PC Pro article - "Five reasons why Apple’s earbuds aren’t that bad"

[IanD]

Yes you read that right. Get over there and marvel at the incisive thinking.

On the user experience:

Yes, there’s no doubt that Sony or Sennheiser’s finest offer superior sound quality to the Apple earbuds, but most people simply won’t notice the difference.

On straight vs 90 degree plugs:

Apple is seemingly the only company to realise that a headphone jack that sits flush with the player isn’t always desirable.

On that special cachet that comes with the Apple brand:

That distinctive cable marks you out as a member of a premium club, in the same way as the Ray Ban logo on your sunglasses or a Nike swoosh on your trainers.

Actually he might have a point with the last one - but in an unintentional irony kind of way .

There's more. Of course there's more. Anyway - on an unrelated note, there's no login required to post comments. Fancy that .

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2010/09...rent-that-bad/



[Disclaimer: this isn't supposed to be an anti-Apple post, it's just to laugh at silly journalists who ought to know better.]

[CrowdAds]

[WalkGood]

Well look at the source, why waste time reading them ...

[dfkt]

My head just exploded because of the sheer idiocy of that rubbish article.

The most insulting - and dangerously uninformed - point:

Yes, there’s no doubt that Sony or Sennheiser’s finest offer superior sound quality to the Apple earbuds, but most people simply won’t notice the difference. When you’re listening to your iPod with a backdrop of clattering Tube train or traffic-saturated high street, all those delicate subtleties offered by the more expensive models are drowned out anyway.

I guess the idiot never heard of isolating phones or IEMs? His hearing is probably shot already, so no use telling him to actually protect his hearing instead of turning his white crap-buds to 11.

[Xinz]

How much hearing loss do you have to achieve in order not to hear the difference between apple earbuds and the finest from the top IEM makers? 99.99%?/? Ok, let me get into the points.
1. They don’t sound that bad
I don't know how the test were done. Only the device was listed, audio source and song titles were not given. Strangely, why didn't they test armature driver earphones which can help bring out the details AND will be easier to differentiate?

2. They’re robust
I guess any idiot will know that this is user problem. No price for guessing how he keeps his earphones right?

3. They’re not THAT leaky
Doesn't this go against what was mentioned in point 1?

4. The jack doesn’t obstruct buttons
Ain't apple the stupid one to put buttons there? Seriously, right angled plugs have been around for donkey years.

5. They’re a fashion statement
Like a skullcandy?/? But as a friend pointed out to me, white color ain't something you see higher end audio using, so you can point out all the ipod/iphone users by earbud earphones and white cables

[Tommifier]

My take:

1. They don't sound that bad.
I recently listened to my friend's iPod headphones, and I literally became uncomfortable from the sound. Not even the feeling of the headphones - the sound literally made me claustrophobic. I absolutely hated it.

2. They're robust.
I've seen lots of people with their iPod headphones falling apart/broken, actually.

3. They're not THAT leaky.
So that's why I can tell what song a person is listening to from across the room when they're using them?

4. The jack doesn't obstruct buttons.
First, not every other pair of headphones uses and angled jack. Second, angled jacks are more durable, and guess what? You can turn it away from the button if it's in the way!

5. They're a fashion statement.
I've had more people comment on how cool my particular pair of Sleek Audio SA1's were than the number of praises I've heard people give Apple's headphones in my lifetime.

Sure, other headphones may be expensive, and that's cool. But Apple's headphones are, in every way, "that bad".

[EggyCuppy]

1. they really do sound that bad

2. they break/ware out quickly if used offten by normal people.

3. yes, they are

4. apple sucks for putting buttons there

5. they show the world your an ipod user and love that "bling" feeling(even if its only "bling" not bling)

if you really want apple quality buds, head over to focalprice or dealextreme 2-5bucks will get you a set that are the same quality and hell, even the same design :P

[Satellite_6]

"That distinctive cable marks you out as a member of a premium club, in the same way as the Ray Ban logo on your sunglasses or a Nike swoosh on your trainers"

I wouldn't be caught dead with apple earbuds LOL.

Why are people so especially stupid/ignorant when it comes to audio?

[lestatar]

This is, without doubt, one of the singularly most idiotic reviews/articles I have ever had the displeasure to read.

Spend that Apple incentive check well jackass...