iPod shuffle 3G pumping up the jams a little too hard at the gym?
By Ross Miller 
posted Apr 3rd 2009 3:01PM
posted Apr 3rd 2009 3:01PM
[Via iLounge]
posted Apr 3rd 2009 3:01PM
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Apple's QA is rubbish?
Say it isn't so!
I thought Apple poster children were too cool to sweat.
People who use Apple products are too cool to sweat.
I never liked those in ear headphones..they barely stay in when im running..
people should just get the around the neck head phones..im sure apple will release some..
Apple: Let's move the buttons to the headphones! It'll be cool and revolutionary!
Engineers: Will do!
x months later..
Engineers: Oops, we forgot to take in account that the headphones are more exposed to elements now! We should of waterproofed them!
Another fail, just like moving the buttons to the damn headphones in the first place... at least they can come out with another model of headphones that ARE waterproof and charge you another $70 for them! Gotta love it!
people are actually buying the 3rd gen shuffle?
Click three times and hold till you hear the beep and then click three more times and press volume up to activate AVLS.
Whoa! Easy there Quantumphysics, you had me till "Click three times". Could you give me the instructions slower?
click once shame on you, click twice sets up the bomb, Mr. Bond..
@ DirtyVegas
I definitely sweat more than I should... :(
Something similar happened to me which was very annoying:
I bought the in-ear headphones with remote for my iPhone 3G because I lost the ones that were included (and I never had any problems with). I ran my 5k and the control probably got wet. From that point on, the play/pause button (the only one that works) would get pressed randomly. Very annoying, more so if the headphones are $80. Hasn't happened again so far but people using these things at the gym is a primary use case I would think. Anyone seen more of this???
i have the same exact issue. in fact, i cant get the play/pause button to work at all now. these things are horrible in regards to sweat. i finally caved yesterday and bought some cheap "sport" headphones that are sweat-resistant. im going to try to get my apple in-ear headphones replaced--i wont use them for the gym anymore, i just dont want a messed up pair
Replacements are like $7 shipped on eBay. I ordered 2 pairs.
I've had the same thing happen to my earbuds (not in-ear) with remote and my iPhone 3g, after about an hour of working out it seems to play and pause randomly. After it dries out everything seems fine, but still a pain.
I too had that exact same problem at the gym with the first set of awful flat earphones that came with iPhone 3G and so I bought a $29 pair of Sony's that live in my gym bag. Thats all they're good for. The commuter headphones vs my sedan Apple phones... not like a Lexus cool but cool enough.
This is absolutely true. Happens every single time I workout. Have reverted to the 2G ipod until Apple rolls out a fix. Meanwhile, you just gotta hope that - in the future - they might do a little bit of real-world testing on their products. Doh!
How could one work out with the stock bud anyway? The 3G shuffle out of the box is a poor choice for working out.
Because you are required to use ear buds that have the remote built in.
If you already have a decent pair of buds, they are not compatible. You have to buy new ones with a remote attached to it, or use the stock buds.
@Ruben: That why I said "The 3G shuffle out of the box is a poor choice for working out."
No one cares about sound quality for running or working out, that's how.
@johnathan
A) I disagree. I actually find bad quality headphones painful to listen to. I actually like a sound that isn't 80% composed of overly reproduced high notes.
B) apple headphones hurt a lot of people's ears due to their shape (mine included).
Currently using VModa headphones, which work very well. However, I use a pair of $25 in ear earbuds I got in Japan (can't remember the brand name) when working out. Very decent sound quality (still a little sharp, but it actually reproduces low range notes as well), and incredibly comfortable.
Sorry for misunderstanding your comments context.
I agree. This thing is a disaster.
@Jonathan
For me the issue is that the earbuds fall out whenever a run...or even a fast walk. It's really annoying.
And I thought April Fools was two days ago.
This is absolutely stunning.
I think we have a winner for Worst Gadget of 09 award, ladies and gentlemen.
Not when the awards are held by Engadget. Even if it got all the nominations, no Apple product will be placed in a "Worst Gadget" list on this website, never. It is a rule and a fact.
No one would disrespect their god.
I had the Shuffle in the running for that award before this news came out.... This might cement it.
Ya... not gonna happen. The iphone 3G got massive amounts of nominations for worst gadget and didn't make the list but the "zune 3.0" which wasn't doesn't even exist and like 3 people mentioned was put in. I dunno, maybe they'll make an exception cause its the super low-end but from past experience, no matter how crappy something is, if it's by apple engadget won't put it in the worst gadget section.
