product review: Apple In-Ear Headphones… are 2 drivers better than 1?

by Chiyin on Dec 18th, 2008 @ 4:05 pm

Apple started shipping the new In-Ear Headphones a couple of weeks ago and I finally received mine on Monday… So, after a few days with them what am I to do? Write a review of course. I know there are a few of them out there, but none of them go into details about the sound quality nor how they compare with similarly priced headphones. This is my attempt to fill that void. Let’s begin, after the jump…

Before I begin let me say that I’m not an audiophile by any means. I just like to listen to a lot of music from a very wide range of styles, from rock to classical music to hip-hop and in the past few years I’ve been getting into jazz and bossa nova. But enough about my musical taste. Let’s get started.

The Headphones

For this review I compared the Apple In-Ear Headphones with the JBL Reference 220, both are in-ear headphones and are similarly priced at around $80. I’m not sure if this is a fair comparison since the new Apple headphones sport dual drivers and the JBL doesn’t, but these are the sets I have available at the time. So, if anyone wants to send us a pair of Shure or Bose headphones we’ll gladly write a new comparison.

A sidenote about in-ear headphones. If you’ve used this type of headphones before you know all about this, but if you haven’t these are some things you should know. First, to get the full sound quality and reproduction you’ll have to get a good seal when inserting the earbuds into your ears. Second, and this is just how it is, since the headphones create a seal in your ears, you’ll hear all the vibrations that come from the cords rubbing against your clothes, etc. it’s just physics, there’s really nothing we can do about it.

Functionality

Functionality wise the JBL are just a set of earbuds, but the Apple set comes with a remote and mic on the cord. As you may know the remote only works with the 2nd generation iPod Touch and the new iPod nano. Unfortunately I don’t have either of those models so I couldn’t test the remote fully. But, the microphone works great as a hands free alternative with the iPhone and the remote pauses the track when you press down the middle.

Sound Quality

To test for sound quality I used both headphones with an iPhone 3G and a 5th generation iPod Video. I played the same tracks on both devices and listened to them a couple of times using the different headphones. For the tracks selection I chose songs I’m familiar with so I knew what to expect. Here is the list of songs I played

• Eleanor Rigby – The Beatles
• A Day in the Life – The Beatles
• Take Five – Dave Brubeck
• My Dear Country – Norah Jones
• Bolero – Maurice Ravel
• Mambo from West Side Story – Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel (I’m from Venezuela so I had to listen to this performance.. check it out)
• Bruises – Chairlift (this being an Apple product review I had to include this insanely catchy song used in those iPod nano commercials)

After listening to the songs a few times, I can say that the sound quality of both headphones is very good, especially when compared with the standard set of earbuds that come with the iPod/iPhone. However, there are some clear differences.

The first thing I noticed was the difference in the lower registers. The bass on the JBL is fuller than on the Apple headphones. Which reinforces what JBL is known for, a warm and full bass sound. However, the accuracy of reproduction will have to go to the Apple set. Even though the bass doesn’t sound as full or warm, the Apple set reproduced it much more accurately than the JBL. (I guess I can say this with a bit of authority since I play the bass)

At the higher register Apple headphones’ are much better than JBL’s. The highs are crisp and loud with the mids just as clear, so clear that I could even hear details I’ve never noticed before in some of the tracks. Although the JBL’s sound was good, it wasn’t as clear. Some of the highs were muddled by the bass, which is probably due to the lack of driver separation.

Overall, the sound quality of Apple’s new headphones is superior to JBL’s Reference 220. The sound stage rendered by the dual drivers is much wider, opening familiar songs to new exploration and uncovering every little detail in new tracks.

Are 2 drivers better than 1?

Definitely better. After comparing these headphones I can say that Apple’s new dual driver headphones are worth their admission price, especially when compared to similarly priced single driver models. The separation of lower and higher registers create a crisp and clear sound you can’t find with single drivers earbuds.

Should you buy these headphones?

It all depends on what you are looking for. If full and warm bass is what you like then these are not for you, but if you are looking for a crisp sound then the Apple headphones are definitely a good buy. At this price range you won’t find any other dual drivers headphones, and hey they are only $40 more than Lisa’s fake myPod earbuds…

Wrapping up…

Apple In-Ear Headphones

Price: $79.00

When Will Apple Rating:

JBL Reference 220

Price: $79.95 – $82.99 (according to CNET)

When Will Apple Rating:

Follow me on Twitter @chiyinng

View 2 Comments
Apples & Oranges, iPod, OSX

1.
1. Apple In-Ear Headphones

   December 18th, 2008 4:10 pm

   [...] compared the apple buds to the JBL Reference 220 (JBL Home Audio) which are about the same price. product review: Apple In-Ear Headphones… are 2 drivers better than 1? | When Will Apple? __________________ [...]

2.
2. jamabrey

   January 8th, 2009 4:44 am

   

   thank you for your review.

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