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Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Finally, I am done trying headphones for the iPhone...

Written by GN from Chicago

Apr 28, 2008

The included iPhone set hurt my ears after a few minutes. My V-Modas broke and had no button. The Bose with the iPhone adapter were too long. The Shure 210s had to go uncomfortably deep in my ear to sound good and the mic from the adapter was too far from my mouth.

The B&O EarSet 3 are as good as it gets for the iPhone. Great sound, barely can feel they are on. Mic works well, is placed close to your mouth and the button is easy to click. If you are discerning and own an iPhone this is the set to get. I have tried many.

248 of 287 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

These are the Headphones You Want

Written by SB from Santa Barbara

Apr 22, 2008

After trying three different pairs of headphones, these are the ones to keep. Sound quality is superb, detailed and rich. The fit is REALLY comfortable, and the integration to the iPhone is flawless. For what they do, I think they are very reasonably priced.

163 of 204 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Posting by Bang & Olufsen America

Written by DP from chicago

Nov 6, 2008

To owners of Bang & Olufsen EarSets,

Thank you for purchasing a Bang & Olufsen EarSet, especially to those of you who have taken the time to offer up your candid feedback about your experiences with our products.
We appreciate your unbiased reviews which will help us provide a better user experience
From scanning through the reviews we are concerned that there may be some misunderstandings regarding use and would like to clarify a couple of points.

Concerning a lack of bass on any of our EarSets

We feel that some of you may be chosing to wear our EarSets without the included foam pads on the speaker. The foam pads are included as an important element of the speaker.
They function as a gasket in your ear canal which allows the EarSet to create a pressure chamber in your ear when the foam covered speaker bud portion is pushed into the ear canal. Without this gasket, the result will be a lack of bass as air will leak around the bare speaker. Also, as a result of not using the foam pad the speaker could cause some irritation to the ear when worn for extended periods of time.

Concerning EarSet 3 quality

We have experienced a quality problem in a small batch with the EarSet 3 which caused the cord to separate from the earbuds or hook switch. This problem has been fixed in our production. If you have purchased an EarSet 3 that exhibits this problem it can be exchanged for a new EarSet 3 under our 3 year warranty at any Bang & Olufsen retail store as long as you provide a dated receipt. We regret any inconvenience this defect has caused.

The longer of the 2 EarSet cords (Right) is designed to go around the back of the neck so as to not become unweildy.

If you have any additional questions or concerns please do not hesitate to stop in a local retailer for support

Sincerely

Bang & Olufsen America

73 of 76 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Best iPhone Headphones - Absolutely worth the money

Written by EB from Chicago

Jun 7, 2008

These headphones are the best you can buy for the iPhone. I've tried the apple headphones, the Ultimate Ears and now B&O 3. The B&O design is considerably better than UE's. For example the UE earphones pull heavily on your ears. The weight and tension of this headset is displaced around your ear and as a result they feel lighter. The button is easy to use, the cable arrangement is more efficient and the sound quality is better. If you are going to drop a couple hundred bucks on headphones buy these.

51 of 60 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

(Come In) Money spinner...

Written by CS from COTTON TREE

Sep 4, 2008

... Nice to see some real reviews coming in for the B&O gear. I have used both the Earset 3&2, both from the Apple Online store, & I can only say I was very disappointed in both. Its true that the 3 is old stock, it was included for free on those Samsung phones made for B&O & which were not a success. The 3's were never meant to be a primo item for selling on their own, they are the equivalent of Apple's freebie headphone/mic that comes with the iPhone.

I have found it very very hard to believe the rave reviews that people have been putting up here on this equipment, as if Apple customers are not discriminating enough to tell a good product from a mediocre overpriced one? It doesnt take Einstein to tell a good sounding device. Pick up a pair of Shure mid range earbuds & have a listen. BASS. Thats what bass sounds like, & thats what really nice sound is. Not this thin sound. And quality? My EarSet 3's started cracking up after a month under mid level bass usage - the little bit of bass I was asking them to take, basically blew the speakers in them. MAYBE understandable if these were sold solely for phone conversation usage, but they are not, they are sold as high-end audiophile. The 2's for instance, have dreadful sound, the only thing going for them is that the sound is loud. Maybe thats a limitation of Bluetooth? If so fair enough, but dont have the cheek to say the EarSet 2 sounds fantastic. No excuse here for the 3's, they are a direct wired device, they should sound great.

