[figgie]

directed speaker port that points forward into your ear canal.
"scanned hundreds of ears looking for commonality."
The shape of the EarPod is actually defined by the geometry of your ear, but they don't create a seal the way other in-ear headphones do
There's a port in the back for mid-tones, a port in the stem and of course the main port pointing into your ear. All are said to maximize airflow for sound quality
 
shipping starting today
 
apple store not updated yet.

 

[AstroTurf]

They will soon join my collection...

 

[kjk1281]

Seems like the leak on a Vietnamese blog was accurate (again). (See the threads posted below.)




Redesigned Headphones for iPhone 5

iBuds Dead?

Possible new stock Apple earbuds coming w/ iPhone 5

 

[figgie]

Seems like all the leaks where spot on. Even the exclusion of NFC.
 
There was one photo showing the headphone out on the wrong side though (in the Iphone 5 thread under portable).
 
I was hoping to see a 128GB model of something but nope.
 
they come bundled with the new Iphone 5, new Ipod Touch, New iPod Nano.
 
http://www.apple.com/iphone/design/
 
they are supposed to be available right now to order but apple has not updated yet.
 
there is a 360 degree picture of the EarPods on the Iphone 5 page. Looks like the above.

 

[figgie]

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD827/apple-earpods-with-remote-and-mic
 
shipping now

 

[dweaver]

For $30 I will give them a try...

 

[kjk1281]

As I said in the other thread, I'm not entirely optimistic as the half-in-ear earbud concept has been tried before; the Sony MDR-ED238 and the FAD Piano Forte I/II are two examples of which I tried, and I found both to be less than stellar. However, if Apple can pull this off, I'm interested to see how the earbud market responds.
.

 

[rasmushorn]

EARBUD + IEM Hybrid. Pointed in earcanal but does not seal. I think they look great!

 

[Arkyle]

Quote:

As I said in the other thread, I'm not entrely optimistic as the half-in-ear earbud concept has been tried before; the Sony MDR-ED238 and the FAD Piano Forte I/II are two examples of which I tried, and I found both to be less than stellar. However, if Apple can pull this off, I'm interested to see how the earbud market responds.

I have the MDR-ED12 too and I agree, they are far from stellar and they actually seem to go deeper than the Apple earbuds. Another example are Bose's badly designed IE phones. But really...like 3 years to design earphones? really? Lets wait and see.
 
But I see an issue there...the last buds didn't touch your ear canal as much and had rubber around the grill for comfort...these have even more contact with your ear and have no padding whatsoever.

 

[Chrontius]

Let us not forget that the much-derided iBuds are still the best sounding courtesy 'phones I've ever used, and that I and others have (in years past) purchased iBuds as upgrades over other headphones.
 
Let us also not forget that the Apple dual-driver IEM also sounds significantly better than it ought to at the given price point.  At the time they came out, I think their only real competition (in the same price range) was the Klipsch S4.  And the ADDIEM was $80, and the Klipsch $150.

 

[Arkyle]

Quote:

Let us not forget that the much-derided iBuds are still the best sounding courtesy 'phones I've ever used, and that I and others have (in years past) purchased iBuds as upgrades over other other headphones.
 
Let us also not forget that the Apple dual-driver IEM also sounds significantly better than it ought to at the given price point.  At the time they came out, I think their only real competition (in the same price range) was the Klipsch S4.  And the ADDIEM was $80, and the Klipsch $150.

The IEM in that came with my galaxy player are way better. Still, IMO sennheiser's cheapo earbuds sound better than the last two gen's earbuds. The dual driver IEM are another story; dual BA drivers for 80 is a pretty good deal (and the klipsh is not 150!!!!, they are in the 60-80 range).
 
Oh, and I almost forgot about Sony's mp3 players! They include really good phones (specially high end players), as well as creative with the X-fi!

 

[soundstige]

All true; I'm excited to hear these earpods.
Quote:

Let us not forget that the much-derided iBuds are still the best sounding courtesy 'phones I've ever used, and that I and others have (in years past) purchased iBuds as upgrades over other other headphones.
 
Let us also not forget that the Apple dual-driver IEM also sounds significantly better than it ought to at the given price point.  At the time they came out, I think their only real competition (in the same price range) was the Klipsch S4.  And the ADDIEM was $80, and the Klipsch $150.

 

[ACST]

apple quote from website
 
 
Quote:

Using optical scans combined with silicone moulding, Apple designers created 3D models of various ear types to find a common shape across many different people. That shape led to the unique look of the new Apple EarPods. Unlike traditional circular earbuds, their design is defined by the geometry of the ear. Which makes them more comfortable for more people than any other earbud-style headphones… Apple acousticians re-engineered an earbud speaker diaphragm with both rigid and flexible materials to minimize sound loss and maximize sound output. Adding to the superior audio quality are strategically placed acoustic vents. The most notable of these vents is the one located in the stem of each EarPod. It allows air inside the stem, which acts as an acoustic chamber, to flow out. So you hear deeper, richer bass tones. The overall audio quality of Apple EarPods is so impressive, they rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more.

Last sentence made me laugh...

 

[SM411]

Looking forward to see a test of these. I will get them if soundquality is good, because of the mic.

 

[jeycam]

Still, they're not going to win out over high-end or even mid-range audio options. That's to be expected, though -- the EarPods do sound better...

 

The "one size fits all" design worked well in our ears -- it wasn't a snug fit by any means, but we didn't fear that they'd fall to the ground with the slightest movement.

 

You'll net the best performance in quieter settings, considering that they don't isolate sound like some other options on the market, and if you're a frequent air traveler or often find yourself working in noisy environments, you'll probably want to consider other options.

 
http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/12/apple-earpods-hands-on/
 
Seems they are so-so.