iPod In-Ear Headphones Don't Stick In My Ears
Monday, October 23rd, 2006 | by Rajan Sodhi | 
22 Comments |
I will readily admit I am a big Apple fan. Love their computers, love their products, love their ads. My first computer was an Apple IIe. Usually, I can’t get enough of Apple. I have a year old iPod Nano and the ear buds that come with them have started to go. No problem, I’ve been waiting for that so I could have a reason to get those cool looking, iPod In-Ear Headphones which on the Apple site describes them as having “great sound quality and bass response, and come with three different sized caps to ensure the headphones fit comfortably and securely in your ear.” Sounds good to me. Yesterday, visited Future Shop, picked up my new headphones, and headed home – I couldn’t wait to test them out. Turns out, the best part of buying them was tearing away the cellophane wrap. Everything went downhill from there. I stuck the things in my ear and they fell out. It comes with soft ear end pieces in three sizes (S,M,L), so I tried them all. They still fell out. Turned the box cover over to make sure it was made by Apple – it was. Are my ears that deformed? Or is this just not a very well thought-out product? Not impressed. After returning to the Apple site to read up more on the In-Ear headphones to see if there were any other options or if I was just sticking it in my ear wrong, came across a whole bunch of customer reviews describing the same problem. I know, I should have read them first, but hey, this is Apple, right? Today I’ll have to head back to return them. I can just see what my conversation with the customer sevice desk will be like:
Rep: “Sir, can you tell me what is your reason for returning these headphones?”
Me: “They don’t stick in my ear.”
Rep: “That’s too bad. Maybe it’s your ears.”
22 Comments
October 23rd, 2006 at 12:56 pm
I have never used the aple in ear headphones, but before I Had an iPod I used these and swear by them. the koss ‘plug’. They are also an in the ear earphone, but the rubber is designed differently. you squeeze them down prior to insertion and when they expand back to normal size ( in your ear ) they form a wonderfully comfortable, sound barrier. excellent sound quality as well. they are less expensive then the apple version as well.
enjoy
http://www.amazon.com/Koss-The-Plug-Portable-Headphones/dp/B00001P4XA
bjf
October 24th, 2006 at 1:35 am
It is always a good idea to read reviews online beforehand. In addition, have you read the news article http://clippednews.wordpress.com/2006/03/30/337/ about the health risks?
Oh, and by the way, I find it impossible to wear earphones of any brand, after a while they just fall out. I loop the wire up behind the ear and insert the earpiece from above — that way when they do fall out, they merely dangle in from of the ear than fall down, pulling the other earphone out. I end up using headphones than earphones, and I hate ear pieces (I tried them instead of stage monitors for a while, but they were too sore). Headphones also have a three distinct advantages: they let people know from a distance that you cannot hear them, that you are wearing headphones! you can happily share with other people (“Listen to this”), and you don’t push germs and dirt (from pockets etc) right into your ears.
Seriously man, go back to headphones – healthier, better, happier more sociable!
October 24th, 2006 at 8:42 pm
Yeah, and you can’t play anything except iTunes formatted files on the iPod because your music is UNLEGAL.
Sadly, Apple isn’t really the beautiful company everyone seems to think it is.
But yes, I have tiny ears and earbuds NEVER fit. So sad.
October 24th, 2006 at 9:31 pm
I agree, that is so annoying. That happens to me all the time. Especially when you try to let some one use one at the same time you use the other. It maks me SIK!! I’m just glad some one agrees.
October 30th, 2006 at 4:36 am
I found a solution for it to stay in your ear. Oil from your skin causes it to slip out, if you use baby powder it works great
November 17th, 2006 at 9:22 pm
Hello,
What do I have to do, to make an audiobook file appear on the audiobook folder on my iPod?
I didn't get it how does it work.
Is there a special extension for audiobooks, because I've tried to convert to ACC (tutorial on this forum) but it didn't work.
Please, help me.
Thanks
November 18th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Hi everyone.
What's a good alternative to the IPOD?
I'm wondering if any of you can recommend a good MP3 player that is comparable to the IPod but WITHOUT they hype and price tabe to go with it.
I was at the apple store a few days ago, and really liked the new 40GB or 80GB IPods that also show video, but was wondering if I could get the same kind of funcationality without that heftly price tag.
February 8th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Yes! it happends to me all the time.. i just hate them soo bad!! but the baby powder works grate!! (someone posted this idea before)… u should try it…
i can’t believe how apple could do this… one of my ideas are that they are making people buy them… but if they already tried them… and the headphone had already been in their ear-they can’t return them back.. thats how apple works with those headphones..
February 11th, 2007 at 6:54 pm
Wouldn’t the baby powder get in the tiny holes of the earphones and lose quality?
