What is the "secret sauce" behind Apple's ear-buds? Any equivalent options? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2015, 11:19:59 pm
content: DISCLAIMER: I am a BlackBerry user and have a Windows PC. I'm into almost everything *except* Apple products. I am not into "high end audio" and the most expensive pair of earphones I own are over-the-ear Sony's (MDR-XD200) for maybe $30. I have lots of cheap ear-buds though.So....I was surprised at how good the sound (and especially bass) was on Apple's newest ear-buds. I was digging around my old pile of headphones and I can't seem to find another ear-bud that compares. The rest all sound mushy, little high-end sharpness and almost no bass. Even my beloved BlackBerry ear-buds don't have as much bass (but they do sound crispy). Of course, the Apple ear-buds still doesn't beat my over-the-ear Sony's... But they are close!I see lots of Apple ear-buds for $10 or less on Amazon (I hope they are real and not fake). But every other ear-bud I have tried in that price range sucks in comparison. Is there any brand I can rely on in that range that even comes close to Apple?And can I believe the $10 price-tag or are these fake? How does Apple do it at that price while nobody else can?

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2015, 11:45:40 pm
content: It is all about choosing the right manufacturer, and cracking down on the qa.Warning Audiophile Zone.reviews here.www. head-fi.org/productslast time I was there was almost 2.5 years ago, ended up getting some m50's.

author: justanothercanuck
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 12:03:29 am
content: Quote from: edy on July 26, 2015, 11:19:59 pmHow low does it go? I can't even get 90hz out of the headphones for my S5.

author: IanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 12:15:17 am
content: OK, I just unpacked and listened to the new style ear pods compared to the old ones. The new ones are more comfortable in the ear and sound better for sure. I think the secret is how well they fit inside your ear. They have to seal against the outside and set up a closed path to your ear drum. The new ones do that much better than the old. If you use your fingers to press the old style against your ear the bass becomes much stronger.Also, I've never seen Apple products discounted. If Apple ear pods cost $29, they cost $29 from any retailer. If you see them on Amazon for $10 they are fakes. Apple guards the brand and doesn't let it get devalued. And anyway, what's the problem with $29 when products from Bose cost $100+? Thirty bucks is not much more than the price of a decent lunch with drinks. For the same money you can get a product you can keep and use for months if not years. This desire to get stuff for nothing is why the market gets flooded with crap products.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 02:06:53 am
content: Quote from: IanB on July 27, 2015, 12:15:17 am+1I use a pair of Sony headphones that came with my phone. They have a circular rubber grommet which provides an excellent seal. So good that it's difficult to hear background noise when you have them in. Pull them out slightly to break that seal and the sound changes significantly.Sure the quality of components play a part, but I don't think Apple is doing anything too different to what most decent manufacturers of headphones have been doing for a while. That won't stop them charging a premium because they are Apple.Not that I'm an Apple user at all, but I've found the biggest issue with so many of their accessories and cables is the flimsy cable itself and the tiny amount of stress relief they provide. So many cables just split or are about to break off just through normal use.

author: Fsck
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 02:12:04 am
content: http://www.meelec.com/sells cheap IEMs that sound good.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 02:13:10 am
content: I'm afraid to order them online, although who knows a lot of people are getting new ear buds with their phones and may have no use for them because they already own several others and the market may be flooded.Have a look at this listing:http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Original-Earbuds-Earpods-Headphones/dp/B00THQFSJG/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1437962730&sr=8-4&keywords=apple+earpodsNotice the seller is "Apple" yet reviews show it as being complete crap. And Amazon allows them to get away with using the name like that?Yes I agree, even $30 in my opinion is worth it... As much as I usually disagree with Apple's pricing premium, this is very much worth buying when compared to all the other garbage ear buds I've tried for $10-20... Most of which are nothing more than fancy packaged or branded dollar store junk. The Apple ear pod at least works.It's a shame that nobody else has found a good earbud at a lower or competitive price from another reputable company. I'd like to know I have options but so far I can't seem to find something. A good head to head comparison with Apple is a nice standardized and relatively commonly known earbud to compare to. There is no way I'm paying $40+ for those Beats and Bose and other pricey earbuds. Has anyone tried Sony or other brand in that range? Does it compare to Apple?

