When I'm using my 3rd generation shuffle the headphones will quit working after about a half hour or 45 min. The volume goes down really low and the controls don't respond. After I turn it off for awhile it will start to work again. Does anyone else have this problem? What causes it to happen and how can I keep it from happening?
mackbook,
Mac OS X (10.5.6),
ipod shuffle 3rd generation
Same thing here. Am now on my fourth set of headphones. When you go to the Apple store, they act like they've never heard of the problem, and when you explain it's fairly wide-spread, they shake their heads like it's somehow exotic that someone would use the ipod for exercise. (I offered to show them this very support discussion on the apple website, and their response was "well, you can google ANYTHING and find people who say it...") So, really, the only thing worse than the idiocy of releasing a product like this that is not engineered to withstand a few drops of sweat is the absolute arrogance of the company to not allow their employees to even acknowledge that a problem exists. I'm a huge fan of Apple products and spend thousands of dollars a year on them, but I find their corporate culture and the way they deal with the public to be repellant. Like dealing with Cold War-era Kremlin. You'd have better luck getting straight answers from the Church of Scientology.
Arrrggg. I've been having this problem and it has become progressively worse. The iPod Shuffle 3 is my FIRST apple product and I was THRILLED with it. So much so that I've started researching other products and considering taking my entire home network apple. I'm going to wait it out to see if they address the problem. If they don't, it will be very telling. For now I'm going to exchange the earphones and/or entire shuffle, get some clear tubing, and use silicone to keep the headset controls dry and operational.
I am now getting my 3rd set of earbuds sent to me from Apple. My earphones also quit working during a workout. They either won't shuffle songs or play at the loudest volume without being able to turn it down. When I called Apple Care they admit they have a problem with the earbuds, and that it is due to perspiration getting into the remote. They also said that the the shuffle wasn't designed for use during exercise, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!! I wish Apple would do a survey of people owning the shuffle to see what percentage of people use it during exercise. I bet the numbers would alarmingly high. What is the point having a shuffle if you can't use to work out. I have a large clunky i-pod that I use for around the house stuff that holds a lot more music, but it is not ideal for running and often, it will temporarily quit working if the earbud jack is josseled too much. The apple care rep said that at this time the engineering department is NOT GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM, and that a 3rd party product will be available but will have the same technology. Is Apple's quality control and care slouching?? I suggest if you are using this product for exercise to send it back to apple. Which is what I told them I was going to do, if this next set of earbuds quit again. There is no use is keeping this product if you can't use it.
That would be laughable for them to suggest that it's not designed for use during exercise when the Apple user video I referred to earlier in the thread clearly references the remotes usefulness during runs/workouts or time in the gym. What kind of denial of an oversight is this buy Apple? It's truly weird. I love Apple products but every now & then they make a mistake. That's fine. In relation to the number of great things they design they're still kicking ***. I know there's times when they hold their hands up & admit that something isn't quite right about the design. I have a MacBook & they've had problems with the casing which Mac accepted was their responsibility & there have been other cases where they have accepted responsibility. I feel that it's time to do the same for the Shuffle now as the problem is very clear, let's just hope they do it sooner rather than later so that we can start to enjoy what is otherwise a great device.
Apple has a problem. The headphone controls for the Shuffle 3rd generation have a zero tolerance for moisture. They all react the same way and that's to say they go a bit bonkers and usually when someone starts to workout and (pardon the eww factor here) sweat gets on or in the controls. This is Apple's problem because this particular Ipod is MADE for working out. It has a clip on it for Pete's sake. I've been to the Apple store and exchanged my headphones once but looking this up n the internet tells me I'm going to have the same problem again. Apple simply needs to do the right thing here and admit the boo-boo and fix it.
I just spoke with Eric from Apple support. He told me Apple is aware of the problem and working on a solution. Oddly enough, he also told me 3rd party headphone makers were also working on a solution. He actually told me Apple was surprised by the number of people who use the shiffle while running. As long as they continue to exchange headphones, via FedEx, I am ok with calling them again and again. I have confidence in Apple that they will come up with a fix and then we'll have to pay for new headphones.
Anyone have a temporary solution? I've heard references to a baggie and plastic wrap but nothing specific. I'd be willing to try almost anything.
Heres a solution...toss this POS in the garbage and go back to the 2nd gen.
I had my 2nd gen 2 years and never had a single issue.