Back to the Shures, no plug intended here honestly, but you can crank a pair of them up, & anyone will guarantee, you CANNOT distort, let alone destroy, those earbuds. The crystal clarity, depth & stage is there to smack you in the face, whether you are audio savvy or not. Why do I compare B&O to Shure? I own both. One delivered what they said, the other most definitely DID NOT, & it is about time people reviewed accordingly.

It is my view that manufacturers like B&O rely on the wow factor, like any buyer who forks over this sort of cash, will be too embarrassed to say they made a bad buy, or as if there is some unspoken rule that you must uphold the mystique, nudge-nudge. Well I used to be a bit like that, I would swear by my brands, but not any more, there are too many companies trying to boost their phenomenal bottom lines by pumping out mass dross, with their moniker on it, knowing that a lot of people out there will buy for the label. So sad to see that happening on an Apple site, we Apple-philes have prided ourselves for decades on being discriminating despite market forces.

Keep up the real reviews folks, maybe the big shots will listen and see we are not lemmings after all, & stop letting their beancounters call the shots.

55 of 72 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Avoid Like the Plague

Written by CL from Santa Monica

Jul 3, 2009

It is such a shame that a product with such good sound quality and a well constructed ear clip, would have such a poor wire casing. Believe me, if you buy this head set you will see the copper wire and it will fall apart on you in little time. I know this because it has happened to me one three different sets. (Every time it does, I go down to my local Apple store and I buy a new set, wait a few days, swap-out the old broken set in the box, and then I take back the box for a full cash refund.)

There are two other flaws. One is with the uneven length wires that branch from the Y-configuration (note to all headset designers: DO NOT EVER DO THIS). This always creates uneven tension and discomfort as the center wire gets tugged from time to time. The other flaw is with the oversized microphone disk on the left side. If you where a collared shirt, this will snag on the collar creating a annoying remainder that you hate this pair of headphones.

50 of 64 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Great headphones, with a catch...

Written by DK from Seattle

Jul 21, 2008

I have the original version of these headphones - without the microphone - and really enjoy them. Between these and my Bose, the B&O sound quality is far superior. My Bose headphones tend toward a high range, while the B&Os are very crisp in all ranges. *BUT* there is a catch. They were engineered to be used with the provided ear bud covers. I lost one once and had to have it replaced, which B&O did at no charge - Thanks, B&O!! Without the cover, the headphones are almost unwearable and the sound quality is horrible. Those who have posted reviews experiencing either of these problems may have made this mistake, since Apple doesn't provide covers for the included headset. A logical oversight. Try them out, though. They are fantastic!

30 of 30 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

best best best best best

Written by JH from palos hills

May 3, 2008

I went through 2 pairs of the V-moda headphones and had enough- when i saw these the price freaked me out, but THEY ARE WORTH IT! I have them on now and they are amazing

sound - 10
comfort -10
durability -10 (seem very sturdy)

the button/mic works very very well - sounds crystal clear to the person on the other end and is conveniently located. The button is rubber and easy to find, and the cord length is perfect - not too long and not too short.

overall - worth the money!

38 of 48 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Great sound poor construction

Written by RR from MERCED

May 24, 2009

I think this is the best earphones on the market as far as sound and comfort go. My complaint is the vinyl chord. Although I'm sure it's cheaper to make after a while the chords start to twist and become very uncomfortable. In my past experience I have found that the fabric chords are much my comfortable and do not twist. Also if they provided a clothing clip below the mic the left ear chord would be less likely to pull away from the mic button when the chord snags on something which it frequently does. Try looking at Audio Technica ATH-Em7. Fit isn't that great around the ear but very nice sound with fabric chord.

32 of 39 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Cords Failed

Written by PR from CHICAGO

Sep 11, 2008

I had a great experience with the EarSet 3 for the first three months. I used them almost daily, usually at my desk, and some walking around the city, and for phone conversations.

After a few months the cord started to fail - the rubber protective cord from the microphone to the right ear had detached from the microphone and the copper wires were exposed. Also the cord at the base which plugs into the iphone also had begun to deteriorate and had slightly detached from the connector base.

B&O replaced the set immediately when I brought the problem to their attention. But it is something to consider. My usage was not extreme and I do not recall any specific time i tugged or pulled on the cord. In the future I will be more cautious but I don't think my behavior was out of the normal.

