New iPod - earbuds are shocking ears!

Kickaha · 10-23-2003, 01:48 PM

Okay, so I just got the *strangest* call from my wife. She just received her new iPod, and called to ask if getting shocks through the earbuds was 'normal'.

Apparently the metal faceplates are shocking her ears.

Anyone else heard of this???

I'm going to call her back and ask if:

1) She was or was not holding the metal case of the iPod

2) Whether it's just when she first made contact, or continuous

3) How strong it is... tickle, or OW

Anyone have any clues on this one though?

Ebby · 10-23-2003, 03:12 PM

I'm not sure that is possible. The iPod is a low voltage device and I don't think the required voltage to feel shocked travels through to the earbuds. If you stick a 9 volt battery on your wet tongue you can feel it but not on dry skin. There is simply too much resistance. Maybe if her ears were wet... but that's gross and I don't want to talk about that.

I'm guessing it is more a combination of loud music and the uncomfortable fit of the earbuds that is giving a sense of being shocked.

Or tell her to stop listening to the iPod in the shower! Good luck.

EDIT: Just got another idea. If she truly is being shocked, it may be static electricity jumping the OTHER way. (From her to the iPod) I can't imaging it being any good for the iPod though. You could try using the little black covers that are so easy to loose as insulation between her and the metal on the earbuds.

Kickaha · 10-23-2003, 03:16 PM

She just got off the phone with Apple.

She told the rep what happened, and he apparently was like "Oh, um... yeah. We'll send you a new pair immediately."

?

Ebby · 10-23-2003, 03:19 PM

Hmmm. Free earbuds. I'll have to remember that.

Wrong Robot · 10-23-2003, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kickaha

She told the rep what happened, and he apparently was like "Oh, um... yeah. We'll send you a new pair immediately."

?

uh oh, sounds like a conspiracy to me.

thuh Freak · 10-23-2003, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Hmmm. Free earbuds. I'll have to remember that.

/thuhFreak runs to the phone to score some bud. then it registers that peeps was talking about ear buds. he laments his presently un-high state.

kim kap sol · 10-23-2003, 06:02 PM

This Bud's for you.

Kickaha · 10-23-2003, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ebby
EDIT: Just got another idea. If she truly is being shocked, it may be static electricity jumping the OTHER way. (From her to the iPod) I can't imaging it being any good for the iPod though. You could try using the little black covers that are so easy to loose as insulation between her and the metal on the earbuds.

That's what I told her (re: foam covers), and what I suspected - but still... was trying to figure out how she could have put in the earbuds without grounding out through the iPod in the first place... I guess if she picked them up by the insulated side, after say shuffling her feet across the carpet, while the iPod was on the table, then placed them against her ears...

*shrug*

She also said that the sound was really crackling and bad through them. Hopefully this is *just* the earbuds and not the unit. That would suck.

See, she had a horror story with an iBook repair that she ended up getting $200 in Apple consolation money from, and she put it towards this iPod. *sigh* Not a happy customer.

Ebby · 10-23-2003, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kickaha
She also said that the sound was really crackling and bad through them.

I have had the crackeling sound before. Like something was loose. Especially if there is a lot of bass in the song. I tapped them on the table or flick it with my fingers and it seems to fix it for a week or so. Mught want to give it a try or wait for new earbuds. If you have a second pair of headphones or earbuds you can always test them to see if you have the same problems.

LudwigVan · 10-24-2003, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Kickaha
That's what I told her (re: foam covers), and what I suspected - but still... was trying to figure out how she could have put in the earbuds without grounding out through the iPod in the first place... I guess if she picked them up by the insulated side, after say shuffling her feet across the carpet, while the iPod was on the table, then placed them against her ears...

*shrug*

I've given myself small static shocks to my ears (usually of the light variety) by stirring slightly in an upholstered chair - that was enough to get the electrons moving. (At the time, I was wearing regular foam-covered headphones hooked up to my work computer.)

Barto · 10-24-2003, 12:24 AM

The iPod earbuds are REALLY crappy. So many people arn't happy with them.

I don't care, I still love my iPod.

Barto

confirmed · 10-24-2003, 02:37 AM

just so you know, your wife's not crazy. i had the same problem with my first pair of ipod earbuds. as i was too lazy to go to an apple store, or even call, to have them replaced, i just let them keep shocking my ears as i listened to music. over time the problem got worse and worse, both affecting the quality of the sound, as well as my brain cells. when it got to the point when i actually felt pain when i'd listen to music, i finally went to an apple store. they were more than happy to replace them, although, they did not seem to have heard of that problem before.

and also, don't worry about it being the iPod itself.. i too was worried about that, but i'm sure your wife's problem is the same as mine, and after recieving a new pair of earphones, the problem was totally solved.

Kickaha · 10-24-2003, 03:01 AM

Cool, thanks for the confirmation, confirmed.

**Anders** · 10-24-2003, 05:13 AM

Two crazyhead doesn´t make a sane.

