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

Horrible rubbery earphones with iPhone 3G

S

Steven Jackson

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 8, 2006
387
7
Lincoln, U.K.
I've had the iPhone 3G since launch, but have only just unwrapped the earphones. What's happened? The cable is springy and rubbery and hateful and horrid. Yuck.

Why have Apple changed their headphones? The old ones were lovely.

Steve.
 
:rolleyes:There are headphones with the iPhone?:confused:
<opens box>
Well I'll be! There is some CHEAP crap throw away headphones.
 
No, no, no. I'm not talking about the sound quality being garbage, I'm talking about the horrible, springy, rubbery cable. It's made out of a different material than the headphones I got with the first gen iPhone, or any other iPod I've ever owned...

Steve.
 
Steven Jackson said:
No, no, no. I'm not talking about the sound quality being garbage, I'm talking about the horrible, springy, rubbery cable. It's made out of a different material than the headphones I got with the first gen iPhone, or any other iPod I've ever owned...

Steve.
Click to expand...

I think they changed the material used before the 3G launch, I went into my local apple store about 3 weeks before launch to get a replacement set for my 1st gen phone as one of the buds stopped working. The new set that the genius gave me are the same as the 3G ones - I agree, they do seem to be a bit springy and rubbery.
 
I love the new headphones, rubbery or not. The ability is skip and pause music from the microphone is one of my favorite things about it.
:)
 
I definitely noticed a BIG difference in the "feel" of the headphones! I bought my 2G iPhone in November and the headphones that came with it felt the same as every other pair of Apple headphones I've used prior to then. In June, I bought an iPod Shuffle (the iPhone is just to bulky to be worn comfortably while running...) and I noticed the included headphones felt rubbery, as if they were made from a completely different material than my previous headphones. I thought that maybe iPod Shuffle headphones are different... But now with my iPhone 3G, the same rubbery headphones are included! I liked the old ones better!
 
I actually love the rubbery cords on the headphones. They don't get tangled nearly as easily. They don't wrap up quite as nicely, but I like them. Never owned the first iPhone, but I do like them better than what I got with my 5th gen iPod.
 
awvan said:
I actually love the rubbery cords on the headphones. They don't get tangled nearly as easily. They don't wrap up quite as nicely, but I like them. Never owned the first iPhone, but I do like them better than what I got with my 5th gen iPod.
Click to expand...

i think you pointed out the main reason why apple used this material. it may not feel as nice as the old headphones but it hardly ever get's tangled up which always happens with these in-ear headphones.

my gripe isn't with the rubbery cable itself but more so with the ear buds and how they refuse to stay in my ear. they always find a way to slide out a little, not helped by the rubbery cable which at times seems to have a mind of it's own. a little more grip on the ear buds would have been appreciated.
 
wow, people will seriously find anything to complain about

dang the new power brick is smaller and doesnt have the adapter on it

dang whats this stupid sim ejector tool, i better not have paid extra for it

whats this cloth, i wont use this and its taking up space in my box

get a life
 
They changed the material to make the earbud wires to rubber, because rubber isn't supposed to have a memory, so hopefully it will prevent tangles and kinks.

Also, I believe it is only the A-Type power bricks (US, Can, JPN, PRC) that have built-in plugs. I know the UK one are smaller, but still utilize the figure 8 connector on them to allow for different plugs.

TEG
 
awvan said:
They don't get tangled nearly as easily.
Click to expand...

x 1000

These are usable on a day-to-day basis. The old ones were not.


Flhusky said:
:rolleyes:There are headphones with the iPhone?:confused:
<opens box>
Well I'll be! There is some CHEAP crap throw away headphones.
Click to expand...

What did you replace them with? I haven't looked, but I didn't know there were 3rd party headphone with a mic and iPod controls buit in. What's available?
 
I use the v-moda vibe duos too. Careful, they do make a non-microphone version. Some people don't like them. They are a little like Apple's higher end ear buds that come with several replaceable rubber ear pieces so you can size them to some extent. These seal the sound somewhat so internal sounds get really loud (chewing, cable rubbing on something, etc.). I got them because the earbud coming out of the mic of the Apple set kept getting a loose connection.

I think the old ear buds cable contained a toxic substance which lead to the replacement.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071015-consumer-health-group-suing-apple-over-iphone.html
 
Sorry, I didn't notice the difference in the two headsets, b/c I pretty much just tossed them in my headphone/headset graveyard shoebox. I'm happy with the Bose In-Ear-Headphones and the iJack for microphone and iPod operation switch. Anyone else notice how short the iPhone headset cord is? :cool:
 
I actually think you get more bass with these headphones over standard i-pod headphones so I like them
 
i used the headphones all the time on my 1st gen.

i use them all the time now with my 3G.

i never noticed a difference. i dont care. they work fine. i use them when i drive, like a bluetooth substitute.
 
I don't like the feel of the new cables, but I love how tangle-resistant they are!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back