New iPod In-Ear Headphone reviewed: Apple's best yet

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 55
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    I liked this article it seems to be well done and researched. Keep up the good work!



    Now I would like to point out a concern that some of us have with lead wire length. For us taller folks the length of the ear bud wires are often to short. That is slipping the iPhone into ones pants pockets and keeping the buds in the ear is next to impossible. So in reviews of such items it would be nice to comment on cord length and the relative difference with respect to the standard buds.



    It is a given that this is not important to everybody. The other issues that crops up is if you use such with your laptop. Here longer cords can help in the same manner. Maybe what is needed is a review of extension cables that work specifically with these buds.



    Finally I realize the largest use for these is music and other energainment but you don't want to soft pedal other usage. For example Voice over IP, cell phone usage or even functionality with a note taking app. You touched on this a bit but more detail would be welcomed.



    In any event it is good to hear that Apple has such good value in hardware. It is a good counter arguement to the idea that everything in an Apple store is overpriced.





    Dave
  • Reply 22 of 55
    4metta4metta Posts: 365member
    Anybody who has not yet listened to an iPod with high end earphones like Shures is truly missing out at hearing what the iPod can do.



    I rip all my cds to lossless in iTunes and play the songs through my Nano and Shure e500s (they are now known as SE530s). Most of the time I don't even bother with an amp because the sound is just that good. The added bonus is that ear monitors lock out outside noise so you can play the music at lower volumes and still hear more detail.
  • Reply 23 of 55
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Still taken aback that didn't make them "FULLY" compatible with the iPhone 3G at least. YES, I know they are partially compatible. This is such an Apple thing to do. One of the best companies in the world manage to do things like this that are so dumb it's shocking.



    Steve, you get a bag of coal for X-MAS



    Anyone makes any excuses for them, or tires to defend Apple in any way shape or form on this one get an internet-slap! ZIP IT!



    And exactly who are you?



    Maybe Apple needs your legal guidance. In the meantime, could you direct us to a cell phone manufacturer that has similar offerings and advertises them for such?



    As I posted previously, Apple states in its iPhone Safety Guide:



    Driving and Riding Safely

    Use of iPhone alone or with headphones (even if used only in one ear) while driving

    a vehicle or riding a bicycle is not recommended and is illegal in some areas.




    Certainly it would seem prudent for Apple not to even suggest that the new headsets be intended for use in the iPhone. In particular, the in-ear construction totally blocks external sounds, unlike the current ear phones. The liabilities could be onerous.



    Obviously, one could claim that they would never drive with using the headphones in both ears. However, just walking out of your home with them on, you put yourself in jeopardy if you are deemed liable for causing an accident while wearing headsets.



    Sounds scary doesn't it. However, even the "USA Track & Field", the national governing body for running, has banned the use of headphones and portable audio players like iPods at its official races, "basically (because of) an insurance issue. And they are not the only one.



    I guess is Apple shouldn't stir the pot. There is no universal consensus on what one can wear re headphones, i.e., one ear, two ears or no ears. As listed here, http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/, many places just outright banned cell phones altogether regardless.



    http://www.macworld.com/article/1342...iving_ban.html
  • Reply 24 of 55
    suhailsuhail Posts: 192member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    And exactly who are you?



    Maybe Apple needs your legal guidance. In the meantime, could you direct us to a cell phone manufacturer that has similar offerings and advertises them for such?...



    Hey Ireland I got this one.

    *kaslap*
  • Reply 25 of 55
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Still taken aback that didn't make them "FULLY" compatible with the iPhone 3G at least. YES, I know they are partially compatible. This is such an Apple thing to do. One of the best companies in the world manage to do things like this that are so dumb it's shocking.



    Steve, you get a bag of coal for X-MAS



    Anyone makes any excuses for them, or tires to defend Apple in any way shape or form on this one get an internet-slap! ZIP IT!



    Yes, I know this is the way Apple has been for a long time (so the veterans tell me on this forum), I'm somewhat new to the Apple scene and this type of stuff really bothers me... Apple (and Steve) make excellent, innovative products --- but they always find something to leave out, restrict, or remove. I'm not criticizing Apple for any other reason then I think they have unprecedented potential to impact the marketplace with truly awesome products, and I want them to continue to do so. It's unfortunate to watch some of the decisions they make, and your headphone issue is not even scratching the surface. btw, I apologize if I've included some of these in earlier posts, but I wanted to emphasize my point.



    - iPhone camera, poor quality, no autofocus, no flash, no video capability, and no MMS.



