iPod Apple In-Ear Headphones(new version) just doesn't sound good to me?

[aaquib]

I just picked up the new Apple in-Ear headphones with remote and mic to use with my iPhone and though it's much more comfortable than the stock buds, they just don't sound that good to me. The bass is nearly non-existant and they just don't sound like I thought a pair of $80 headphones should. I have the JBL 410 around ear headphones and they sounds far superior in every aspect. But, they are just too bulky to wear.

After reading online with fairly positive reviews and basically everyone saying that they are FAR superior to the stock buds, I'm wondering if I'm doing anything wrong I've re-ripped a few of my CDs to Apple lossless and tried to use the Bass EQ on my iPhone, but that just creates a distortion.



Should I return them or is there something I'm doing wrong?

 

[eldy]

I just picked up the new Apple in-Ear headphones with remote and mic to use with my iPhone and though it's much more comfortable than the stock buds, they just don't sound that good to me. The bass is nearly non-existant and they just don't sound like I thought a pair of $80 headphones should. I have the JBL 410 around ear headphones and they sounds far superior in every aspect. But, they are just too bulky to wear.

After reading online with fairly positive reviews and basically everyone saying that they are FAR superior to the stock buds, I'm wondering if I'm doing anything wrong I've re-ripped a few of my CDs to Apple lossless and tried to use the Bass EQ on my iPhone, but that just creates a distortion.



Should I return them or is there something I'm doing wrong?

Your hearing is wrong!

j/k

If you're not satisfied with them, then return them. Easy peasy.

 

[bozz2006]

do you have them deep enough in your ear canals? if you're not familiar with in ear phones, it can be a bit of a challenge to get them seated correctly.

 

[jcosmide]

I just picked up the new Apple in-Ear headphones with remote and mic to use with my iPhone and though it's much more comfortable than the stock buds, they just don't sound that good to me. The bass is nearly non-existant and they just don't sound like I thought a pair of $80 headphones should. I have the JBL 410 around ear headphones and they sounds far superior in every aspect. But, they are just too bulky to wear.

After reading online with fairly positive reviews and basically everyone saying that they are FAR superior to the stock buds, I'm wondering if I'm doing anything wrong I've re-ripped a few of my CDs to Apple lossless and tried to use the Bass EQ on my iPhone, but that just creates a distortion.



Should I return them or is there something I'm doing wrong?

I picked these headphones up yesterday and they are phenomimal. Make sure you are using the correct size silicone sleeves. Otherwise you won't have a seal in your ear and therefore no bass. I definitely get good bass and use the small sleeves. Comfortable too.

 

[wayland1985]

Make sure the rubber sits well in your ear. If you think it fits well now, try a size smaller and see how they fit then... I've found a lot of people think they need a earpiece a size too big than they really should use

I'm upset I didn't buy these Apple earphones. I spent extra on some V-Moda Vibe 2's. I've been using them for about 2 months now, and they're just not my cup of tea. Plenty of bass, but the highs leave some to be desired (at least to my ears). I wish I saved the $40 and went with the Apple model. Then again, all my Apple ear buds seem to come disconnected at the mic with time...

 

[SactoGuy18]

I just recently got myself a new pair of Sony MDR-EX90LP IEM's with the big 13.5 mm driver and with the right eartip, it sounds really good with deep, clear bass on my 3G iPod nano. And the bass is a lot deeper than what you could get with the new Apple IEM's.

 

[aaquib]

Well after playing around with them quite a bit and getting tips on how to properly "seal" them in my ears, and they are definitely a better experience. Being used to around-ears all my life, they kind of hurt my ears. Any tips on this? I never keep the volume over 50% either.

I will definitely be keeping these. I had the original pair of Apple in-Ears and just got rid of them after a week of use. They were horrible. These are definitely far superior, but for some reason it just hurts my ear. Either I need to get used to them, or find different tips, but they hurt even minutes after use.

 

[StealthRider]

My pair of original In-Ears just broke after 4 years of hard use...so I begrudgingly ordered a set of the new ones. Hoping they're good

 

[Sebby]

I just got a set of these yesterday. At 54 GBP, they're not cheap, but I think they're worth it. I had Sennheiser CX300s before, which I think are excellent for the money, though I was never able to get a good seal with them.

The Apple's are fantastic. I have to pull my ear up to open my canal in order to get them out; that's how tight they fit. They are not as bassy as the Sennheisers (but then I think they were too bassy anyway). The sound is very crisp and full. What I did find is that the sound was awful if the seal wasn't perfect, so keep trying the various tips. Try pulling up on the top of your ear as you put them in - this opens the canal and allows for a good fit.

I'm very pleased with them - I just hope a future iPhone firmware update will allow use of all the features.

 

[eRondeau]

I just bought these new Apple earphones and at first I too was disappointed with the sound quality. However I switched to the large-sized cushions and now they sound amazing! You definitely need an air-tight seal in your ear canals for them to work properly. If you've got them and you're not blown-away, you're doing something wrong.

PS #1 -- I don't think the lack of volume control functionality on the iPhone is a firmware issue. I don't think the iPhone has the required multi-contact plug to sense the volume control commands.

PS #2 -- These work perfectly with the new MacBooks. Volume control too!

 

[Sebby]

Ah, that's a shame.

 

[wpc33]

I am saving for a pair of Shure 210's instead.

 

[supercooled]

I've been too buggered to research this but is it true that the volume control does not work with iPhone 3G? How on earth did Apple have such a glaring flaw? Other than that, I think it's pretty good. Compared to some IEMs I've listen to in the past, this is very crisp and bass is at acceptable levels.

 

[eRondeau]

I've been too buggered to research this but is it true that the volume control does not work with iPhone 3G?.

Yes it is true. The new earphone remote has three buttons: a large centre multi-function switch, with volume up/down buttons on either side. The volume up/down buttons have no function on the iPhone 3G; they don't work. However the centre button has multiple functions on the iPhone 3G....

1) If no music is playing, pressing it once will start music playing
2) When music is playing, pressing it once will pause it
3) When music is playing, pressing it twice will skip ahead to the next song
4) When music is playing, pressing it three times will restart the current song
5) When the current song restarts (as 4 above) pressing it three more times will skip back to the previous track

Given the choice between volume control and track skipping, I think Apple made the right decision as track skipping is used a lot more -- especially when you consider the iPhone 3G has easily accessible volume controls right on the side. For any iPhone 3G owner who is reluctant to buy these new earphones because they don't control the volume, you're missing out big time -- these sound absolutely amazing and the lack of volume control doesn't even matter.