Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic - Review
A review of Apple's in-ear solution
A lot of people like listening to music on iPods, but only a few of them considers (or considering) upgrading to a higher level from the stock iBuds. This review is mainly for these people, to raise their attention to this nice pair. I won't compare these to professional in-ears and IEMs, only giving the opinion how is it works with iPods.
Package
The box is white and sleek, as expected from Apple. Inside, you'll find the buds packed in a nice and stylish carrying case, a pill-looking capsule containing the two others sized sleeves, a pair of replacement mesh caps, and the manual. The carrying case is a very handy accessory, the headphones fits nicely in it. And is useful for the regular problem at iBuds: the cable won't get dirty, if you'll use the case. The capsule is not a bad idea, however, no one will carry it on the way, because when you selected the right size, won't need it anymore. The manual is just the regular: use safely and don't listen to music too loudly.
Design
If people would have to describe Apple products in one word, it would be design. And me too: I can't say a wrong word for the look, it's simply and sleek enough to be an another Apple product. If you examine the pair for a while, you can see that it's looking almost the same as the stock buds, only the speakers are different, the main features remained: a remote control resting on the right cable, and I found it very useful, you don't have to bring out the iPod from the pocket just to skip track or add volume. And on the other side of it, there's a mic, for iPhone and voice memos. What to know about the mesh caps: under the sleeves, you'll see a tiny aluminium cap, which can be replaced if lost or became too dirty, but if cleaned regularly, won't need to replace them.
Sound
The most important aspect. It sounds great, compared to many other pairs in the category, including the stock iBuds. The mids are well-placed, the highs are clear, and the lows are surprisingly deep and powerful. But everything depends on the correct fitting: you have to place it in your ears very accurately, leaving no holes or free areas. You'll know when the fit isn't right: it'll hurt like hell when in wrong position. Let me refer to the manual: "When the fit is right, most outside noises are blocked and music has a rich bass". Really, outside noises are greatly blocked, you'll barely hear anything else than the music, but as mentioned earlier, only blocks if you place it correctly.
The verdict
Apple's in-ear headphones proved that iPods doesn't have to mean stylish design but cheap sound. The price is 79$, I think it's correct for the features and sound you get. If you have an iPod and bored of the basic quality (which I can understand), give it a try, it'll worth it.
Package: 7/10
Design: 9/10
Sound: 7.5/10
Pros: a nicely designed and detailed sounding pair for a not-so-typical Apple price
Cons: the quality improvement can't be heard at every track, and can't order additional sleeves or mesh caps
