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Dec 29, 2008 11:31 AM in response to jeep0257wyby BobPenn,I have owned in canal earphones, so I am aware of how to wear them. And yes, the Apple phones have virtually no bass. No matter how deeply you shove it in, no matter which bud size you use. It is an extreme disappointment and an incredible oversight for Apple.
Yes, in canal phones also pick up cord ruffle and your breathing and magnify them. It can be very annoying and makes them almost useless for jogging or activity. My $250 Etymotics, though they sounded great, also had that problem, which caused me to stop using them.
I ordered mine via the Apple Store and they agreed to waive the restocking fee and sent me a prepaid mailer for the return. Very nice and great customer service, as always.
But too bad about these phones. I would advise people to avoid them. -
Dec 30, 2008 8:54 AM in response to AFRO PUFFby Photogmatt,While I listen to a lot of rock, I have no issues with the bass on rap songs. You just must make a seal with the ear canal. It feels weird at first if you aren't used to the phone, but after a bit it feels pretty normal, and comfortable. It's not as much bass as my over ear headphones had, but I didn't expect there to be. No EQ didn't provide much either, so I found the best setting is Deep. Bass boost was too much IMO.
The only real issues I've had is the cord is too short, and the **** things shocked me when I had them plugged into the exercise bike at the gym, which really ***** but might not be the fault of the headphones anyway. -
Dec 30, 2008 7:56 PM in response to AFRO PUFFby JDFSX,What Zach Rathore saud could not be anymore accurate. I myself am used to the regular earbuds that come with the iPhone and iPods but the as apple states are IN-EAR-HEADPHONES. They meen it as far as my experience goes you have to put them IN your ear not gently in but IN IN. One of my friends has the popular skull candy and he says with these types of earphones you need then "Loged" in you ear to get accurate bass reproduction. I think these will take some time to get used too but the whera a good buy nonetheless. -
Jan 1, 2009 12:28 AM in response to AFRO PUFFby AFRO PUFF,I've been using in-ear headphones for years now, so I do know how to wear them, getting the proper seal and all. I've gone through several brands/models over the years from Sony to VModa to Skullcandy to no-name brand. The clarity of the Apple ones were the best I heard, but the bass was by far the worst. I returned them for a full refund and picked up a pair of Etymotic Research ER6i. Nice to have proper bass again. -
Jan 1, 2009 9:27 PM in response to AFRO PUFFby ArchUrban,now I have begun to understand apple headphone sound quality. unlikely most in-earphones, they are focus on mid & high range. it is much more like etymotic headphone. but if you put large ear tips, bass is increased little. but for most people, the bass is still not deep enough. however I like the way Apple develops for little bit unique sound of in-earphone. they are always way different from others. in this time, finally, they brought high quality good out. I am not totally satisfied with sound yet. but so far that's not bad. I just think that I experience just different sound. I mean that it delivers more clear crisp sound than others. that's why I can hear very tiny sound which is easily buried into music background. that's what I like apple in-earphone. I don't worry about returning it back. I won't. I have few in-earphones. so the other days, I just wear another one if I get tired of apple headphone. today, I brought v-moda vibe II out. I just enjoy deep bass now. -
Jan 5, 2009 7:44 PM in response to AFRO PUFFby Linda Custer,I have Bose QC3 on-ears, Etymotic ER4Ps, and the new Apple in-ears.
The new Apples definitely need to be jammed into the ear. I came here searching for advice since I too noticed the lack of base. Switched the tips to small, and really jammed 'em in (the way I have always done with the Etymotics), and viola, the base appeared. Full and rich.
I remember when I bought the Etymotics (a few years ago now), the note about jamming them in the ear to hear base was very prominent. Etymotic found a huge number of returns for lack of base until they started plastering the reminder to people on how to fit them into the ear, including maybe using a small amount of water and pulling the top of the ear back to straighten the ear canal.
Bose QC3s are the best for base, but the Etymotics and Apples are very similar. Both have quite a true, linear response. The base is there, but just as much as is in the original recording and no more.
