We've been wanting to get some extended face time with Apple's In-Ear Headphones (yes, that's the product name) ever since we spied them at the company's Fall "
Let's Rock" event. Of course, they didn't exactly hit the scene
on time, and we were starting to get suspicious. Tack on the rumor they wouldn't be compatible with iPhones, and we felt downright indignant. Imagine our surprise, then, at the discovery that they not only sound really,
really good (warm lows and crisp highs, a distinct lack of that modern, pushy mid-range), but they
do work with the iPhone (the 3G we've got here, at least). Regular playback is a charm, and we had no problem making and receiving calls with the buds and attached mic -- though strangely the remote doesn't seem operable on the phone, thus deflating our excitement ever-so-slightly. Regardless, the sound quality is pretty boss for the price (besting other, more expensive models we've checked out), and they're a huge step up from Apple's previous offerings. Check out some looks at the beauties in the gallery below.
Update: It looks like the remote
can be used for answering and ending calls on the iPhone, as well as pausing, playing, and advancing tracks. No volume control though -- very odd!
posted Dec 4th 2008 at 11:48AM
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
andy @ Dec 4th 2008 11:53AM
glad the mic works... now i am interested.
Mehul @ Dec 4th 2008 12:16PM
It was always going to work. The new headphones have 4 connectors. 2 for the earbuds, 1 for the mic and one for the volume control.
The earphones you get with the iphone have 3 connectors. So since iphone's 3.5mm jack was only built for 3 connector pins, everything BUT the volume control would work. And this is why, Apple did not mention iphone on the list of compatible devices.
What I wanna know is that these earphones have to be in development for atleast a year. Why couldnt Apple look ahead in its own portfolio and make the iphone 3G compatible with it from the beginning?
Jason @ Dec 4th 2008 12:34PM
Actually, I'm a little bit confused. I had assumed that there would be an extra contact on the connector for the new in-ear headphones, but the tip actually looks the same as the regular iPhone headphones! There is a good shot of the new connector in the gallery, and it looks exactly the same as the iPhone headphones I've got.
xcrunk @ Dec 4th 2008 12:47PM
So, these things have a microphone...which adds microphone functionality to the iPod Touch, right?
SKYPE via iPod Touch anyone???
It's do-able, but will Apple allow it to happen? PSP does it already.
Chad @ Dec 4th 2008 1:03PM
Even the first gen iPhone has a 4 contact headphone connector. 1 left ear, 1 right ear, 1 mic, 1 common (ground). Not sure how they're doing the volume control, maybe they're doing something with the ground resistance and the iPhone is measuring it.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 4th 2008 1:29PM
It does have the same 4 rings as the iPhone headphones.
This things uses new technologies to support more than one button on the headphones. New technologies cannot always be retrofitted to work with older devices.
rock99rock @ Dec 4th 2008 1:53PM
"older devices" my ass. Apple dropped the ball, again, if this isnt fully compatible with the iPhone 3g.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 4th 2008 2:00PM
Yes. Older devices. The iPhone 3G was out for a few months before these were announced.
Time flows in one direction, you're just going to have to learn to deal with it.
Why do people act like they're owed something when new stuff comes out? Your phone does everything you thought it did when you bought it. The feature list seemed worth the price to you then, why is that suddenly different now?
who? @ Dec 4th 2008 2:23PM
VoIP has been available for the iPod Touch with no hacks of any kind via the App Store since September! My personal favorite is Fring, which allows you to use Skype (and a whole lot more). You just need a headphone/mic combo with the four contact adapter (got mine for $2.99 on Amazon :p). It's free, easy to use, and is completely Apple sanctioned.
I can't believe nobody here knows this yet... and to think, you call yourselves gadget intuitive. Ha!
Mark Anderson @ Dec 4th 2008 3:11PM
These look sweet.
Of course they do have "mug me" written all over them but what the hell...
Quix @ Dec 4th 2008 3:32PM
"Of course they do have "mug me" written all over them but what the hell..."
Versus Zune earphones, which have "mock me" written all over them?
If a PMP mugger sees someone listening to music with *any color* headphones, that mugger can be 90% sure that person is listening to an iPod. The whole "Apple white makes you a target of crime!" cry seems a bit silly these days, no?
ravishi @ Dec 4th 2008 4:36PM
wait, engadget has no standard iphones to test on? for some reason, i thought the engadget headquarters would be entirely made of iphones. like the desks would be made of iphones, their phone would be made of an iphone, even their chair would be all iphones. "yeah, my chair has multicheek touch technology?"
matteo @ Dec 4th 2008 4:48PM
The unanswered (as far as I can tell) question . . . do the volume buttons work with the new unibody macbooks/pros?
