In-Ear earbuds - broken?

[krohde]

Hey,

I have just bought a pair of the apple in-ear earbud headphones, but on first use I have noticed a HUGE sound quality difference. Is this normal? it appears the sound is much less deep and a lot of high tones are really screaming. Are my ears too used to the original earplugs from Apple or am I just not used to this sound, or may the new ear-bud headphones simply be broken? Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

KRohde

 

[AliensAreFuzzy]

If you think that they're broken, they have a warranty. Use it. My original earbuds broke. I used Apple support and my 1 year warranty and they sent me a new pair in 2 days.

 

[Cuckoo]

Well, to be honest, they just suck.. i have the same issues with the in ear headphone...

But that is my personal opinion...

 

[wide]

The in-ear earphones are just a big marketing scheme. Apple should make them standard on all iPods. They look cooler, fit in your ear better, but the sound quality still isn't all the great. If you think they're bad, return them and get a new pair.

These are cool:

http://etymotic.com/ephp/er6i.asp

they even match the iPod

 

[seamuskrat]

Mine sounded better than the ear buds that come with it, but after a few weeks, I ended up giving them away and getting some Sony ear buds that sounded 1000X better.

So, they should sound better than what came with it, but not a whole lot better.

Hey,

I have just bought a pair of the apple in-ear earbud headphones, but on first use I have noticed a HUGE sound quality difference. Is this normal? it appears the sound is much less deep and a lot of high tones are really screaming. Are my ears too used to the original earplugs from Apple or am I just not used to this sound, or may the new ear-bud headphones simply be broken? Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

KRohde

 

[alywa]

Apple In-Ear Headphones

I guess I'm in the minority, but I actually really like the in-ear 'phones. The key is getting them to fit your ears. I think they are a huge improvement over the standart earbuds, much more comfortable, and really deliver excellent midrange and high frequencies. Bass may not be as strong as some like, but I've always found many speakers and headphones overemphasize bass over overall sound quality. (Your milage may vary).

I thought they sucked when I first used them, but then I realized that I didn't have them in correctly. Make sure they are WAY DEEP into your ear canals. If you pull your ear up and back while putting in the earphones, you should be able to get a good seal.

You'll know they are in when the outside world sounds very muffled and quiet (when no music is playing). You'll also notice 'internal' sounds, sort of like hearing underwater, when you walk, touch your ears, etc.

If you can't get a good seal, make sure you try the larger (or smaller) supplied rubber sizers.

If they still don't work well for you, by all means return them. From what I've read at other forums (cnet, apple.com, amazon), there seems to be a real "love-hate" relationship with these things.

Good luck,

alywa

 

[krohde]

It worked

It worked. you really have to lift up in your ear so the ear-buds get WAY IN as you say. now the sound is much better and not as 'weird' as before when they were not as deep in the ear. Thanks for your help guys.

 

[mohmandm]

Suggestion for new pair

I got a pair of the sony MDR-EX71 from buy.com for like 32 bucks... I have really enjoyed them. They are in-ear buds and come with different sized casings (i guess that's what you'd call it) to make sure it fits w/ your ear. It also has an extender for the cord so you can take the extender off and use your ipod remote at a reasonable length, unlike the phones you get with the ipod.

 

[zyuzin4]

why do I have to turn my ipod volume to 100% while using the in-ear phones compared to the 25-40% i use with the normal earphones?

 

[rkphoto]

I had the exact same problem when I first got the In Ear Buds and as has been previously mentioned the answer is that they really need to be shoved tightly into your ears. The problem for me now is that they don't stay wedged in my ears completely which drives me absolutely crazy. I've tried all the different size Earpieces and they don't want to stay put. Lately it's seemed that the smallest ones work best since I can get them wedged deepest in my ears. They're still better than the original Ear Buds though.

rk

 

[zyuzin4]

once I was wiggling them then all of a sudden I got a loud sound. I wonder if I have too much earwax in my ears or something. I even jam them in tight

 

[cyanide]

you know you got it right when..

you know you got it right when your ears start to bleed profusely all over your earbuds. at this point, you want to continue to lodge them deeper into your skull. when they touch in the middle, you have reached optimal sound settings. crank that iPod up and enjoy!

 

[DownSetDana]

Re: In-Ear Earphone

I learned that you have to stick those suckers into your ear really far, but you'll notice, the bass response is alot better, and they are wayyyyy more comfortable

 

[Sam0r]

What?!

The apple in-ear phones are MUCH better than the bog standard ones.

I upgraded to them after my EX71's broke, and I can tell you they're MUCH better.

I use the biggest bud, and push them all the way into my ears. The bass is a LOT louder, and the general sound is a lot clearer.

IMO these are the best value for money headphones of this style.

 

[DOUGHNUT]

here's my advice for you guys using the Apple In-Ears

http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/eseries_accessories.html

get the medium foam sleeves for the Shure E2's (the orange ones). These sleeves fits on the Apple In-Ears perfectly. Also, these work MUCH better than the silicon sleeves that comes with the Apple In-Ears. Because it's made of foam, it expands creating an excellent seal while blocking out noises from the outside. Also, its not as difficult to get the right fit in your ears as the silicon caps. I had the problem of the In-Ears falling out of my ear with the silicon cap, but these foam caps eliminated the problem entirely. The only bad thing about this is that these caps aren't easily washable (i'm sure you can do it), so you may have to toss it once every few weeks. The 10 pack costs around $11, so it's not that bad. Also, during the winter, the foam gets a bit stiff so you need to compress the foam a bit with your fingers and have it re-expand in your ear to have a good fit. But trust me, these foam caps make the In-Ears a much better investment.

here's the article from which I got the brilliant idea from:
http://playlistmag.com/features/2004/10/frankenphones/index.php

 

[xFU3Lx]

I'm gonna say get a pair of Koss Spark Plugs. $20 at best buy. They have a memory foam piece that you roll between your fingers to flatten it out, and it expands in your ear and holds them in place. They sound great too.

 

[chaos86]

The Explaination (as best I can, I'm no copywriter)

the in ear headphones work differnently. theyre designed to be SEALED into your ear, a la DEEP in your ear to get a tight seal, not just sitting and the openning to your ear canal like normal earbuds. with the in-ear ones, because the air between the moving speaker and the eardrum is sealed in and pressurized, any tiny movement in the speaker causes the exact same tiny movement in the eardrum. you dont hear the sound vibrating the air molecules that vibrate the other molecules and hit your eardrums, the speaker literally moves your eardrum back and forth with air pressure. thats why, without the right seal, they sound weird, 'tinny', very quiet, and generally horrible.

this is why theres no grey area in the reviews for this product; ppl who use them right love them, ppl who dont use them right think they suck (because if you have them in wrong, they do suck). now, some people, such as myself, have weird shaped ear canals, and can't get them to stay in. so theyre not for us, but for those of you who were blessed with normal round ear canals that dont mind rubber invasion, these will make your music sound beautiful and full of deep bass.

Word of warning: if theyre in right, they'll have the same effect as earplugs that are used for loud machinery work. dont walk in front of a bus because chris told you to "push them in deep" and you didnt hear it, then sue me.

 

[DOUGHNUT]

now, some people, such as myself, have weird shaped ear canals, and can't get them to stay in. so theyre not for us, but for those of you who were blessed with normal round ear canals that dont mind rubber invasion, these will make your music sound beautiful and full of deep bass.

as I said....get the foam sleeves from shure. That will solve your problem