have been shipping for a while.

I just got home from checking the few Apple stores in the Littleton Colorado area, they don't have them yet. They said it could be any day now.

[slicecom]

Wow, so how large a collection do you have, and how much space do you allocate? I still haven't ripped much of my music, because I don't want to do it more than once, yet I've imagined that everything in Lossless would take up tons of space.

:cool:

It's not that bad now in the days of 1TB hard drives for $100. It compresses your CDs by about 50%, retaining 100% of the quality. I have about 3500 songs and it takes up about 90GB of space. Plenty room left for more CD's. :)

[NewMacbookPlz]

I know that they're atleast in all Apple stores. They have been shipping for a while.

Not at the store I was at yesterday *shrug*

[masse]

Lenox apple store (ATL) said to check back in a week when I called them today.

[Jelite]

All in-ear earphones sound better than the normal buds just by way of design, saying there better than the stock earphones is no compliment.

[Evangelion]

Do any of the Shures and other headphones these are being compared to, have any remote-capabilities? Also, how much do they cost?

I'm really interested in getting these headphines in the future (after I get a new iPod), since I like the remote. The sound-quality is probably more or less similar to my current Sennheiser in-ears, while the price is similar as well.

So I get similar sound-quality + remote for same amount of money. Not bad, IMO. Especially since I hate the fact I need to get my iPod out of my pocket when I want to skip songs etc.

[ipodtouchy333]

I have a question about the bitrate. Most of my songs are around 128 and 192. How would I go about converting them to, say 320? I have always used the regular apple earbuds but I really want these and don't want to spend too much. Thanks!

[maverick808]

I know that they're atleast in all Apple stores. They have been shipping for a while.

None in any of the stores in Vegas yet.

[Compile 'em all]

I have a question about the bitrate. Most of my songs are around 128 and 192. How would I go about converting them to, say 320? I have always used the regular apple earbuds but I really want these and don't want to spend too much. Thanks!

you can't. The data is already lost. converting a 128/192 to 320 won't change the quality.

[little nin]

lol, i would rather just stick with my cheap Sennheiser in-ear ones instead...they come in white too!

[ipodtouchy333]

you can't. The data is already lost. converting a 128/192 to 320 won't change the quality.

Dang! Thanks for your help though. If I were still to get the new in ear headphones, would I see a significant improvement even if my music is 128/192? As you can tell, I don't know much about audio, but I am curious as to re difference between the new and regular ones...

[contractcooker]

Giz makes it sound like they work just like the included iPhone headphones, meaning the only thing that doesn't work is the volume control button.




Weird, the Apple Store near me has always had in-ear earphones on display for the public to try. Why the public would chose to do so is beyond me, but there are earbuds everywhere.

I really don't think that it's much of a hygiene issue to share earbuds. Sure the idea may sound a little gross but I don't think you can become sick from the transfer of earwax. For me personally I would like the opportunity to test them before purchase. I can get over my discomfort for 2 minutes of sharing earwax. It's better than the alternative of purchasing something you don't like.

Hi,

They look interesting but are not for me.

The 'buds that came with my iPod won't stay in my ears, but I will not be paying near $100 CAN for more Apple buds. I'd rather pay that amount for a headset type of headphone, like a Grado.

s.

Personally I don't like Grado that much. They are too fragile. Also they broadcast what you are listening too much more loudly than other headphones. Just my experience.

They could if their music was ripped at good quality. I find the real problem with most people's music on their iPod is that the bit rate quality is generally no higher than 128-160 kbps. But once you get to a respectable bit rate, such as 320 kbps, you'll be able to tell what a difference a real good pair of earbuds can make.

Yes. I wish that people who encoded low bit-rate mp3s would be shot. :) It cheapens the quality of all music to have to listen to that garbage. I'm a huge fan of MP3 but unfortunately the vast majority of files are ripped with a lackluster encoder at too low a bit-rate.... BAH!!!

and you know this how...? Have you tried the new apple ear phones, or are you just assuming because you don't want to believe that an $80 pair of headphones could be as good as your precious etymotics?

I would bet my left nut that these phones will not sound as good as the etymotics.... true I haven't heard them yet but...... it's like saying a saturn will perform better than a Porsche.... not going to happen.

why don't all the whiners just go buy the other dual-driver buds for under $100? Wait, YOU CAN'T.

I think that most of the "whiners" are simply pointing out that there are already headphones out there that sound as good or better and have the same or more functionality as these buds for the same price. I do think that apple will sell quite a few of these though.

Wow, so how large a collection do you have, and how much space do you allocate? I still haven't ripped much of my music, because I don't want to do it more than once, yet I've imagined that everything in Lossless would take up tons of space.

:cool:

Not really. I too strive for 100% lossless... although I do have a few high bitrate mp3 albums. Lossless takes about 300-400MB per CD. It's a lot of space but hard drive prices are so incredibly cheap pretty soon there won't be any reason NOT to rip in lossless.

I have a question about the bitrate. Most of my songs are around 128 and 192. How would I go about converting them to, say 320? I have always used the regular apple earbuds but I really want these and don't want to spend too much. Thanks!

NO NO NO.... you can never convert up. The way compression works is that the encoder reads the waveform determines what the user can actually hear and then discards the rest. (this is WAY SIMPLIFIED but it conveys the general principle). Once the data is discarded you can't simply get it back. If you were to convert a low bitrate MP3 to a higher bitrate you would get the same (or possibly slightly worse) quality sound but increase your file sizes. SO DON'T UPCONVERT LOW BITRATE MP3's. YOU WILL GAIN NO IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY AND WILL INCREASE THE FILE SIZE. The only way to get better sound quality is to re-encode the original source material (CD's or higher bit rate audio files.) Hope this is helpful.

Dang! Thanks for your help though. If I were still to get the new in ear headphones, would I see a significant improvement even if my music is 128/192? As you can tell, I don't know much about audio, but I am curious as to re difference between the new and regular ones...

