What I find interesting with all you posters is that you're still thinking about making the current technology headphones sound or fit better. What Apple should be doing is finding a way to produce a better wireless headset. Screw the cords - I hate and haven't used my corded headset since...I can't remember when.
Apple puts all this focus on wireless this and wireless that, but we're expected to have a corded headset? That's pitiful. I can't stand having to wrap them up around the phone or cram them into a bag.
Apple has to be thinking this way and the rest of us should be pushing them forward to do so as well. It's the way of the future - what better company than Apple to lead the way?
I don't really understand the hatred of the included iPod earbuds. Sure, they aren't great, but anyone who really cares about personal audio would have a better pair anyhow.
The white iPod earbuds are probably good for 98% of consumers, who are listening to over-produced, lossy compressed contemporary music in relatively poor listening environments. Which is why you see a lot of people using the white earbuds. Plus, many consumers don't baby their personal electronics. Get a new iPod/iPhone, get a new set of earbuds because the old ones are trashed.
It makes no sense for Apple to include $50 premium headphones with every single iDevice. If you care about audio quality, you'd want Apple to continue their practice of including adequate, mass-market earbuds.
From a performance perspective, the "hated" white earbuds are in line/par with whatever has shipped with other consumer-grade personal music players over the past thirty years, starting with the first Sony Walkman cassette players.
I will point out that the vast majority of Apple's patent filings never make it to a store shelf as a finished product. People here are getting worked up over nothing.
Morever, the improved earbuds could be a separate premium product, they wouldn't need to necessarily replace the current included earbuds.
Myself, someone who ignores the included earbuds. I'm using a $30 pair of Scosche earbuds with the inline microphone on my iPhone. The audio quality is a step up, but I use these when I'm out and about. If I want real headphones, I can plug in my Grado SR-80s, but I'm not schlepping those around.
Mostly agree, but I can't even get those white ones to stay in my ears. Perhaps they should just include a cable with the controls and mic in it so you can plug in your own headphones into it. The problem with that would be a extra long cord after control module, but I personally would rather deal with that than have the white ones.
I don't really understand the hatred of the included iPod earbuds. Sure, they aren't great, but anyone who really cares about personal audio would have a better pair anyhow.
The white iPod earbuds are probably good for 98% of consumers, who are listening to over-produced, lossy compressed contemporary music in relatively poor listening environments. Which is why you see a lot of people using the white earbuds. Plus, many consumers don't baby their personal electronics. Get a new iPod/iPhone, get a new set of earbuds because the old ones are trashed.
It makes no sense for Apple to include $50 premium headphones with every single iDevice. If you care about audio quality, you'd want Apple to continue their practice of including adequate, mass-market earbuds.
From a performance perspective, the "hated" white earbuds are in line/par with whatever has shipped with other consumer-grade personal music players over the past thirty years, starting with the first Sony Walkman cassette players.
I will point out that the vast majority of Apple's patent filings never make it to a store shelf as a finished product. People here are getting worked up over nothing.
Morever, the improved earbuds could be a separate premium product, they wouldn't need to necessarily replace the current included earbuds.
Myself, someone who ignores the included earbuds. I'm using a $30 pair of Scosche earbuds with the inline microphone on my iPhone. The audio quality is a step up, but I use these when I'm out and about. If I want real headphones, I can plug in my Grado SR-80s, but I'm not schlepping those around.
Good post. I'd like to try the Grado SR-80's. Nice price for a good set of headphones. I have never used the BOSE noise cancelling headphones but trying them on at the airport is amazing. The sound cancelling is awesome and that alone is worth a lot.
My gripe with most in-ear sets I have tried is that they are too top and bottom heavy. I'd like a more balanced audio experience. The Klipsch Image S4i get good reviews - anyone but Solips like these?
I was always mystified at who found Apple's included earbuds functional. Whose ears did they fit?
Eventually I splurged and spent over $100 on some Shure earbuds and was amazed at the sound quality. But the included tips of various sizes didn't include one that fit my ears snugly. So they'd fall out quite a bit. Then I was disappointed at having to spend $15 for packs of replacement filters.
Wanting to amp up my workout with the new Nano, I purchased the following inexpensive "Nova foam" earbuds from Best Buy:
They are about $20 on amazon.com and the foam is perfect. They sound great and fit in my ears. And they are zero maintenance. The next evolution will be wireless and I'll be set.
Much more than quality of sound, I think comfort and staying in your ears is more important.
Q: Does anyone know of such Extension? Or is that Apple Playback Control proprietary only to Apple?
I bought one when the original iPhone did not accept standard mini-plug due to unusual recess around the plug. I can't remember which brand mine is but there are several available on Amazon.
