iPhone earbuds w/ mic - $22 Shipped!!!

[inspirations365]

From CNET - http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-10142421-58.html

"For the last couple weeks, I've been playing with Griffin's TuneBuds Mobile. Compatible with iPods but designed with iPhones in mind, the TuneBuds combine noise-isolating earbuds with a talk-ready microphone and a play-pause control.

I like them. A lot. They're not perfect, but I was all set to tell you that they're worth the $39.99 list price. Then I remembered my job title and went digging for deals. And sure enough, I found one: OnSale.com has the Griffin TuneBuds Mobile for $16.99, plus $5 for shipping.

The TuneBuds come with three pairs of rubberized earbuds so you can get the best fit for your ears. I particularly like the nylon-coated cord, which helps prevent tangles. To that end, I wish Griffin supplied some kind of plastic cord wrap, but at least you get a zippered carrying case.

The earbuds include an in-line microphone for phone conversations. A small button lets you answer incoming calls or send them to voice mail. When not pulling phone duty, the button can play or pause your tunes, or skip to the next song.

How's the sound quality? To my ears, excellent, though I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best judge of audio fidelity. All told, I think that this is a great earbud headset solution for the iPhone, especially for a mere $22--less than you'd pay for some noise-isolating earbuds alone.

I ordered these for the mic apps, but my total came to <$20 shipped! I was looking for some earbuds with a microphone cheap since I got my BT headset working now. Hopefully someone finds this useful!

EDIT: I only ordered these for the mic so I can use Midomi and Shazam. And THAT's only because I've wanted something like them for YEARS.

 

[tnsmart]

Will the mic on these work with the second generation iPod Touch? When you get these, could you tell us how you like them?

 

[mkrishnan]

I had a fairly bad experience with them. As a background, I love Griffin's products, including the EarThumps/TuneBuds. I found out about the TuneBud Mobile last year and ordered a pair (I think I actually did order them from onsale.com). They arrived with one side defective out of the box. Griffin technical was extremely friendly and RMA'd them, along with a pair of Silver Tunebuds I had that had developed the same problem in only a few months of use.

On return, the new pair worked, but they only lasted about 3 months before failing. I decided not to bother asking to RMA them again. I'm using the replaced Silver Tunebuds now and have ever since.

They obviously went to some lengths, e.g. with the cloth cable covers, to make them more durable, but I think I'll take a pass from another pair for at least a little while.

 

[gjw4u]

I have some issues with the Griffin in-ear 'TuneBuds Mobile' depending what clothing I wear. See my post in another thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=6928499#post6928499

 

[mkrishnan]

Static electricity, hmm, interesting. I never thought of that. Meh, I hope they improve their manufacturing and/or the thickness of the wire. I really like them in all other respects.

 

[thebrain74]

I bought the non-microphone version of these because I needed some cheap in ears for a flight and the apple ones weren't out yet. I think they were $20, and not worth it. They sounded terrible. The bass was very boomy, soundstage was small, everything just felt smashed together with some bas thrown in. I am not the best at discerning headphones quality (for example I used the stock buds for day to day, because while they didnt sound amazing, they were convenient). Also after owning the griffins for less than a couple days the rubber cord strain relief piece broke on one of the earbuds. The rubber earpieces arent too comfortable either (not terrible, I mean, they're ok, but I used much better).

I currently own the Apple in ears, and they are a VERY marked improvement in all respects other than price (which IMO was worth it)

 

[HyQuality]

I've gone through 2 pairs of the Tunebuds Mobile earphones already. Each time, the left bud goes out after about a month or so of usage. It seems that the wiring at the tip of the connector piece goes bad after a while.

While they were working properly, I absolutely loved them. And Griffin was excellent when it came to replacing them... But I just cannot continue to deal with contacting them and waiting for the new pair to arrive, every month or two.

I ordered the new Apple in-ear headphones recently, which hopefully will be built a little better.