Quite honestly it may make your music sound WORSE. Because you will be picking up frequency ranges that you couldn't hear before. This is particularly true for high-frequencies. MP3s are notoriously bad for cymbals or other instruments having large amounts of energy in higher frequency bands. If you upgraded your headphones you would be able to hear the horrible job low bitrate mp3's do on high frequencies BETTER... which means that your songs might actually sound WORSE.

[Evangelion]

I think that most of the "whiners" are simply pointing out that there are already headphones out there that sound as good or better and have the same or more functionality as these buds for the same price. I do think that apple will sell quite a few of these though.

Same or more functionality? Please give me a link to in-ear headphones with similar quality, similar price AND an iPod-remote. Waiting....

And BTW: Please multi-quote in the future, as opposed to posting dozen separate posts in a row. I know that I'm not the best multi-quoter in the world, but still....

[weckart]

Yeah but they are more expensive.

Negative, the SE110s were going for as little £25 (US$38) in the UK recently - and that was before the VAT rate reduction. The relatively poor reviews that they got could not tempt me. Sounds like these Apple dual-driver buds are only a marginal improvement over the stock iPod earbuds.
Even now, the SE110s are on average still £10 cheaper than Apples new buds.

[Edit] The SE110s are back down to £18 delivered - a third of the price of Apple's new earbuds

SE110s at Play.com (http://www.play.com/Electronics/Electronics/4-/3497721/Shure-SE110-Sound-Isolating-Earphones/Product.html?P36=BBDTKX)

[Romanesq]

Not really. I too strive for 100% lossless... although I do have a few high bitrate mp3 albums. Lossless takes about 300-400MB per CD. It's a lot of space but hard drive prices are so incredibly cheap pretty soon there won't be any reason NOT to rip in lossless.

Was using lossless but then just went pure to AIFF. No reason not to with the cost of storage now.

[contractcooker]

Same or more functionality? Please give me a link to in-ear headphones with similar quality, similar price AND an iPod-remote. Waiting....

And BTW: Please multi-quote in the future, as opposed to posting dozen separate posts in a row. I know that I'm not the best multi-quoter in the world, but still....

How about these... I'm sure you could find them cheaper other places online. This is just one example. I know there are several others.

http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.107013700#t

I'll quote however I please thank you very much. I'm sorry you were put through the inconvenience of reading multiple posts...... on a forum.... ridiculous....

Was using lossless but then just went pure to AIFF. No reason not to with the cost of storage now.

Why would you use aiff over lossless? I'm curious... they sound the same but lossless is considerably smaller.

[Maxington]

Does these have the same functionality (the mic, etc) as the ones that come standard with the 3G iPhone?

[Evangelion]

How about these... I'm sure you could find them cheaper other places online. This is just one example. I know there are several others.

http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.107013700#t

No volume up/down it seems. And they cost more. And can you go skip songs with those headphones?

So keep looking.

[Romanesq]

How about these... I'm sure you could find them cheaper other places online. This is just one example. I know there are several others.

http://store.shure.com/store/shure/en_US/DisplayProductDetailsPage/productID.107013700#t

I'll quote however I please thank you very much. I'm sorry you were put through the inconvenience of reading multiple posts...... on a forum.... ridiculous....



Why would you use aiff over lossless? I'm curious... they sound the same but lossless is considerably smaller.

But I decided that on any expansion of my library I wanted to keep an original unadultered file is all. I did not go back and redo those already in lossless.

[masse]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31T6Q8KBE5L._SS500_.jpg

I just need something that allows me to hear a little more detail than these (sony MDR EX71), with cords that are not ONLY retarded lengths. From split to left ear is like 3 inches. From split to right ear is about 4 feet. Without the extension its too short to reach my pocket. With the extension its 3 feet too long for my pocket.

Whoever designed these should be tortured.

[Squozen]

wait a minute
what is that thing that looks like a giant pill?

I was going to say that it looks like they included a free tampon.

[teflon]

I was going to say that it looks like they included a free tampon.

Nah tampons are slimmer :p.

[rmb7984]

Lenox apple store (ATL) said to check back in a week when I called them today.

HA! They (the Lenox store) told me that about 2 months ago. Don't hold your breath!

[elmateo487]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31T6Q8KBE5L._SS500_.jpg

I just need something that allows me to hear a little more detail than these (sony MDR EX71), with cords that are not ONLY retarded lengths. From split to left ear is like 3 inches. From split to right ear is about 4 feet. Without the extension its too short to reach my pocket. With the extension its 3 feet too long for my pocket.

Whoever designed these should be tortured.

Agreed. Completely retarded! I have those headphones, they are SO long, or.. SO short. I started wearing casual button up shirts cuz the short cable was perfect to hold the ipod in my breast pocket.

The shirts please the ladies at least... Little do they know is that i could care less about that.

[scott523]

Lol @ the in-ear headphones in the online Apple store. 2 - 3 weeks. 3 - 4 weeks for the regular earphones. Looks like we gotta wait 'til after Christmas. I smell another month of delays to the retail Apple stores... I have no interest in online orders since it's such a hassle to return them.

[JamSandwich]

Maybe it's just me, but in the box like that it totally looks like a mousetrap to me.

[akpace]

The other nice feature of the in ear style is that all that extra sound from the world gets reduced. Can't wait to try them.

[jarjarblinks]

I dont know if its me, but i've had this pretty often. Im plugged into iPhone, The Killers purring into my ears. Volume is approximately 60% of the little squares, and suddenly there is an incoming call and the dial tone literally bullhorns into my ear. Fumble Fumble to turn down the volume. If i accept the call there and then, hearing the person on the other line is quite akin to standing beside the horn on a boat when its gona sail. Sound check on itunes and iPhone both activated, hence I do not know why the incoming calls have such a drastically different "volume" level as opposed to whats being played on iPhone.

So. Volume control on 2.2.1 (cmon gota have it) will be really neat. But that aint gona stop me getting a pair tho. Dual drivers' done it for me.

[Krafty]

Lenox apple store (ATL) said to check back in a week when I called them today.

