[stryfe21]

My ihp120 earbuds came, and the first thing I notice is the left side is much shorter than the right. Now I've heard of this before, supposedly supposed to allow you to have more freedom on the side opposite the player right? Well first of all, doesn't that right away force you to put the player in the left pocket since the left earbud cord is shorter?

Second, it is so much longer that when standing up, one side just hangs loose, is it supposed to go behind my head or something? someone please explain

 

[Bolt San]

Yep.
If you put the right earbud's cord behind your ear, then the cord for the headphones only go down the left side of your body rather than draping across your chest.

 

[daycart1]

IIRC the purpose of the old ETY uneven cords was so that they would be in the middle of the back when routed over the shoulder.

 

[commando]

I much prefer that arrangement - my cheap sony earbuds have the right much longer. You just put the left one in your ear and connect the cord down your left side to your source. The cord to the right ear bud goes behind your next. This means the cord isn't in front of you, which is perfect for the gym. It's one of the main reason i'm considering Sony in-ear phones instead of shure/etys, I like the arrangement that much.

 

[pedxing]

It favors right handed people becaues the right side of your body is now free. Of course, your portable devices will have to be held on your left side of you body, but again, they are not in the way of the right hand.

 

[MikeBuzzsaw]

Um.... you are all wrong.

The purpose of the one bud being longer than the other is so you can share it with a freind. I read it somewhere on iriver.

 

[Lisa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeBuzzsaw Um.... you are all wrong. The purpose of the one bud being longer than the other is so you can share it with a freind. I read it somewhere on iriver.

Yeah, read that too, And it makes absolutely no sence. With both cords the same lenght you can share it just as much with a friend as two different lenghts. I guess the person at iriver who wrote that didn't know either and just made something up.

It's defenitely for putting it around your neck. Not only handy so you have the cord on one side but also if you take the buds of for a little while you can leave them hanging around your neck. you can do this too with same length cords to the buds but it will make the rest of the cord shorter because the connecting point is now behing your neck instead of somewhere in front of you.

 

[commando]

The people at iRiver must have been smoking some iWeed the day they wrote that - it's complete balls. Who shares their music with a friend like that? Anyone at all? It's for what we already said.

 

[Stoner]

Sharing ear wax? That's just nasty. For the last time, one line's longer than the other is solely for aesthetic reasons, so the longer line goes behind your neck and doesn't get in the way.

 

[MikeBuzzsaw]

Its easier to share because your not cheek to cheek listening to music.

Many people at school share ebuds, and i share them with my gf when we go somewhere.

 

[Lisa]

But the cord lenght between the two buds is the same lenght no matter where they connect. So that's why it doesn't make any sence.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Sorry if I repeat anything, bit I don't have time to read all the other opinions. I see ear buds as being easily ripped out of your ears, thus the need to place the cord off to the side and not in the middle of your body. You're more likely to snag them or catch them when they're in the middle. It leaves only a small loop under the chin also, which eliminates the big Y hanging down the front of your shirt.

 

[Big D]

I thought the main reason (which I use this feature for) is so that if I quickly take the earbuds out then I can have them dangling down in front over my neck ready to go back in.

They also don't fall out as easily.

 

[pedxing]

I think the whole thing is based on ergonomics. Whether if you drape it across the back or front is not wrong or right. However, some people don't like it because they want the longer wire on the other side because of the physical location of the source in respect to their position of their head/body.

Its the same idea of putting the wire on the left ear cup of normal headphones, like the HD590 or HD570.

 

[ServinginEcuador]

What about the possiblity that the manufacturers thought it would be a good idea if people could ahve the cord dangle to one side, thus facilitating the ease of putting them into a pocket, along with the source?