JLL · 10-24-2003, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barto
The iPod earbuds are REALLY crappy. So many people arn't happy with them.

They are much better than the Sony ones I have.

ast3r3x · 10-24-2003, 06:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Barto
The iPod earbuds are REALLY crappy. So many people arn't happy with them.

I don't care, I still love my iPod.

Barto

I love them, they are good design that they don't fall out of my ear and I can wear them without those pads and not even feel they are in my ear (if I don't move).

tonton · 10-24-2003, 08:54 AM

I think the iPod earbuds are probably the best quality ear buds included with a portable consumer device, with the exception of B&O, which includes their premium folding "Minority Report" earbuds with their MP3 player. Of course, their player is 128MB and still costs more than a 10GB iPod.

Barto · 10-24-2003, 09:34 AM

Ok, maybe it's just my earbuds, and all the other crackling, shocking earbuds, that are crappy.

Barto

10-23-2003, 01:48 PM	#1
Kickaha Really Fast Typing Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ossining, NY Posts: 8,575	New iPod - earbuds are shocking ears! Okay, so I just got the strangest call from my wife. She just received her new iPod, and called to ask if getting shocks through the earbuds was 'normal'. Apparently the metal faceplates are shocking her ears. Anyone else heard of this??? I'm going to call her back and ask if: 1) She was or was not holding the metal case of the iPod 2) Whether it's just when she first made contact, or continuous 3) How strong it is... tickle, or OW Anyone have any clues on this one though?

10-23-2003, 03:12 PM	#2
Ebby RIAA's Most Wanted Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Over Yander Posts: 3,101	I'm not sure that is possible. The iPod is a low voltage device and I don't think the required voltage to feel shocked travels through to the earbuds. If you stick a 9 volt battery on your wet tongue you can feel it but not on dry skin. There is simply too much resistance. Maybe if her ears were wet... but that's gross and I don't want to talk about that. I'm guessing it is more a combination of loud music and the uncomfortable fit of the earbuds that is giving a sense of being shocked. Or tell her to stop listening to the iPod in the shower! Good luck. EDIT: Just got another idea. If she truly is being shocked, it may be static electricity jumping the OTHER way. (From her to the iPod) I can't imaging it being any good for the iPod though. You could try using the little black covers that are so easy to loose as insulation between her and the metal on the earbuds. horrid misuse of cool technology SSBA.COM Last edited by Ebby; 10-23-2003 at 03:17 PM..

10-23-2003, 03:19 PM	#4
Ebby RIAA's Most Wanted Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Over Yander Posts: 3,101	Hmmm. Free earbuds. I'll have to remember that. horrid misuse of cool technology SSBA.COM

10-24-2003, 12:24 AM	#11
Barto Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 2,195	The iPod earbuds are REALLY crappy. So many people arn't happy with them. I don't care, I still love my iPod. Barto Self Indulgent Experiments keep me occupied. rotate zmze pe vizspygmsr minus four

10-24-2003, 05:13 AM	#14
Anders Feared and Biased Moderator Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: http://tinyurl.com/qvp7b Posts: 6,457	Two crazyhead doesn´t make a sane. "I reject your reality and substitute it with my own" - President Bush

10-23-2003, 03:16 PM	#3
Kickaha Really Fast Typing Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ossining, NY Posts: 8,575	She just got off the phone with Apple. She told the rep what happened, and he apparently was like "Oh, um... yeah. We'll send you a new pair immediately." ?

10-23-2003, 06:02 PM	#7
kim kap sol Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Somewhere far, far away Posts: 2,858	This Bud's for you.

10-24-2003, 02:37 AM	#12
confirmed Registered User Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: New York, NY Posts: 74	just so you know, your wife's not crazy. i had the same problem with my first pair of ipod earbuds. as i was too lazy to go to an apple store, or even call, to have them replaced, i just let them keep shocking my ears as i listened to music. over time the problem got worse and worse, both affecting the quality of the sound, as well as my brain cells. when it got to the point when i actually felt pain when i'd listen to music, i finally went to an apple store. they were more than happy to replace them, although, they did not seem to have heard of that problem before. and also, don't worry about it being the iPod itself.. i too was worried about that, but i'm sure your wife's problem is the same as mine, and after recieving a new pair of earphones, the problem was totally solved.

10-24-2003, 03:01 AM	#13
Kickaha Really Fast Typing Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Ossining, NY Posts: 8,575	Cool, thanks for the confirmation, confirmed.

10-24-2003, 08:54 AM	#17
tonton Registered User Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 8,387	I think the iPod earbuds are probably the best quality ear buds included with a portable consumer device, with the exception of B&O, which includes their premium folding "Minority Report" earbuds with their MP3 player. Of course, their player is 128MB and still costs more than a 10GB iPod. Episode One: A New Hope.

10-24-2003, 09:34 AM	#18
Barto Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Australia Posts: 2,195	Ok, maybe it's just my earbuds, and all the other crackling, shocking earbuds, that are crappy. Barto Self Indulgent Experiments keep me occupied. rotate zmze pe vizspygmsr minus four

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