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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????
 
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.
 
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






:)
 
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.
 
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).
 
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.
 
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.
 
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!
 
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.
 
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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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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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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