The Earpods are crap anyway. My advice would be to buy a decent pair. Even a budget pair of Sennheiser's would be a much better option.
Was just about to say the same.
Since i bought my first iPod (2nd Gen) in '05 i've used Sennheiser ever since, also with all my 4 iPhones i've owned.
I've gone through 5 pairs, 2 are still in working order!