Apple EarPods Thread
Sep 27, 2012 at 1:00 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 419

Fox2twenty

Formerly known as iPhone IEM
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I didn't see an appreciation thread here. So this thread is for everyone out there enjoying their new Apple EarPods!
 
So as my screen name suggests, I like my iPhone to be my one stop shop for music.  The old Apple Earbuds never fit for me (or my wife) and would always fall out, rendering them unusable.  Therefore, I was excited when I got on Head-Fi and decided to buy a pair of Meelec M6p's.  It was fun to listen to music on my iPhone.
 
Well now we have the iPhone 5.  And I love the EarPods!!  My wife and I absolutely love the EarPods so far because the EarPods fit and stay in our ears!  Not only do they fit but they sound great as well.  Comfort and sound are better than the M6.
 
Quick comparison- the EarPods have better/more natural bass, mids, and highs compared to my Meelec M6 earphones.  I would guess these EarPods have a larger diameter driver because the main difference in the sound is the EarPods have a more natural attack and note decay across the frequency spectrum.  Even on compressed audio, like Pandora, all the pianos and guitars sound natural and vibrant.  I love it!!  Bass goes much deeper and has more physical impact.  Also, it seems the music app or something is different on the iPhone 5 - comparatively I am hearing the music more clearly at lower volumes, and it all sounds so good!!
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Please post appreciation along with all your listening impressions!
 
Sep 29, 2012 at 6:26 AM Post #2 of 419
I got my iPhone 5 yesterday. One of the first things I did after setting it up was to try out the new EarPods. I didn't expect much, but I have to say I was quite impressed after the initial five minutes of listening. These new Apple IEM's are a radical departure from the old ones. Fit and comfort is very good, though it feels like they're about to fall out they never do. Isolation is poor and the leak sound. Nevertheless, the sound is good. Open and spacious, adequate bass and detailed highs. Not my go to IEM, but perfectly fine when out and about. Nice job by Apple!
 
Sep 29, 2012 at 10:34 PM Post #4 of 419
Pleasantly surprised with the sound on these. I prefer using them to talk on the phone to canalphones and the improved sound is icing on the cake. Although they are a tad big for my ears, they're still comfortable now that I'm adjusting to them.
 
Sep 30, 2012 at 5:07 AM Post #5 of 419
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Pleasantly surprised with the sound on these. I prefer using them to talk on the phone to canalphones and the improved sound is icing on the cake. Although they are a tad big for my ears, they're still comfortable now that I'm adjusting to them.

 
I agree, I was really surprised by how good the EarPods sound.  I was really just happy that they weren't falling out of my ears
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Sep 30, 2012 at 8:54 PM Post #6 of 419
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i played these buds through my fostex hp-p1 & they sounded fantastic. Lacking resolution and soundstage but the sound signature is right for my taste. just seconds earlier i was jamming on TF10s with the Chris_Himself cable and actually preferred the earbuds. crazy but true.
 
Sep 30, 2012 at 9:02 PM Post #8 of 419
Remember, its all just preference. One person does not mean many. That is a common problem that people fall into with the FOTM earphones and what not. Its a earphone/headphone that appeals to them. However as someone found it so good it generally creates a sensationalist type of draw to lurkers and posters.
 
#Experience
#Head-Fi-is-cooler-than-twitter
#Hashtags-on-head-fi-are-cool
 
Sep 30, 2012 at 9:02 PM Post #9 of 419
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i played these buds through my fostex hp-p1 & they sounded fantastic. Lacking resolution and soundstage but the sound signature is right for my taste. just seconds earlier i was jamming on TF10s with the Chris_Himself cable and actually preferred the earbuds. crazy but true.


Wow... did not see that coming
 
Sep 30, 2012 at 9:08 PM Post #11 of 419
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i couldn't believe it either... and don't really like saying it either. i just feel very strongly about how well apple has done with these buds.

Why do you feel strongly that they succeeded in a "Good" set of stock earbuds. For $30, I would say that there are many more choices out there and what not but hey, these are stock and will come with every i-device purchase from now on and like the last ones, will improve.
 
As part of a niche enthusiast forum such as headphone audio. One should objectively look at companies and products and not base it off of pre personal preference. One could and should establish an outlook on a company after testing them themselves or getting expereince with them or even develop an opinion of them through news. Such as if Hifiman replaced units out of warranty may make you think, yay hifiman or other stuff. That is fine. But one should look at a company objectively in that sort of mind in this space and not from other spaces. And even if a company screws up, chances should still be given that aren't based on the precognitive assumption or bias on a company.
 
#AppleLove
#SteveJobs
 
Sep 30, 2012 at 9:22 PM Post #12 of 419
IMHO the earpods sounds signature is more appealing to me than high fidelity TF10's. The TF10's are no doubt a superior headphone, but as of right now, not the ones I prefer to listen to.

i am very interested to see how the earpods sound with different gear as they are sensitive to dac/amp set-ups.
 
Oct 1, 2012 at 1:29 AM Post #13 of 419
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i played these buds through my fostex hp-p1 & they sounded fantastic. Lacking resolution and soundstage but the sound signature is right for my taste. just seconds earlier i was jamming on TF10s with the Chris_Himself cable and actually preferred the earbuds. crazy but true.

Wow.  I'm not much of an audiophile, and I don't use custom cables; but that certainly sounds impressive to me!  And please keep us updated on impressions from different sources/equipment.
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Oct 2, 2012 at 1:04 AM Post #14 of 419
Certainly FOTM material.   But you know what?  They actually ain't too bad at all.  
 
Though, I will be honest, as is, the midbass hump is just too severe for extended listening.  The sound signature along with its form factor makes it tiring to listen to for extended period of time.  However, that is easily remedied by a piece of scotch tape.  I've taped up the bass vents on the stem of the Earpods (not the vents near driver housing, but the base of the stem). That tames the midbass hump and makes them quite balance, if lacking resolution.
 
Soundstage is reminiscent of MDR-EX600s, not surprising since they both employ side firing design.  I think these are equivalent to MDR-EX300s (or whatever their current re-release model number happens to be), and a bit inferior to the EX600s.  But they sound absolutely fun and right.  In that aspect, they are a better headphones than some of the other FOTMs here, such as the JVC's HA-FXC51s.  
 

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