Hi chaps!. Ok so I just bought an iPod Video 80Gb... had the usual situation with the *badly* designed ergonomics of the included earphones, falling out of my ears, at every available opportunity (note: HIGHLY irritating!!). So, I went to my local Argos store, and decided that the Apple "In-Ear" earphones would be better suited for my aural canals, as they use silicone rubber shrouds, which are __SUPPOSED__ to expand outwards, and grip onto the inner surface of your outer ear, and therefore prevent themselves from falling out, whilst providing an acoustic seal to stop noise getting in/out.
These are __USELESS!!__. The guys at Apple should stick to designing Macs and iPods, and leave aural ergonomics to the experts, of which they certainly *AIN'T* by any means. I wouldn't mind being fleeced for the £25 I paid, if the things were actually fit for the purpose intended... but they are complete trash, when it comes to them not falling out!.
I'm livid - more so than with the supplied earphones - at least they were "free". I warn anyone thinking of buying these in-ear Apple earphones, to save your cash for something wiser. Sorry Steve - the coolade doesn't make you a magician; there are some things in life, that Apple just cannot get right (did I mention Mac Mini power plugs, also?? ARRRGHH they fall out TOO... oh and remember the not-so "Mighty Mouse" scroll wheel, gumming up weekly??).
Don't get complacent with your company image, and reputation dudes - we want things that "just work". In this case, I expect that they will re-design these albeit useless contraptions, and maybe supply their premium price paying consumers, with a "one size fits all" solution (IE: Griffin EarJams type solution) so that us mugs __DON'T__ have to go out and spend MORE cash, on something that should be designed properly AND bundled WITH the iPod.
Not amused!!
[UPDATE]
Ok dudes - I have found a brilliant and simple solution, to a problem that, quite frankly, a company such as Apple, could have solved EASILY!.:
1/ Take your newly purchased in-ears, and return them for the full "Apple ripped me off" refund.
2/ Get your existing iPod phones, and carry out the following (reversible) mod:
You know the rubber grips on those "gel pens"? - the translucent rubber sleeve that grips around the barrel of the pen?. Get one of those rubber sleeves from a "gel pen", slide it off, and then slice a piece that is about 8mm long, and stretch it tight around the diameter of the edge of the *original* iPod earphones (mine is a 5.5 gen iPod Video).
Please note, that not all gel pens have translucent white grips; I just happen to be fortunate that mine blend in with my white 'phones
. Here - a diagram to show what I mean:
Gel Pen:
iPod (bundled) earphones, showing area around which to stretch rubber sleeve:
My theory; if it isn't readily available (or cost effective to buy) hack one yourself!.
Summary
-----------
Done... Dusted.... taking in-ears back to Argos for a refund. Can't even SEE my mod, unless you have X-RAY eyes, and the rubber is translucent white, so it is hardly visible at all when the phones are OUT of the ears!.
Okay - you don't wanna SEE how silly I must have looked just now, but I shook my head VIOLENTLY from side to side, for 15 secs, and the earphones stayed put NO MOVEMENT *OR* FALLING OUT!!.
There is a REASON most earphone manufacturers put sponge sleeves around the edge of the speaker elements: I just found that reason, and re-designed a replacement!.
Mod, closeup:
These are __USELESS!!__. The guys at Apple should stick to designing Macs and iPods, and leave aural ergonomics to the experts, of which they certainly *AIN'T* by any means. I wouldn't mind being fleeced for the £25 I paid, if the things were actually fit for the purpose intended... but they are complete trash, when it comes to them not falling out!.
I'm livid - more so than with the supplied earphones - at least they were "free". I warn anyone thinking of buying these in-ear Apple earphones, to save your cash for something wiser. Sorry Steve - the coolade doesn't make you a magician; there are some things in life, that Apple just cannot get right (did I mention Mac Mini power plugs, also?? ARRRGHH they fall out TOO... oh and remember the not-so "Mighty Mouse" scroll wheel, gumming up weekly??).
Don't get complacent with your company image, and reputation dudes - we want things that "just work". In this case, I expect that they will re-design these albeit useless contraptions, and maybe supply their premium price paying consumers, with a "one size fits all" solution (IE: Griffin EarJams type solution) so that us mugs __DON'T__ have to go out and spend MORE cash, on something that should be designed properly AND bundled WITH the iPod.
Not amused!!
[UPDATE]
Ok dudes - I have found a brilliant and simple solution, to a problem that, quite frankly, a company such as Apple, could have solved EASILY!.:
1/ Take your newly purchased in-ears, and return them for the full "Apple ripped me off" refund.
2/ Get your existing iPod phones, and carry out the following (reversible) mod:
You know the rubber grips on those "gel pens"? - the translucent rubber sleeve that grips around the barrel of the pen?. Get one of those rubber sleeves from a "gel pen", slide it off, and then slice a piece that is about 8mm long, and stretch it tight around the diameter of the edge of the *original* iPod earphones (mine is a 5.5 gen iPod Video).
Please note, that not all gel pens have translucent white grips; I just happen to be fortunate that mine blend in with my white 'phones
. Here - a diagram to show what I mean:Gel Pen:
iPod (bundled) earphones, showing area around which to stretch rubber sleeve:
My theory; if it isn't readily available (or cost effective to buy) hack one yourself!.
Summary
-----------
Done... Dusted.... taking in-ears back to Argos for a refund. Can't even SEE my mod, unless you have X-RAY eyes, and the rubber is translucent white, so it is hardly visible at all when the phones are OUT of the ears!.
Okay - you don't wanna SEE how silly I must have looked just now, but I shook my head VIOLENTLY from side to side, for 15 secs, and the earphones stayed put NO MOVEMENT *OR* FALLING OUT!!.
There is a REASON most earphone manufacturers put sponge sleeves around the edge of the speaker elements: I just found that reason, and re-designed a replacement!.
Mod, closeup:
