Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

almasinfe

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 28, 2008
97
0
My wife told me when she was listening to music she got shocked by the iPhone ear buds... At 1st I started to laugh due to her reaction at work
She freaked the hell out LOL so I ask has anyone had this happen to them???
 
My girlfriend made the same claim and trashed her earbuds. I lost mine in my move so I have no way of listening to mindfreek that I just payed for.
 
The has happened to me a few times.
If she wants to get them replace Apple will most likely switch them out.
 
This happened to me one day when I walked in front of my girlfriend's TV. The static from the earbuds transferred through the wire and then shocked me. I now just stay away from the TV while listening to music with my earbuds on.
 
I have one particular clothing combo of sweater and wool coat which do not play nicely with my ipod nano. I have to remember to remove the ear buds (stopping the music isn't sufficient) before removing my coat. Otherwise, the discharge of static electricity generates this pain inducing crackling in my ears. Horrible stuff.
 
It has happened to me with both my iPhone and iPod Nano first gen. It actually happened quite a bit with the Nano, and I was using sony ear buds.

I am pretty sure it is not the devices fault and that it was just a static shock from bouncing in my pocket. However, it still hurts like crazy!!!!! :cool:
 
Happened to me but only static kinda like when you get out of a car started after the rubber wore off the sides around the metal small annoyance 1 out of every 75 times. Its not strong enough to hurt you.:apple:
 
I can't say it's happened to myself or someone I know, but if you're looking for some replacements that aren't Apple, try SkullCandy! :D They're amazing sound quality, and have the headset function and buttons.
 
It's a lot more likely that your girlfriend was shocking the earbuds, since it would make more sense for a static charge to build up on her and then would be discharged when she came in contact with the metal in the earbuds.

What I'm trying to say is the earbuds are fine, you just need to throw out your girlfriend.
 
i highly doubt she got shocked by the headphones ( was she working out, sweating, etc ? )
Was she doing any other activity, was she sweating, etc ?

from what i can remember ( when i built a mini amp) don't draw that many amps, and definitely don't draw much voltage ( it of course depends on the resistance of the headphones you are using... um refer to Ohms law :p )
 
i highly doubt she got shocked by the headphones ( was she working out, sweating, etc ? )
Was she doing any other activity, was she sweating, etc ?

from what i can remember ( when i built a mini amp) don't draw that many amps, and definitely don't draw much voltage ( it of course depends on the resistance of the headphones you are using... um refer to Ohms law :p )

I've been shocked by my iPod headphones several times. No sweat, no unusual activity.
 
Hmm it seems like quite a few are experiencing this,everytime I put my phone in my north face jacket it shocked my ears. I thought it was a problem with the wires, butafter reading this it seems like it's because of the static (there's always a build up on that jacket. Would replacing the headphones solve the problem?
 
You would think after being corrected people would be smart enough to know that the discharge is coming from their own bodies.


The has happened to me a few times.

This happened to me one day when I walked in front of my girlfriend's TV.

I've been shocked by my iPod headphones several times.

I put my phone in my north face jacket it shocked my ears.


You are not being shocked by your headphones!
 
You would think after being corrected people would be smart enough to know that the discharge is coming from their own bodies.











You are not being shocked by your headphones!

Unfortunately people have selective hearing that more often than not filters out any reasoning presented to them so they can continue to believe they're being attacked by their technology.
 
I have one particular clothing combo of sweater and wool coat which do not play nicely with my ipod nano. I have to remember to remove the ear buds (stopping the music isn't sufficient) before removing my coat. Otherwise, the discharge of static electricity generates this pain inducing crackling in my ears. Horrible stuff.

Absolutely, I would often encounter this with my earbuds while running on dry days. Static shocks to the ear are not fun.
 
...the discharge is coming from their own bodies...

You are not being shocked by your headphones

You are correct that the shock is not coming from your iPod (or more specifically, not as a result of battery discharge into your ear), but the shock is coming from your headphones.

The headphone cord is rubbing on your clothing and producing a static charge. That charge, in the plastic of the headphone cord, is being discharged through the most conductive thing that it touches: the skin of your ear (moist with saline). The charge does not release into the iPod's electricals because 1) its a dead end as far as current is concerned and 2) because the electronics are shielded by non-conductive material. Your body acts as an electron reservoir for the charge accumulated on the headphones, hence your headphones do actually shock you.
 
You are correct that the shock is not coming from your iPod (or more specifically, not as a result of battery discharge into your ear), but the shock is coming from your headphones.

The headphone cord is rubbing on your clothing and producing a static charge. That charge, in the plastic of the headphone cord, is being discharged through the most conductive thing that it touches: the skin of your ear (moist with saline). The charge does not release into the iPod's electricals because 1) its a dead end as far as current is concerned and 2) because the electronics are shielded by non-conductive material. Your body acts as an electron reservoir for the charge accumulated on the headphones, hence your headphones do actually shock you.

More or less. The static buildup on your body could be caused by more than one thing, not necessarily the headphones, and as one poster noted this only happens when he wears a certain fuzzy jacket.
 
You would think after being corrected people would be smart enough to know that the discharge is coming from their own bodies.

You are not being shocked by your headphones!

It seems you are either arrogant or an idiot and are missing the point.

The device is not supposed to allow this to happen. Regardless on where the charge builds up the device is allowing me to experience a shock. Just because the transfer of current is going from me to my earbuds doesn't mean that I am not getting shocked by them. You are deciding to argue semantics. Obviously you understand what people are saying and therefore it's a good enough way to explain it.

Also, I'm not so sure that I am shocking my earphones. No other earphones I've ever used give this effect. Either my earphones are discharging current to me, or they are manufactured poorly enough that they are the only ones susceptible enough to transmit current to generate a shock. Either way, the earphones are to blame, not the users.

I highly doubt that low voltage shocking sensations to the users ears is within spec.
 
Re:

It seems you are either arrogant or an idiot and are missing the point.

The device is not supposed to allow this to happen. Regardless on where the charge builds up the device is allowing me to experience a shock. Just because the transfer of current is going from me to my earbuds doesn't mean that I am not getting shocked by them. You are deciding to argue semantics. Obviously you understand what people are saying and therefore it's a good enough way to explain it.

Also, I'm not so sure that I am shocking my earphones. No other earphones I've ever used give this effect. Either my earphones are discharging current to me, or they are manufactured poorly enough that they are the only ones susceptible enough to transmit current to generate a shock. Either way, the earphones are to blame, not the users.

I highly doubt that low voltage shocking sensations to the users ears is within spec.

Ok just a few things:

*Lets not be too nasty eh, after all, he is right
*Its nothing to do with the device, it would discharge through anything. Once you are charged due to whatever reason (probably through rubbing clothing) you will discharge through almost anything, are you trying to tell me youve never been shocked when shaking someones hand or touching a hand rail?
*It isnt the headphones fault, any conductive material connected to your body in any way will try and balance the charge, even if it isnt earthed like the iphone, it tries to balance it out.
*There are many solutions to the problem however, firstly, if you are always in contact with the conductive material there will be no shock, this is becuase the charge is always the same between you and your headphones/iphone, it is only when there is a build up on one or the other and then they come into contact that there is a shock.
Secondly you could just wear clothes that dont generate static or get some rubber headphones........
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.