Physically Broken Headphones

To get them replaced, it doesn't matter what happened to them. And you DO have to send the broken pair back (the policy has changed).

Go to:
http://depot.info.apple.com/ipod

Apple sends out the replacement earbuds, and then you have to send the old pair back, or they charge you for the replacement.

If Apple finds out that it was you who broke the headphones then they will not give you a new pair. Simply calling them and suggesting they were already broken will result in a new pair being sent to you without you needing to send back the old pair as long as you are in warranty, but since it was actually you who broke them... this is rather manipulative... I suppose it depends on how much you care... but that's how to get a new pair of headphones from pretty much any audio product company.

You can also stop at an Apple Store and ask for a replacement pair.

Of course, it is possible you won't get any. In that case, you can pick up a cheap pair at Wal*Mart or a more expensive(/nicer) pair elsewhere.

~Lyssa

I don't like the Apple ones either - they're too big, and the sound could be better. Best earbud style headphones I've ever had came with a Sandisk MP3 player... they're the kind with the rubber thing on them, so they're comfortable, and they have that noise cancelling feature, so you don't have to turn the volume too loud. I think they're similar to the in-ear earbuds that Apple sells, but I've never tried them.

Hmm, when did the policy change? I know that they've always requested the in-ear style headphones be returned, but it seems rather cost-ineffective (from what I would imagine their standpoint would be) to request that the earbuds be sent back.

Not sure when (exactly) the policy changed. Sometime before January. But Apple realized that people were just getting bunches of free headphones off of them through the other product replacement process... so they started this. I guess the shipping and handling is more expensive for them, but they probably make up for it somewhere along the line.

just get new ones.
the apple earbuds are awful, even for earbuds.
I think the best pair of earbuds I've ever had was a pair of panasonics.

Sorry double post.

Wait for them to send the replacement headphones to you. There will be a label on that package that's already addressed to the site where the old ones need to be sent.