Apple's In-Ear Headphones receive a subtle upgrade

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bsenka View Post


    Still, the Sony's have better sound, can be used on any device, and cost a lot less. How much energy is saved by Apple's implementation? It's a compromise, not an advancement.



    The Sony's sound okay if you want to jog or not screw up your more expensive headphones. The Apple Headphones are ok for the non-discerning ear, but if you want excellent sound, you go for Ultimate Ears, or Shure SE530's (my favorite), or Etymotics.
  • Reply 42 of 51
    Their store reps may say the 3G won't work with the in-ear headphones, but the true info is easily available:



    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3310



    I have a 3G and this set and I can tell you this article is correct. They do offer superior sound, though some of that I'm sure is due to them being in-ear versus simple buds. For $80, can't be beat.
  • Reply 43 of 51
    trajectorytrajectory Posts: 647member
    I do not understand why Apple would update the higher-end earbuds, still without the ability to use them fully with the iPhone. They could easily sell thousands more if they just did that. Is it really that difficult??
  • Reply 44 of 51
    cwickcwick Posts: 1member
    The words Christian & science should not ever be in the same sentence...













    Quote:
    Originally Posted by m01ety View Post


    What's your issue? The Christian Science Monitor is a very reputable US newspaper, with some of the best international and political coverage, with seven Pulitzer prizes. You may remember hearing about their reporter, Jill Carroll, who was kidnapped in Iraq a few years back. They are based here in Boston, my lovely hometown, and are one of the latest newspapers to be forced to get rid of their print editions due to the economy and a changing market landscape.



    I will assume A) that you have never heard of the CSM, since you are based in the UK, and/or B) that you confuse Christian Science with Scientology, which are two very different things, the first being an actual religion founded in the 19th century by Mary Baker Eddy with a strong focus on the coexistence of religion and scientific truth and education, and the other being a money-grubbing sect founded by a third-rate sci-fi author half a century ago whose members include unstable celebreties like couch-jumping Tommy Cruise and ought-to-diet John Travolta.



    Glad we got a chance to clear this up.



    *****



    With regards to the earphones, yes, I recently switched mine in because of some fraying, and the replacements I got do have the harder plastic cover. I noticed it immediately. Also: they are excellent (if) expensive earphones. If you have the cash and like bass and music, blow them on a pair. For serious. They're great.



  • Reply 45 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by PG4G View Post


    This is incorrect. The headphone jack connections are identical between the two. Apple has directed resellers to say this and also to claim "complete incompatibility" with the iPhone and iPhone 3G. Technically, everything but the volume up and down buttons work. The center button and microphone works.



    The method that the centre and side buttons are received by the phone is identicle. The fact that the signals sent aren't implemented it because Apple refuses to on the software side as it's not a "feature" - it's to clear inventory of the old iPhone headphones.



    Apple has directed resellers to spout this mumbo jumbo, but anyone who understands how the Jack works will know this can be upgraded by Apple - they just refuse to. A mate at a rather prestigous reseller told me they'd given such directions and he "couldn't tell the truth in public as it was against company policy and contradicted Apple's reseller instructions." A fact I was strongly unhappy about having two iPod Touch 2Gs in the house and one iPhone 3G.



    Now I have a 3GS and it's all fine. Still, I disapprove of both the lie, and their incinuation that the microphone and centre button won't work when they will.



    This seems disingenuous on many levels. And even if it's true (that the hardware is in place on the older iPhones, but would require a firmware update to activate volume control in the new earbuds), I still don't understand the rationale. The high-end earbuds are an upgrade option; they don't replace the crappy earbuds included with the iPhone (not even the 3GS), right?
  • Reply 46 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Big KC View Post


    Anyone who pays $$hundreds for an iPhone or iPod and uses ANY Apple earbud product is a fool. They're all terrible.



    I think most people would expect that ANY Apple earbud product used with their expensive Apple iPhone should be decent headphones (though understandably not the best available) and be, not only fully functional, but fully compatible with their device. To my experience, the Apple headphones and earbuds haven't all been terrible.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Big KC View Post


    There are a ton of great alternatives out there, all of which are a better value. If you listen to a lot of music, spring for something high-end, like Etymotic or Shure. You wouldn't spend a bundle on home stereo components, then pick up cheapo speakers at Radio Shack, would you? Just say no to Apple earbuds. Apple does many things well.. this isn't one of them.



    Yes, there are a lot of better sounding (and far more expensive) alternatives out there. But do they allow you to control the volume from the cable remote? That's the issue, and the complaint about the lack of functionality with Apple's updated high-end earbuds and older iPhones.
  • Reply 47 of 51
    discreet != discrete

    discretely (which isn't in common usage) != discreetly
  • Reply 48 of 51
    john.bjohn.b Posts: 2,742member
    Well I was happy to find that these are compatible with my 3GS when I bought a set last weekend, though the staff at my local Apple store wasn't sure as the package doesn't have a compatibility list (we found it on the Apple website). FWIW, they stocked the ones with the newer connection plug outlined in the article.



    Sappo, the Ultimate Ears, Shure SE530's, or Etymotics are undoubtedly better, but the are a heckuvalot more expensive than the Apple In Ear model, and don't have the phone and iPod features I need (microphone, click and hold for voice control, volume controls, pause/skip ahead/skip back).



    I will be ordering some replacement pads as I think foam is probably a better solution than the silicon pads that came with it, though right now that's a small nit IMO.
  • Reply 49 of 51
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cwick View Post


    The words Christian & science should not ever be in the same sentence...



    That's nonsense. There are plenty of scientists who are Christian.
  • Reply 50 of 51
    rarerare Posts: 27member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by XGecko View Post


    I highly recommend these with the in-ear ear buds:



    http://www.complyfoam.com/Product/T%...new-version%29



    My wife has an aviation headset that uses foam tips made by this company. Their passive noise reduction is comparable to the best ANR headsets due to the seal the expanding foam makes in the ear canal. She says they are very comfortable, and has worn them for a long day of flying.
  • Reply 51 of 51
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by complicity View Post


    discreet != discrete

    discretely (which isn't in common usage) != discreetly



    That's actually quite impressive- as if it wasn't geeky enough to bother correcting someone's spelling mistake, you felt the need to point this out to them using a few lines of c coding which in all likelihood will go unnoticed to the original reader.



    I'm honestly not burning you for this, in fact this comment and the way you managed to fit some sort of contempt into it made me laugh so much i felt compelled to answer



    BTW, it was my understanding that the jack in the previous iPhones and all other 'incompatible' devices supported 3 pin only headsets, not 4. Just my two cents
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