TOP 5 EARBUDS FOR YOUR IPHONE
As iconic as the stock, white Apple earbuds are, they don’t sound very good. It is surprising that I still see many people using those stock earbuds since they sound so terrible. What makes users keep coming back to those earbuds? It dawned on me that there is a value proposition from using the Apple earbuds in the form of an inline remote and mic. Being able to control volume, music playback, and calls is certainly useful and some may not be able to live with out it. Fortunately there are many aftermarket earbuds that can control your iPhone/iPod. Let’s take a look at five that provide great sounding alternatives to the stock Apple earbuds.
JBuds J3M Micro Atomic: Proving that you don’t have to break the bank to upgrade to better headphones, JBuds’ J3M Micro Atomic earbuds with iPhone/iPod controls provide a great alternative to the stock iPhone headset. At $25, they are even cheaper than the iPhone headset which goes for $29.95. The JBuds driver housings are made of aluminum and should be more durable than the plastic housings on the Apple earbuds. They also have braided cable that will resist tangling and should last quite a bit longer than the sticky silicone wire insulation that’s found on the Apple iPod earbud headphones.
Klipsch Image S4i: The Klipsch Image S4i has gotten rave reviews since its introduction. Klipsch has a long history of making great speakers and now headphones too. They sound fantastic for the price ($99) with a well balanced sound signature that will make all types of music sound great. They offer great noise isolation for noisy environments like on the bus or in a noisy office. They come with an inline remote and mic with big, easy to use buttons. The only gripe that reviewers had with these earbuds is that its cable is a bit thin and tangle prone. Fortunately, they come with a great metal case that will prevent them from being crushed and will help manage the tangle prone cable.
Headphone adapters: So this isn’t really an earbud recommendation but a way to use any headphone with your iPhone/iPod while still being able to control calls, volume, and music. There are many different companies that have come out with headphone adapters that basically have a built in mic and controls to allow you to use any headphone you choose. Some headphone adapters, like the Griffin SmartTalk, will only have a mic and one button to handle phone calls. The advantage of these adapters is that you can use them with any earbud or headphone. The downside is that they will add additional length to your headphone’s cable.
Ultimate Ears 600vi: Ultimate Ears has made a name for themselves for producing professional level monitoring earbuds for musicians. They are up there with Shure and Sennheiser with producing earbuds that can withstand the abuses of musicians onstage while still producing stellar audio quality. The Ultimate Ears 600vi offer great sound and promise to bring out the subtleties of your music that you’ve never heard before (if you have a good source, that is). They come with an inline mic and volume buttons, which makes switching between your music and calls effortless. As usual, Ultimate Ears packs a bunch of accessories with the earbuds. In the box you’ll get a nice hard case to protect your investment, 5 pairs of silicone tips, 2 pairs of Comply foam tips, and a shirt clip.
Klipsch Image X10i: If the sky’s the limit in terms of price, then the Klipsch Image X10i will provide you with excellent sound quality while still allowing you access to that crucial inline mic. Klipsch shows their engineering prowess by designing an earbud that is compact but offers full, rich, and dynamic sound. At $350, they aren’t cheap by any stretch of the imagination but if you love music and want that great inline mic and controls, the Image X10i is tough t beat.