22 of 22 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Great sound, but...

Written by WW from Louisville

May 18, 2008

The B&O Earset 3 is the best earphone I have owned for use with iPods and iPhone. I own Shure and Bose earphones which were purchased for iPods. I personally do not like in-ear earphones; they do not fit or stay sealed in my ears, and I do not like feeling my ears are plugged. For this reason I tried but returned the Ultimate Ears earphones for designed for iPhone.

As with any earphone, the quality of the sound is best achieved through the placement and seal of the ear piece. The B&O achieve the best placement and seal of any earphone I have tried and provide excellent sound quality and balance over the full audio spectrum.

My only complaints with the B&O have nothing to do with their performance. I personally do not like earphone cords designed with one ear piece cord longer than the other to be worn behind the neck. I would have preferred the traditional "Y" cord. Also, I am not a fan of the large microphone. The microphone size would have been fine in the "Y" corded configuration, but as is it hangs like a dot in space from the left earpiece. Because of the sound quality, however, I have overlooked these minor complaints. These are keepers.

34 of 49 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Great headset.

Written by JP from Bronx

Apr 12, 2008

I got these today and they are all you can expect from B&O. My only complaint is that the cable for the right earbud is tied to the left earbud and is too long. The cable is supposed to go around the back of your neck but since it is so long there's a lot of cable and it looks not so nice. Other than that these are great.

28 of 39 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

good sound, hard to adjust

Written by SP from Glendale

Jul 12, 2008

When properly adjusted, I like these earphones much more than the ones that came with my iPhone.

They don't fall out when you move, and are capable of more volume and have fuller bass and clearer sound overall.

The downside is that they are hard to put on -- and, when not properly adjusted, actually hurt.

I use the Apple iPhone earphones when I use them for a short period of time or put them on and off. I use the B&O when I am going to use them for an extended uninterrupted period of time.

I also have Bose noise-canceling on-ear headphones -- which are great in very noisy environments like airports -- but the B&O sound is clearer (less muddy).

So: among the three, I prefer the B&O.

16 of 16 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

My Single Greatest Purchase for iPhone 3G

Written by RH from OCEAN

May 19, 2009

This product is by far the greatest accessory to my iPhone 3G. So far, they are the only headphones that have stayed in place, they sound unbelievable and have lasted me longer than any other headphones. The reviews that say they are made from cheap materials must have done something wrong with them because they went through both the wash and dryer and still work perfectly. Absolutely worth every penny!

16 of 17 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

A bit fussy but pretty good overall

Written by JW from Los Angeles

Nov 5, 2008

Getting the two pieces properly situated on and in your ears takes some effort but to me it's worth it to not have to deal with earbuds falling out during even moderate exercise. Pretty good sound quality but I am concerned that the stretch fabric covers will need replacing and I don't know where to find them.

16 of 17 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Excellent Sound & Quality

Written by BW from BOYNTON BEACH

Jul 25, 2008

When I first put these on I could not believe the Quality and Crispness of the sound they knocked my Shure headsets out. Spend the extra it is worth it. Also if you run or jog they will always stay in your ears.

15 of 15 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

One of the BEST Headsets for the iPhone

Written by ST from Long Beach

Jul 12, 2008

Why do I believe this? Well for one, I own a pair of the B&O A8 headphones and I really like them, A LOT. They sound better than my Shure eC4 headphone's.

When I read about B&O Earset 3, I knew that I HAD to buy them. These are worth every penny. Not only do you hear music in both ears but you also hear the person you are talking to on the phone, in BOTH ears! Not many headphones do this. I LOVE hearing the person I am talking to in surround sound, very Nice, especially while driving in the car, which is why I opted for a wired headset versus a bluetooth.

I believe Sound Quality is vital. I also believe we get what we pay for, this headset is A+ for Sound Quality while listening to music and ESPECIALLY while talking on the phone. The volume is very loud when you turn the volume to the highest setting, which could be perfect while driving in the car, there always seems to be road noise on the freeways here in L.A.

15 of 15 people found this useful

Bang & Olufsen EarSet 3

Best headphones, period!

Written by PG from Tiburon

Jun 24, 2008

I own the regular A8 headphones and these are just as amazing...plus full iPhone integration...an unadvertised added bonus!
B&O makes the best products, perfect audio quality plus stunning and simple design. Definitely worth the $200!

20 of 25 people found this useful