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Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Handsfree flawed, doesn't stay in-ear.

Written by BV from Stadhampton

07-Mar-2009

I've tried all three size settings, but the rubber appears to be too flimsy, and shortly after wedging them in my ears, they become loose. I don't think I've got weird ears, as my seinheiser headphones stay in fine.

The handsfree is flawed, because as I've discovered it's very difficult to have a conversation wearing what might as well be ear plugs. I can hear the other person and they can hear me, but it's just very off putting, as you can't hear your own voice properly. Try talking with your fingers in your ears.

The volume doesn't work with the iPhone, why not? What other apple product would you need a mic and a remote for? I had been warned about this from another review, so not too bothered, but just annoying on top of everything else.

Oh but the packaging was great! Whoopee! Yes I like good packaging, and normally with apple products the fancy packaging is the icing on the cake. But the when the product doesn't work, the packaging which you might as well throw away but don't because it's so pretty, is a big kick in the teeth, because you become very aware that you've paid for it.

54 of 67 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Disappointing

Written by SF from Hassocks

18-Mar-2009

I'm quite stunned that Apple can fall at the final hurdle like this. The design of these earphones is excellent but the sound is thin, bass-less and very poor. So disappointed that I took them back and insisted on a refund at my Apple store. They do not isolate the user, allowing plenty of outside noise.
I tried all the EQ settings. 'Rock' helped a bit, and I tried them with many different types of music. I tried pushing them in further. No use. I tried the different sized ear buds. No difference. They did sound a bit better when I cupped my hands over my ears but that's not very convenient!
Avoid. (And the volume control doesn't work on the 3G iPhone)

49 of 66 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Abysmally woeful headphones - DO NOT BUY!!!

Written by UO from Santry

08-Sep-2009

I bought these because I figured 4 1/2 stars from 173 reviews has to be good. Seriously, I can't overstate just how wrong I was.

I've used them with my 3GS, and in the first 10 seconds I realised what a huge mistake I made.

The sound is like a buzzing gnat almost, no matter what your EQ settings are and no matter what genre of song you're playing. There is no bass whatsoever, unless you try burying them deep into your inner ear canal. The buds (I've tried all three sizes) can't block any external sound above a pin dropping.

I don't want to demean the 5 star reviews, but they were either some seriously fortunate reviewers or they've just made some bad choices about headsets in the past.

There is no way I want to even grant one star for these. Unfortunately I have to else it won't post my review.

My advice is to avoid at all costs. Apple's basic headphones are infinitely better. These are just a rip off.

37 of 45 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Great Headphones Let Down By Stupid Flaw

Written by JJ from London

08-Apr-2009

These headphones are great for the price, good quality and nice having the speaker for the iPhone. BUT...the plastic tips covering the headphones fall off really easily. I lost the small pair which were the best fit and they came off in my pocket so I moved to the medium pair that did the same thing. The wonderful thing is Apple have told me they don't sell replacements pretty much rendering a £55 pair of headphones useless. I even tried a pair of buds from a pair of Sennheiser's but funnily enough they're different sizes. It must cost them a few pence to make them, I'm sure they'd sell them at a mark up which is fine but to not sell them at all is completely inept.

30 of 33 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Appalling

Written by TP

16-Mar-2009

I got these earphones for Christmas 2008, I anticipated these earphones to be brillaint but they just wern't. The first time i used the new earphones,I was horrified to find out that they were shocking, pathetic low and high end frequency's, they'd fall out when walking (even though i tried every size ear bud provided, and i don't have large ears), the mulit-functional button, frequenly failed to work and finally the white cable, became faded and dirty within a matter of weeks.

This product is not worth the money and other earphones in the same price range proved much better!

38 of 54 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

VERY DISAPPOINTING !!

Written by SR from bath

18-Jan-2009

I've been a sound engineer for the best part of two decades and I thought it only right
to purchase the more expensive of the two Apple headphones with a Mic. However I was truly shocked at the tinny sound quality. They may have a frequency from 5Hz [which is a waste of time cause human's can't here that low and most music has been cut off below 40Hz] but they are so top end heavy you can't hear ANY low end! If you cut away lots of the top end from 4K upwards [cutting a little more as you go up the EQ ] and then boost your low end [64Hz and 125Hz on iTunes] then you get an idea of how the SHOULD sound, but even with that EQ setting they still sound rubbish for the money. The Mic quality is nothing special either.. I'd probably go for the £19 ones..
Even though they don't fit in your ears as well [not being "in ear"] the bog standard iPod headphones may not be as clear but at least you can her some bass !! Like I said; DISAPPOINTED !!

29 of 36 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Good looks dont make up for good sound quality

Written by DM from London

07-Sep-2009

One Word - Rubbish
No base so a all music from, Dance, Rock and indie all sound like the treble has been over loaded.
I've tried them on my iPhone, iPod & Mac Book Pro and using different EQ settings but it just sounds dire.
For £60 price i would expect near perfect sound quality.
You would not get sound this bad from a pair costing half the price.
Apple... If you want people to use your headphones because of the mic and controls that are built in, then please take a page out of Sony's book and make a pair of headphones that work well while listening to any kind of music.

21 of 21 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

On my 2nd pair - same problems - steer clear

Written by LF from Sunbury-on-Thames

22-Aug-2009

So whilst the sound quality is pretty good, you really should note the following and heed my advice before wasting £60...

1) Fragile and flimsy build quality
The rubber caps over the wire in to the headphone will come loose easily, increasing the likelihood that the internal wiring comes loose and then the headphone will die. The same applies to the jack - even general use will make the cable tangle up internally and eventually the wire will frail.
2) Rubber ear fittings will work their way loose over time
In itself, this is forgivable, but within 3 months and where do I buy spares?
3) Remote control will stop working if you use them for sport
Running a 20K you'll generate a fair amount of sweat - as the mic/control isn't sealed very well, you guessed it, it will fail to work.
4) Bass quality
Whilst it's good - unless you have the headphone shoved right in your ear canal almost next to your eardrum, you won't be able to appreciate it.
5) Noise from the cable and ambient noise generally
Tis true what other reviewers have said - the cable amplifies noise massively. Flick it and you'll almost feel your eardrum perforate, tug it hard and you may lose your hearing completely. The only real way to use these without listening to 20dBA of noise generated from the headphones and cable is to fix the cable through something like your bag strap or your Heart Rate Monitor.
6) Unfortunately there's no goldilocks fitting supplied
Or at least for my ear canal size. Maybe I'm simply a freakish size. Small are tiny, large are for behemoth men with radars for ears and medium is slightly too loose.

So why did I buy two pairs you ask? Well for the price, you get a dual-driver headphone that compares in sound quality to better, more expensive units. But at the same time, they won't last you much longer than a few months - hardly value for money.

If you intend to use these with your Shuffle for sport, don't go near them. In fact just don't buy them and look elsewhere, that's precisely what I'm doing now.

23 of 26 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Disappointment

Written by CJ from WARWICK

09-Mar-2009

Hello,

As all mac fans, I jumped on the opportunity to buy this product as soon as it came out.

For the first time with Apple, I had to go back to the shop only a couple of hours back (as soon as I could come out of the office) to return it.

Don't get me wrong, it blocks outside noise and the sound definition is much better than the original iPhone headphones but for me the problem was that I could hear my steps while walking and hear the rubbing of the cable against my scarf (please do not see anything sexual there ;-)) and I found it really annoying.

I am not sure it was a defect maybe just because of the fact that it blocks the outside noise so well...

I don't know but I thought I'd share my experience of it with you.

42 of 65 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

What A Disappointment

Written by DB from Langport

31-Jan-2009

I bought these after reading the rave reviews. What a huge disappointment.