I searched for: "iPhone headphone adapter control"
I use Apple's $79 noise-cancelling earphones and they work fine. Apple should simply bundle those instead instead of the crappy ones they use now.
Bundle $80 headphone with a $200 iPod or a $60 Shuffle?
i'm surpassed anyone would expect bundled headphones to rival $120 Noise canceling earbuds w/ built in controls especially when I think about all of the junk buds I've gotten with other devices over the years. They're meant to get you started and prevent the extra cost of $100 earbuds at the time of the sale.
I'm also surprised that no one picked up on the fact that this patent might very well result in better sound. The patent does mention the "debarring" process on the holes. I'm pretty sure that's not a normal step in the sub "bundled" earphone category.
I could care less what earbuds Apple ships with their devices. I buy my own high end earbuds anyway. Unless Apple decides to get into the high end audio business I don't think they should be spending time on earbuds. Plenty of other stuff they should be focused on like a redesigned iTunes. It's the biggest piece of bloatware on my PC.
I rather liked Apple's use of lasers to punch tiny holes in aluminum to let sound and light through. I wonder if they could build cast aluminum headphones that are truly unibody.
I could care less what earbuds Apple ships with their devices. I buy my own high end earbuds anyway. Unless Apple decides to get into the high end audio business I don't think they should be spending time on earbuds. Plenty of other stuff they should be focused on like a redesigned iTunes. It's the biggest piece of bloatware on my PC.
Yes and yes I agree I like Apples hardware but man oh man I hate iTunes the only reason its on my computer is because I have an ipod but oh how much it sucks...please do something with it Apple
I hope at least more comfortable even if they don't sound damn good. In fact I think in ears with optional noise cancelation controlled from the idevice itself should be the default. Apple have a lot of money now to develop that kind of thing with no effect in price.
Can anyone recommend the in-ear earphones from Beats by Dr. Dre? Or is this another rip off disguised as a "premium" product?
They are a testament to the power of advertising. There is much better sound quality available for far less. Check out the recommendations on headfi.org Take the Beats price and use it to buy equivalently priced products by Phonak, Denon, Klipsch, Etymotic, Sony, AKG, Radius, Audio Technica, Panasonic, Sennheiser, Shure, MEElec etc.
Right now, I'm using some Westone stage monitor buds. They sound better than many, but they're not particularly attractive, being entirely skin-tone-colored (to allow them to "disappear" onstage). Thinksound is on my short list, but I can't find anyone who's tried them.
Comments
Apple puts all this focus on wireless this and wireless that, but we're expected to have a corded headset? That's pitiful. I can't stand having to wrap them up around the phone or cram them into a bag.
Apple has to be thinking this way and the rest of us should be pushing them forward to do so as well. It's the way of the future - what better company than Apple to lead the way?
I don't really understand the hatred of the included iPod earbuds. Sure, they aren't great, but anyone who really cares about personal audio would have a better pair anyhow.
The white iPod earbuds are probably good for 98% of consumers, who are listening to over-produced, lossy compressed contemporary music in relatively poor listening environments. Which is why you see a lot of people using the white earbuds. Plus, many consumers don't baby their personal electronics. Get a new iPod/iPhone, get a new set of earbuds because the old ones are trashed.
It makes no sense for Apple to include $50 premium headphones with every single iDevice. If you care about audio quality, you'd want Apple to continue their practice of including adequate, mass-market earbuds.
From a performance perspective, the "hated" white earbuds are in line/par with whatever has shipped with other consumer-grade personal music players over the past thirty years, starting with the first Sony Walkman cassette players.
I will point out that the vast majority of Apple's patent filings never make it to a store shelf as a finished product. People here are getting worked up over nothing.
Morever, the improved earbuds could be a separate premium product, they wouldn't need to necessarily replace the current included earbuds.
Myself, someone who ignores the included earbuds. I'm using a $30 pair of Scosche earbuds with the inline microphone on my iPhone. The audio quality is a step up, but I use these when I'm out and about. If I want real headphones, I can plug in my Grado SR-80s, but I'm not schlepping those around.
Mostly agree, but I can't even get those white ones to stay in my ears. Perhaps they should just include a cable with the controls and mic in it so you can plug in your own headphones into it. The problem with that would be a extra long cord after control module, but I personally would rather deal with that than have the white ones.
The vocal minority who buy expensive earbuds that fit and sound marginally better fill threads, but not markets.
I agree, they're quality is terrible...but I don't think its much of a concern for them.
I don't really understand the hatred of the included iPod earbuds. Sure, they aren't great, but anyone who really cares about personal audio would have a better pair anyhow.