    - Precipitous removal of IEEE1394 on Macbook, and the Macbook STILL doesn't have an expresscard slot! The MB Firewire issue has been rehashed a million times, so I'll skip it to the next issue. Besides allowing mobile broadband without having to have an unwieldy USB "dongle" sticking out, the addition of an expresscard slot on the MB would have been an easy solution to the lack of a native firewire port. Also, considering Apple's computers last a long time, it would have allowed future expandability when Firewire 3200 and USB 3.0 come out in a year, not to mention acting as a convenient way to add things like eSATA/external RAID, scientific/data acquisition equipment, RS-232, etc. In 3-4 years from now, when everyone is shuffling around HD video and 20+ megapixel RAW files on external harddrives (or SSDs) via USB3, FW3200, and eSATA, the Macbook will still be stuck with 30MB/s USB 2.0 Similarly, backup will be a PITA in the future when people upgrade their Macbook with 1.0+ terabyte internal drives.



    - The non-professional screen on the 15" Macbook Pro. Besides forcing professional users (including their "bread and butter" designers and artists) into an ultra-glossy display, the resolution is a paltry 1440x900. Average consumers may not care, but this is NOT supposed to be a consumer machine. 1680x1050 should be the minimum, and 1920x1200 would be preferred. For photographers, graphic designers, video professionals, engineers, etc, it is very important to have as much screen real estate as possible as well as having the highest clarity possible. And yes, they do make LED backlit displays in these resolutions. the 15" Dell Precision I was looking at had an LED backlit 1920x1200 display. It was gorgeous.



    - Not offering a professional Quadro or FireGL video card on the Macbook Pro. Although these expensive cards are very similar to their consumer counterparts, the difference is in the drivers, firmware, and optimization. They are heavily optimized for OpenGL performance and have many OpenGL features that the consumer drivers do not. Also, they have much higher tolerance and precision in calculations for maximum accuracy and reliability versus the target of maximum raw performance for consumer gaming cards. These professional cards also have to be officially certified by different ISVs for CAD/3D/engineering software, and their tech support won't even talk to you if you have problems if you are not using certified equipment. With the Apple machines now being able to run Windows (and Linux) natively, it has opened up a much larger market for people who need to run certain apps in windows or linux.



    - 4GB RAM limit on the MB pro. Many could argue the Macbook doesn't need more than 4GB of RAM (at the moment at least), but this argument does't apply to the Macbook Pro. Considering OSX on the Mac Pro easily supports 16GB+ of RAM, there is simply no reason for this limit to exist on ANY computer. Even if the new nVidia chipsets require extra work on the BIOS/EFI or chipset level for more RAM support, Apple should have had this done BEFORE selling a new "professional" laptop. Your average $800 windows laptops are coming with 2-4GB of RAM already! This is another fatal blow in addition to the display and graphics card limitations for professional users.



    - Mac Mini update. HELLO? APPLE ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?? The Mini hasn't been updated for almost 18 MONTHS! WTF! Whether they are doing a major redesign or replacing the Mini with a new form factor, there is NO EXCUSE for not at least giving it incremental processor, chipset, RAM, or harddrive upgrades!



    Those were off the top of my head, I'm sure there are many more...
  • Reply 26 of 55
    The article is right on the mark about the original model. I bought a pair after I broke some high quality in-ear buds and it was the only time I returned something made by Apple. They were tinny and just AWFUL to listen to. I usually try earphones before I buy, but this was the exception because I have never been disappointed by Apple before. Never again. I will only buy earphones from a reputable audio store... even if I have to pay a bit more, it's worth not having to return them. Apple should stick to computers, MP3 players, phones and their OS - Earphones are not their thing.
  • Reply 27 of 55
    Yes, I must say I'm a little "once bitten, twice shy". I bought a pair of the old in-ears to replace some aging Sony in-ears whose cord had frayed finally after 5 years. To be completely honest they were nothing short of awful. Impossible to keep in your ears and a sound quality barely above the normal awful ones.



    I now sport the Bose in-ears which are very nice.
  • Reply 28 of 55
    Winterspan, that's a lot of pent up rage there my friend, let it out!



    Whilst I would never defend Apple and their decisions, they're big enough to do that themselves, I'm sure they have their reasons for not bowing down to your every wish. After all, they're in it for the money, and if they make money selling their current crop of computers, how are these so-called exclusions bad decisions? The iPhone for example, people keep whining about its shortcomings, but people keep on buying em!
  • Reply 29 of 55
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    Re: Response #14 - You Have A Left Ear?



    Can't you go to Radio Shack and get a stereo to mono jack adapter? I don't see why Apple should bend over backwards for the 0.0001 percent of the population without a left ear.
  • Reply 30 of 55
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    Quote:

    Compared to the single-driver E2Cs, which are known to be slightly bass-heavy



    What? I've owned two pairs of E2Cs and they've both sounded slightly bass-light even with the foam plugs. The detail and low frequencies are certainly there but they don't deliver the punch of some rivals.



    I thought that maybe it was just my ears playing up but people seem to agree.



    Still, the new iPod headphones are intriguing. It's a shame that it's impossible to try them out before buying.
  • Reply 31 of 55
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Shogun View Post


    Re: Response #14 - You Have A Left Ear?



    Can't you go to Radio Shack and get a stereo to mono jack adapter? I don't see why Apple should bend over backwards for the 0.0001 percent of the population without a left ear.



