Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPod Griffin EarThumps
- Thread starter K2`
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I hadn't even heard of them until this post. I would also like to know how well they perform, but don't expect too much. After all, the Griffin EarJams that fit onto the standard iPod earphones didn't fair too well in the reviews.
Here's the product page: Griffin EarThumps. I did some searching around and couldn't find any reviews yet. They're probably too new. I'm curious to know how they work as well. A similar product is these in-ear headphones from Koss which have received decent reviews from Amazon customers, at least considering the price.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I'll be able to let you have a mini review when mine arrive next week. I've been using a set of Logitech Stealth headphones with my black nano, and I expect the EarThumps to be exactly the same - lots of bass, but loss of some of the treble. Still, I'm quite happy with the Stealth's thanks to the noise isolating silicon buds, which are prevelent in most in-ear design's recently.
I've bought the EarThumps because the are cheap enough to just have a go to see if I like them (thanks to the strong Pound) and I do prefer the design over that of the Stealth's (not surprising as the Stealth's are made for the PSP).
I'll let you know what I think when they arrive!
I've bought the EarThumps because the are cheap enough to just have a go to see if I like them (thanks to the strong Pound) and I do prefer the design over that of the Stealth's (not surprising as the Stealth's are made for the PSP).
I'll let you know what I think when they arrive!
i use the ezears...which are pretty nice and about 20 bucks..... http://www.mac-pro.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.364/it.A/id.2564/.f that's where i gots them...also, you can go to ilounge.com and check out their review....supposed to be the best for price.
Well that was quick... my EarThumps arrived this morning!
Nice packaging containing 3 sets of different sized silicon buds, the 'phones themselves, and a case.
Got my nano straight away and plugged them in. Tune of choice was Braund Reynolds' Rocket (A Natural Gambler). And the result? Two things:
Fit - for the first time ever with such earbuds, I had to switch to the smallest bud for a really comfortable fit. So the silicon buds seem to be slightly larger their Sony equivalents - medium has always been perfect for me. They are quality thick silicon though.
Sound - plesantly surprised! After the iLounge review I was expecting to be overwhelmed by bass, but there is slightly less than my Logitech Stealth's (a good thing) and most of the more subtle treble/mid-range sounds make their way to the fore quite happily.
Using other tunes:
Coldplay - In My Place. I use this track as my treble test. In my EX71's Chris Martins' "s" sounds ripped through the 'phones nastily. The main reason I moved on from them. Sounds perfect with the EarThumps. Piano and lead guitar sound great.
Simon & Garfunkel - Only Living Boy In New York (Garden State Soundtrack): A track that starts small and builds into something with a wide soundstage. Again, very nice all around!
Beethoven's 9th Symphony: This seals it for me. Nice reproduction all around. Only very little high and mid-range lost to the bass.
In my opinion these headphones are an absolute steal. Great looks, good fit (with the right sized earbud) and good sound. I think my Stealth's are only going to be used in the gym now due to their shorter cord..... the EarThumps are staying attached to my black nano now!
Nice packaging containing 3 sets of different sized silicon buds, the 'phones themselves, and a case.
Got my nano straight away and plugged them in. Tune of choice was Braund Reynolds' Rocket (A Natural Gambler). And the result? Two things:
Fit - for the first time ever with such earbuds, I had to switch to the smallest bud for a really comfortable fit. So the silicon buds seem to be slightly larger their Sony equivalents - medium has always been perfect for me. They are quality thick silicon though.
Sound - plesantly surprised! After the iLounge review I was expecting to be overwhelmed by bass, but there is slightly less than my Logitech Stealth's (a good thing) and most of the more subtle treble/mid-range sounds make their way to the fore quite happily.
Using other tunes:
Coldplay - In My Place. I use this track as my treble test. In my EX71's Chris Martins' "s" sounds ripped through the 'phones nastily. The main reason I moved on from them. Sounds perfect with the EarThumps. Piano and lead guitar sound great.
Simon & Garfunkel - Only Living Boy In New York (Garden State Soundtrack): A track that starts small and builds into something with a wide soundstage. Again, very nice all around!