Sweet, another ATL resident.

[mccoolio]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31T6Q8KBE5L._SS500_.jpg

I just need something that allows me to hear a little more detail than these (sony MDR EX71), with cords that are not ONLY retarded lengths. From split to left ear is like 3 inches. From split to right ear is about 4 feet. Without the extension its too short to reach my pocket. With the extension its 3 feet too long for my pocket.

Whoever designed these should be tortured.

My thoughts exactly!! I bought the MDR EX71 buds 2 yrs ago and immediately thought "who the hell designed these?". I don't have any shirts with pockets so the short cord didn't work and the longer cord was waaaaaay too long, and the plug-in extension acts like a 5-pound paperweight constantly pulling the cord out of my ear, especially if simply nodding my head. And the worst part of the MDR EX71 is that it has the pathetic wrap-behind-the-neck cord which sticks to your neck causing the left bud to pull out. Most all Sony's have this crappy cord design. It's like, did the Sony designer actually wear these outside of their cubicle? However, the buds stay in the ear if you don't move and many of the Sony's have the best and most comfortable fit. But the disadvantages outweigh. I don't buy Sony's anymore because of the cord design.

I also bought the earlier enhanced Apple buds a year ago and quickly found that they had a major fitting problem if you were at all active. If you're sitting at your desk looking at a monitor all day without any head movement then the buds were fine, but if you are the slightest bit active or need to look at the clock then you're screwed as they immediately become misaligned. This is partially due to the cheezy chalky rubber that Apple used. Hopefully the new buds fix this problem.

[elmateo487]

My thoughts exactly!! I bought the MDR EX71 buds 2 yrs ago and immediately thought "who the hell designed these?". I don't have any shirts with pockets so the short cord didn't work and the longer cord was waaaaaay too long, and it incorporates what felt like a 5-pound volume control box so it always pulled the cord out of my ear if I just nodded my head. And the worst part of the MDR EX71 is that it has the pathetic wrap-behind-the-neck cord which sticks to your neck causing the left bud to pull out. Most all Sony's have this crappy cord design. It's like, did the Sony designer actually wear these outside of their cubicle? However, the buds stay in the ear if you don't move and many of the Sony's have the best and most comfortable fit. But the disadvantages outweigh. I don't buy Sony's anymore because of the cord design.

I also bought the earlier enhanced Apple buds a year ago and quickly found that they had a major fitting problem if you were at all active. If you're sitting at your desk looking at a monitor all day without any head movement then the buds were fine, but if you are the slightest bit active or need to look at the clock then you're screwed as they immediately become misaligned. This is partially due to the cheezy chalky rubber that Apple used. Hopefully the new buds fix this problem.

I laughed while with joy while reading this, finding someone who feels my pain for these stupid headphones, and in ironic manner my left earbud fell out while i was laughing!

Hahaha.

[londondude]

Any chance that the volume control could work with an Iphone firmware update in the future? I only say this as the plug looks exactly the same as the normal headphones?

[elmateo487]

Any chance that the volume control could work with an Iphone firmware update in the future? I only say this as the plug looks exactly the same as the normal headphones?

I think we can be assured that Apple is not a bunch of idiots. If there was a simple way, correct way, that would make sense? they would do it. Keep it mind; marketing, reliability, customer satisfaction, yadda yadda.

i would assume a firmware update is all that would be needed, but then again the iphone just might straight up use different hardware.

[masse]

I laughed while with joy while reading this, finding someone who feels my pain for these stupid headphones, and in ironic manner my left earbud fell out while i was laughing!

Hahaha.

YES, haha the extension is about half a pound and always rips the left earbud out.

This is funny. I posted out of frustration that I did not think others felt. cheers.

[str1f3]

The iconic "mug-me-white."

this whole theft cause of earbud color is ridiculous. i'd seriously doubt any thief seeing you walk around with black earphones is gonna think that you carrying around a 1986 sony walkman. ipods have 70% market share. that means any thief has got 7 in 10 shot getting an ipod no matter what color headphones you are wearing.

and i'm sure they not gonna say "it's a zune, so why bother?"

if i'm looking to mug somebody (which i'm not), i'm going to take whatever they have regardless whether it's a zune, an ipod, or an iriver clix.

[Uragon]

Yes, you can. But there are many other in ear headphones with arguably better quality sound and better prices that can do the same.

Any suggestions which product that have a better quality sound and price? thanks....

[aafuss1]

Noticed a few of you are mentioning other in-ears like Sony EX's-so this my thoughts on these:
I a lways have liked the Sony MDR-EX series-my current pairs are the EX32LP,EX52SL and EX85-which at AUD$90 is very comfortable to wear, has 13.5mm drivers for nice SQand its tips are nice and soft.

Note that the EX85/90's feature a unusal angled earpiece which I quite a fan of.

Have got cheaper Sony earbuds with a neck-chain type cord and these often have their cord worn out quite quickly-but that hasn't happened to the EX pairs.

Then at $59 is the SHE9500 from Philips- is also likeable due to what i found to be excellent isolation due to a perfect in-ear seal.

Now Apple's got a in-ear headphone that here in Australia is priced at $110-compared to $140+ plus for Shure & UE seems to be a very good bargin.

Not to mention the advantage of a dual driver design (although Apple doesn't actually publish how many mm's the drivers are).

Although I've yet to see these at my local Next Byte store, I think these are are a better buy than Sennheiser CX300 and would suit those interested in a premium in-ear but don't want to pay lots for.

Might want to get the new Apple pair soon for myself.

[Trajectory]

I imagine if the ability to adjust sound volume on the iPhone was possible with a software update, Apple would have snuck that in with that last 2.2 update, because they knew these new headphones were going to be coming out soon afterwards.

[steamed.hams]

The fact that these apple headsets have a mic, but are not iPhone compatible is seriously strange

[pilotError]

We are at 7 pages now... Has anyone actually received a pair and used them?

Are they any good?