Got my 3rd gen for fathers days and on 2nd set of ear buds and shuffle.
Sad part is I have a 4 year old creative labs MUVO that has been swimming with me 4 times, dropped off my bike at 25mph twice and is what I am back to using. If I could find a updated version of that with a rechageable battery I'd never buy another apple product.
FYI: My 3rd gen shuffle will be on ebay soon...30 BUCKS NO RESERVE!!
1. The headphones as they exist do not fit every ear the same way. I purchased the shuffle because I work out a lot and the size is perfect. Unfortunately, in various situations either one or the other buds falls out. When I was in the London Apple store they had a more expensive version with buds that could be inserted. That solved one problem but another had yet to develop.
2. As part of my workout including aerobic activity I sweat a fair amount. All of a sudden I noticed that the volume would go up and down without any warning. Also, the voice over would come out of nowhere and get stuck or repeat itself. The controls would freeze and there would be no way to operate volume or any other function. Eventually, the entire system would shut down. After inserting the old headphone in the jack, it would worked immediately (until sweat interfered with that). I came to realize that it must be the sweat dripping onto the control that would sit near my neck.
3. I brought this matter to the attention of the staff at the "Genius Bar" and they seemed to be oblivious to the situation. However, they did provide me with replacements. This is my second time with the standard and fancy pair. Also, I contacted Apple support directly. The person who answered the phone indicated that they had heard about a problem and anticipated some kind of fix in the future. Then she hooked me up with a product specialist who claimed that she knew nothing about the problem and was argumentative. I emphasized that a good percentage of persons who have this product purchased it because they want to use it during a workout and that the purpose is self-defeating because sweat is an issue. Nothing was resolved, except that upon returning to the local Apple store in Connecticut I was told to avoid getting it wet. So, do I have to go back over and over again?
4. The question is whether there is a replacement that will be provided akin to a recall? Why should I/we expend more money because this may be a defective product? I have read in this blog about something called Schoche (sp ?) Just what is this, does it work to solve the problem and where do you get it?
Same problem...this is chronic. Spent an hour waiting to talk w' Apple on the phone. The support guy that answered the phone said they couldn't help me out & I asked to speak w' a supervisor. The supervisor (Dave) acknowledged that there is a problem w' the 3rd gen shuffle. They agreed to send me another 3rd generation. I politely said "no thank you" & asked if they had any 2nd generations around that they could send me. They agreed to send me a refurbished one which is a much better unit then the 3rd gen POS. You need a bit of patience dealing with the lengthy wait time & getting through to a supervisor. I've been a long time Apple supporter (since '86) never owned a PC & expected more from customer service. This was a battle but I can say that I'm satisfied w' getting a 2nd gen shuffle. They usually hit home runs w' their products but on the 3rd gen shuffle....they struck out.
Same problem...no fix as of now...at least until a third party makes a decent set of remote headphones. Guess the 3rd Gen shuffle will end up in my desk drawer until then...too bad...
jeds wrote:
... I have read in this blog about something called Schoche (sp ?) Just what is this, does it work to solve the problem and where do you get it?
The ipod headphone is an embarassment to Apple and I am disappointed they weren't taken off the market. Even when it was clear this was a defective design they continued to sell them. Fortunately, we purchased the extended warranty which allowed us to return them more than once. The last time I returned them I was told I could no longer do that and was allowed to return the ipod shuffle. I am equally disappointed in Best Buy where I purchased it. After returning the ipod I purchased the basic shuffle, but of course the defective ones were still for sale.
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one experiencing this problem with the 3rd gen shuffle. Mine worked perfectly for about a 2 months then it started ating up - the controls become unresponsive, the volume either goes so low you can't hear the song or so loud you have to turn the shuffle off. And like many of you guys, this happened with exercising. And if Apple thinks people don't use their iPods when exercising - especially the shuffle as it's so small and light - then they need to do some serious market/user research.
I went from a 1st gen shuffle to the 3rd and was excited about this slick new device. But now I'm irritated and annoyed with it. I contacted Apple in South Africa, but they're much less helpful here than they are in the US and Europe. They won't replace my headphones - I need to send the whole thing in for testing first. But one thing is consistent: Apple here, like elsewhere, claims to have had no complaints about the new shuffle. Well, these forums tell a different story.
Let's hope they can fix the problem (and don't ask me to wrap the controls in cling wrap). The shuffle may be Apple's 'baby' product, but I still think it's one of their best.
