Looking for suggestions on new ear buds. I've only been using the cheap ones that came with my classic iPod like forever now. I hear Shure are pretty good. Looking for something good under $100 - under $75 even better. It also might be helpful if they have some type of retractable cord. Anyway, what do you guys like?
Quote from: Rico on June 08, 2011, 10:34:54 AM
Looking for suggestions on new ear buds. I've only been using the cheap ones that came with my classic iPod like forever now. I hear Shure are pretty good. Looking for something good under $100 - under $75 even better. It also might be helpful if they have some type of retractable cord. Anyway, what do you guys like?
The Apple ones, but only because I can replace them for free...tbh, I am still looking for a new set. I'm still, for the most part, using a over-the-headset from 6 years ago (Works great too) but am still looking for a decent pair that won't break within a month of buying them.
King
I use these for running, The normal Apple earbuds don't stay in my ears if I'm moving at all. I like 'em.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H1420ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY (http://store.apple.com/us/product/H1420ZM/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY)
Duh. :)
http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/ironman-earphones (http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/ironman-earphones)
Quote from: Bryancd on June 08, 2011, 10:53:29 AM
Duh. :)
http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/ironman-earphones (http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/ironman-earphones)
You don't get in trouble for having "Performance Raising Earphones"? :)
Quote from: billybob476 on June 08, 2011, 11:00:25 AM
Quote from: Bryancd on June 08, 2011, 10:53:29 AM
Duh. :)
http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/ironman-earphones (http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/ironman-earphones)
You don't get in trouble for having "Performance Raising Earphones"? :)
Only if they were "Performance Enhancing". :) Actually earbuds are banned from all Ironman events.
No matter what I've spent, something has gone wrong with every set of earbuds I've ever owned - even Bose. I've tried just about every brand, too, and typically don't notice a huge difference in sound quality (most of my time on the iPod is spent listening to podcasts, which may have something to do with it). Shure gets good reviews, I have a friend who swears by SkullCandy. At this point, get whatever's rated best on Amazon at the price you want to pay.
King - I thought Apple only replaced earbuds for the first year. I'm coming up on that mark soon, and was thinking about beating up on mine extra this month to get another replacement pair before my year runs out. Have they changed that policy?
My major problem with apple earbuds (aside from them not fitting my left ear very well) is that if I sweat into them, they basically get destroyed. Last time I got to listen to Rick Moyer in crazy chipmunk fast forward during a run :)
I guess sweat gets into the mic/control thing and makes the iPod control freak out.
Quote from: billybob476 on June 08, 2011, 11:11:43 AM
My major problem with apple earbuds (aside from them not fitting my left ear very well) is that if I sweat into them, they basically get destroyed. Last time I got to listen to Rick Moyer in crazy chipmunk fast forward during a run :)
I guess sweat gets into the mic/control thing and makes the iPod control freak out.
x2, I have shorted out a bunch of them and they fit like crap.
@Spaltor, that policy hasn't changed, all Apple products are guaranteed for at least a year without their extended policy.
I agree with Bryan and Billybob, I simply use them because they last a year (at the least) and they are free. That's it. I've been burned too often by buying other buds so I've been waiting.
King
I don't like the Apple earbuds. They don't fit my ear very well and they are very quiet compared to others I have tried.
I tend to buy mid range earbuds as they can break very easily and would hate to spend a fortune on a pair not to have them last very long. I tend to nay listen to podcasts and so mostly speech on my iPhone so I don't think I need high quality ear buds.
I use Etymotic for my iphone because its got the built in hands free mic and in-line remote, and for you lucky chaps and chapesses in the states they even offer custom molded ear buds
http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ER7-MC3-BLACK-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B003YTPP72/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1307563959&sr=8-11 (http://www.amazon.com/Etymotic-Research-ER7-MC3-BLACK-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B003YTPP72/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1307563959&sr=8-11)
pulled the link from the US amazon site, can fault the quality, selection of supplied bud types and the built in mic. Nice features and not a bad price
Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I use my iPod at work a lot lately too, and that's where having a cord that retracts would be helpful. Anyone else want to chime in?
I hear good things about ear buds from www.snuggbuds.com (http://www.snuggbuds.com) -- used by runners because they do not fall out of your ears when you're running due to sweat/movement.
I like Sennheiser products. There not too expensive and they sound great. Make sure your have an emergency pair of earbuds. You never know when you'll need them.
I'm still with the Apple ones too but, as with Tim, only because they replace them for free in the first year. If these break then I may try and look at something a little more ear-shaped.
My younger son seems to like the Shure ear buds. I'm a bit shocked how many still use those Apple one's considering how cheap they are.
Quote from: billybob476 on June 09, 2011, 06:13:13 AM
Quote from: Rico on June 09, 2011, 06:11:51 AM
considering how cheap they are.
This is why :)
Yep. I've read somewhere that they are literally like $3 earbuds in cost!
Quote from: Rico on June 09, 2011, 06:35:22 AM
Quote from: billybob476 on June 09, 2011, 06:13:13 AM
Quote from: Rico on June 09, 2011, 06:11:51 AM
considering how cheap they are.
