Let’s get something straight here: there should be a unanimous proclamation that Apple’s earbuds are absolutely horrible and overpriced. Yes, we are the ones who generally advocate that the quality of earbuds is usually contingent with the price you pay; however, Apple is an absolute anomaly in this category. The rules of the game kind of change- incredibly, might we add- for a company who has as much influence on the market as Apple has. In simple words, Apple knows that it can make a horrible product, give it a high sticker price, and people will still buy it because they trust the brand’s equity. It’s strange that Apple would do such a thing because all of the other products they make are, more or less, resilient and expertly crafted. It’s only with the specific iPod earbuds that they tend to break their efficiency.
Apple’s earbuds are severely overpriced at $40, and we ask that you reconsider purchasing another pair ever again until the problem is resolved. Maybe if people stop spending their money on horrible gadgetry, companies will begin to pump out better technology. The power really does lie in your hands.
Many people complain that the earbuds fall out of their ears while in use. They also complain that the sound itself begins to hurt the ears. The problem with cheaply manufactured earbuds is that they do not respect the biology of the ear. In order to get the best quality out of these specific earbuds, you’ll try to listen to your music at harmfully loud levels, and this isn’t the right way to go about doing things.
The horrible earbuds Apple markets are also shaped horribly. They are somewhat flat-shaped, and the buds don’t even fit into your canal. Instead, they rest right at the entrance of your ear. This causes many “echo” problems, and there is a severe amount of sound lost. Even if the impendence was through the roof, most of the sound would leak out of your ears because there is no form of vacuum between the earbuds and the ears. The earbuds themselves are mainly plastic, so they will certainly not match the contours of your ears. Many times, it’s like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Everything will just be forced. The better, and best, earbuds on the market tend to have earbud tips that are made of either rubber or foam so that they match the complexities of different ear shapes.
For runners, these earbuds are the absolute greatest bane because they fall out of the ear very easily. And, if they don’t fall out, the sweat that pours from your pores will make the quality even more poor (haha, aren’t we poetic?). Sweat easily contaminates and destroys these earbuds. We don’t know which moron designed the gadgets, but the speakers are DIRECTLY behind the “protective” cloth that stands as a slight barrier between you and your music. In other words, when you sweat, your water goes directly into the speakers. With better shaped earbuds, this isn’t the case because the speakers are protected by protruding foam. It makes it harder for your sweat to contaminate the substance.
There are quite a few alternatives to the mix. First things first, if you would like to be able to use the microphone capabilities that many of the iPod models offer, you have quite a few options.
- The iFrogz Ear Pollution Plugs: These have a built-in microphone, so you can still make phone calls and voice recordings. Better yet, they are at a FRACTION of the price you would pay for the iPod brand earbuds that deliver, more or less, the same exact quality. These babies are priced at $20. Sure, you won’t get much quality out of them, but at least they will be more resilient (and significantly cheaper) than the iPod brand models.
- V-Moda Faze: Amazing quality for $50. If you WERE going to spend $40 on Apple’s earbuds, why not just spend 10 more and get something that is billions of times better? The bass response for these earbuds is excellent, they come with different sized earbud foams. They also come with a mic.
- UB7EB Ultimate Buds Apple- These will give you STELLAR sound. Sure, they cost $135.99, but they are absolutely worth it. They come with silicone earbud tips for massive adherence to your physiology, and they have incomparable proprietary drivers that do not exist elsewhere on the market. Thus, they give you a sound that you have to hear to believe- a sound that rivals many of the higher pried earbuds on the market, and a sound that crushes anything below it. And, they come with a mic!
If you would like to invest in a pair that does not have a microphone, then you can buy absolutely anything in the market that is price at $20 or over. At $20, you are getting the same quality you would have paid for the $40 Apple earbuds.
