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Seeking the Perfect iPhone Earbuds Replacement

K

kewl

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 28, 2007
25
0
I would like to replace my Apple iPhone earbuds (which don't fit me very well) with sound isolating earphones. Here's my criteria:

- In the ear type to reduce outside noise (for commuting to tune out the train noise and other passengers).
- a plug that fits the iphone (I bought some sony EX81s and the plug doesn't fit the narrow iphone jack).
- a small microphone on the earphones with the same functions as the apple earbuds - press to answer, pause and skip music.
- Best quality sound for $150 or less.

Does this even exist? Any suggestions?
 
My recommendation, having a personal set, are the vibe duo's. Great sound, and great noise isolation, even if no music is playing. i ride the BART in the Bay a lot and its very good at muting all the noise and stuff, the jack fits great, and it has playback control just like Apple's headset. And the best part is you can get them at Apple or V-moda's website for $100.
 
Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A93 Safari/419.3)

I got a pair of the vibe duos and they really are fantastic quality for the money. The only slight problem I found is that with them being noise isolating it takes some getting used to holding a conversation with them! If you find it a problem, just take one of the earpieces out whilst on the phone.
 
I'd go with the Griffin TuneBuds Mobile (due out soon) or the SmartTalk and bring your favorite headphones. I ordered the SmartTalk and it'll arrive tomorrow, I'll post and let you know how it is but I like the ability to keep the functionality of the stock controller and bring different headphones.
 
Although i have the high-end replacement to this combination. I have tested this and feel that it is of much more superior sound-isolation and quality then the v-moda alternatives.

The Shure SE210 and the Shure MPA. I do realize this slightly exceed your budget, but I have no expereince with the SE110.
 
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another vote for the v-moda vibe duos from me. not the best sound quality for the price, but definitely better than the OEM earbuds with the same functionality...
 
The Griffin SmartTalk adapter just arrived today, so far it works pretty good. But this is what the packaging looks like and at $20 and the ability to use your favorite headphones and still have all of the functionality of the stock controller, it is the best deal out there...the control unit is a bit larger than the stock one and the v-moda's.
 

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http://cgi.ebay.com/iPhone-earphone...yZ111693QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pros
1. Same exact drivers/sound identical to Sennheiser CX300 (tighter, less boomy bass than V-Moda, still big bass though, much clearer mids/crisper highs than V-Moda).

2. CHEAP!

3. Mic/button unit same size as iPhone.

4. Stylish black aluminum jack with silver rings

Cons

1. Build quality slightly lower than regular Sennheisers, mostly in the cord dept. The jack does not have a rubber grommet around the cord junction and since the housing is aluminum, it may eventually cut into the cord. The cord is relatively tangle free however.

2. No case/pouch/trained rodent to hold the buds for you.

3. extra set of flanged tips are made of crappy silicone. They're described as free anyhow. Still too much to pay for them.

I'm continually amazed at how many people have been lulled by V-Moda's schtick. They sound like 20" Jeep speakers with a blown tweeter. Sennheisers have a full rich fun sound with big bass, solid mids and crispy highs.
 
If you don't mind stuff sticking into your ear you might try a pair of Sony High Performance. They have great high and low end sound (especially low end) and won't burn a hole in your wallet (only $34.99 from best buy). They come with 3 different size silicon ear inserts providing optimal comfort.
 
I went with these, and they arrived today so haven't worn them too long.

Initial impressions are actually very good. Haven't tested them against the CX300 but they sound absolutely great. Not an audio expert but I do know good sound when I hear it; bass is good and without distortion, and the mid/high tones sound good. In-built button is fine, as is the mic - no complaints from anyone yet and I've been asking opinions.

Downsides are precisely those mentioned below. Biggest downside is probably the cord which is quite plasticy. If you can live with that then these deliver a great sound for a very cheap price.

mcdj said:
http://cgi.ebay.com/iPhone-earphone...yZ111693QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pros
1. Same exact drivers/sound identical to Sennheiser CX300 (tighter, less boomy bass than V-Moda, still big bass though, much clearer mids/crisper highs than V-Moda).

2. CHEAP!

3. Mic/button unit same size as iPhone.

4. Stylish black aluminum jack with silver rings

Cons

1. Build quality slightly lower than regular Sennheisers, mostly in the cord dept. The jack does not have a rubber grommet around the cord junction and since the housing is aluminum, it may eventually cut into the cord. The cord is relatively tangle free however.

2. No case/pouch/trained rodent to hold the buds for you.

3. extra set of flanged tips are made of crappy silicone. They're described as free anyhow. Still too much to pay for them.

I'm continually amazed at how many people have been lulled by V-Moda's schtick. They sound like 20" Jeep speakers with a blown tweeter. Sennheisers have a full rich fun sound with big bass, solid mids and crispy highs.
Click to expand...
 
i like the ultimate ears .4vi a lot! although i haven't tried the vibe duos but i'm sure both will suffice...the ultimate ears are $150...they stay stuck in your ears and don't fall off unlike most in-ear devices....not too bass heavy but just right, and i like how the volume is barely at the midpoint but i can still hear the music really well
 
Summary

Thanks everyone for your responses. They've been very helpful.

Here's what I've gathered from this post and the boards so far.

Most fitting the criteria:
- Ultimate Ears .4vi. $150. All the functions I want but on the $$ high end.
- Vmoda Vibe duo. $100. All the functions I want. Strong bass - not quite my preference. May have some quality control issues (from other posts). Moderately expensive.
- Generic version from ebay. $25. All the functions I want. Can't really return if they suck.
- Griffen Tunebuds. $40. Not out yet, but seems to have all the functions I want. Don't know how well they would sound.

Not quite matching the criteria:
- Shures SE110/210. I've heard these and love them. But they don't have the speaker/music control up near the mouth area, so there's going to be some dangling and extra wires.
- Any adaptor type. Don't want a big adaptor sticking out of my iPhone.

The choices seem a bit limited. But I would like to get something soon.

If my summary seems inaccurate, please chime in because I haven't touched, listened, or handled most of these.
 
davem7 said:
I went with these, and they arrived today so haven't worn them too long.

Initial impressions are actually very good. Haven't tested them against the CX300 but they sound absolutely great. Not an audio expert but I do know good sound when I hear it; bass is good and without distortion, and the mid/high tones sound good. In-built button is fine, as is the mic - no complaints from anyone yet and I've been asking opinions.

Downsides are precisely those mentioned below. Biggest downside is probably the cord which is quite plasticy. If you can live with that then these deliver a great sound for a very cheap price.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting. I wondered about those and ordered a pair but they never came.
 
AJsAWiz said:
Thanks for posting. I wondered about those and ordered a pair but they never came.
Click to expand...

I had ordered a second pair and they too did not arrive. The seller claimed issues with his local post office. Supposedly another pair is on its way. Did you contact them for re-shipment?
 
Is it possible to send in ones Shure headphones and get the cord for iphone functionality soldered?
 
ntrigue said:
Umm...none of these headphones, particularly the Vibe DUO allow the listener to skip songs.
Click to expand...

UMM. Maybe you should do a bit more research before posting.

The Super.fi 4vi, the CX300-based headphones on ebay, the Shure MPA adapter, the new Etymotic HF2s and the latest version of the V-Moda Duos ALL have the mic/button which allows for play/pause/answer call/end call AND skip tracks.
 
Not to much info on the new SkullCandy's but they do have a 11mm driver, which I have seen reviews has an amazing bass response.

about 80 bucks, has the mic attachment and all
 
kewl said:
Most fitting the criteria:
- Ultimate Ears .4vi. $150. All the functions I want but on the $$ high end.
- Vmoda Vibe duo. $100. All the functions I want. Strong bass - not quite my preference. May have some quality control issues (from other posts). Moderately expensive.
- Generic version from ebay. $25. All the functions I want. Can't really return if they suck.
- Griffen Tunebuds. $40. Not out yet, but seems to have all the functions I want. Don't know how well they would sound.
Click to expand...

Get the Ultimate Ears. They are worth the extra cash.

Here they are for $130 on Amazon.

David
 
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i looooove my ultimate ears super.fi 5 pros

in your budget, id check out the super.fi 4. I haven't heard them but i stand by ultimate ears products. Additionally they are iphone compatible... with the mic and stuff

DO NOT GET SHURE IN EARS. they sound like absolute garbage
 
i wish Sony would release some earbuds w/ a microphone....they do have iphone compatible earbuds but can't double up as a receiver/speaker for phone calls
 
drugs! said:
i looooove my ultimate ears super.fi 5 pros

in your budget, id check out the super.fi 4. I haven't heard them but i stand by ultimate ears products. Additionally they are iphone compatible... with the mic and stuff

DO NOT GET SHURE IN EARS. they sound like absolute garbage
Click to expand...

could you explain yourself and your experience/comparisons.

I've owned everything from Sony MDR-V150s and standard Apple buds to: Shure SE530's and Grado Reference RS1's.

The Shure's that I have dealt with (with the exception of the e2) so (the E3, E4, E5 and SE530's) have been balanced (although the E4's bass was definitely more precise and less thumpiness and still cherished by me). The SE530's are the best IEM that I have ever heard (I own a pair of UE-10s) and even with a standard white sleeve, I prefer. The bass isn't overwhelming and extremely precise and the mid's and the high's are fabulous. The price is obviously concerning, but the craftsmanship is second to none.
 
Rivet's

I see that no one has mentioned what I call the BEST poor man's headphone's. I found these within a month of iDay and are still using them to this day. www.rivetnow.com

Features
Unique lanyard wearing style...wears around the neck preventing them from being pulled out or falling from the ear canal
Extended bass and sound isolation for superior sound quality...sounds "almost" as good as my Bose ear buds
One-touch call answer/end button
In-line microphone for clear voice pick-up...have had no complaints from the other end
Adjustable fabric cords with tangle-free storage
Includes 3 sizes of earbud gel tips for maximum comfort and fit
3.5mm connector designed to fit the iPhone jack without an adaptor
Only $29.99 + Shipping

So far I have used for over 8 months with no breaks, signs of wear or any other inconvience and for the price, the sound is that of a $100 set.

Cons: Haven't found one yet, thats why I keep using.

Good Luck
 
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