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Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

I'D AVOID THESE

Written by KB from Rugeley

11-Dec-2009

I bought some of these three months ago. Here are four reasons why I recommend you should avoid them.

(i) Some of the reviewers mention that the earbuds didn't fit them. Before buying them I asked the Apple Store staff what happens if they don't fit. They told me it was a risk I had to take, and that they wouldn't accept them back, even if I tried them on whilst still in the store. Fortunately for me, the smallest earbuds were just about small enough. (It turns out I have narrow ear canals, which was news to me.)

(ii) The sound isn't great. Don't get me wrong, it's _much_ better than the standard iPhone headphones, largely because of the fact that they have such good contact, but I was surprised that there wasn't more bass. Before buying them, I read reviews that said the same, but I suspected the reviewers were audio connoisseurs who were deliberating over things that were barely discernible. If you're the kind of person who notices the difference between good audio and bad audio (my Mum wouldn't, for example), then you'll probably feel the same.

(iii) They're less robust that all the other iPhone/iPod headphones I've had. The bottom-most rubber parts on both sides have both detached and now slide up and down the leads.

(iv) The earbuds slide off ridiculously easily. I lose one about once a week, and have to go searching for it. (Sometimes, it's still in my ear.) I've had to crawl around pub floors, shop floors, take my clothes off (not in public), etc. Apple don't provide replacements, which is outrageous! Fortunately, I've just discovered that you can buy replacements elsewhere: try searching Google or eBay for something like "replacement tips/earbuds small for apple headphones". Until I discovered these resellers, I was furious at Apple, and was going to give the headphones a one-star review.

You can go running with them. Yes, the headphone cable makes a lot of noise with each step—because it transmits the vibrations directly to your ears—but I thread them under the sleeve of my running vest, or wrap them around the back of my neck, and that makes them acceptable.

7 of 8 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

build is terrible

Written by TS from rotherham

03-Dec-2009

the title says it all. After 2 months all the rubber has split and the plastic is cracked. Terrible for the sheer amount of money they cost. Sound quality is not bad

8 of 10 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Disappointing

Written by DG from Cardiff

26-Nov-2009

Sound clarity is good, but as many other reviewers have said, these are low on bass. Even with EQ set to bass booster they are worse than my (much cheaper) sennheisers with EQ switched off. Not everyone is into bass however.

My main issues with these are:
1) No volume control for iPhone 3G, even though the 3G was the current iPhone model when these headphones were released. This could easily be cured by a software update.
2) Poor quality construction. Everything feels very flimsy. The mesh cap unscrewed itself on mine and fell out, which in turn caused an ear bud to come loose and fall off. You get a spare set of mesh caps, but the ear bud is lost and there is no way of getting a replacement. The other sizes in the box are no use to me so now my very expensive headphones are useless.

Frankly not got enough for £59.

4 of 4 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Lack depth of sound - going back to my B&O which are vastly superior

Written by IB from Cowes

14-Nov-2009

The story in the Apple Retail store sounded good, but unfortunately the Headphones didn't live up to the promise. At GBP 59.00 - they don't cut it and are going back to the store...!

15 of 18 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Great sound but earphones frequently fall out.

Written by AW from East Looe

27-Oct-2009

These earphones deliver very good sound quality, far superior to that of the original earbuds, however this is compromised by the fact that they slip out of my ear nomatter which size silicone pieces I have attached. These are great as long as you're willing to push them back in every 10 seconds!

12 of 15 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

A true waste of money

Written by MP from Halesowen

15-Oct-2009

If your music includes no bass frequencies at all then the treble performance here will satisfy you with its clarity. For most music though the lack of bass response will render these earphones unusable, as the only way to hear any bass at all is to push them gently into your ear canal and hold them there. Even then they sound more like overhearing the tinny hiss of someone else's leaky earphones.

The buds themselves are long and spherical, which makes your ears will have no difficulty in rejecting over a few minutes. Halve this time if you are walking.

Make sure you check your seller's return policy.

10 of 13 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

There is a bug in this apple

Written by CC from TUNBRIDGE WELLS

10-Oct-2009

I got the Apple In-ear phones to work with my iPod touch. The performance is adequate, not outstanding, but you cannot expect much from tiny drivers. However, my gripe is this: after a while everybody must loose an ear bud - or at least my son does. After a while of handing out replacement buds from the snazzy little case they come in, I am almost out of buds. No problem, must be able to get a replacement set from the Apple store -NOT! Apple do not sell replacement buds! Their solution is to buy another set of phones for sixty quid! For the first time in my Apple life (which began with the Apple 2) I have to say, "That is @$&* ridiculous" I shall buy a non Apple set that does have replacement buds and I bet there nust be loads of other people in the same fix. Come on Apple, this is something Microsoft would do. Listen to your customers .

28 of 31 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Good sound but volume adjustment does not work.

Written by MC from Bath

21-Aug-2009

I just bought this headset and I noticed that the volume control does not work. I am disappointed and feel like it is overpriced because not all features work.

10 of 11 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Not that special

Written by SL from BRADFORD

29-Jul-2009

The sound quality is excellent but only when these earphones are positioned correctly in the ear. I find i have to keep adjusting these as they tend to slide out and are rubbish for any kind of sport. Think they are over priced and uncomfortable!!!