None of the reviews have said anything substantial, other than unpacking photos. That's not really much of a review.

I'd like to hear from someone who actually has them...

[guyverzero]

Well, its Tuesday (Apple unofficial release day) and Apple stores on the East Coast are open. Anyone went to one to find out if this is the day?

::EDIT:: Also, now it says that they're back to shipping in 7-10 days! They NEED to make up their minds on this stuff

[actorkid]

boylston st apple store in boston got them in stock this morning...picking up my pair later

[snowisfun]

Well, its Tuesday (Apple unofficial release day) and Apple stores on the East Coast are open. Anyone went to one to find out if this is the day?

::EDIT:: Also, now it says that they're back to shipping in 7-10 days! They NEED to make up their minds on this stuff
I ordered when it was 2-3 weeks called them and they cancelled and replaced it so now it will ship in 7-10 days.

Delivers: Dec 22 - Dec 30 Instead of the shipping the 24th and arriving the 31st

[jgunn]

Picked up mine today at the white plains store, actually i'm posting from the store right now.

[guyverzero]

man....neither of the stores around me (Crocker Park or Legacy Village in the Cleveland, Ohio area) have them. They NEVER seem to get things until later!

[actorkid]

just picked mine up...


they sound pretty good, and look DEAD sexy....but I must admit I'm a little bit disappointed. I just compared them to my $40 sony earbuds. Yes the sound is crisper on the apple headphones, but honestly I can't tell much difference when it comes to bass. So yeah, the audio quality on the apple headphones is definitely better in many aspects, but I'm not sure its $40 better than my old sony earbuds.

The apple headphones fit my ears pretty well...probably a little better than my sony's

I use it on my 2g iPhone. The jack fits the recessed port just fine. I haven't been able to test out the mic yet. Click to pause, skip, and go back work fine. As it's been known the volume buttons don't work. For some reason I'm driven to think that it can be fixed via a software update. The new phones have the same amount of bands on the jack as the ones that come with the iPhone. The girl who sold them to me at the apple store told me that she believed it could be fixed with a software update...but honestly, most apple reps don't know *****.

I'm honestly not very audio savvy so I'm still pleased with these...if there are any tests anyone would like me to try, I'll be glad to do them and show my results

[matt550]

The Apple store by me didnt have them yet. The lady told they have been shipped, any day now.

[jgunn]

I've used them all day and think they are awesome. I don't want to write a long winded post as I'm posting from my iPhone in a bar but a few key points. They look great. They sound great but not base heavy which I like I'm not big into audio quailty but I can def hear a difersnce between these and the regular headphones. The packaging is pretty cool. Makes it easier to travel with. Very comfortable. Overall I love them but I just paid $80 so I have to right

[Fresh Pie]

They looked amazing until I saw the price. I'm getting green in-ear headphones for $13.

[dlamin517]

i hate how people who ordered these a week ago still get them after people who just walk in and buy them

"Your order has not yet shipped"

*facepalm*

[Joko]

I think it's cooler to own an apple product without having to intentionally advertise it by only buying white apple headphones.

If you are doing this people can normally tell, I know I can, and you look like an idiot.

So for this reason and more importantly for better sound, don't be a dick and buy these just cause they're Apple..buy Sennheisers or from a company who specialize in this field. At least then people won't see you as a stupid sheep.

[dlamin517]

I think it's cooler to own an apple product without having to intentionally advertise it by only buying white apple headphones.

If you are doing this people can normally tell, I know I can, and you look like an idiot.

So for this reason and more importantly for better sound, don't be a dick and buy these just cause they're Apple..buy Sennheisers or from a company who specialize in this field. At least then people won't see you as a stupid sheep.

the only reason i am considering them is because they have the remote on them and the headphones dont suck di...

[SactoGuy18]

So for this reason and more importantly for better sound, don't be a dick and buy these just cause they're Apple..buy Sennheisers or from a company who specialize in this field. At least then people won't see you as a stupid sheep.

If you want headphone only, the new Apple IEM's are a bit high in price. You can get by with something like the Creative EP-830 (I have them and they're actually quite good--the bass quality is vastly superior to the cheaper EP-630 with almost no "boom" in the bass).

[masse]

I'm really excited for these (or just a new pair of headphones in general).

I will likely go to my apple store tomorrow evening. Come on Lenox! get them in already.



Those shure headphones are really tempting also...Most important thing for me is sound isolation because I fly a lot and work in noisy environments.

[GER-pbr]

Now that some guys apparently got their headphones: Could anyone post (or link) a serious review?

Btw: Any information on the stock level of the Seattle retail store?

[rush0]

Middle Class bass, Middle class sound isolation. Should come with the iphone.

[masse]

Middle Class bass, Middle class sound isolation. Should come with the iphone.

Dammit apple. If this is true then I'm not sure how to spend my money haha.

[kfarley]

Hey guys, I have a first gen touch 8gb and I was wondering if anyone can confirm if the remote works with this model of ipod.

Thanks

[clin86]

i just got these today. they were already in stock in california.
They sound great for the price. The volume and pause button also work with my aluminum macbook.
Comes with 3 sizes of earbuds and an extra metal tip.

[Synchro]

Something that every manufacturer other than Apple seems to have figured out is that an even Y-split for earbuds is a crap design. If I take my earbuds out, I want them to hang round my neck, not my ankles. Are these new ones any different?

[sammich]

Something that every manufacturer other than Apple seems to have figured out is that an even Y-split for earbuds is a crap design. If I take my earbuds out, I want them to hang round my neck, not my ankles. Are these new ones any different?

Uh huh, so that means if you want to put your iPhone/iPod in the opposing pocket you need to A) swap the earphones between your ears B) don't bother swapping it so that one ear always carries a bit more tension than the other ear?