Beethoven's 9th Symphony: This seals it for me. Nice reproduction all around. Only very little high and mid-range lost to the bass.
In my opinion these headphones are an absolute steal. Great looks, good fit (with the right sized earbud) and good sound. I think my Stealth's are only going to be used in the gym now due to their shorter cord..... the EarThumps are staying attached to my black nano now!
How do the Earthumps compare to the EX71s in general? I currently have a pair of EX71s which I'm pretty happy with but, if and when they wear out, I'm open to other options. If the Earthumps are just as good and much cheaper, then it would be crazy not to consider them.
I'd put them in the same ballpark. Like I briefly touched upon, my EX71's did manage the real high treble too well without becoming annoyingly tinny - actually sounded more like high frequency feedback. Now that may have been down to a faulty pair, but I'm sure they didn't have the problem to begin with. I actually still prefered my old EX51's but sold them on to get the white EX71's.
I'm convinced that the majority of people who buy the EarThumps will be chuffed. Good sound, excellent clear bass, and most importantly a high level of noise isolation which means at half volume they will be ideal in most environments. I also own a pair of ER-6i's and wereas these obviously perform better in mid-high ranges, the bass does lack, and I use them less and less unfortunately. The fit isn't as good as any of my other earbuds, despite cutting off the smallest flange. Before I give up on the entirely I'll remove another one of the flanges to see if that improves matters further.
Still, the EarThumps are definately worth a look...
I'm convinced that the majority of people who buy the EarThumps will be chuffed. Good sound, excellent clear bass, and most importantly a high level of noise isolation which means at half volume they will be ideal in most environments. I also own a pair of ER-6i's and wereas these obviously perform better in mid-high ranges, the bass does lack, and I use them less and less unfortunately. The fit isn't as good as any of my other earbuds, despite cutting off the smallest flange. Before I give up on the entirely I'll remove another one of the flanges to see if that improves matters further.
Still, the EarThumps are definately worth a look...
Piarco75 said:
Hey I was wondering how long the cord is compared to the regular ipod earphones?
Also, are the cords to the ears equal in length and do the cords go behind your neck or do they go infront of you?
Piarco75 said:
To help out any other Yanks who might have wondered for a moment about "chuffed" it means very pleased or satisfied (which you could likely guess by context) according to answers.com (Google's definition link). And not to take the thread off-topic there's also The English-to-American Dictionary.
Anyway, thanks for the review information. I will be adding the EarThumps to my Kwanukmas wishlist.
I say poo on that. Those are pretty high on the "you get what you pay for" list. I bought a set and liked them for a couple of weeks. Then I tried the Sony MDR-ex51's. Must better. If I had it to do over again, I'd pay not more than $5-7 for the Kosses.ebow said:
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
jsupetran said:
I was wondering the same thing, but have only just found my bundled buds. The EarThumps are about 3 inches longer than the stock 'phones.
You also might like to know that the headphone jack on the EarThumps is only 1mm thicker than the Apple headphones, so should fit every case there is will consumate ease.
They are also equal length split headphones, so go in front of your neck.
Ubuntu said:
I got them from Griffin for two reasons: a) I'm a sucker for new gadgets, and b) I needed two more pairs for presents. This, if you factor in the delivery, costs around £17.50 each.
But I would recommend you wait until they are available in the UK, as Griffin charge $46... not exactly economic if you are only getting 1 pair...
ebow said:To help out any other Yanks who might have wondered for a moment about "chuffed" it means very pleased or satisfied (which you could likely guess by context) according to answers.com (Google's definition link). And not to take the thread off-topic there's also The English-to-American Dictionary.
Anyway, thanks for the review information. I will be adding the EarThumps to my Kwanukmas wishlist.
lol
... also the terms "cushty" "dead smart" and "bang on" apply 
Piarco75 said:
Thanks for that. As I understand it, the EX71s are about $US50, so the Earthumps offer impressive value for money if their sound quality is comparable to the EX71s.