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 04:25:38 am
content: Quote from: Fsck on July 27, 2015, 02:12:04 amI'm a M6 owner. I need to order some new ones, started falling apart after 1.5 years. They still work(were about $10.00) so no complaints.

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 08:57:06 am
content: If you can tolerate in-ear headphones there are plenty of good ones available. For me the Creative EP-630 works well. Only downside I found is that they are very low impedance, not all devices can handle that. On my work pc I literally have 2 pixels of adjustment range on the volume slider.

author: Mechanical Menace
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 03:54:52 pm
content: I've always found blocking up the air hole that's meant to make the earbuds like a ported speaker surprisingly actually increases the bass. On some earbuds it also makes the higher frequencies sound "fluffy" though. But then again I was born with parts of my middle ear missing so that may not be very good for anyone else's hearing.

author: German_EE
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 06:44:56 pm
content: Am I the only person who can't wear earbuds? No matter how I put them in my ear they always fall out after a few seconds so in the end I gave up and started using the type with a clip that fits behind the ear.

author: Derick Freese
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 06:54:52 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on July 27, 2015, 06:44:56 pmThe only ones that ever stay in my ear are the kind that have the earplug foam that you squish down and insert into your ear canal. Otherwise, I use real headphones.

author: rollatorwieltje
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 07:06:16 pm
content: Quote from: German_EE on July 27, 2015, 06:44:56 pmNo, I can't wear these types that just sit in your outer ear:I can only wear those in-ear types like this:Those actually go into your ear canal, they won't fall out. They're stuck like earplugs (when using the correct size tips).

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 08:14:16 pm
content: Quote from: rollatorwieltje on July 27, 2015, 08:57:06 amI also like these headphones. Not the best, not the cheapest, but very good sound and isolation. I will buy them again when mine wear out.

author: Vgkid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 10:01:31 pm
content: Those ep-630 headphones actuallt got me personally interested in hi-fi.@ German_EE - Have you tried headphones meant for active use( meant to be worn while excercising) ?

author: kingofkya
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2015, 10:09:42 pm
content: I used to use the inear 2xl branded ones, $5-20 and there pretty good but there a bit bass heavy for me.http://www.2xl.com/Then i graduated to soem nice $200-300 sony (cant remember model) ones and then broke them a month later.Now i get theses nearly disposable ones $24 from monoprice that sound as good as the sony ones i had maybe a bit more flat response but i would rather have them that way anyways.http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10823&cs_id=1082302&p_id=8323&seq=1&format=2

author: Lightages
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 01:12:57 am
content: If anyone is interested, and wants full sized headphones and over the ear, the best deal I have found are Audio Technica ATH-M40x. $100 and you have a very balanced and clean sound. If you are an audiophile then these will not disappoint. If you are and audiophool then nothing will NOT disappoint you when the next crazy thing comes along, next week. These are seriously accurate sounding headphones for almost any price.Watch, and more importantly listen to, this video review.Their methodology is arguably the most objective and transparent, and maybe accurate.That was the best $100 I spent in audio for years.

author: amyk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2015, 06:15:39 am
content: It's entirely an illusion that they sound better, created by having morebass(and less treble). The cheap fake Beats earbuds have the same bass-heavy sound and they do it with a large-diameter, high-travel cone with good ear sealing.

author: microbug
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2015, 10:33:11 pm
content: Get a pair of SoundMagic E10s (model E10s has in-line play/pause, E10 is normal headphones). Best headphones in that range (£35 / $55), both by my standards and most of the reviews I read.

author: edy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 04, 2015, 03:15:46 am
content: I think some of it has to do with the Apple earbud drivers being directed forward instead of sideways. It makes a good seal and the sound hole is actually pointing the same direction as your face looks... whereas other headphones are pointing sideways (towards the middle of your head). I noticed when I take my regular earbuds and rotate them 90-degrees forward as well the sound gets louder and better. Apple probably just uses really small drivers that can be squeezed further into the ear and angled towards the front.