In particular, the constant rustling noise when the cables rub against my chin or clothing mean that they are completely useless unless sitting still. When walking I have had to revert to the original headphones supplied with my iPod touch. I'm not even convinced that the sound is any better than the original. Very poor bass.

The only use I now have for them is if I'm listening on my MacBook Pro while my wife is watching the television. They do at least cut out ambient noise better than the original.

91 of 165 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Don't buy these headphones.

Written by WL

20-Aug-2009

I was very disappointed - feel like I've wasted my money. The headphone leads act as a conduit for vibrations - and when combined with the noise cancelling ear plug fitting makes it impossible to use when walking around. And of course, I was too useless to take them back in time to get my money back...

21 of 26 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Possibly the biggest Apple product disappointment - ever

Written by JW from SALISBURY

16-Mar-2009

Buy them - listen to them on your iphone, and immediately return them and get your money back. I cannot believe how tinny and hissy the sound is. There is no bass at all. Just don't bother. I cannot understand how anyone has reviewed the headphones and thought they were good.

17 of 19 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Very annoyed - don't buy these!

Written by LT from London

11-Sep-2009

What an awful product. I bought these to replace my first ever Apple 'in ear' set as I wanted the remote funtionality. It doesn't work however! The volume control doesn't work at all, the two click, three click function is terrible. The sound is ok, but just ok. Nothing special. These also aren't compatible with most of my other apple devices - old ipods and iphone 3G (no s!).

I'm horrified at Apply turning out such rubbish!!!

45 of 76 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Good while they last!

Written by LM from Birmingham

30-Jul-2009

The sound quality is above-average, with defined treble and good bass response...

... but this doesn't last, as the silicone earbuds simply fall off! Unlike the Sony, Sennheiser and Shure equivalents which have a ridge for the bud to hook over and stay secure, these don't - and the result is that they fall off, especially when lubricated with earwax (and that's unavoidable).

Replacement silicone buds from Shure's e2c headphones do fit (and better than Apple's!), but even these fall off easily due to this design defect.

Add that to the fact that the left earbud on my pair has started buzzing horribly with mid-range at volumes above whisper and I can't put these anywhere above one star.

Rubbish, just like the old ones. Avoid - your £59 is better spent elsewhere.

17 of 20 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Poor in the Gym

Written by MS from Bangor

30-Mar-2009

Bought these headphones for the new shuffle as I don't get on with the supplied set.
As soon as you begin to perspire you will render these headphones useless, as they seem to be very vunerable to moisture, as do the supplied headphones with the shuffle.
Best avoided if you intend to use these in the Gym.

15 of 17 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Very Good Idea, But Absolutely Rubbish!

Written by AW from HADDINGTON

14-Mar-2009

I believe in apple for making the effort, but com-on guys.
Its not hard in your la la cupertino office to think of headphones,
that fit more than 2% of the apple fan club!

I think its a good idea, but unless you have unusual ears don't buy.

And don't believe the BS about the two sound drivers they sound worse than the supplied earbuds. I would recommend Bose-In-Ear.

14 of 15 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

I don't like them....

Written by RB from Norwich

07-Mar-2009

I don't like them.. to hear them correctly all outside noise is cut out this I dont like... Sound not so goof for the price tag
I have to say these, and the headphones that come with an ipod (wont even stay in your ear)let the whole thing down. Apple can't you do better? The ipod is great the headsets need something better

13 of 13 people found this useful

Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic

Indescribably BAD - Don't Waste Your Money

Written by MF from Dublin

12-Jun-2009

Truly awful earphones. No, really, it is hard to capture the extent to which you will feel like a total sucker for having shelled out E69 on these things. They are awful. They are the tin-cans-on-string of earphones. You can get many earphones that sound better than these for a lot less money. The bass is tinny, the treble is screechy and they just plain sound bad. The remote is the only good thing but not good enough to recommend them. These things are a crime against music and sound. They should be put up against a wall (along with the designer and the engineer.)

14 of 19 people found this useful