The current headphones allow use of the inline mic, so all the contacts are present.
Anyone have any hints on that?
rock99rock @ Dec 4th 2008 5:19PM
@why not the LS2LS7?
Does time only flow in one direction? Really?
"Why do people act like they're owed something when new stuff comes out? Your phone does everything you thought it did when you bought it. The feature list seemed worth the price to you then, why is that suddenly different now?"
Who the hell said i was owed anything? Why do you make stuff up to try and prove a point? Im still kosher with my phone and im happy that they update it as often as they do, albeit without some updates one might think would be simple. I only pointed out that they dropped the ball because if they planned properly, they would be able to sell this as a compatible device and make more revenue in the end. I have that bling, and now they aint gettin it, ya dig homey?
Mark Anderson @ Dec 4th 2008 7:32PM
@Quix
I think you need to reboot your sense of humour processor.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Dec 4th 2008 8:45PM
Interesting idea of planning. Perhaps this just technology/device wasn't ready for the iPhone 3G when it came out. If so, it would have taken more than just "planning" to make this work fully with the iPhone 3G, it would have taken delaying the iPhone 3G until this was available.
Deferring massive amounts of sales sounds like poor "planning" to me.
Hung @ Dec 5th 2008 4:48AM
Seeing as how most review sites don't purchase the products they review, Engadget won't be reviewing a whole lot of other IEMs. Engadget can only review the items that companies agree to lend to them. Obvious Apple would send Engadget some review items, but I doubt UE would send their 10 Pros to a site that doesn't employ a single person with degree in audio engineering (please, someone prove me wrong and introduce the staff member who has experience in the matter. It'd provide future reviews with SOME credibility).
superhobo @ Dec 6th 2008 3:42AM
Volume control is an EXTRA FEATURE, which will be included in future versions of the Apple In-Ear Headphones 3G
Michael @ Dec 23rd 2008 12:40PM
I count three rings on this connector. Two for sound, and one for the mic. I don't understand how it's controlling the volume and skipping. It must be that the new iPod Touch has a way of differentiating signals between the mic and the control features, where both are coming from the third ring. If that's the case, it's a software issue and the iPhone 3G should easily be able to updated to be compatible.
GiE @ Jan 1st 2009 10:17PM
@Michael
count the silver rings not the white.
LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Dec 4th 2008 11:54AM
Wow, so the mic actually works then.. that's nice to know at least. I'm curious to know if these are better than the first in-ear headphones that Apple put out in terms of bass.
Alex @ Dec 4th 2008 12:59PM
Haha, it's hard to say when apparently the engadget staff believes there is a "distinct lack of that modern, pushy mid-range". Seriously, modern, pushy mid-range? If anything headphones generally scoop the mids way too much in an attempt to create the illusion of power and clarity. (That is, unless you're talking about the ones that came with your Sony Walkman 20 years ago, then yes, there would be pushy mid-range.)
LiQuiD_FuSioN @ Dec 4th 2008 4:40PM
So, the headphones *do* have some functionality then! Ich will die headphones!
collegekid13 @ Dec 4th 2008 11:54AM
can someone tell us how they campare to bose/shure/everybody else. not just that little blurb at the end
Chad @ Dec 4th 2008 1:04PM
Ya, I'd specifically like to know how they compare to shure's for sound isolation/background noise reduction. Sometimes I use my shure's as earplugs on the airplane when parents think it's a good idea to bring babies on a red-eye flight.
adrian @ Dec 4th 2008 3:31PM
They could be made by shure.
BratPAQ @ Dec 4th 2008 3:36PM
specifically compared to shure's dual driver earphones, as i recall, these new apple earphones are the cheapest dual driver earphones around. (that i know of)
Ryan @ Dec 4th 2008 5:34PM
@Mam00th
I agree with you as well. Why don't they have a hands on, on some Shure SE530PTH, I like the looks of them, and I want to see some really nice pics of them.
Yeah, we need some other stuff, not just Apple stuff. (I love Apple products), but sometimes, you need to stop focusing on Apple, and look at the other companies
RD. @ Dec 4th 2008 7:12PM
Also, comment on the hole seen the back of the ear-phones. Are they an open design? Am I correct to think that those dark marks are holes? Does this mean they're not good for noise isolating? Can others around you hear your music?
prefekt @ Dec 5th 2008 11:21AM
Yea, specifically I'd like to find out how they compare to my bose in-ear headphones. If they're 'close enough', they may be worth picking up for when i'm running around town.