[Synchro]

Uh huh, so that means if you want to put your iPhone/iPod in the opposing pocket you need to A) swap the earphones between your ears B) don't bother swapping it so that one ear always carries a bit more tension than the other ear?
I find putting it in the "wrong" pocket makes zero difference to cable tension on the asymmetric buds I do have. As a design decision it amounts to making their use bad for everyone, or better for 95% of users and (if you say so), worse for ~5%. Another effect it has is that people tend to leave their buds in when they're talking to you (because they don't want them around their ankles), which comes across as rude. I'd also guess that it contributes to the high attrition rate on Apple's earbuds - all the damage mine have suffered has been while they are dangling.

[mrkgoo]

I think it's cooler to own an apple product without having to intentionally advertise it by only buying white apple headphones.

If you are doing this people can normally tell, I know I can, and you look like an idiot.

So for this reason and more importantly for better sound, don't be a dick and buy these just cause they're Apple..buy Sennheisers or from a company who specialize in this field. At least then people won't see you as a stupid sheep.

You know, doing something, or buying something for any reason other than the product itself may be stupid - but often, companies have a track record to their name, so it may not be JUST a brand. Regardless, REFUSING to buy something just because of the name is just as stupid.

And what has everyone got against sheep?

[pepsiaddict]

I've been looking for a new pair of earphones, mostly looking in the $60-150 range. I'm usually not one to skimp when it comes to buying quality products, so I could have been swayed to spend more if it was apparently worth it.

After spending about a week researching earphones, I've probably read every ear phone review written in the last year (okay, well, I've read a lot.). I've read reviews for Sennheiser, V-Moda, Shure, Ultimate Ears, Etymotic, all the usual suspects. I am a huge audiophile when it comes to home stereo systems, car stereo systems, whatever. However, I admittedly have never purchased a nice pair of earphones.

There is a lot of crap out there and some really biased and skewed reviews, but after all the research I could have possibly done I settled on getting the Etymotic HF2s. A $179 pair of earphones that seemed to get all-around great reviews from everyone who has used them. I hopped on Amazon yesterday and to my amazement they are selling the Etymotic HF5's for $99 (ruby color only, the cobalt and black models remain at $150). These earphones are nearly identical to the HF2s except the fact that they don't have a microphone or mobile phone controls. There is also a rebate possible to save an additional $8 and an offer to get $5 worth of free music downloads. For $91 ($86 if you feel like counting the download credits), that's a phenomenal deal for such highly rated phones.

I don't know how well they compare to the Apple phones, but CNet did mention that the new Apples don't compare to the HF2's, which are nearly identical in sound quality to the HF5s. If the microphone and audio controls are not important to you, this is definitely an option to consider in this price range as well.

Just thought I'd share my thoughts after having spent a ton of time looking for a new pair of headphones.

[rush0]

If you're not gonna get a mic, the options are endless. You can get $20 Sennheiser knock-offs that sound way better than the Apples.

[jsanche6]

If you're not gonna get a mic, the options are endless. You can get $20 Sennheiser knock-offs that sound way better than the Apples.

How are you sure the Apple ones are that bad, if you've prob never even listened to music with them. I've had the Sony MDR-EX71 3 different times and their perfect. The only problem w/ the Sony ones are that they inside where the sound comes out breaks if u try to clean them, and the wire as mentioned before also breaks after extended use. And I'm assuming that the Apple ones are better since they're more expensive and they have more features(features: referring to the actual headphone buds not the mic and the controls). If you want quality headphones you might want the Bose ones that they have at every apple store right next to the ipod, the over ear ones, those are legit nice.

The reason that I'm buying the Apple headphones are...
-Very Good Sound Isolation
-Blocks Outside sounds like the Sony ones
-Steel Mesh caps that won't break when you clean them
-Nice Design
-Mic/Controls (which over 90% of good headphones don't have)
-Strong wire unlike the Sony MDR-EX71
-No messed up wire design like the MDR-EX71 one short side and one long side
-No Extension Cords
-Reasonably Priced
-Very Comfortable
-Small and portable (smaller than the Sony MDR-EX71 and those are pretty small already)

√Also if they got good reviews from major websites I think that that's legit already because that's their job on giving reviews. They said that these were close to high end headphones. I'm sure $20 headphones wouldn't do the trick on these.

I think these are very good reasons. Trust me, I only buy good headphones that will be well worth it. Why buy an iPod/iPhone if you're not going to get good sound.

Mine should arrive in the mail on like sat so I'll let you know if they're worth it.

Just a note, don't post anything about the quality of these headphones if you haven't actually tried them on because you're going to discourage people from buying these.

[masse]

Every experience I have ever had with an apple store is bad.

I call today to see if the lenox mall store has the new earphones. After waiting an hour on hold, I find out they do have them in stock. They offer to hold them for me if I'd like. I didn't realize they did that for people so was pretty happy. "Yeah sure, that would be great!."

I show up 2 hours later to the guy saying, "Oh..we can't hold new items sorry. We sold out."


I'm so sick of being treated like crap in my apple store. It has happened every time. I don't even want to buy their earphones anymore and wanted to buy an alternative, but I am sure the stores benefit from me buying their stuff so I held off. The same thing happened when I went to buy my MBP. It took literally 45 minutes to get someone to help me. They were showing like 10 year old kids how to use mac pro's rather than help me when I told at least 3 of them that I wanted to buy a computer and needed no help but to be checked out.

Anyway, I'm thinking of getting the Shure Se110's rather than the apple ones. Of course there are no useful reviews that compare them so I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not. Just thinking out loud.

Could someone please compare them to the shure SE110's? I do a lot of flying and think the superior (so I read) noise isolation of the 110's might be better for me. I don't care much about aesthetics.



EDITED.

[jkd123]

Just got my new set last night, and am giving them the true test right now - attempting to work while another department has their christmas reception down the hall! The results? With volume set around 1/2, I'm hearing little nuances in the music that i haven't noticed with other earbuds...that, and while I can see kids running up the hall playing hide and seek, I can't hear them!
So basically, they're already paying for themselves ;)

Another interesting (and nice feature that i noticed this morning): my 2nd gen Touch recognizes the difference between these headphones and a standard set plugged in, and sets the volume accordingly - meaning that moving from my car to earbuds, i don't have to remember to turn down the volume from car level! Nice little feature!

