Apple Earbuds (White with Gray Earbuds)
by Apple Computer
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Our Price: $64.18 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Network Media Player See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Apple Earbuds (White with Gray Earbuds)
Customer Review: Earbuds with a manual: get them to fit
Summary: 4 Stars
I had read a lot about these buds (especially about fitting and bass properties) and I was really doubting whether to buy these as a replacement for the standard iPod buds.
I live in the Netherlands, where, unfortunately, no white Sony earbuds are available. I chose style before positive reviews and I got myself a pair of Apple In-ear headphones.
Let me make one thing clear:
1) I requires some time to find a good fit.
2) If you don't get a good fit, these buds will fall out of your ear and the bass is simply crap (the original iPod headphones sound even better).
It took me 8 hours to find a good fit. The trick was to use the "upside-down, cord-behind-the-ear" method, while lifting the top of my ear with my other hand. Suddenly the buds fitted perfectly, giving a good seal. This seal is absolutely required to hear a bass.
Pro:
1) iPod style and carrying case
2) clear mid- and high tones
3) more comfortable than standard Apple earphones
4) marked reduction of required volume (I used to have the volume at 80-95%, now at 30-45%)
Cons:
1) I takes a while and a bunch of tricks to get a good fit; if you don't manage to get a fit, these earphones are horrible.
2) The bass is OK, but could be more pronounciated
Overall verdict:
If fitted, these earphones are a marked improvement over the standard Apple iPod earphones
Customer Review: Honestly a Dixie Cup and String affair. Awful. Tinny.
Summary: 1 Stars
Warning!! Bass is NOT VERY full at all. Music is kind of tinny. You have to crank it to about 60-70% to get good solid party-on sound. Because it emphasizes the high, the sound wears on you quickly and you have to lower the volume and then it just sounds very generic and uninspiring.
I also heard a strange, slight tapping which turned out to be a pathetic attempt at thumping during disco music. When I adjusted EQ, I barely noticed any change in the effects.
These earphones are one dimensional. Not worth $30 and not worth more than $10.
They were properly inserted, creating a tight seal with slight suction. Without that seal, it sounds very very thin and what precious little bass there is, vanishes. Great for listening to lectures and maybe a concerto with two instruments.
I thought that maybe I just needed to get used to the new sound thinking that my old RadioShack earbuds were bad examples. Guess what? I tried my old earbuds from RadioShack and the sound was amazingly rich and full. When I adjusted the EQ, there was a noticable change as I selected various effects. Clearly, the winner is ..... TA-DA - RadioShack! Cost was less than $10.
To be fair, these have very clear sound. Fits comfortably. Looks pretty. Nice storage box. I paid for the looks. Dang!
To be fair, unless you're paying $100-$300 for high end earphones, give it up. I did.
Customer Review: Pretty good - recommended!
Summary: 4 Stars
I got these to replace the standard earphones, which were too large for me. The little grey felt coverings fell off many times and eventually I lost them. After this I found that the metallic suface of the standard earphones were irritating my ears whenever I wore them for more than 30 minutes.
So I got these new earphones after reading some of the reviews, I decided it was worth a shot to try them.
I found the smallest cap size fitted me the best. I didn't have to do any complicated manouvers to place them properly in my ears, as described by some of the other reviewers. I found the sound quality much better than the standard iPod earphones. These in-ear earphones are really comfortable to wear, I haven't had any discomfort. I have not found that they fall out while exercising. The cords for these earphones are much less likely to tangle than the original earphones, at least in my experience. And these earphones reduce a lot of the background noise which adds to the improved sound quality.
The reason I didn't give this product 5 stars is because of the stethescope effect. I know this is because the earphones sit inside the ears, but this can be quite annoying, especially if exercising.
But overall I think that these earphones are a vast improvement over the default iPod earphones, and I'm very happy with them. And I don't work for Apple - I'm a university graduate student.
Customer Review: Overpriced - Does not compare to other Earbuds
Summary: 1 Stars
Summary - Although I was very impressed with the styling and look of these earbuds (they look great on the shelf), the actual product experience is far from satisfactory. I've read all the positive reviews of the Apple Earbuds and all I can say is that these folks must not have tried any other earbuds on the market.
Details - My number one problem with this product is the sound quality. If you just compare this product to other earbuds that are half the price you will immediately hear the difference. When compared with the Philips HE592's (half the price) there is no real comparison in sound quality. The Apple Earbuds have little or no bass response, sound very "tinny", and are only good for listening to audiobooks (even when you put the iPod equalizer on enhanced bass). The Philips HE592, by comparison, do an all around great job for around $20 (with great bass).
My second problem with this product is the way that the ear insert is designed. Just about any other earbud works better, in my mind. They are completely unstable in your ears and will fall out with the lightest tug. I've tried all the online suggestions, but I still don't get the fit that I get with other much cheaper products (yes, the original iPod earbuds are more stable and are cheaper).
I love Apple and my iPod, I just don't want others to make a mistake in trying this product.
Customer Review: At Last.......
Summary: 5 Stars
After owning 4 different pairs of earbuds (and test-driving a whole bunch more) since Christmas, these are absolutely without question the best product out there. They fit perfectly the first time I put them on, but without that feeling that you have added insulation to your ears. Other manufacturers misconstrue this as "noise reduction" when in fact everthing sounds muffled like you attached cotton balls to the earbuds.
I have been using these earbuds for over 2 hours non-stop - skipping between movies, t.v. shows, audiobooks and, of course, music. The sound is clear but not tinny. Everything sounds rich and warm without being overwhelming. They are extremely comfortable and blow away the original ones that came with my unit. For a while I began to think my ears were deformed because the original earbuds kept falling out (my husband said my ears were missing a piece). Now I know better.
The price is a little steep I agree. However, if you're gonna invest $249.00 or however much in an Ipod and heaven knows how much more in downloads, than it would only stand to reason that you would want the best sound possible. Otherwise, why bother owning one in the first place?
These are simply terrific and I hope everyone out there who has ears as apparently deformed as mine will go and buy a pair. You will be ecstatic with the results.