Shouldn't this be filed uncer Crapgadget then?
Ha ha! You guys and your continual efforts to promote this "Engadget loves Apple" conspiracy theory really crack me up! Thanks for putting a smile on my dial!
I might just be overly sweaty but the stock iPod headphones have always shorted out for me at the gym in at least one channel.
I just found out that my iPod-compatible JVC tuner isn't able to charge a 3G nano, so I guess I'll hang onto my 1G for awhile. What a pain.
sansa clip. nuf said.
Indeed. I bought one and they're awesome.
But don't take my word for it...
http://reviews.cnet.com/4370-6490_7-761-101.html?tag=mncol;txt
my sansa clip got a broken volume rocker after a few weeks of light use... but is still better than a shuffle. now using a dif sansa player, an e250, and am much happier. picked it up for $25 from newegg, refurbed
I have the new Shuffle and the iPhones jack up the volume about an 45min - 1 hour into my runs...I am sure it has to do with moisture in the headphones since plugging in a different set of headphones eliminates this volume issue (i.e., headphone problem, not Shuffle problem)
A bit annoying to be honest...I just take out the headphones and dangle over ears for remainder of my run. Was looking to seal the control unit in plastic or some other flexible waterproof substance.
I am sure there will be a fix at some point...
Yeah, I bought the new in-line remote buds for my Nano for the express purpose of working out with them -- I wanted to change tracks/volume without having to take the Nano out of my pocket. One dose of sweat and the remote now changes tracks and volume randomly. I'm also going to be buying some sweat-resistant phones -- I've heard the Sennheiser's are good -- but I'm pissed that the Apples were such a failure.
I bet this will get fixed and I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but in all seriousness, what kind of fools still buy these new Shuffles?! I'm really mind boggled.
While I may also have strong opinions about the new shuffle, I won't go calling others that bought it "fools". It may fit their needs just fine (minus the recent headphone issue). sheesh!
What do you cool people who buy expansive stuff that is available for less than half of the price and with better features and much more support, then come complaining about how bad that product is or that some feature is not worthy?
Either fools, or just clueless people, and most of the time, they are just fools who will buy anything with the word Pod in it. I see them around me, a lot.
Yeah, just run along & play with your MS garbage, Saad.
@Skeezle:
Ironic that u should mention garbage in a post that talks about a "garbage" product from Apple called the shuffle 3G. Saad is right, there are better products with twice the features and half the price but u people won't buy it, will you.
Suffer.
MS? What does MS have to do with the subject and my comment?!
I've been hearing the same argument since the original shuffle came out. "Who would ever buy such a product, for such a price when (insert X product here) is sooooo much cheaper, better". Yet that pointless screen-less shuffle have been a success for Apple 4 years later. You and I may not like it but there are plenty others (women, Joggers, fashion conscious etc.) that loves it. They are not fools, but simply exercising their freedom of choice in choosing a device that suits their needs best.
One man's trash is another man's.......ahh forget it.
see Apple! too much style over functionality, you wouldn't get this with good old fashioned buttons...we are just not that advanced enough as a civilisation that we can have things like this without stuff like this happening.
Exactly, we haven't made enough technical advancements to not.... sweat.
or to not let sweat interfere with a device in this manner... unless it's intended market are these so beautiful that they do not sweat
I really liked the first generation shuffle (still have it) it is the perfect work out player. And it has a USB plug on it (so no dicking around with cables)!
The latest one sucks ass! Apple really needs to get rid of the style over substance aesthetic.
You can still make nicely designed items with form and function as core elements. But when you get style over functionality you loose me as a customer. (a reason I haven't bought their phone).
I had the first one as well. The sound quality was actually great, but I never used the stock earbuds. I always used my Shures.
Also, I never used iTunes, and used the hack to make it drag and drop compatible.
Its too bad the thing only lasted for about a year before completely shitting out.
I use my iPhone Original at the gym with an arm band and the remote/mic headphones it comes with. Works great for me. Apple took the "if it ain't broke, let's go ahead and muck it up then people will have to pay us to fix it" approach with the new Shuffles.
this actually happened to me in the gym, i was on the treadmil and sweating a storm, and all of sudden the volume got really loud.
so i instead of clipping it onto the colar of my shirt i moved it to clipping it to the opening of my pocket. problem solved.