Amidst the hullabaloo of Apple's recent iPhone event, perceptive people noticed the redesign of Apple's venerable earpod. Everyone that has had an iPod or iPhone has used one of these, and they were among the worst earphones I've had, since they constantly kept popping out of my ears. Here are some alternatives to the new Apple earpods, which will guarantee better sound without costing too much.
1. Shure SE115: While they are no longer listed on the Shure USA website, I've had a pair of these earphones and they lasted me 4 years before breaking down this year. I took these on all of my runs, and thanks to the ear tips available, they rarely slipped out. You can find these for $60.
2. Shure SE215: If you've got the budget, and can afford to spend $95, then check out these earphones. They work well, and offer a better sound that the SE115.
3. Grado iGi: Grado is well-known for their high-end headphones, but they make also very good earphones. These ones cost about $89 and deliver a lot of sound for this price.
4. Klipsch Image S4: These recently-made earphones come with the latest technology, and they've got adequate passive noise isolation.
5. Sennheiser CX 880: These earphones are often underrated, but they will perform well under most circumstances. Some users report problems with sibilance, but unless your music is compressed at very low quality, this won't be a problem.
MORE HEADPHONES AND EARBUDS ON APARTMENT THERAPY:
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• DIY Mods to Avoid Losing Your Earbuds
• Solve the Earbud Tangle Quandary
• Headphones or Earbuds?% Now You Can Have Both!
Images: As credited above.
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Shame all five of your suggestions are canal phones, which I can't use because they won't fit in my ear.
Has anyone tried the new Apple earbuds? Did the change in their shape help?
@hotbot Have you tried any of these out? I always had issues with the canal phones not fitting, popping out, or irritating my ear canal intensely. Then I tried the Bose canal phones and found out they fit odd sized ear canals. They come with three size tips in two different styles, so you are sure to have one fit and be comfortable.
I have had the same pair of Etymotic Research earphones for nearly 8 years. I can't say enough about their quality. http://www.etymotic.com/
canal phones are the devil's audio delivery device. they are the worst. they never fit, are terribly irritation to the ear canal and just kind of gross when you think about it.
@hotbot - my gf has the same issue, we have tried everything, shure, sennheiser, etc. she has been through at least 10 different pairs, none of which fit. we just got the urbanears medis for her and they are great. happened to find them at nordstrom rack dallas for $19.99 too, which doesn't hurt.
I've had my share of issues with apple earbuds. For one thing, they break way too easily. Within 3 months, the control switch doesn't work or one of the buds goes dead or there's a wire loose somewhere and the sound is inconsistent.
BUT, I can't complain about the quality of the sound when they're working. I've tried others that are less and more expensive. You can't get better sound quality with the more expensive ones but you can very easily get worse sound quality. I'd rather have earbuds that slip out occasionally when I run than have an expensive pair that require me to fiddle with the bass and treble all the time.
@Terry In Silver Spring, yes they changed the shape. I haven't tried them on, but they are more asymmetrical and look like maybe they would fit my ears better. (I sure hate the old ones, as much as I love stuff.)
This doesn't apply to the horrible classic Apple earbuds, but many other styles can be fitted with different sizes of the flexible rubber sleeve at the tip. I've ordered a bunch of them cheaply from Amazon, but occasionally you see them in brick-and-mortar stores. I like the biggest sleeves because the fit is tighter and the noise reduction is better; my partner's ears won't accommodate any but the smallest sleeves.
I have to use the wrap around the back of your neck headphones. The problem I have with ear-buds is that they are constantly falling out when I run. It would be nice to have buds stay in though because the headphone I use now cut into the top of my ear on long runs. I guess I can't have it both ways.
SE215 is the replacement for the SE115.
Shouldn't the alternatives be about the same price, not 3 times costlier?
I tried out those Klipsch ones, and hated them. I replaced them with Bose IE2 (also around 100 bucks) and couldn't be happier :) Also, they're good for people who don't like buds, I think, because they don't go in your ear as much.
Apples and oranges. Enjoy your sealed- off ears. EarPods are FANTASTIC.
I'm a big fan of Bose's IE2 earphones as well, I've had them for a couple of years now and they're the best pair I've owned. They come with 3 different tip sizes as well if you have small or large ears.
Too bad none of these are in the $29 price range. You get what you pay for, and even the old style was better than the competition at that price.
These are one of the best for under 100$,and at this price is a steal.
http://www.rha-audio.com/ma350.html
$35 Sony "canal phones" with the mic in the cord control. They sound great, come with three sizes of rubber nubs, and they're $35.
Thanks for the tip. I'm actually using Bose IE2 earphones, maybe they are the ones you suggest? Their bass is great.
I've got the Klipsch buds. They're alright, but the cord tangles if you just look at it cross.
I have Marshmallow earbuds from Walmart. They were $20, which I was hesitant to spend at first. They come in different colors and 2 different size foam sleeves. I had trouble with others not fitting well or hurting. These are so comfy and work well as earplugs also.