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PrefabSprouter

Q: New in-ear headphones:  great fit, decent sound, can't hear yourself speak

I got the new Apple in-ear headphones today for my iPhone 3G. Great mid and high range. Bass could be stronger, but sound overall is good/decent. The earbuds fit great and isolate external sound well. The problem with that is that while you're speaking on the phone through the headphone mic, you can't hear yourself: you only hear your own voice through the vibrations in your head. The first gen iPhone came with headphones that 'played back' on the earbuds your own voice (picked through the mic), which made it all sound quite natural. I am yet to find a pair of headphones for my 3G that replicate that; I'm not sure whether it's an issue with the 3G or the headphones in general. I've tried several to no avail. I hope Apple does something about this.

Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Dec 12, 2008 3:05 PM

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Q: New in-ear headphones:  great fit, decent sound, can't hear yourself speak

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  • by iamnickfury,

    iamnickfury iamnickfury Dec 12, 2008 6:42 PM in response to PrefabSprouter
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    Dec 12, 2008 6:42 PM in response to PrefabSprouter
    Just got mine as well. I have to say, much better than the included ones and clearer than my previous in ear's. Wish the bass was a little stronger as well. Neat packaging and easy to carry. The sound is so crisp, you can actually hear the singers' saliva while their opening their mouths.
  • by iamnickfury,

    iamnickfury iamnickfury Dec 12, 2008 8:45 PM in response to iamnickfury
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 12, 2008 8:45 PM in response to iamnickfury
    Ok, with regards to lack of bass, just go to equaliser on your iphone and turn on bass booster. Sounds wicked! Don't know if that'll sap battery though...
  • by Errk!,

    Errk! Errk! Dec 18, 2008 9:07 AM in response to PrefabSprouter
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Dec 18, 2008 9:07 AM in response to PrefabSprouter
    Just tried a phone call with these and I agree - it would be nice if you could hear yourself somehow, if that's possible.
  • by fmanowhereman,

    fmanowhereman fmanowhereman Feb 2, 2009 11:52 AM in response to PrefabSprouter
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    Feb 2, 2009 11:52 AM in response to PrefabSprouter
    I have had a pair of these since Christmas (present :-)) and you HAVE to get a good fit /seal (not insulting those whom have in-ear /canal phone experience). One thing you can try is substituting ear pieces from some of the Shure earphones (or perhaps others). I have a pair of E2C's and use the foam plugs which work very well on the Apple ear pieces. I use them on my 3G iPhone and use the bass boost on the iPod.
  • by Ian Wish,

    Ian Wish Ian Wish Mar 11, 2009 9:43 AM in response to PrefabSprouter
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    Mar 11, 2009 9:43 AM in response to PrefabSprouter
    I also found it hard to talk on my iPhone with the new in-ear phones in, can't tell how loud or quietly I'm speaking!... never had the original iPhone, but that sounds like it would have been a great feature to include on the 3G especially now with the in-ears.

    What I do is just pop the left phone out of my ear when I get a call so that I can hear myself clearly and regulate the sound of my voice properly... very useful when on the bus!