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jmsait19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 26, 2004
378
0
MO
Any word on the quality of the Apple in-ear Headphones. My little earphones that came with the iPod have sort of crapped out. I have no low-end in the right ear, which I am somewhat befuddle on how that actually happened. Are there one or two drivers in those little guys?? Anyway, whats the word on the in-ears????
 

deryk

macrumors regular
Feb 18, 2003
134
25
Denver
jmsait19 said:
Any word on the quality of the Apple in-ear Headphones. My little earphones that came with the iPod have sort of crapped out. I have no low-end in the right ear, which I am somewhat befuddle on how that actually happened. Are there one or two drivers in those little guys?? Anyway, whats the word on the in-ears????

I don't know about the apple in-ear buds, but I purchased the sony ones and I love them. I hated the ones that came with the iPod. They didn't fit well and I thought that the sound quality was poor.
 

bbarker

macrumors newbie
Jan 12, 2003
2
0
jmsait19 said:
Any word on the quality of the Apple in-ear Headphones. My little earphones that came with the iPod have sort of crapped out. I have no low-end in the right ear, which I am somewhat befuddle on how that actually happened. Are there one or two drivers in those little guys?? Anyway, whats the word on the in-ears????

I bought them for my iPod and was pretty disappointed. They felt comfortable in my ears but they didn't sound that great. I would go so far as to say that they weren't even as good as the pair that came with my iPod, which I agree are a pain to keep in your ear. I ended up getting the Bose Triport's instead. They aren't tiny by any means but the sound is quite rich and the low end is amazing for any size headphone.

I woudld recommend test driving any headphones before buying if you possibly can.

BryanB






:)
 

Fender2112

macrumors 65816
Aug 11, 2002
1,134
373
Charlotte, NC
I bought a set last and so far I have a neutral opinion. They are more comfortable. They sound quality has alot to do with how snug you fit them in your ear. I found that a really snug fit has good quality but also gives a "stethascope" effect.

I'm going to try the medium sized tips this week to see if it helps. I was using the small ones.
 

garybooberry

macrumors member
Jan 16, 2004
63
0
Annapolis, MD
Tight seal very important

I ordered a pair as soon as they were announced at MWSF Keynote.

I simply hated the buds that come with the iPod.

As long as you properly insert them (a tight seal is very important) they sound great - good bass. It helps if you pull up on your upper ear while inserintg the bud and once you have it in to let it down slowly (your ear canal will seal against the bud's seal.

My only complaint is that they fall out when I get sweaty during running - I have to dry them and my ears out occasionally (well, about 5 times during a 22-miler yesterday).
 

Macette

macrumors 6502
Mar 5, 2002
472
0
Melbourne
garybooberry said:
My only complaint is that they fall out when I get sweaty during running - I have to dry them and my ears out occasionally (well, about 5 times during a 22-miler yesterday).

That may well serve you right for running 22 miles. Har.
 

jmsait19

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 26, 2004
378
0
MO
thanks

Thank you for the input. It sounds like the opinion is divided. I will go on a research and demo run to find a good pair. I want something small to use at school, work, and when working out and stuff, something unobrtusive, but good quality sound (im a sound guy so something of poor quality really annoys me). If there is anything else anyone wants to add or some suggestions on a pair, let me know.

thanks a bunch.
 

Bhennies

macrumors 6502
Mar 20, 2004
435
0
NYC & Baltimore
Get the Shure e2's. They are not cheap (79 bucks) but they are top of the line in ear phones. They also are noise-cancelling, which means you can walk around in your own personal sound-track. Really great sound quality!
 

craigdawg

macrumors 6502
Mar 8, 2004
360
0
Sactown
deryk said:
I don't know about the apple in-ear buds, but I purchased the sony ones and I love them. I hated the ones that came with the iPod. They didn't fit well and I thought that the sound quality was poor.
I second this. The Sonys (MDR-EX71SL) have outstanding sound quality and effectively block out background noise. I wear them while flying and they're great. If they were white, they'd be perfect.
 

applemacdude

macrumors 68040
Mar 26, 2001
3,240
2
Over The Rainbow
Bhennies said:
Get the Shure e2's. They are not cheap (79 bucks) but they are top of the line in ear phones. They also are noise-cancelling, which means you can walk around in your own personal sound-track. Really great sound quality!


http://www.shure.com/earphones/eseries_e2c.asp

got a good review in macworld

macaddict didnt like the apple ones too much
 

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Koodauw

macrumors 68040
Nov 17, 2003
3,951
190
Madison
craigdawg said:
I second this. The Sonys (MDR-EX71SL) have outstanding sound quality and effectively block out background noise. I wear them while flying and they're great. If they were white, they'd be perfect.