[masse]

Went to the perimeter mall apple store and they were sold out too.

Going to Boston to check out Boyleston then maybe braintree. Its so hard to find these things.

[phuong]

Another interesting (and nice feature that i noticed this morning): my 2nd gen Touch recognizes the difference between these headphones and a standard set plugged in, and sets the volume accordingly

it's not the headphone's feature. it's the ipod's.
everyone who has more than one set of headphones knows this. it has been there since forever. it applies to every kind of headphones and every kind of apple products they plug in.

[afes]

the new apple in ear headphones are amazing and i've only had them for a day.

first off let me start with the sound, really good not weak like the standard external one that your ipod came with. some say the bass is lacking but i say its fine and if it was i would adjust the eq. very crisp and loud. i coulda swore i was wearing my over ear headphones.

the mic is very crisp, i cant stop recording my self just to listen to the quality.
very very fun and one of the reasons i bought the headphones, i dont even have to talk loud just normal volume of speaking sounds amazing

the in ear headphones fit in and come down and out the ear and feel really smooth coming out of the ear and the fit is nice and secure with out being uncomfortable. the kind you can sleep with and not even notice. alot ppl like in ear headphones for sleeping and these would be ideal. if your a ipod touch owner and have notice trying to ff or rewind with the touch isn't the easiest task!!! thanks to the remote it is

2 click for ff , 3 for rewind, 1 for pause/play volume un and down are very responsive.

mic/remote is high up the cord let say i have them in the mic would be around my neck just around the collar line at first i thought it was too high then i realized that all the one hand on my touch hitting record and pause i dont have to hold the mic or anything like that which is conveniently nice.

i ended up paying like 90, 100 bucks and the only real down side is the feel of the cord its not like sturdy plastic but the soft kind but then again the stirdy stiff plastic usually ends up breaking at points any way so maybe its a good thing? and a weeeee bit short on the length but not a problem for me

i dont know about the shure se210 or any others but i sold on these babies. these are worth the money to me.

[masse]

but every review first compares them to the stock headphones. We know the stock headphones suck and canal phones sound a ton better, But do these sound better than others out there? It's a mystery that won't ever be solved.

[SactoGuy18]

but every review first compares them to the stock headphones. We know the stock headphones suck and canal phones sound a ton better, But do these sound better than others out there? It's a mystery that won't ever be solved.

I'd like someone to compare the new Apple in-ear headphones against these following close competitors:

Audio-Technica ATH-CK7
Denon AH-C551K
Shure SE110
Sony MDR-EX90LP

I don't think the new Apple headphones can compare against the Audio-Technica and Denon models I mentioned.

[audioteknika]

Soundwise, they remind me ALOT of the D-Jays.. Which is a good thing..
Kudos Apple.

[lost eden]

If anybody is intersted in a proper opinion/review of these new cans, I would wait until a reviewer who actually has a clue (such as headroom, the headfi forums, etc.) put these to a subjective test against the close competition. All of the reviews & opinions linked so far in this thread come from people who don't honestly know much about headphones & can't justify their opinions more than "they sound great!" or have only compared them to things like the stock Apple headphones & not to the real competition.

There's a thread going on headfi (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/apple-iem-387027/) about these particular cans which will probably be the first place that a genuine subjective review from an expert in the field will be posted or linked.

Of course, Apple are still going to make an absolute mint on this product, in the same way that Bose do on the vast majority of their products; creating speakers & headphones based around cheap OEM components (in the case of these headphones it's the TWFK-30017-000 dual armature speaker from Knowles Acoustics, which Apple probably buy in for less than $20 a piece) then relying on the naivety of the general public to believe all the marketing & hype they place on the product to buy it & truly believe that they are listening to an amazing sounding set of headphones, when in actual fact they could probably get a much better sounding pair at the same price-point (or less) by shopping around a bit & listening to subjective opinions rather than the producer's marketting department.

[slicecom]

If anybody is intersted in a proper opinion/review of these new cans, I would wait until a reviewer who actually has a clue (such as headroom, the headfi forums, etc.) put these to a subjective test against the close competition. All of the reviews & opinions linked so far in this thread come from people who don't honestly know much about headphones & can't justify their opinions more than "they sound great!" or have only compared them to things like the stock Apple headphones & not to the real competition.

There's a thread going on headfi (http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/apple-iem-387027/) about these particular cans which will probably be the first place that a genuine subjective review from an expert in the field will be posted or linked.

Of course, Apple are still going to make an absolute mint on this product, in the same way that Bose do on the vast majority of their products; creating speakers & headphones based around cheap OEM components (in the case of these headphones it's the TWFK-30017-000 dual armature speaker from Knowles Acoustics, which Apple probably buy in for less than $20 a piece) then relying on the naivety of the general public to believe all the marketing & hype they place on the product to buy it & truly believe that they are listening to an amazing sounding set of headphones, when in actual fact they could probably get a much better sounding pair at the same price-point (or less) by shopping around a bit & listening to subjective opinions rather than the producer's marketting department.

Good post. I agree. Still waiting on a review from someone who knows what they're talking about.

[hierobryan]

Soundwise, they remind me ALOT of the D-Jays.. Which is a good thing..
Kudos Apple.

Did you get that from the Head-Fi.org forums?

[masse]

Flew home today and went to the apple store in boston. They said they only received 20 units back 2 weeks ago.

I ordered them online.

[majordude]

I would think Apple would release an update for the iphone in 2.2.1. it'd be silly for their own product not to be fully compatible with one of the most sold and highly reguarded items they produce.

These aren't compatible with the 3G? Hell, there's just a hole, how hard could that be?

[MacTraveller]

Just listened to these at the local Apple Store. These are definitely 3 times better than the stock earbuds. The hi and lows range is just so much more pronounced.

At $79, the price isn't that unreasonable. May get one eventually.

