[RnB180]

When I first got the ipod and shuffle, I never paid much attention to the stock buds, I usually just go straight to the iems or headphones.

tonight I was looking at these things and decided to actually give them a whirl..

I couldnt listen to them for more then 20 seconds before I was disgusted at how bad the iBuds made the music sound.

Maybe its just me, but after so long listening to music and knowing how good its supposed to sound, as soon as I tried the ibuds, it felt as if it was insulting the music I was so fond of listening too.

These things sound horrible.

 

[LaBreaHead]

On one hand, they're designed to play 128 kbps content that sounds "OK" ... apparently, they sound more or less the same for higher and lower bit rates, too. Nothing special, it seems. When I got my 2G iPod, I didn't know any better, and I was impressed that the thing sounded better than an old transistor radio.

On the other hand, I couldn't stand that the buds would fall out constantly, even when I was sitting still. Canal phones and then IEMs -- now used with my subsequent players -- were a good solution for me.

Oh, but at least "they're white" -- apparently a strong selling point.

 

[fureshi]

i don't think that they're that bad but they don't do justice to the ipod, which are capable of so much more with the right cans.

 

[iSleipnir]

I remeber hearing my brothers a while back (mine are still unopened) and now I'm curious again. Maybe I'll borrow someones just to prove to myself how good I have it.

 

[chia-pet]

I think ibuds sound great in comparison to all other cheapy ear buds. Not nearly as great as a set of headphones, but their portability is unmatched.

 

[Bob_McBob]

I've been trying to wean my sister and her boyfriend off the iPod buds for ages, but neither of them can see why anyone would want to spend more on headphones (I offered my er6is to him for C$75 and he wasn't interested).

 

[Gino]

Consider them the lucky ones.

 

[felixkrull6]

Considering how particular people are to their headphones, iems on this site perhaps it's a good thing that the stock buds on ipods and (name your mp3 player) stink. If they actually included buds of higher quality they would probably raise the price of the player but their idea of quality would still not be what most audiophiles would consider satisfactory so we would all be spending extra money on something that still wouldn't satisfy us. I sometimes wish these companies would not include the buds and just take 5 dollars off the price.

 

[warpdriver]

Agree, they are pretty gruesome sounding, and they don't even fit well at all, and they are actually pretty ugly.

My ibuds went into the cylindrical metal filing bin as soon as I bought them.

 

[Dimitris]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaBreaHead When I got my 2G iPod, I didn't know any better, and I was impressed that the thing sounded better than an old transistor radio.

So true!That sounds definitely like me. When i got my Ipod i was so impressed by the sounds quality of the stock buds.

 

[Purgatos]

I only upgraded from iBuds because mine broke. [face_ashamed]

 

[Kirosia]

I have the ibuds, and they sound like crud. Not bad in the general sense, but I'm pretty sure even pair of senn mx would beat them. They make the music muddy, disguising detail and giving the music a "slow" feeling.

 

[swmtnbiker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chia-pet I think ibuds sound great in comparison to all other cheapy ear buds. Not nearly as great as a set of headphones, but their portability is unmatched.

Their portability is no better than any other earbud or IEM. There are PLENTY of superior options out there. About the only thing they have going for them, IMO, is that they're free.

I agree with RnB180 - I think they're pretty darned bad. It amazes me that so many people think their iPods sound so good when they use these things. It's like having an lo-fi AM radio crammed in your ear.

 

[overlunge]

No love for the iBud? Don't know if anyone has noticed a slight iBud design difference between generations of iPods (maybe even sound difference?). I have had 5 iPods, and I am still using my first pair of iBud I got from the 2nd Generation 10G iPod... And it's still going strong.

I wouldn't say it's the best thing since the sliced bread, but it's a pair of earbuds I am happy to thrash around, use and abuse while on the go in portable setting.


Overlunge

 

[Weeman]

The iBuds never fit in my ears at all, so that ruled them out. But even holding them in my ears, I didn't really like the sound, so I've had to use my DT231s with the iPod (couldnt go walking around.)
Now, I just ordered some UM1s! Finally, some IEMs