Apple In ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
Apple In ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
The Apple In-ear Headphones with remote and mic allows you to select your favorite track or video, adjust volume, and record voice memos (on selected Ipods). Each earpiece contains two separate high-performance drivers – a woofer and a tweeter – resulting in rich, detailed, and accurate sound reproduction and amazing bass response for all types of music. Choose from three sizes of soft, silicone ear tips for a comfortable, stable fit. When inserted in your ear, they create a seal that blocks outside noise so you can get the most from your music. The control capsule located on the cable of the right earpiece includes a microphone and three buttons. It lets you control the volume, music, video playbacks and record voice memos on supported Ipod models. So put on a pair of Apple In-ear Headphones and rediscover your music. Cable length – 3.5 ft (1065 mm) from audio jack to splitter; 1.08 ft (330 mm) to earpiece Weight – 0.4 ounce (10.2 grams) Four-conductor 3.5 mm audio jack The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Outstanding job on these headphones!
These are the best headphones for your Iphone hands down. I just upgraded to the Iphone 3GS last week and these headphones work flawless with them. The mic is clear enough for me to use the voice control feature which I come to really enjoy. The sound is perfect because I can hear highs and lows. I also have the Monster Turbines and Vmoda Bass Freq headphones…and compared to both they deliver. They fit more snug than my other headphones and I know they will be perfect for working out and everyday use. Play music and receive calls all at once. You can also control the Ipod functions right from the control pad on the headphones. I don’t know why I was second guessing APPLE.
1 Star I wanted to love them.
So let me first add the disclaimer which seems more and more necessary with Apple products: I am a big fan of Apple design, and their products. Between my wife and I, we have 3 Apple computers, 5 iPods/iPhones, and I’ve helped other people in my family make the switch. All that being said, when my Shure e2c’s finally died, I figured these would be a welcome step up – I mean who could turn down a well-rated dual-driver in-ear headphone from Apple which would work with my iPhone Gen 1 phone (I knew that the volume buttons wouldn’t work).
I couldn’t be more wrong – this is the first Apple product I’ve purchased which is shockingly under-engineered for it’s intended purpose. I’d be fine with the added sound transmission from the wires (my Shure’s had virtually none), which definitely affected the sound, but the fact that they can’t handle a little sweat from a workout is absolutely unacceptable. I use the Pandora Radio app regularly, and right when I’m getting into my workout (read: I start to work up a sweat), the remote shorts, and starts playing from the iPod, pausing, starting, and just overall taking me out of any zone I might have been in – from then on use of the headphones is unpredictable for more than 5 second bursts.
If I can’t wear your headphones while working out, they’re effectively useless to me. The sound could be the actual artists singing directly into my ear, but if I can’t predictably listen, what’s the point?
5 Stars Good job Apple! Pleasantly Surprised
To start off — I own at least a dozen pairs of high-quality headphones (damn you Head-Fi!). Sennheiser HD25-1, Sennheiser HD580, Grado SR60, Etymotic ER4P, Etymotic ER6i, Etymotic HF-2, Shure SE530′s, and several more. I’ve gone through some of the most highly regarded headphones available. And I have many leather bound books, and my apartment smells of rich mahogany. (Anchorman reference, to those who think I’m crazy)
I have “audiophile” CD players and headphone amps at home, but I do most of my music enjoyment on my iPhone these days. I’ve been going back and forth between the standard iPhone earbuds and the Etymotic HF-2′s for a while. HF2′s for critical listening, and the iPhone standard for convenience.
Purchased a pair of the Apple In-Ear headphones off here as a gift for my sister, thinking that my HF2′s (or Shure SE530′s) would blow them away to the point where I wouldn’t lust after them. I was wrong.
These are pretty much the perfect pair of headphones to pair with an iPod or iPhone. Not only in terms of looks and convenience (the Apple cord, although a bit flimsy, is really quite nice, and a lot less microphonic than the other In-Ear buds out there), but in sound quality too. They fit very comfortably, and I don’t even need a perfect seal (like I do with my Shures and even more so with the Etymotic) to get nice bass and detail.
In fact, i would rate these right up there alongside the Shure and Etymotic in terms of sound fidelity. Sure, the Shure has slightly more “fullness” and the Etymotics are clearer, but we’re comparing $400 and $150 headphones with a $70 pair. Add to that the remote and mic, and better cord and length (the Etymotics and Shures are quite long) — it’s really a no brainer for me. Highly Recommended.
2 Stars Poor bass response, even when shoved deep in ear
I purchased these for my Ipod touch because I wanted something with a microphone so I could use Skype to make calls. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend them, given the price. They are accurate at mid and high range, but the bass is extremely lacking. I can get some more bass when I push them carefully/deeply in my ear canal, but compared to my far cheaper Sony EX-51′s ($25), this expensive Apple product is a disappointment. The mid’s/highs are more accurate than the Sony, but the lack of bass from these Apple headphones leaves you wanting for more… far more. Listening to Britney Spears’ Circus, I could feel the bass move me with the cheap Sonys, but the Apple product didn’t reach down nearly as far. I adjusted my Ipod’s bass to bass boost EQ, and it helped the Apple earphones, but when switching back and forth between my cheap Sony’s, it was no contest (in terms of bass). The Sony’s kicked Apple’s premium headphones — noticeably. Again, in the mids/highs the Apple beats the Sony EX-51′s, however.
In terms of dimensionality, I felt the Apple in-earphones fell flat. Although smoother, background sounds in songs like “Circus” by Britney Spears didn’t pop out or surprise me like they did with the cheaper Sony headphones.
What I do like about the Apple earphones is the remote. That’s a nice thing to have, and it’s small/unobtrusive. I also liked the simple/useful storage device that came with the headphones.
There is a cheap non-in-ear model made by Apple that has a microphone. I should have purchased that for Skype use, but I am not a fan of non-in-ear model earphones. In my opinion, you are better off getting the cheaper Apple earbuds for under $30 if you need a mic for Skype. Go with something else for daily/critical listening. Avoid the more expensive in-ear Apple model I am reviewing.
3 Stars Kinda’ Mixed Fellings on These Guys
I purchased a set of these in ear phones a several days ago and have been trying to evaluate them ever since. I was initially rather dissapointed upon first hearing them I must admit. I suppose I was really expecting something spectacular and it just didn’t happen. I thought I’d be getting thumping bass and sparkling high frequencies but found that both ends of the sonic spectrum was somewhat subdued. Yes, I did have a tight seal and experimented with all 3 sets of the supplied ear pieces. It just ain’t there! I also see the problem other reviewers have mentioned concerning the aggrivating noises transmitted by the dangling wires if you’re doing anything other than sitting perfectly still. One other odd thing I have noticed with these phones is how much more battery drain I see with these over the same listening period than when using the other Apple earphones models.
I’m really trying to learn to like these things, but I was just made even less fond of them by Apple’s support and customer service as a whole when, a few minutes ago, when I called them trying to get an extra set of the “medium” silicone tips for them. After now having purchased 2 iPods and a Mac, (and telling them this), I was told that they would cost me $11.11 PLUS tax, PLUS another $6.95 for shipping and handling! Wouldn’t it have been easier just to be decent human beings and stick a pair of these $.25 pieces of plastic in a padded envelop as a freebee and a a token of customer appreciation? Just for this simple act of greed, I’ll probably return this item to Amazon and scrap the idea of buying that next generation iPod Touch coming out in September! Thumbs down to Apple for being this chincy to it’s loyal customers.