Actually, the EX71's are about $25 USD from many online sites, about the same as the Earthumps. Even the newer EX81's are only about $30.
Thx peeps..
i ordered a pair of the logitech stealths on amazon.ca .. i had a $25 to spend there and the headphones only cost 19.99... so hopefully these are decent enough. Too bad the canadian amazon doesn't have the sony's EX71's or 81's
ciao!
i ordered a pair of the logitech stealths on amazon.ca .. i had a $25 to spend there and the headphones only cost 19.99... so hopefully these are decent enough. Too bad the canadian amazon doesn't have the sony's EX71's or 81's
ciao!
I received the EarThumps as a gift and have used them for only a few hours so far. I'm no audio expert and have limited "experience" with different headphone types and models. Most of my comments that follow are probably old news to anyone who's used a pair of in-ear headphones. They sound pretty good, ignoring comparisons to other products. The bass may be a bit heavy; I set my iPod's EQ to "flat" and that helped a bit. I can certainly hear way more detail than with the iPod's white earbuds, and I can leave the volume set much lower--in fact I have it on the lowest possible setting and it's fine for my office most of the time. They don't really isolate environmental sounds too well, but the real test (for me) will be my next plane ride--I hope they cut out most of the low rumbling engine noises. One final comment: since they form a seal in your ear, they can be rather uncomfortable when you have a cold! Overall, I'm quite satisfied.
Overall, I'm quite satisfied.UPS just delivered my EarThumps 15 minutes ago. Like I do when I'm expecting any package, I bolted to the door the second I saw the UPS truck come down my street and ran back inside and proceeded to play with my new toy. Shockingly, I need to use the smallest earbuds. It's a shock to me because I'm a big guy, and with big hands, big feet, and I'm pretty tall (and something else is big too ) I'd expect my ears would be big. Apparentley not, as the smallest ones provide a snug fit.
At first, they felt weird, however, I'm getting used to them. They do a decent job at blocking out other sounds. And most importantly, they sound great. It will still take some getting used to, but I'm satisfied and don't regret my purchase at all.
I just wish Griffin had some white ones in stock, so I had to settle for black. They don't match my Nano, but match my PSP. White ones would match my Nano but not my PSP. So I guess color wasn't that big of a deal....I guess I just wanted to be a trendwhore with the white earbuds
) I'd expect my ears would be big. Apparentley not, as the smallest ones provide a snug fit.At first, they felt weird, however, I'm getting used to them. They do a decent job at blocking out other sounds. And most importantly, they sound great. It will still take some getting used to, but I'm satisfied and don't regret my purchase at all.
I just wish Griffin had some white ones in stock, so I had to settle for black. They don't match my Nano, but match my PSP. White ones would match my Nano but not my PSP. So I guess color wasn't that big of a deal....I guess I just wanted to be a trendwhore with the white earbuds
I'm happy with the sound of my EX71s but the wire surround on the lead to the right ear piece has gone really soft and sticky.
It's also come away leaving bare copper. They're only 4 months old and I've lost the warranty.
Has anyone else had anything similar?
It's also come away leaving bare copper. They're only 4 months old and I've lost the warranty.
Has anyone else had anything similar?
is thier a difference between Griffin Ear Jams Sound Enhancers and Ear Thumbs or are they the same thing?
The Ear Jams are simple soft surround that you put onto the Apple earbuds; the EarThumps are actual earbuds themselves.Konradx said:
yg17 said:Shockingly, I need to use the smallest earbuds. It's a shock to me because I'm a big guy, and with big hands, big feet, and I'm pretty tall (and something else is big too
I'm a bit over 5'5" and the medium size attachments were clearly the best fit for me. So, I guess you can't use a man's shoe size to gauge the size of his... ear canal.
L
Lau
Guest
This is enough for me to want them. I've got the Sony EX-71s, and they're great, but that cable doesn't half get on my nerves. I think it's the added weight of the connector and the U-shaped wire that makes them so annoying.Piarco75 said:
When my Sonys break (which by reports I've heard they probably will), I will definitely consider these.