My friend got a pair of the Sony in ear headphones for his iPod. They were nice, but one thing that really annoyed me about them was the fact that one headphone string was longer than the other. The short sided one went into your left ear, and the longer stringed one went around the back of your neck into your right. You then had the part where it split hanging on the side of body, not in the center like the Apple ones. I thought this was poor design work & a pain. His were white though, and thus not the ones mentioned above, hopefully Sony changed this for the newer versions.
 

craigdawg

macrumors 6502
Mar 8, 2004
360
0
Sactown
Koodauw said:
They were nice, but one thing that really annoyed me about them was the fact that one headphone string was longer than the other. The short sided one went into your left ear, and the longer stringed one went around the back of your neck into your right. You then had the part where it split hanging on the side of body, not in the center like the Apple ones. I thought this was poor design work & a pain.
I agree this design isn't optimal but the sound quality will more than make up for it. (I don't wear them around the back of my neck though). Sony has been making earbud headphones for over 10 years and they've always been "lopsided". :confused:

Also, I don't think it's possible for the Sony earbuds to break in the same way the Shures did in the photo above.
 

titaniumducky

macrumors 6502a
Nov 22, 2003
593
0
Sennheiser

Get a pair of Sennheisers! Even their cheap models sound great. However, these aren't the best option for earbuds - get full headphones if possible.

My HD 202s were only $25 and sound AMAZING (of course, I'm no audiophile, so you might want a higher model). They're also really comfortable.
 

Capt Underpants

macrumors 68030
Jul 23, 2003
2,862
3
Austin, Texas
If you want the best in-ear headphones, you have to check out the Etymotic products. The ER6's are the low end versions, and are priced at a hefty 119.00 (street). They sound completely terrific. I love them! Click Here.
 

Fender2112

macrumors 65816
Aug 11, 2002
1,134
373
Charlotte, NC
Capt Underpants said:
If you want the best in-ear headphones, you have to check out the Etymotic products. The ER6's are the low end versions, and are priced at a hefty 119.00 (street). They sound completely terrific. I love them! Click Here.

Wow! Those look fancy. I did not realize earbuds had gotten so hitech.
 

taeclee99

macrumors 6502a
Jun 4, 2002
826
2
Anywhere but here
Capt Underpants said:
If you want the best in-ear headphones, you have to check out the Etymotic products. The ER6's are the low end versions, and are priced at a hefty 119.00 (street). They sound completely terrific. I love them! Click Here.

Hey Capt,

Have you ever tried the ER4's..the high end ones? If so, is there much diff between these and the ER6's? I am unsure which ones to get?
 

Capt Underpants

macrumors 68030
Jul 23, 2003
2,862
3
Austin, Texas
taeclee99 said:
Hey Capt,

Have you ever tried the ER4's..the high end ones? If so, is there much diff between these and the ER6's? I am unsure which ones to get?

I haven't ever tried the ER4's, but they're supposed to be better than the ER6's. Saying that, I own the ER6's, and they are top-notch, so you will have a great listening experience with either one.
 

lasuther

macrumors 6502a
Feb 13, 2004
670
0
Grand Haven, Michigan
Capt Underpants said:
If you want the best in-ear headphones, you have to check out the Etymotic products. The ER6's are the low end versions, and are priced at a hefty 119.00 (street). They sound completely terrific. I love them! Click Here.


I completely agree. Look into the Etymotics, you won't be sorry. I have the ER6's and they are amazing. I've also listened to the ER4P, which are one of the best headphones you can get. A bit expensive though. I bought my Etymotics on eBay from a dealer there for $112 shipped overnight.

lasuther
 
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