That’s it.
I just listened to part of Josh Rifkin playing Joplin using the default iPod ear plugs for the very first time, and it was grand. But I want to get a finer headset for Rag, Symphony, Opera, etc.
Looking forward to your suggestions.
If you’re happy with the iPod plugs (shudder), why switch?
Didn’t your own “(shudder)” give you a clue? Some headsets can sound pretty fine until you try something better.
My first replacement buds were these Koss ones for $15. They sounded MUCH better than the Apple-supplied ones.
Then someone clued me in to buds that seal the ear canal with little silicone dealies, and I bought a pair of these Sonys for $40. They sound MUCH better than the Koss buds. The biggest improvement will be much richer bass sounds. And, you won’t really be able to tell what was missing until you try a new pair.
I’m sure there are pricier sets that sound even better – I did a Google search and found quite a few over $500 – but I’m pretty happy with my $40 pair. I do have a pair of very good JVC loudspeakers that I can listen to and compare against the phones, and I’m not missing much if anything.
Thank you very much Boyo Jim!
For the hell of it, I checked in at amazon to see if the Sony ear buds were available there. They are—at the same price, and they’re Prime!! I ordered 'em.
Appropos of nothing…
I once did a play called, Under Milkwood, in which I had an exit line:
"I want to be a good boyo but they won't let me."
I also have a pair of the Sonys. Apple earbuds hurt my ears after awhile, and actually have popped out of my ears - they kinda perched in my ear and didn’t fit me very well. The Sony and others of those type come with 3 sets of rubber dealies so you can get a better fit with no gaps.
BarnOwl, let us know what you think of them.
I will. I asked for one day deliv at amazon, but they’re saying 4/9 delivery date. Nevertheless I’ll tell you how I like/not like 'em.
How do you folks keep your touch screens relatively clean? I’m no neat freak by any stretch, but it seems to me that my iPod gets smudge-ugly in a hurry.
Lucky for me, my screen is just a screen, not a touch screen. I have a rubberized cover with a clear plastic bit to cover the screen and protect it from nicks and smears.
Thanks for those links, Boyo Jim. I’m also in the market for a new pair of earbuds. The stock iPod buds are good if they’re seated properly in my ears, but they only stay seated until I … move. Then they slip a bit and all the bass disappears. So I guess I need something that actually fits into my ear canal.
I’m curious about the sound blocking qualities of the Sony-type silicone earpiece headphones. I listen to my iPod driving and walking so I don’t want to completely block out outside noises but I would like a better sound quality/more comfortable fit.
I gotta say, I wouldn’t wear them driving. They work pretty effectively as ear plugs as well as headphones, and I’ve be concerned about hearing sirens and such. Though I’m sure you would hear sirens when they got close, I’m kinda paranoid about that stuff and prefer to hear them at a distance and know where they’re coming from. I absolutely wouldn’t use them bicycling.
But they’re PERFECT for airplane flights, or in your home.
Thanks, that’s exactly what I was looking to find out. The standard iPod ear phones work pretty well driving because of the way they sit on top of the ear canal. I listen to them about as loud as I would a car stereo and I can still hear sirens, cars next to me, etc. They’re just not all that comfortable. (but it’s still awesome, I haven’t had music in my car in over 10 years)
Then you might consider those Koss buds I linked to. They don’t seal the ear, so your external hearing is about the same as the Apple-supplied ones, but they really do deliver much higher musical quality to you ears, IMO.
And when you let the wife drive, as I did today, to go to the next town up to see our daughter and grandkids. She drove, I listened to Beethoven’s Violin Concerto.
Even if you think you don’t like longhair, much less a violin concerto, try listening to a recording of it every so often when you’re not necessarily paying attention. Sooner or later you’ll get hooked. It is ineffably beautiful. Beethoven is known as pianist, but he was also a violinist, and to me, his is the finest of all violin concertos.
YMMV.