Magnulus @ Dec 4th 2008 11:55AM
Fabulous, that's all I needed to know.Putting this on my wish-list for christmas!
khalil @ Dec 4th 2008 11:56AM
So does this mean engadget will be reviewing all earphones that come out now.
Ike Turner @ Dec 4th 2008 12:00PM
Dude! That's engadget we are talking about....
Patriks7 @ Dec 4th 2008 12:05PM
No, only those arriving from Steve Jobs ass
EntropicDecay @ Dec 4th 2008 12:17PM
I was wondering the same; a "featured" article for some over-priced head phones?
Right.
Darren @ Dec 4th 2008 12:13PM
Only ones that people care about.
Vianon @ Dec 4th 2008 12:20PM
Plus "they not only sound really, really good (warm lows and crisp highs, a distinct lack of that modern, pushy mid-range)", how is this even remotely objective?
Can't kick the habit, Engadget?
BlurMagic @ Dec 4th 2008 12:21PM
Correction Darren***
Only the ones ENGADGET cares about. Which means, in a rather small nutshell shaped like an Apple, Engadget reviews only Apple headphones. Cough fanboys Cough.
Nick @ Dec 4th 2008 12:32PM
"pushy" midrange? midrange is the only thing i give a damn about, its where the vocals are stupid engadget. sounds like bose to me.
Mam00th @ Dec 4th 2008 12:58PM
I think that you are right to ask this khalil. If this site review Apple's earbuds, why don't they review every, or some of Shure's or Creative's earbuds (or at least do a hands-on of them)?
I know you guys love Apple's products and are eager to review them, but your readers want to know about everything happening in the gadget / electronic industry, not just what's the latest happening at 1 Infinite Loop (although we do want to know what's happening there).
Finally, I am by no way calling you fanboys there as you review are generally fair and objectives, and let's face it, Apple do have some great products out there. But your readers want MOAR then you doing hands-on with every Apple products.
Mam00th
PS. Could I have the grammar police check me out? English is not my first language but I do want to improve it.
PPS. When will you guys release another podcast?
Marvin Quach @ Dec 4th 2008 1:02PM
Reviewing all earphones? I doubt it. Although I would love to see the "differences" between this and some Shure earphones. Those things are expensive and I'd like to know if they're worth the differences in price!
BlurMagic @ Dec 4th 2008 1:05PM
@ Mam00th.
Good Call. But MOAR is actually spelled More. Unless there was some joke I didn't get, in that case I fail.
lawyer bird @ Dec 4th 2008 1:11PM
@mam00th
MOAR?! is that a 4chan term? for shame...
Mam00th @ Dec 4th 2008 1:20PM
Where is Saad reply? I thought it was funny! Am I the only one who noticed it?
Alan Strangis @ Dec 4th 2008 1:34PM
Well, I'll worry about quality headphones for the iPhone 3G when Apple worries about a quality sound chip.
The latest Shuffle has much better quality sound, as does my Garmin Muvi and my HTC Diamond (playing back same file using the same head phones - yeah yeah I have to use that stupid dongle for the Diamond).
Not that the iP3G is HORRIBLE, but you don't want to put its sound quality in a head to head competition anytime soon.
Dale @ Dec 4th 2008 1:51PM
Yawn...
http://www.engadget.com/search/?q=headphones&invocationType=wl-gadget&searchsubmit=
If you're all going to troll, at least do it properly.
Mam00th @ Dec 4th 2008 2:04PM
@Dale
You missed the point, of course engadget reports about headphones... But when was their last headphones hands-on? I know this ins't an audiophile blog but still...
Oh and by the way, being a douche wasn't necessary...
cmuska902 @ Dec 4th 2008 2:20PM
Oh my god, shut up. I seriously HATE reading the comments because of people like this. I've read reviews for headphones on here numerous times, as well as articles on all kinds of things. I hate to tell you, but Apple is a pretty big deal in the "gadget" world. Gosh darnit now I'm all worked up...
ravishi @ Dec 4th 2008 4:46PM
yeah, this is where engadget stoops to a new low. i mean they go on and on with their praise of macbooks, iphones, ipods, etc. but for all that stuff, i don't agree with their affection but can sometimes see where they are coming from. mainly because it all "looks" cool. but with these headphones, clearly apple nor any media player manufacturer has or ever will match the quality you will get from a reputable earphone brand (shure, sennheiser, etc).
this whole post is the epitome of joystiq's fanboyism.
maveric101 @ Dec 4th 2008 6:01PM
yeah dale, i have ranted at engadget for all the iphone update stories, but when i saw that comment i knew/remembered engadget posts headphone articles with some frequency. this is the first post about apple headphones i have seen, actually.