There are certain things I find myself repurchasing again and again; sunglasses, Evil Dead 2 in whatever format it’s currently being hawked and of course, earbuds.
The thing is, sunglasses I lose or break, Evil Dead 2 is just awesome and if there’s a new bonus feature of Bruce Campbell eating an eggroll I’ll probably get it and earbuds, well, that’s a different story.
My problem with earbuds is that I just haven’t found a pair that I’ve been happy with; I’ve tried a bunch of them: Sony, Apple, Skullcandy, etc. and either they fit great and the sound sucks or the sound is great and they hurt my ears.
Or I break them. Or lose them.
I recently checked out Apple’s latest model, the EarPod, and after using them for a few months I’m pretty happy.
Keep in mind I carry these everywhere; they are in my pocket or computer bag at all times, usually just thrown in, getting all kinds of abuse.
And they’re still good. Better than good actually. What makes the EarPod unique is first, it’s design. Instead of the more traditional round shape, these are a more contoured teardrop shape resulting in both a better and more comfortable fit. They aren’t the most secure fit, but I’ve yet to find earbuds that are. If nothing else, comfort is a noticeable improvement.
Also, fitting deeper and better in the ear results in a far superior sound quality. The microphone is also pretty effective, able to capture my voice and eliminating much of the ambient noise while on a call. The bass is richer and the sound clearer, overall. There is some sound leakage, but it’s not overwhelmingly disturbing unless playing music at very high volume.
The cord also has a pretty nifty volume control and a single button to contact Siri and can also be used to pause/play. I’ve used it on Skype as well and was very happy with the sound quality.
Retailing for $29, these EarPods are also included with iPhone and iPod purchases. As far as a must have as an iPad, iPod or iPhone 5 accessories, the EarPods are an easy recommendation.