[smartalic34]

browsing the head-fi forums, it seems as though the general consensus is that the apple IEMs have good clarity, pretty good mids, decent highs, but lack a bit on the low end. most agree they blow the Shure SE110 out of the water, but arent meant for bass-heads like a denon c551 or UE super.fi 5 EB is...

[spikeyjac]

This has probably already been asked but just wondering if anybody has these and the bose in ear headphones.
Love my bose in ear headphones!
Just wondering if these honestly were any better :confused:
Thanks
Jack
:D:apple:

[Quillz]

This has probably already been asked but just wondering if anybody has these and the bose in ear headphones.
Love my bose in ear headphones!
Just wondering if these honestly were any better :confused:
Thanks
Jack
:D:apple:
Some audiophiles don't like Bose, claiming you're paying more for the name than the quality.

[majordude]

Audio-Technica ATH-CK7
Denon AH-C551K
Shure SE110
Sony MDR-EX90LP

Those don't all have microphones!

[onlinemoniker]

Comfort level any better the old?

[sangosimo]

the most attractive thing about these headphones are the controls and the frequency response doesn't look to shabby.

[SactoGuy18]

Those don't all have microphones!

True, but many users of these new headphones aren't using the 4G nano, "6.5G" iPod classic or the current iPhone. That makes the microphone superfluous, and in that case the new Apple headphones might not be able to compete against the MDR-EX90LP (which I've heard and does sound quite good thanks to the big 13.5 mm drivers for the headphones).

[jsanche6]

Do these headphones work with the computers, like iMacs? Like I know the headphone part will work because that's a no brainer, but do the controls or the mic work with the computer to do video conference, or use it on Garage Band. Another thing how do voice notes work what program do you need for that? Or is it just the notes program on the iPhone?

[jsanche6]

So I got my headphones in the mail today and I gotta tell you I'm really happy with them. I previously had the Sony MDR-EX71 headphones and these Apple headphones blow those away. I could hear sounds that I never heard before. It's funny cuz I said that when I got the sony ones. I don't known what people were talking about with the bass because I think the bass is at a perfect level deep and crisp. What I like most about these are that they fit like a glove. Really these are so comfortable you can't even feel that you're wearing them. They also cancel sound out very very very well. I turned on my computer speakers loud actually really loud and I couldn't hear a thing when the headphones were in my ear!!! Unfortunately the controls don't work with my iMac, and I haven't tried the mic yet on the computer. Over all I'm already very happy with these :)

Overall Grade: A
Very Clear
Good sound
Fit very well
Cancel outside noise very well
They look and well made too(actual headphones and wire)
Good wire design(perfect length, feel)

[masse]

So I got my headphones in the mail today and I gotta tell you I'm really happy with them. I previously had the Sony MDR-EX71 headphones and these Apple headphones blow those away.


Good wire design(perfect length, feel)

I am SO glad I ordered these now.

[philamac]

My opinion on the new headphones so far is that they are crisp & clear, producing more details than the Sony MDR-EX51/71 BUT they are not very balanced. I hope that all they need is a good break-in, but the mids & lows are not producing the dbs that apple's frequency response chart claims.

my out-of-the-box recommendations - only if you must have a mic & remote...

*Hip-hop/Bass needy listeners -> Vmoda Duo
*Acoustic / light & detailed -> Apple in-ear +remote
*All-around -> Sony MDR-EX51/71 (with original mic & remote transplant , do it, it's easy!)
*so called audiophiles -> expensive $300+ headphones because none of the sub $150 ones will do

disclaimer - during break-in (of the apples)... noticing lows getting warmer, but still not enough, mids are still not quite there either. Just listen to a cello and you'll know what i mean.

[spacecadet610]

looks like amazon has them now. save tax and get $5 in free MP3s

Details (http://www.mysavingcents.com/2008/12/deal-new-apple-headphones.html)

[Stuipdboy1000]

Mine shipped last night and should arrive tomorrow. Can't wait!

[Kebabselector]

My local store (Birmingham, UK) had them yesterday, also sold out yesterday. So I didn't get any.

[jonnyb]

Mine shipped last night and should arrive tomorrow. Can't wait!

When did you order yours?

[SactoGuy18]

From all the reports, the new Apple in-ear monitors (IEM) have proven to be much better than anticipated. :)

I think the use of a dual-driver configuration helps here--it makes for a more balanced sound. Pity only the 4G nano, "6.5G" classic and the 2G iPod touch support the full functionality of the new IEM. I would have loved to be able to have at least the volume control functionality for my 3G iPod nano.

[DoFoT9]

what is the low hertz rating for these?? i read somewhere that it was 5hz, but that cant be possible :eek:

[BergerFan]

I ordered mine 10 days ago, and they've just arrived. they look and feel great. I have a pair of White Sennheiser CX300II's and those sound awesome too, with a little more bass.
The Sennheisers have that annoying wrap around right ear bud, with the longer cord on that side and a funny-looking jack, which irritates me(I didn't know that prior to purchase, my fault there, I guess).
The Apple ones have the perfect cord lengths(as usual), and look so sexy when being worn. They're also much better at not being heard by other people when I'm wearing them, even at louder volume levels.

Apple sure are kings when it comes to aesthetic design.

[Stuipdboy1000]

When did you order yours?

December 3rd, at about 7 in the morning.

They arrived today and so far I love them.

[Zimmy68]

looks like amazon has them now. save tax and get $5 in free MP3s

Details (http://www.mysavingcents.com/2008/12/deal-new-apple-headphones.html)

Amazon is showing a 2 month wait. No thanks.

I went to the Apple Store in Tampa after calling them.
They said they had a very limited stock.
I arrive and I don't see them anywhere.
Luckily, a call to the back netted me the headphones.

I really like them so far. Not sure if they are better then my shure e2s with the mic adapter but at least they are more manageable.

The seem to stay in my ears nicely with the default medium covers.

My biggest complaint other then the lack of full support for the iPhone is the length of the cord. Plugging them into my MacBook Pro I have zero slack from my normal sitting location. Would have been nice if they were a few inches longer.
Oh well.

