Apple EarPods Appreciation Thread - Page 5

Just tried it .. I only A/b'd one song... Because the song sounded so much better on the stock Music app on my iPhone 5. It was still worth the download, because now I think my iPhone five is amazing!! Listening to Grace like a River by Delirious and I can hear every little detail crystal clear on my EarPods (with foam covers).. The other app was seriously terrible, it actually took away all the bass as well as the clarity and separation that make the EarPods great.

It could be that the iPhone five has a superior DAC/amp system than whatever device the reviewer was using, but I seriously doubt that app is any good on any device (still love the EarPods though!). The Delirious album I'm listening to is seriously sounding different and new on every song, very cool.

Edit: the EarPods are sounding especially fantastic tonight, especially guitars and vocals sound amazing. I never did a dedicated burn in, I think these EarPods are really burning in well- the midrange seems to be developing more- but the instrument separation and clarity is improving as well. To get the full experience -> burn in + earbud covers + well recorded music + quiet environment for listening.
Edited by iPhone IEM - 11/13/12 at 8:37pm

They really are becoming quite magical.  With the foamies + burn-in the mids are really starting to shine and the instrument separation and clarity are still improving.  Wow, guitars just sound downright fantastic now.  It's as if the mid-bass hump has decided to share some strength with the mids.

 

Sidenote:  these improvements are more noticeable when I plug into my Dell laptop, so I'm guessing that an amp would help to boost the EarPods.  I might even go and buy a small amp.  An added benefit with the laptop power=there is a slight treble boost pushing the highs through the foamies again.

 

Edit:  is there a difference between the E5 and E6 regarding treble?  I would like to try a small amp, and since the foam covers I like create a warm/dark sound, I might as well pick an amp based on treble response right?

Edited by iPhone IEM - 11/14/12 at 5:26pm

LOL, that does sound like overkill; but be fair to yourself: when you do the experiment, try the foam covers and use a good amount of burn-in.

Hey, I only said they're better than Meelec M6p and Motorola hd-9; but that would be pretty cool... Btw, post #100 

I have found that adding foam earbud covers helps with fit, comfort, and bass response.  Remember, if you don't want to impact the treble you can cut a small hole in front of the main ear canal opening.  This is what I'm talking about:

 

Okay:

http://www.amazon.com/Earbud-Earpad-Replacement-Sponge-Headsets/dp/B0025KXUS2/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352963761&sr=1-1&keywords=foam+earbud+covers

 

These are way more expensive, but I bought them in person:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2036280&retainProdsInSession=1

 

And previous comparison from Dragoonf144:

 

"I prefer these over my Shure Se530s.

 

My favourite IEMS (the ER4Ps) are getting a run for their money. I find the detail comes very close to the Etymotics."

 

 

"I just did a 10 min comparison trying to pick up the differences, and basically the earpods have a bit more mid bass. As far as I can tell, sub-bass seems to be better on the Etymotics, but it's hardly noticeable (or maybe my mind is playing games on me!) when you're into the music.

 

Also, from those ten minutes, I found it really hard to find any differences between the etys and Earpods apart from mid-bass. When I added my P-S cable, I could tell some differences. I believe apple has made a winner here. The mid-bass slightly clouds the vocals (but from my experience, any headphones that have more bass than the etys has this effect like my previous IE8s and triplefis)"

Edited by iPhone IEM - 11/14/12 at 11:16pm

Well, I pull the covers over the main opening first, then I hold down one side with one finger and slide the cover with my other finger. This way you cover the rough edges first then slide and drag the cover over the rest of the EarPod. The detail and clarity will improve with burn-in; however, I personally have never heard Etymotic's phones in any model, so I can't coment on that comparison.

I do know that the detail and clarity of the EarPods is better than a Motorola Bluetooth, and a Meelec M6p. The best sound will occur with burn-in and the use of the foamie mod with the front of the cover cut out for the high frequencies. I don't care that much about balanced sound so right now I just use them with the full cover over the 'Pods.