[mnemonic]

Apple says this about them: Quote:

Headphones Earbud-style headphones with 18-mm drivers using Neodymium transducer magnets Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz Impedance: 32 ohms Sensitivity: 104-dB sound pressure level at 1 mW

Apple also says the iPod has a Maximum output power: 60 mW rms (30 mW per channel).

How is the quality of these headphones that come with Apple's iPod? How do they compare to stuff from Senn? If no one here has listened to the iPod's headphones, I'd like at least a basic judgement of the quality based off the technical specs.

 

[bdb55]

I used to have an iPod, so I've listened to the earbuds. They're better than you might expect, but still not very good. They are kind of a weird shape and don't go inside your ear; they kind of rest right at the opening of your ear canal. I remember reading somewhere that they upgraded the standard iPod 'buds a while back though... (I had the first generation iPod).

I haven't listened to any Sennheiser headphones, my only "good" headphones are Ety 4Ps (and I never listened to them with the iPod; I got rid of the iPod before I got the Etys).

 

[joelongwood]

I have the original iPod (5 gig). The earbuds supplied are waaaay too bassy for me. Muffled highs as well. Also, the damned things are HUGE and do not fit properly. Someone recently posted that the earbuds that come with the newer (20 gig) iPod are smaller and sound better. In any case, I can heartily recommend the following with the iPod, as all are better (to my ears) than the supplied buds:
Koss KSC-35 clip-ons (around $25)
Sennheiser MX-500 earbuds (less than $20)......they have a nice in-line volume control as well.
Sony E-888 earbuds (around $60)......great midrange but a bit fragile.
Koss Porta Pros (around $50, but I got mine recently on the Koss site for $25!) There's a thread at HeadWize.com that gives the coupon code. These are my personal favorites for now.
Hope this helps.

 

[mzajac]

I just got a pair of Sennheiser MX400s for my iPod today.

They're definitely superior to the iPod buds, even without any burn-in.

The Senns sound a little fuller in the bass and sharper in the high end. They are brighter--I haven't listened to them for a long stretch, but I could see them being a little fatiguing. On the other hand, maybe some burn-in will smooth that out.

The plastic feels a little cheaper than the nice iPod buds, but they are good looking. Since they're smaller, they feel a little more comfortable in the ears, but on the other hand they move a little and sometimes I have to adjust their position by hand.

They are about as efficient as the iPod cans--I don't have to adjust the volume when I switch between the two pairs.

They're cheap and sound great--just get some.

 

[mzajac]

I burned in the MX400s overnight, and added a second pair of foam pads. Man, they sound great compared to the iPod phones now.

The second set of foam pads (scavenged from my original iPod cans) keep them from shaking around in my ears, and improve the bass.

Best $25 CDN I ever spent.