    Read my post again. I'm certainly not asking anyone to bend over backwards, or even think before they post. My point was that there would be a number of reasons that such an option could be useful, its a known option on many other audio devices, and far from having to bend over in either direction, it would be a cheap and easy modification with no physical changes to the current hardware necessary.



    Jeff
  • Reply 32 of 55
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jeff K-C View Post


    Read my post again. I'm certainly not asking anyone to bend over backwards, or even think before they post. My point was that there would be a number of reasons that such an option could be useful, its a known option on many other audio devices, and far from having to bend over in either direction, it would be a cheap and easy modification with no physical changes to the current hardware necessary.



    Jeff



    I'm in agreement with Jeff. I have both ears with 100% hearing in both*, yet there are countless times when only having 1 earpiece in would be useful. It's a tiny setting to add, and it doesn't even need to be that easy to reach. But I would like to see it there.











    *Interestingly, my hearing is technically better than 100%, as I can hear sounds outside of normal human capacity, especially in the high range (I can actualy hear the refresh rate of CRT monitors, and so being in a room with to many drives me slightly crazy )
  • Reply 33 of 55
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    And exactly who are you?



    Maybe Apple needs your legal guidance. In the meantime, could you direct us to a cell phone manufacturer that has similar offerings and advertises them for such?



    Well eh, yes, predictable.
  • Reply 34 of 55
    I realize that innovation comes from trial and error.

    I realize that people need to kvetch from time to time.

    BUT

    Why can't people just be happy with the product FOR NOW.



    Not every product can BE every thing to every person.....

    Your obvious "need" my not BE so obvious to any one else. It's a MASS MARKETED PRODUCT.

    There will always be upgrades. It's like the weather. You don't like it, wait 5 minutes (or in Apple's case, 10).



    I own these (got them Saturday the 13th) and LOVE them. Satisfied, happy (use them with my iPhone) and glad I spent the extra $$ for them. No, they don't have volume controls. I knew that going in. But instead of complaining I worked around it.
  • Reply 35 of 55
    this article is clearly too friendly, the price is an impudence!!!
  • Reply 36 of 55
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wobegon View Post


    Actually, according to an earlier AppleInsider article by Prince McLean, the iPhone has 4 conductors as well but:



    "The new headphones are not listed as compatible with the iPhone, because it was not designed to adjust volume with the mic switch; the mic should still work and the headphones will work with any iPod or other standard headphone jack device."

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...008_ipods.html



    I thought the same thing as you - not enough conductors. So it seems to be a hardware deficiency, which I have no doubt will be resolved in the next iPhone.



    If it were on the software side, they would have (probably) added support through a software update in advance because they have no real incentive to keep this functionality locked away since...the next iPhone won't be out for a while yet and they would likely sell even more of these things if those volume controls worked with the iPhone (which would also allow Apple to market them as iPhone compatible).



    Hey! Common. The iPhone have 4 connectors since the first version. And nobody know if it really require some hardware changes to be able to control the volume. Maybe not. And maybe we will see the support of it in a next firmware update.

    If it is just a quadruple click for volume up and five click for volume down, or any other kind of coding, it could be easily supported by a firmware update.

    We will have to wait. That's it!



    But maybe someone can actually investigate and see what kind of signal this headphone sends when pressing the volume buttons?
  • Reply 37 of 55
    Like everyone else who wants this for the iPhone, having no use of the volume controls is just plain stupid to me. The fact that Apple themselves points out that its not compatible with the iPhone should be a flag for reviewers to not sugar coat the product for iPhone use. Its not compatible with it. It's not for iPhone users, period.
  • Reply 38 of 55
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by clemo View Post


    this article is clearly too friendly, the price is an impudence!!!



    ??? earbuds and headphones range from under $5 to far more than Apple charges for theirs. I don't see the big deal here.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by slapppy View Post


    Like everyone else who wants this for the iPhone, having no use of the volume controls is just plain stupid to me. The fact that Apple themselves points out that its not compatible with the iPhone should be a flag for reviewers to not sugar coat the product for iPhone use. Its not compatible with it. It's not for iPhone users, period.



    But here, compatibility really is in degrees, not absolutes. An Apple tech note does say everything does work except volume control, just that the page for the product says it doesn't support iPhone to keep stupid people from buying them and complaining the volume control doesn't work.



    As long as the user doesn't mind that the volume controls don't work, then it will suit them just fine.
  • Reply 39 of 55
    shogunshogun Posts: 362member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jeff K-C View Post


    Read my post again. I'm certainly not asking anyone to bend over backwards, or even think before they post. My point was that there would be a number of reasons that such an option could be useful, its a known option on many other audio devices, and far from having to bend over in either direction, it would be a cheap and easy modification with no physical changes to the current hardware necessary.



    Jeff



    Cool. Point taken.
  • Reply 40 of 55
    Hi,



    Is the connector on the new headphones compatible with the 1st generation iPhone?
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