I think the Etymotics do a little better job completely isolating (with the white soft plastic ear covers, or especially with the grey foam moldable covers). However, the Apples may be a little clearer. I heard some background voices in an old Police song that I'd never heard with any other speaker or earphone system tonight -- with the Apple in-ears. I think the Apple separate tweeter and mid+base may be superior.
I think I'd still like the Etymotics best for traveling on a plane, though. I haven't tested the Apple in-ears yet, but I don't think they'd isolate quite as well. And the Etymotics are no slouch. Although the convenience of volume and song control in the cord, rather than having to carry the radio remote, makes the Apples tempting. I'll test them both out in my next plane trip, coming soon.
I still occasionally use the QC3s, but I find them too large to travel with anymore. -
Jan 6, 2009 2:50 PM in response to Linda Custerby felix2006,Just to reiterate, I also looked this topic up thinking the bass was non-existant, but after reading this I switched to the small ear tips, and pushed them in till they were pretty much touching brain - boom, bass all over the place.
So to repeat :
If they're not fscking your skull,
Apple's phones sound dreadfully dull.
Rinse, repeat. -
Jan 7, 2009 1:07 PM in response to AFRO PUFFby Guesswho369,Unbeliveable...like many others I had read the glowing reviews by the likes of Engadget, Giz and many more before I decided to waste $80 on these earphones. I wholeheartedly agree with the other posts; I don;t care how far you jam them towards your eardrums, these things are super-weak on bass. Was that a beat I heard? Can't tell with these things.
I've been using in-canal earbuds for a number of years now and simply won't use anything but at this point. I've been very, very happy with my - believe it or not - JVC earbuds. The HA-FX66B specifically are the best low-price (how do you like $30?) buds I have ever used. The bass response is nicely balanced with mids and highs, and they come with a case as well. SO IF SO HAPPY why try the apple buds? Why, the mic of course. I have yet to find a decent pair of buds that I like as much as the JVCs with a mic.
If you aren't stuck on the mic and want an incredible sound for $30 try the HA-FX66B out - they compare with high-end buds nicely. -
Jan 9, 2009 1:07 PM in response to Zach Rathoreby D. Kemper,Zach,
Good post I was *HIGHLY disappointed* until you posted that. I tried the small, they worked but I didn't hear anything unless I kept and held the ear bud in place and deep into my External Acoustic Meatus (Ear Canal). However, when I placed the medium mesh padding's on and shoved them in and flipped through my music gallery I discovered BASS and wasn't required to keep one hand one my right ear and shoved deep in place.
My previous experience in ear phones is just the simple Apple factory headphones and my BOSE In-Ear headphones. My BOSE headphones were wonderful but $13.99 for replacement mesh padding that needs to be replaces every so often because they tear easily which is not cool. My BOSE don't cancel the noise out around me and often over-exaggerate the base making it hard to enjoy the song and I have no EQ on my 4th gen. iPod NANO. BOSE also fall right out of my ear when working out all sizes of mesh tried, where these fit SNUG and FIT and don't fall out or require holding.
Instead of expecting base right away perhaps some of you should grab that standard set that came with your iPod, throw those in your ears and listen to a few songs and let your ears adjust back to normal wave lengths. Then attempt and try again, also for me to find the right size that fit that delivered the most base and was most comfortable while not moving, I placed like a small mesh padding on my left headphone, while a medium on my right headphone until I concluded the medium was best for me and delivered the clearest highs and lows in base that I've heard in a long time. I put my BOSE back on to compare and within 2 minutes the **** thing fell out of my ear, now you want to talk about a product that *****, how about we roll back 8 months ago and spend $120 on them and then compare them to the new Apple In-Ear Headphones to them for $79 and tell me which one ***** more and why.