16 of 17 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

expensive and unreliable

Written by DB from Wembley

23-Jul-2009

The volume control on the remote stopped working after 3d day, all other remote control options cease to function after 2nd week. The sound quality of the earphones was good but the microphone quality is definitely bad - people could hardly hear me. For the price of £59 - not worth it

9 of 14 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

No Bass

Written by CQ from LONDON

11-Jul-2009

These are superb headphones in build quality and design.

With a couple of exception. As I walk, the cable naturally swings to and fro. This movement judders up the phones and makes a huge banging noise in the ears.
So massive minus points there.

Also, I like a decent amount of bass. These may have audiophiles exited but I guess I'm a philistine who loves pumping bass, without having to whack up the EQ and cause distortion. These phones don't deliver, so I went for the Sennheiser. They rock!

9 of 15 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Sound quality is fine, but...

Written by MJ from London

07-Jul-2009

I am not convinced and I would suggest that people have a play with them first before shelling out £55. As previous reviewers have indicated, the ear buds can fall off very easily during normal usage - and they have not provided a snug fit for me at all. And, for some reason I cannot work out, the speaker is protected by a metal grill attached to the rest of the headphone as a bolt is attached to a nail (using a thread) - this can slowly loosen itself (agian, during normal use) and fall off, taking the rubber ear bud with it. This has happened to me twice now - in the street as I was talking my Iphone out of my pocket, and, as I couldn't subsequently find them, these were permanently lost rendering the headphones useless (and, yes, I have had to take my first pair back to get a replacement, which is now also useless). Advice given to me at the Genius Bar was to ensure that, when not in use, the headphones are placed in their protective plastic box at all times. All in all this seems unsatisfactory to me and, in my opinion, these headphones are not fit for purpose.

12 of 13 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Poor sound quality

Written by TJ from London

07-Jul-2009

I was hoping to use these for phone calls and music, but compared to Sony's retractable in-ear headphones, the base response is tinny. I wish I'd saved my money!

3 of 6 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Not that impressed at all

Written by MR from WIDNES

03-Jul-2009

I'm by no means here to bad mouth products and I (normally) swear by anything Apple do.

But these headphones are rubbish. The bass on them is awful!

I'm taking them back this weekend for my money back.

I'd go as far as to say they sound faulty, but a few people have said the same thing.

I can't listen to Daft Punk or anything without having to turn the song over.

AND the volume doesnt work with my iPhone 3.0.

Sad times for relatively expensive headphones.

2 of 3 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Better alternatives out there

Written by NE from Putney

21-Apr-2009

Having waited for a pair of iPhone compatible earphones, I originally bought the Sennheisers, but returned these after EVERY caller told me they couldn't hear me over the built in microphone. I immediately bought the Apple in-ears when they were released. First, the good points.
1) Nice neutral sound, good for classical music listening, with a tight mid range and treble
2) Nice inline mic and control with decent feel (despite the volume buttons not working on the iphone).
3) Lovely packaging.
Now the bad
1) Poor low end bass response compared to other cheaper alternatives
2) Difficult to get a proper seal, which renders them extremely uncomfortable because you have to push them so far in before the relatively weak bass becomes audible. If you are a dance music fan, avoid these phones.
3) Don't stay in the ears at all well, so useless for the gym or any activity.
4) No replacement buds available!! Unbelievable!!
5) Relatively short cable, so not good for taller people if you carry your phone in your jeans pocket.

All in all reasonable neutral sound output suitable for certain types of music, but very uncomfortable for extended listening. Unfortunately the alternatives with a good inline mic and control are still fairly limited. Waiting for something better from Apple!

20 of 24 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

brilliant sound, fabulous features, let down by poor quality

Written by TL from LIVERPOOL

06-Apr-2009

+Sound is amazing for the price. Ignore the doubters, they have a fantastic clarity unheard of at this price point. The capsule is brilliant and works great with my classic.
-Quality is TERRIBLE. Falling apart after 4 weeks of light use. Both ears have failed and have needed tweeking. Any moisture renders them useless.
Brave try, but in the end, a failure.

5 of 7 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Not Great...

Written by IH from Tamworth

04-Apr-2009

Good sound, but simply not enough bass. I changed to these from a pair half the price and they aren't worth the extra £30. But they are comfy and produce good sound at high volumes. No good for me though.......

5 of 9 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Hugely disappointing

Written by CF from Guildford

30-Mar-2009

I like the earbuds that came with my iPhone 3G, they sound perfectly fine and I love the multi-clicker functionality and the built in mic. So for me the prospect of this plus, better sound/noise canceling and added volume controls on the Apple in ear jobs was a very appealing prospect.

However the reality is that these headphones don't sound better than the normal earbuds at all, the sound quality is lackluster, poor bass response and generally a bit wooly in the midrange. I have tried all the sizes of caps and they fit in my ears just fine they just frankly sound rubbish. Also the volume functionality doesn't work with iPhone, which put an abrupt end to that benefit.

So what I feel I've ended up with is a £54 pair of headphones that offer no extra functionality and are worse sounding than the free ones I got with the iPhone, which I could replace for £19. I was prepared not to be blown away by them, after all the £54 price tag is very competitive compared to the competition but I'm honestly surprised at how mediocre/poor these headphones are.

9 of 13 people found this useful