The white iPod earbuds are probably good for 98% of consumers, who are listening to over-produced, lossy compressed contemporary music in relatively poor listening environments. Which is why you see a lot of people using the white earbuds. Plus, many consumers don't baby their personal electronics. Get a new iPod/iPhone, get a new set of earbuds because the old ones are trashed.
It makes no sense for Apple to include $50 premium headphones with every single iDevice. If you care about audio quality, you'd want Apple to continue their practice of including adequate, mass-market earbuds.
From a performance perspective, the "hated" white earbuds are in line/par with whatever has shipped with other consumer-grade personal music players over the past thirty years, starting with the first Sony Walkman cassette players.
I will point out that the vast majority of Apple's patent filings never make it to a store shelf as a finished product. People here are getting worked up over nothing.
Morever, the improved earbuds could be a separate premium product, they wouldn't need to necessarily replace the current included earbuds.
Myself, someone who ignores the included earbuds. I'm using a $30 pair of Scosche earbuds with the inline microphone on my iPhone. The audio quality is a step up, but I use these when I'm out and about. If I want real headphones, I can plug in my Grado SR-80s, but I'm not schlepping those around.
Good post. I'd like to try the Grado SR-80's. Nice price for a good set of headphones. I have never used the BOSE noise cancelling headphones but trying them on at the airport is amazing. The sound cancelling is awesome and that alone is worth a lot.
My gripe with most in-ear sets I have tried is that they are too top and bottom heavy. I'd like a more balanced audio experience. The Klipsch Image S4i get good reviews - anyone but Solips like these?
Eventually I splurged and spent over $100 on some Shure earbuds and was amazed at the sound quality. But the included tips of various sizes didn't include one that fit my ears snugly. So they'd fall out quite a bit. Then I was disappointed at having to spend $15 for packs of replacement filters.
Wanting to amp up my workout with the new Nano, I purchased the following inexpensive "Nova foam" earbuds from Best Buy:
JVC HA-FX35-B Soft Marshmallow Stereo Headphones (Black)
They are about $20 on amazon.com and the foam is perfect. They sound great and fit in my ears. And they are zero maintenance. The next evolution will be wireless and I'll be set.
Much more than quality of sound, I think comfort and staying in your ears is more important.
Q: Does anyone know of such Extension? Or is that Apple Playback Control proprietary only to Apple?
I bought one when the original iPhone did not accept standard mini-plug due to unusual recess around the plug. I can't remember which brand mine is but there are several available on Amazon.
I searched for: "iPhone headphone adapter control"
I use Apple's $79 noise-cancelling earphones and they work fine. Apple should simply bundle those instead instead of the crappy ones they use now.
Bundle $80 headphone with a $200 iPod or a $60 Shuffle?
i'm surpassed anyone would expect bundled headphones to rival $120 Noise canceling earbuds w/ built in controls especially when I think about all of the junk buds I've gotten with other devices over the years. They're meant to get you started and prevent the extra cost of $100 earbuds at the time of the sale.
I'm also surprised that no one picked up on the fact that this patent might very well result in better sound. The patent does mention the "debarring" process on the holes. I'm pretty sure that's not a normal step in the sub "bundled" earphone category.
Sheesh people!
I could care less what earbuds Apple ships with their devices. I buy my own high end earbuds anyway. Unless Apple decides to get into the high end audio business I don't think they should be spending time on earbuds. Plenty of other stuff they should be focused on like a redesigned iTunes. It's the biggest piece of bloatware on my PC.
Yes and yes I agree I like Apples hardware but man oh man I hate iTunes the only reason its on my computer is because I have an ipod but oh how much it sucks...please do something with it Apple
Another vote for just dropping the damn earbuds. I prefer the Beats in-ear headphones, although the ER4's have nicer silicon.
Maybe, just maybe, apple should spend a little less time on making them pretty, and a little more time on making them sound better?
Apple headphones are dreadful.
I didn't know Apple made headphones.
Can anyone recommend the in-ear earphones from Beats by Dr. Dre? Or is this another rip off disguised as a "premium" product?
They are a testament to the power of advertising. There is much better sound quality available for far less. Check out the recommendations on headfi.org Take the Beats price and use it to buy equivalently priced products by Phonak, Denon, Klipsch, Etymotic, Sony, AKG, Radius, Audio Technica, Panasonic, Sennheiser, Shure, MEElec etc.
Right now, I'm using some Westone stage monitor buds. They sound better than many, but they're not particularly attractive, being entirely skin-tone-colored (to allow them to "disappear" onstage). Thinksound is on my short list, but I can't find anyone who's tried them.