EarPods by Apple

EarPods by Apple

I have been using the new EarPods for a couple of weeks now since the iPhone 5 launched. I decided to purchase me an additional pair to use with my iPad and figured I should do a quick overview of them. So here is my opinion on the EarPods and what I think about them compared to other earbud style headphones.

The first question most people ask me: “Are they worth the $29 they cost?” This is an easy answer for me, YES! For $29 you get what you paid for, they are not the best earbuds on the market but they don’t cost nearly as much as those high end earbuds cost.
For example, I paid $149 for Beats Tour In-Ear Headphones and if you compare them with the $29 Apple EarPods, the EarPods will be the better buy. They sound almost every bit as good as the high end Beats but at a fraction of the cost. I know most audiophiles do not consider Beats to be high end headphones but they sure are priced like high end components.

The volume rocker on the new EarPods is a nice redesign vs. the old style Apple EarBuds. The older earbuds were a pain in the rear when you wanted to mute your music or lower the volume. They never seemed to work correctly, Apple has changed the design and now you can feel the +/- button raised a tad on the ends and the middle is slightly recessed for easy access to the mute button. This is a very subtle but much needed change to the EarPods.

The bass is deep in the EarPods, much more so than the older earbuds that Apple sold before. I guess it depends on the type of music you listen to, but for me the added bass is a nice touch. I have read several blogs online stating it was too much bass though, again I think this is opinion based on your preferred music genre.

The overall sound of the EarPods is slightly improved over the older Apple earbuds, although they do not seem as loud as the older earbuds. That could be the main reason they sound better, I think before the sound would get drowned out when I would have my iPad on full blast. If you are looking for a decent pair of in-ear headphones with built in microphone and volume switcher built in then I would highly recommend you check out the EarPods.

Highlights:

• Designed by Apple


• Deeper, richer bass tones


• Greater protection from sweat and water


• Control music and video playback


• Answer and end calls