Overall I have to say Apple has made a fabulous product like usual and I would rate them 5/5. Perhaps these won't work for everyone, but then again the reviews for them are petty good so perhaps (like myself at once) were just using them wrong - and instead of taking offense maybe you should consider it help and not be rude. Thanks again Zach for the wonderful helpful tips! -
Jan 10, 2009 2:52 PM in response to AFRO PUFFby jordan 572,i thought these had no bass but what u need to do is take the small earpiece and jam it in your ear as far as you can then they fill like ear plugs and block out all noise. they also have a lot of bass the most i have ever heard from in ear headphones. if i turn on a rap song with bass boost and about 3/4 volume they vibrate in my ear -
Jan 10, 2009 6:48 PM in response to Zach Rathoreby ArchUrban,you never used in-earphone before. aren't you? that's why you told us like that. it's not weird. yeah, it's only way to block unwanted noise. all in-earphones are the same design. deal with it. I have used many in-earphones more than 7 years. so I know better it than most people. somebody told us on one of posts here. I guess that his ears are small. that's why small tips make perfect seal for him. but normally, large tips are much better to do that. -
Jan 12, 2009 11:12 AM in response to AFRO PUFFby ThataboyNYC,The way I see it, there are 2 types of people:
1. People who are relatively new to in-ear sets and don't know how to insert them properly. They aren't used to superior sound provided by all in-ear sets compared to stock earbuds, so when they finally get a good fit/seal, they are shocked at the "great" bass.
2. People who are experienced with in-ear sets from one or many manufacturers. They know how to get a great seal, and are shocked at the (in my opinion) supreme crappiness of the bass compared to most other in-ear buds.
I am in group #2 -- don't tell me about getting a good seal. I have been using in-ear earbuds for many years (when the only game in town were the Sony's, and we had to import them from Japan to get the white ones).
The bass on these Apple In-Ear Headphones is SIMPLY not sufficient for me (and probably many of you). I know it is subjective and depends on the type of music you listen to... but it seems to me that the vast majority of us are listening to pop, dance, electronic, hip hop, R&B, rock... i.e., stuff with lots of bass. I suppose if you are listening to acoustic folk or vocals, these would be sufficient. Last time I checked, Lady GaGa was #1 on iTunes, not Yanni.
Give them a shot if you want... maybe you will totally disagree with me. I wanted to test them out for myself. I am going to return them and try out the absolutely hideous new Vibe II's. -
Jan 13, 2009 11:32 PM in response to ThataboyNYCby ArchUrban,thataboyNYC, you're right. I have used in-ear headphone like more than decade. currently I own five different in-earphones which are more than $120 per each piece at least. so don't tell me how. most of you are, who complain about lack of bass or low range, trying to change ear tips which are come from other companies like Shure, Ultimate Ears, iSkin, etc. I actually try it with iSkin Cerulean X1 silicon tips. headphone suddenly boosts full range of bass what I expect. so now I just different companies ear tips. Shure form tips are great as well. if you don't believe me, try it out. you will agree with me. I think that apple silicon tips design is just wrong. otherwise the whole headphone design, technology are just beautiful. -
Jan 22, 2009 5:45 AM in response to AFRO PUFFby Quisp,Like AFRO PUFF I wonder if there is a way to test these things? I just bought a pair and there's practically NO bass compared to the standard buds that come with iPods. With the in-ear style and a 'separate high performance woofer' one would expect some improvement.
I know how to wear in-ear style devices (so that's not the issue) and I'm getting a good seal and they have wonderful isolation - so much isolation that like BobPenn I get cord ruffle and can hear my own breathing etc.! Changing the eq does not help as this only creates distortion.
While Apple is not perfect, this is the first time I've felt deliberately deceived-by and lied-to by them. Shame on Apple for such a poor product and blatantly deceptive advertising -
Jan 26, 2009 1:05 AM in response to AFRO PUFFby steve kiwi,I'm sure lots of people might find this helpful. If you are new to in-ear earphones, and/or if you're having trouble with getting bass, this page contains all sorts of information *including pictures* of how to insert them successfully.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f103/fyi-basic-guide-ear-canalphones-310723/
I am a newbie to in-ears, and I was expecting maybe some issues (having seen the forums), and sure enough I just couldn't make the bass happen. The I did what these instructions said (take it carefully) and whoa! since then i can't stop dancing! Fantastic deep bass. Awesome clarity. Thanks Apple, I didn't think you'd make a dud