Apple announced its all new earphones – EarPods – at the iPhone Special Event on September 12th. They came with much promise, and considering how poor Apple’s previous headphones were, many expected improvement. I went out to buy them as soon as they became available and was eagerly anticipating a change. After using them for a week, here’s my review on what is undoubtedly a massive improvement.
Design
Compared to the previous Apple earphones, they definitely feel better in your ear. For me, I actually didn’t mind the previous version too much, but the Earpods are much better. You know that they’re not going to fall out, even if you’re running or doing another intense activity. Apple claims they fit most ears, and I reckon they will.
The earphones also have several slits on them to increase airflow. This doesn’t affect how they feel at all, but it makes a noticeable difference for bass, as I’ll discuss later.
Finally, the control button and microphone as been redesigned. There honestly isn’t much difference. If there is, it’s minor, but I fractionally prefer the old version and I can’t explain why. It’ll be down to personal preference.
Sound
This is where the EarPods come into their own. It’s the best earphone (not headphone) that I’ve ever used, even though I haven’t experimented with DiddyBeats (but I have used Sennheisers). The bass sounds absolutely incredible. You can turn the music up full volume and it won’t get distorted, and I’ve tested it with some pretty bass intensive songs.
This is helped by the design and the slits, as I alluded to earlier. Better airflow gives you better bass, and makes all the notes sound richer.
Verdict
There is absolutely no doubt that the EarPods are a million times better than its predecessor. You really won’t be disappointed with how they perform, and for me the bass these things chuck out is by far the best feature. The feel is also great, and improves on the previous generation. I would say without a shadow of a doubt go and buy them unless you intend to buy an iPod nano, touch or iPhone 5, in which case they’re included.
Rating: 5/5
Price: $29 (link)
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