[Patcoola]

sux don't buy that, there are better ear phones out there and the white attracts thieves

[DoFoT9]

sux don't buy that, there are better ear phones out there and the white attracts thieves

you can find speakers that go lower than 5Hz out on the market at that price?????


they do attract theives i guess, good point.

[Srai-W]

And this blows my mind. How can Apple manufacture millions of headphones that NO ONE LIKES TO USE or can even keep in their ears? I really don't get it. :mad:

It's funny - when I got my 2nd gen nano I straight away went out and bought a pair of Creative (being in Singapore I wanted to support a local company) headphones. They have lasted me bang on 12 months and have just died (right after the warranty ended funnily enough)... so I was looking at buying another pair. Ended up digging out my old white headphones and am using them now with my black nano. Looks stupid, but I actually don't mind the sound so much now. Maybe I have gotten deaf over the last 12 months??????? :(

[themiracle]

I really like them personally. The fact that the controls work with my new Macbook came as a nice surprise too :)

[pilotkid]

I just picked these up a few hours ago and I must say, I'm VERY impressed with them. After reading people reviews on here I was alittle hesitant to go out and spend $80 bucks on them but in the end I'm really glad I did. I was using the Bang and Olufsen A8 earphones before and these are waaay better and more comfortable. I have called a few people and asked them how they could hear me and how I sounded. They said they could hear me fine and that I sounded a little "Artificial". Very happy with these:D
:apple:

[Artmuzz]

Sorry, but the Apple in-ear Headphones really aren't that great. I read all the positive reviews of the phones that it encouraged me to buy them just recently which cost me a ridiculous £54.

My Sennheiser CX300 are superior and so are the earphones that came with my excellent Sony S639F Walkman DAP.

I was really looking for a mic for my iPod Touch to use on BeatMaker and came across the Apple phones. The mic is good though on the Apple phones but the earphones are a big disappointment. The bass is weak and it just sounds tinny even though the silicon buds fit perfect in my ear.

Even though the mic is good it still doesn't justify the £54 I spent:( I could of got the Griffith SmartTalk for only £9.99 but I trusted the reviews and was duped big time:(

Not Impressed

Sorry!


Art

[zedsdead]

Sorry, but the Apple in-ear Headphones really aren't that great. I read all the positive reviews of the phones that it encouraged me to buy them just recently which cost me a ridiculous £54.

My Sennheiser CX300 are superior and so are the earphones that came with my excellent Sony S639F Walkman DAP.

I was really looking for a mic for my iPod Touch to use on BeatMaker and came across the Apple phones. The mic is good though on the Apple phones but the earphones are a big disappointment. The bass is weak and it just sounds tinny even though the silicon buds fit perfect in my ear.

Even though the mic is good it still doesn't justify the £54 I spent:( I could of got the Griffith SmartTalk for only £9.99 but I trusted the reviews and was duped big time:(

Not Impressed

Sorry!


Art

I am not in love with them either, largely because of the lack of bass response. They are very comfortable, although the cord is far too short, much like the standard Apple Earphones.

The best Headphones I have heard are the new Vibe II Duo's. They are amazing, although they are heavy.

[Artmuzz]

I am not in love with them either, largely because of the lack of bass response. They are very comfortable, although the cord is far too short, much like the standard Apple Earphones.

The best Headphones I have heard are the new Vibe II Duo's. They are amazing, although they are heavy.

Yeah they do have a comfortable fit but thats all that are good about them. I am going to take them back and get my money back and buy the Griffith SmartTalk.

Does anybody know what the mic on the Griffith SmartTalk is like compared to the mic on the Apple in-ear Headphones? I need a mic for doing recording on BeatMaker on my iPod Touch.

Please advise

Art

[DoFoT9]

I am not in love with them either, largely because of the lack of bass response. They are very comfortable, although the cord is far too short, much like the standard Apple Earphones.

The best Headphones I have heard are the new Vibe II Duo's. They are amazing, although they are heavy.

what do you mean?? apple's website claims the ear phones go down to 5Hz, which is the lowest ive pretty much ever seen for these type of ear phones!

[Artmuzz]

what do you mean?? apple's website claims the ear phones go down to 5Hz, which is the lowest ive pretty much ever seen for these type of ear phones!

Well, I wish they did sound like what's written on their website but honestly this seem to be a sales ploy by Apple because they certainly lack big punchy detailed bass unlike my excellent Sennheiser CX300 phones:rolleyes:


Art

[SactoGuy18]

Well, I wish they did sound like what's written on their website but honestly this seem to be a sales ploy by Apple because they certainly lack big punchy detailed bass unlike my excellent Sennheiser CX300 phones:rolleyes:


If you want an in-ear monitor (IEM) headphone with clear, deep bass go get the Sony MDR-EX85LP with its big 13.5 mm driver (compared to 9 mm for most IEM's). :)

[yayitsezekiel]

how do these compare to the skullcandy in-ear headphones? I have used the skullcandies and i have been very impressed, but how do the apple ones shape up

[okrelayer]

i am a sennheiser supporter, and will use (if i can help it!) anything but their headphones. Im sure these headphones are decent, and for people that have no prior experiance with higher end headphones it will likely blow you away. But for the money, and brand security i would choose sennheiser for headphones. (yes i know there are better brands than sennheiser, but i mean with-in reasonable price!)

[Artmuzz]

If you want an in-ear monitor (IEM) headphone with clear, deep bass go get the Sony MDR-EX85LP with its big 13.5 mm driver (compared to 9 mm for most IEM's). :)

I have the Sony MDR-EX082 phones that came with my excellent Sony S639F DAP and they are fantastic. They are much better than the Apple in ear Headphones that I wasted £54 on.

Another thing i have noticed with those Apple in ear phones that i wasted £54 on is that whenever I play music or play BeatMaker there is a bit of distortion on the right earphone:mad: Its driving me mad.

I should really take them back and get my money back:mad:


Art