Review: Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic
I’ve never found a good compact headset. The default Apple ear buds that ship with the iPhone (and every iPod) just don’t stay in my (must be mutant) ears. Likewise every other earbud I’ve tried had fallen out in the matter of seconds. Even the ones with over-ear hooks flop to the sides with annoying consistency. And Apple’s original in-ear headset? Didn’t quite fit in my ears so I gave them to my sister.
So it was with great and possible anticipointment that I decided to brave this world again and hope beyond hope that not only would Apple’s new In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic work well and be convenient, but that it would work at all.
Did it? Find out after the break!
Not iPhone Compatible
No, that’s not a typo. Apple clearly lists the new In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic as not iPhone compatible. However, I am using it with the iPhone and it does work, except for the volume controls (which double as the skip forward/back). Hopefully this will be addressed in the next iPhone OS update, as it’s a pretty puzzling omission.
Hardware
In the box are two plastic capsules. The first is a rounded triangle that contains the ear pieces in the center and the cord wrapped around the edge. With no indentation between the clear top and white plastic bottom, getting this capsule apart is tricky. If you intend to store your headphones in this handy container, the lack of an even more handy finger recess or other easy-opening point could prove consistently annoying.
The second capsule contains smaller and larger silicone ear tips in case the default ones don’t fit you properly. While also seamless clear and white plastic, the cylindrical makes this container much easier to open — ironic since you will likely need to open it much less frequently, if ever again.
Lastly, kudos to Apple for providing 2 extra replacement mesh caps for the headphones. Hopefully you’ll never need them, but if you do, having them included is priceless (well, technically, worth the price of a new headset!)
The headphones themselves are quintessential Apple — white, plastic, with that special firmness that resists tangling.
New to this model is a small control module attached. The center of the module has a recessed play/pause button. The outer outer sides provide the volume up and down buttons (which are NOT supported by the iPhone) and, if you double-click, track forward and back.
Daily Use
Over the last week, I’ve found Apple’s new In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic to be quite good, and an excellent value for the price (something many joke is impossible for Apple). Sound quality is very good, mic quality acceptable given the type of device, and best of all — they mostly stayed in my ears.
Not having used in-ear headphones before (because they never fit right for me), I did find the experience a little distracting at first. The sound of the cord being tapped, of eating, of everything going on in my head took me out of the experience. However, I’ve come to notice this less and less as time goes on.
I did find that, when walking around, I would typically take one earpiece out so I could hear and keep track of my surroundings. For people using them for outside, safety alone would make this a must.
Bonus for MacBook Users
When Apple introduced these near earphones, they were quick to point out that they’re fully supported by the new (late 2008) MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. In tests, I found them to work well for making Skype calls and recording audio. They supposedly allow iTunes control as well, but I could not get this functionality working on my late 2008 MacBook Air, however the internet seems to show many people having better luck with it (maybe my set has a problem with the volume control?). If they work for you, anyone owning a recent Apple laptop may consider these killer just for the multi-tasking functionality.
Conclusion
I finally found a compact headphones that I can use! Granted, there may be others towards the higher end, but for their price, especially with the added MacBook compatibility, these will become my new standard headphones. Now if only Apple would fix the iPhone compatibility…
Note: I haven’t had a chance to try them with VoIP on an iPod touch, but I hope to in the near future.
Pros
- Excellent sound quality for the price
- Elegant remote control features
- MacBook compatibility for some
Cons
- Limited iPhone compatibility
TiPb Review Rating
January 13th, 2009 at 12:21 am
These headphones sound great. I just hope they fix the iPhone comparability issue soon.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Got em and love em the right one didn’t stay in my ear but now it’s good worth it!
January 13th, 2009 at 12:36 am
From my understanding…. the iPhone 2g/3g have three-point/conductor jacks where as the new headsets require a four-point/conductor jack in order to use the volume controls.
This is also why the headsets work 100% on the new Macbook Pro since it now has the four-point/conductor jack
So.. if this is all true.. the the important bit to take is that no firmware/software update will fix this hardware limitation on the current iPhones.
January 13th, 2009 at 12:42 am
I’ve been using the Zagg Z.buds for about a week and they are also awesome. Sound quality is great, they work fully with my iphone - including volume control, stop / start songs, forward and back. The sound quality on calls has been excellent, and the construction and cloth cable with little beads that allow you to adjust size and length are totally unique and genius. Plus, with the zagg discount on gift cards and their constant 30% off promotions, I got them for a fraction of the price of these apple in ears. For the same price or cheaper, I would definitely recommend them over the apple headphones - sorry apple.
