video://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMwAm0l-wrM
(Apple In-ear Headphones Earbud & Earbud case)
Yes, as promised before in my Apple In-ear Earphones review, I got hands on the new in-ear headphones today.
The very first thing I noticed are the nice cases for earbuds and the headphones themselves. (I bet I just paid half of the money for that!)
(Apple In-ear Headphones Case)
The Apple In-ear headphones case is nice by the way, I am used to wrapping my earbuds around my iPod or MP3 player, causing more chances for the earbuds to hit something and fail. (like my car keys when it’s in my pocket)
(Volume Control and Mic for 4th generation iPod Nano, 120GB iPod Classic, and 2nd generation iPod Touch.)
One of the disappointment was that the Mic and volume control feature didn’t work on both my 1st generation 80GB iPod and my 1st generation iPod Touch.
I wish they had clearly stated that on the box, but I had to find the small letters in the back “after”:
Well, Apple does have a 14 day return policy so I might have to take advantage of that.
I am not going to bash Apple today though, there were some good points like the actual speakers were “metal” whereas my Sony earbuds are plastic. This is great since your earbuds will last longer just in case you smash it.
After extensively playing the highest volume on my iPod, I find that the new Apple In-ear headphones do not live up to their marketing. Treble is good but bass is lacking greatly in comparison to my cheaper $30 Sony earbuds.
Perhaps, we will have to wait for their 2nd generation of earbuds before they can be considered great value.
Don’t get me wrong, they are pretty good earbuds, I am just saying it’s not worth the retail $79 tag.
The funniest thing is that the sales representative at the Apple told me they have 14-day return policy right before I left, meaning a lot of people probably have returned them.
Another fact to point out is that Apple sells other, better earbuds in their Apple Store, specifically these Super.Fi earbuds. I don’t think they would be selling them unless the Apple In-Ear headphones weren’t better which is true.
Well, there goes another waste day at the Apple Store, I am sorta disappointed at how well Apple makes things look but don’t perform.
My advice?
Sony has been making more earbuds than Apple, read my “best earbud review” here. My review won’t change until I find a better “value” earbuds, the best for your money.
However, if you “don’t” need a lot of bass and you like a lot of treble, these headphones might actually work out pretty nice. – Get one on Amazon for $70 here.
But if you are a bass-head like me, I do highly recommend any of Sony’s or even Super.Fi if you can afford it.
Apple’s new earbuds are simply not competitively priced as you can get better sound for fraction of the price, especially if you don’t own 4th generation iPod Nano, 120GB iPod Classic, and 2nd generation iPod Touch or don’t need the Volume control and Mic. What Apple should really do is include these as default earphones for iPods, iPhones. I wouldn’t mind getting one of these free for buying an iPod.
I just think Apple is still way behind this earbud market but I am sure in time they will make some amazing new earbuds in the future.
If you don’t believe me, check out what other bloggers have been saying about Apple In-ear Headphones:
Gizmodo on Apple In-Ear headphones:
Compared to the Shure SE110s, the Apple In-Ear headphones don’t quite match up. It’s not a stark difference between the two, but the SE110s are superior in almost every category, from bass, to high end clarity. Part of that is because the Apple In-Ears don’t have the noise isolation capability, and partly because they’re just not quite as good. And though theyre $40 cheaper than the SE110s MSRP, you can find the SE110s at some online outlets as low as $75.
As far as remote capabilities go, I tested the Apple In-ear headphones with an iPhone 3G and a first gen iPod touch (neither of which are officially supported. As Apple claims, the audio works fine with both devices. Neither the remote or the mic work with the iPod touch 1G at all, merely reducing it to a pair of headphones. On the iPhone 3G, you can’t use the volume. You can still play/pause a song, answer/end a call, change tracks and make use of the microphone. But all of those work perfectly fine on the iPhone.
AppleInsider on Apple In-Ear headphones:
To say it’s an improvement in stability would be an understatement. The new buds can be inserted deeply enough into the ear passage that there’s little if any room for them to slip out, although they do require a degree of “massaging” (really, wiggling) to get a perfect fit. Running with the In-Ear set didn’t jostle it out of place or create any real doubts.
CNet on Apple In-Ear headphones:
I suspect Apple will sell a shedload of these things, especially to customers who’ve only ever heard their music through the tin-pan earbuds that come bundled with their iPod.
I have to agree that if you’ve never tried any other brand earbuds, these will sound great but if you are an earbud-addict like me who fickles over every little bass that comes out of your earbuds, it’s not worth your money.
Well, I hope this review will be very helpful in your future earbud purchases, I will be heading back to the Apple Store now to get my money back! 🙂
4 Responses to Apple In-Ear Headphones Review!
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“bass” has nothing to do with sound quality…
As one of my Hi-Fi mentors once told me: the bass is in the song, not in the equipement!!
I sadly notice how these new generations of “audiophiles”, probably grown up with Mp3s and Portable Players (and oonts-oonts-music) judge everything according to bass frequencies…! c’mon, be serious….And this is what I most dislike in today’s buddies, both overear or in-ear and canal…BASS OOMPH….That always cover other frequencies and in the end “nuances” and detail of the track you’re listening to….I’m experiencing this with a pair of Sennheiser buddies and a pair of AKG canal…
It semms thatr every drum, every bass guitar, everything is played by Metallica and not maybe by a Jazz set…
Regards…
An Italian Audiophile
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I bought Apple In-Ear Headphones http://www.apple.com/ipod/in-ear-headphones/ a little while ago and and the white replacement earbugs keep falling off! For $80 I think that’s a bit of a rip off!
Yup, they are badly designed, the earbuds don’t fit your ears at all!