This is why :)
Yep. I've read somewhere that they are literally like $3 earbuds in cost!
Which is probably why Apple don't quibble about free warranty replacements.
My apple earbuds are my emergency pair.
I really like the JVC Marshmallow's the newest ver (HAFR50B) even has the iPod controls / microphone thingy they run about $25
I have no problem using them all day long.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XMA7U0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004T2NI4K&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0P1RPJXAN3QSPHNW5H23 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XMA7U0/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004T2NI4K&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0P1RPJXAN3QSPHNW5H23)
Any brand I try breaks within six months, so I usually have whatevers cheapest at the time. I just recently found out about the replacement policy the apple offers so I've been using them lately. I used to like the Sony earphones that have the stabilizing plastic thingys that fit behind your ear but they are so cheap they last about a month before they break somehow. They're only like ten bucks at walmart tho and don't sound bad.
Quote from: Jobydrone4of20 on June 09, 2011, 08:29:02 PM
Any brand I try breaks within six months, so I usually have whatevers cheapest at the time. I just recently found out about the replacement policy the apple offers so I've been using them lately. I used to like the Sony earphones that have the stabilizing plastic thingys that fit behind your ear but they are so cheap they last about a month before they break somehow. They're only like ten bucks at walmart tho and don't sound bad.
I have the same problem. I've found though they last longer if I don't ever rip them out by the cord or bend it at the jack. Though they do still break eventually so I stick to the ones about 10 dollars. I can usually get about 3 to 6 months out of them, my last ones though I've used for almost 8 I think now so I'm getting better about not breaking them.
Yeah, that's about all you can do, buy the cheap ones that "work", hope they last a while and replace them. No point in wasting the $$ unfortunately :(
King
I've gotten to where I don't ever have the earbuds plugged into the phone/ipad when not in use because the connector jack on the device is so fragile. Every ipod/iphone I've ever had (and I've had about eight of them since they first came out) was eventually replaced or upgraded because that jack eventually failed and costs around 75-100 bucks to replace.
I plug my old earbuds into my iPod multiple times each day for years now - never had an issue with the jack on the device.
Same here, my first iPod was a 2nd gen iPod mini, never an issue with the jack, I miss that thing, it was a tank. I went from that to an iPhone 3G to and iPhone 4, never an issue.
I had an original brick 30g click wheel ipod, jack failed. 1st gen ipod video, jack failed. Replacement 2nd gen ipod video, jack failed. 1st gen ipod touch, jack failed. My first iPhone 3GS, jack failed. That last one was the only one that failed while I was still under warranty so I am currently using my replacement 3GS.
I think it might be because I used to wrap the cord around the device while it was still plugged in and put it in my pocket when I wasnt using it. I don't do that anymore. You'd think all this would make me want to pay for Apple care extended warranty service, but I am so against buying warranties that I still roll the dice.
Joby - with that kind of luck, I think I would have bought a Zune and a Droid! ;)
You'd think right? It's so annoying when that jack fails, because you can hear the music or whatever, but it is louder on one side of the headphones. If you jiggle the jack it becomes clear again. But eventually with all that jiggling it fails completely and sound only comes out of one ear. Whats funny is ALL those devices I listed still work, so I use them on my docking station/speaker system and they play fine through that for parties and get togethers.
That's odd, that does happen to me but it's ALWAYS the connector on the headphones, not the jack on the device.
Are you always sure it was the jack in the device? The usual thing that happens when you stress earbuds and the wiring like that is the wire connection at the end of the earbuds where it connects into the jack on the wiring (not the device) becomes bent so often that the wire slightly breaks inside causing problems like you describe. Much more common and likely to happen than the jack in the device breaking down.
I would think that it was the headphones at first, but after replcing several pair I realized it was the jack that had failed.
Believe me, with all the problems I had I did do some research on the issue. Apparently the connector jack on the device has two contacts that easily get bent or broken from shock or stress. If they are out of alignment or broken it causes the effect I described above. There's supposedly a way to repair them without replacing the part by putting a miniature tool inside the jack and bending the contact, but I haven't been able to successfully do that.
Hmmm, that's really odd then. Those things are really locked in there. On a related thing, I'm not a huge fan of wearing earbuds. But the lab I work in now has some loud equipment, so a nice set of buds is very useful there.
I have never experienced problems with the input jack itself on my iDevices. The headphone/earbud cables and plugs eventually wear out after 6mos-1year but then I do not expect that kind of product to last much longer than that -- they just aren't manufactured to withstand constant manhandling for that long a period. Neither are ethernet, display, or USB cables -- hence the value of port replicators and docking stations for laptop because they reduce the amount of connect/disconnect handling required.
Just ordered these:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413NT3060KL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-E829V-Fontopia-Earbuds-Control/dp/B00005T3RC/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1 (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-E829V-Fontopia-Earbuds-Control/dp/B00005T3RC/ref=dp_cp_ob_e_title_1)