March 6th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
Hello, I bought the iPod in-ear headphones a while ago and still have them, unfortunately. So I went to go buy the headphones, and just like the first comment, I went to Future Shop and was excited to open “super good headphones”. As I put them in my ear, they fell out and I also thought my ear was deformed, but obviously it’s the headphones. I wasn’t happy, and this was three days before my vacation. The vacation was for 4 weeks, and I trusted that the headphones would be good because I like plenty of things from APPLE. when I came back I checked the receipt and it said 20 days to return, and it was past that!!
if you are wanting to purchase these headphones get other ones suck as the noise canceling Panasonic ones that go even more into your ear, those have great bass and there just good.
See ya
November 5th, 2007 at 5:42 am
This iPod In-Ear Phones are the most useless pieces of sh!t I’ve ever wasted my money on. They don’t f****ng stay in, no matter what size I use. I know Apple’s products are shotty and overpriced, but this is pathetic.
I recommend these earphones to anyone who has ears smaller than a 4 year old.
November 27th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
[...] into one of Apple’s best sellers. I wonder if he had any say in the terrible design of the In-Ear iPod Headphones? Nevertheless, I’m a big fan of Apple products and their marketing. For a long time you [...]
November 30th, 2007 at 5:05 am
Will the baby powder idea not wreck the earphones plus is it not dangerous to the eardrum? You guys doing this might wanna reconsider, this causes damage to the eardrum and is truly fatal.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:08 am
I find that the only time they slip out (for me) is when I have been using them for a long time (over an hour) and my ear gets sweaty. But I take that as a sign that I need to give my ears a break. lol… BTW, the in-ear headphones come with (I think it is) 3 different sizes of ear pieces so you can properly fit it in your ear.
I have purchased many in-ear headphones in my life, and the Apple in-ears are definitely the best quality I have ever had. Don’t settle for some cheap ones from Hong Kong or something. I did that once, and they were absolutely horrible quality (and very muffled). Yea, they are a bit expensive, but it is well worth it. Mine lasted for 3+ years before the cord was damaged (my fault).
April 26th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Kelly, you’re clearly and Apple employee. For posting on a third-party website, you’re fired.
For real, though. Yes these headphones are terrible. Try inverting the plastic buds (upside down). It (kind of) works. But not really.
Apple products are generally terrible, but these in-ear headphones are a new low.
F–k Apple. Seriously. In the a–.
May 31st, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I would love to try. Where do I get it online?
June 15th, 2008 at 4:48 am
I recently bought a pair of these headphones from Apple.
I am a huge fan of Apple but I am extremely upset.
At first I thought is was because I had never used in ear headphones but after trying all the sizes I asked my friend to try them on, they fit perfectly into his ear and after looking at his ears for a moment I noticed they had a much larger canal, I put my fingers in my ears and noticed my ear canals were very small in comparison. I asked my other friend to try them on and they fit in his ears perfectly as well.
I am upset that I cannot wear them but I guess thats just how it goes.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:39 am
I have had problems in the past with in ear headphones until I found the Skull Candy SCINKDWHT Smoking Buds Consumer Headphones, they are so comfortable to wear and they have great staying power. Whats great about these is that they come in different sizes because we don’t all have the same size ears.
August 7th, 2008 at 2:39 am
LMFAO!!!!!!!!!
March 18th, 2009 at 5:09 am
I’d all but given up with all push-in-your-ear earphones until by sheer serendipity I found out that the earphones for the Nokia N95 fit nicely into Jabra Eargels (fortunately I had both lying around), these have great bass response, and don’t fall out of your ears. The only downside is that the cable is short, so you have to keep your iPod/iPhone in your shirt pocket.
June 7th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
June 2009 and nothing has changed. I just got new iPod Shuffle. When I examined earphones in Apple shop I asked the much too young assistant if the e/fs stayed in ones ears as I run a lot. She told me if they dont it will be because of the shape of your ears!!! I was running today for the first time and got so fed up with them I had to stick them down my lycra running shorts. An odd site Im sure.
Ok, I am 54, and for you younger gents, ear hair will become a problem for this style of e/fs Just before I started my run I somehow deleted all but one playlist so I spent two hours with Soundgarden.
Baz
Whitehead
Northern Ireland
November 22nd, 2009 at 6:42 pm
okay, so i guess the ratio of the apple headphones falling out of your ears is 1 to 3 people. i have the samae problem, the headphones keep falling out! but i guess i have the solution for all the people who have trouble with ear buds, just buy the old headphones. they wont fall out ever and it might look weird to wear the old big headphones, but its alot safer and they never fall out.
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