January 13th, 2009 at 1:24 am
This is an awesome design, I really liked it very much. Hope people will get more attention on it. Thanks for sharing.
January 13th, 2009 at 3:43 am
Great headphones!!! I use them all the time, except while working out. A word of warning, the remote/mic doesn’t like sweat. I shorted it out after a hard workout, but it has dried out and the mic has started working again. Kind of a shame because I bought them so I could answer the phone while working out. I tried to buy another pair and was going to seal off the mic for workouts but the local Apple store was out of them.
I am a bass freak and didn’t like them when I first tried them, but they have grown on me. They seamed to have loosened up and the bass is definitly acceptable. They are the best balance of highs and lows I have found so far. I have used two kinds of V-Moda’s, three kinds of Skullcandy’s, the second level Shure’s, and Bose’s in-ear headphones. The Apple in-ear headphones are my favorite so far. I’m just hoping that Comply will come out with a foam tip for them. It’s hard to beat the size of the remote/mic, they make my Skullcandy FMJ’s feel real bulky.
These are a great pair of headphones that will help you really enjoy your music thoroughly and still let you answer the phone when it rings.
January 13th, 2009 at 5:03 am
These headphones look great
January 13th, 2009 at 5:16 am
Interest headphone
January 13th, 2009 at 9:16 am
Can you double/triple click on the play/pause button to get track next/prev like you can with the iPhone pack-in earbuds?
January 13th, 2009 at 10:04 am
Whew! I was nervous when I saw this review pop up as I just ordered these headphones 2 days ago. I’m quite relieved that the review is quite positive!
January 13th, 2009 at 11:59 am
@Jed or anyone.
Do the Zagg Z buds work with the 3G? Does that extra around the neck cause any tangling issues or is it annoying? When and where do I find out about the 30% off discount?
January 13th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I’ve always replaced my iPods/iPhones earbuds with anything not apple since my first iPod and what i view as the generally shoddy quality of the included earbuds. I suppose these new in-ear buds are bound to be much better as they’re an optional extra, but still I will stick with the Sennheiser MM50 iP in-ear buds that i use with my iPhone currently. No funky remote, but it does work with the button presses on the mic and the sound quality is excellent, including from the mic. People have no problem hearing me even if I’m walking along a busy street
January 13th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
50% off Zagg Z Buds : visit zaggs website.. zagg.com add to basket, promo code: SHOWSP09
Black are on backorder right now until february though!
January 13th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
p.s. that offer expires the 19th I believe…
if you read this after the 19th, shoot me an email : justin@hammsta.com I ordered a pair and they sent me an email offering two more 20% off coupon codes.. I’m not going to use them
first two people to email me get ‘em, as they are “one time only” coupons
January 13th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Thanks Justin. 50% off that is a deal. I just ordered the red set. I’ll post back with my thoughts. Thanks again for saving me $40.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Thanks Justin. I just used your code for 50% off the Z buds. Sounds like a good deal and appreciate you saving me $$$
January 21st, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Just like JNHohol on post 6 said when I first put these headphones on I was a little disappointed in the level of bass but after a few days of use the bass seemed to improve a bit. Maybe I just got used to the lighter bass. I was using a pair of Skullcandy Full Metal Jackets which are defiantly more bass heavy then Apple’s headphones. I got these because I was sick of the FMJ’s mic always getting stuck on the collar of my jacket and pulling the bud out of my ear.
To clear up some of the confusion, here is what I have found while using these headphones with my iPhone (first gen 2G) and my iPod Nano (4th gen).
iPhone: Mic: Works with no issues. Play/Pause: Works with no issues. Answer Call: Works with no issues. Skip to Next Track (press twice quickly): Works with no issues. Skip to Previous Track (press three times quickly): Works with no issues. Volume Up: Does not work. Volume Down: Does not work
iPod Nano (4th gen) All features work as expected.
February 6th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I think it sucks there not for iphone. But they are awsom
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:00 am
I have found them to work as described by H0g4n with a 3G iphone also. Only the volume control is an issue.
February 25th, 2009 at 8:18 am
They look superb!
February 26th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
The controls work with my iTunes 8 on a unibody Macbook Pro
March 10th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Why would anyone want to use the remote on their macbook? Is the keyboard ever really that far out of reach? I just want a little better bass and for the buttons to work on my iPhone.