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CNET editors' rating:
stars
OK
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 115 reviews
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Product summary
The good: Affordable in-ear headphones; above-average clarity and detail; iPod-style travel case.
The bad: They don't fit as well as they should.
The bottom line: The Apple In-Ears are definitely a step up from the 'buds that come with the iPod, but we wish they fit more snugly.
Specifications: Product type: Headphones ; Design: In-ear canalphone ; Sound output mode: Stereo ; See full specs
Price range: $39.98 check prices
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 03/05/2004
- Released on: 01/07/2004
It's no wonder Apple's iPod is a huge hit. It's beautifully designed, and it sounds great--as long as you steer clear of the lackluster earbuds that ship with it. The company now has a better idea: the $39 Apple In-Ear headphones. Though they have the same iPod-friendly, all-white color scheme as their predecessors, the In-Ears, with their rubberized earpieces, are not only intended to be more comfortable but to offer superior sound.
After comparing the two models, we much prefer the Apple In-Ears to the 'buds that came with our iPod. The In-Ears put out richer sound, play louder, and offer greater isolation from outside ambient noise. At 42 inches long, the Apple In-Ear's cable is nice and short, offering ample but not excessive length when connected to the iPod's in-line remote cable; you could, of course, use them with anything that has a standard 1/8-inch minijack plug. You get a selection of three pairs (small, medium, and large) of interchangeable rubbery earpieces; try 'em all to see which is the most comfortable. One minor design snafu: The headphone's teensy "left" and "right" labels will be illegible in broad daylight to many owners and worthless to everyone in low-light conditions. But on the bright side, Apple includes a cool-looking, plastic storage case.
The skimpy owner's manual doesn't offer any advice about proper insertion techniques; the only way we could achieve the required 'bud-to-ear seal was to fit the In-Ears upside down, with the wires facing forward so that they looped up and over our ears. We had used that strategy with our Shure E2c ($99) in-ear 'phones with great success. A contest between these two models gave the nod to the Shures for their bigger, more bass-driven sound and their superior ambient noise isolation on the NYC subway. But that's to be expected, with the Shures (and our current favorite earbuds, the $130 Etymotic ER-6 Isolators) costing two and a half times the price of the Apple headphones. Then again, Sony's MDR-EX71SL also offers good sound and a snug fit for a mere $50.
Our main problem with these headphones was that we had trouble keeping them in our ears. Joggers, take note: While we were walking, the In-Ears lasted five minutes before flopping out (though the fit will likely vary from person to person). That's too bad, considering everything else that's good about them.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 115 reviews
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Where to buy
Apple In-Ear headphones:
$39.98
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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$39.98 | Yes |
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