# Original vs New Apple Earbuds? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 26, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187 "2013-08-26T06:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pauly1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a8b319/32.png) [@pauly1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pauly1)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/1 "2013-08-26T06:22:53Z")
Which one do you prefer? I have had a few original ipod earbuds and i like it. Problem is i have to get one every few months because it breaks or no more sounds. The new one came out last year and it looks like a very weird shape. A review mentioned that it does’t fit the ear that well like the original ones. Which one is better? Im talking about the iphone 5 earbuds. Also, this might be a dumb question but i read that the new earbuds are only compatible with apple products only. Is this correct or am i misinterpreting it? So i can’t listen to music on an android phone? ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/2 "2013-08-26T13:22:22Z")
I hate all Apple earbuds - none of them fit my ears and are quite painful. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/3 "2013-08-26T13:23:10Z")
They have a standard 3.5 mm plug (with an extra contact, for the mic and remote), so you can listen to music on any device. The only difference is the microphone and remote control only work on Apple products. But otherwise, the audio contacts are compatible with any music player. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/4 "2013-08-26T13:43:01Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > I hate all Apple earbuds - none of them fit my ears and are quite painful. I thought the original ones were better, but I don’t use any of the Apple earbuds. I tried them both, and realized they fall out of my ears if I do anything even remotely active. I don’t like either of them at all, but if I had to pick, I’d say the originals were marginally better. ---
**Author:** ![SpeedwayRyan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@SpeedwayRyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpeedwayRyan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/5 "2013-08-26T16:27:11Z")
The old ones were a bit uncomfortable for me to wear, while the new ones fit my ears a lot better. It’s definitely going to vary based on the shape of your ear, though. I usually only wear the Apple ones at work, where I leave a pair on my desk and don’t have to worry about losing a good pair. My “good” earphones are Shure in-ears, and those ship with a number of different sizes, shapes, and materials (foam, rubber, etc.) of pieces that attach to the earphone. With the correct sized rubber pieces, they fit perfectly. If you have trouble finding comfortable earphones, that might be a good choice. You can even have custom-molded pieces made by an audiologist (?) that fit your ear perfectly…that’s what musicians do for their on-stage monitors, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Implicit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Implicit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Implicit)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/6 "2013-08-26T22:57:32Z")
I like the new ones, couldn’t wear the old ones without pain. I use them when I walk the dog so I can still hear bicycles and street noises. At home I have headphones I use which are more comfortable for me than any in-ear device. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/original-vs-new-apple-earbuds/667187/7 "2013-08-27T00:03:39Z")
> [@pauly1](#): > > Which one do you prefer? [moderating] Generally speaking, any thread that starts with this question (or “Which one is better?”) belongs in the In My Humble Opinion forum rather than General Questions. I have moved this thread accordingly. [/moderating]