White Earbuds

Something’s happening in Apple land.  CONSTANTLY!

The company is about to blow up video on the Web.  Hell did you see in iTunes
4.8 there’s a button to show video FULL SCREEN??  What, you mean you didn’t
download 4.8??  Are you living in the WINDOWS WORLD, where to upgrade your computer is akin to bungee jumping on an unmeasured rope?

And then yesterday Steve Jobs announced built-in podcast support, coming
within 60 days.  God, wasn’t it just MONTHS ago that the podcast was BORN?? 
THAT’S how fast technology moves, THAT’S why you must realize the disc is dead.  To try to hold on to old ways of doing business when technology is moving at
light speed is like trying to stay together with your grade school girlfriend
after you’ve entered college.  There’s SOMETHING there, but god, there’s a whole
new WORLD out there!

As for iPods themselves…  If you think tomorrow’s iPod will look like
today’s, you’re driving a Vega.  The only way to stay ALIVE in the tech business is
to stay ONE STEP AHEAD!  Look, Real sued Microsoft and eventually got paid,
but RealPlayer USED to be the Web standard and now it’s Windows Media (when
it’s not QuickTime!).  We call this winning the battle and losing the war.  If
you’re running a major label by slicing employees and putting out fewer discs
and raising prices, I hope you’re getting paid a TON, because soon you won’t get
paid AT ALL!  You need MORE employees, putting out MORE music, all of it
CHEAPER!  To do otherwise is to open the market to competitors.  Microsoft had a
monopoly, still does, in fact.  The major labels do not.  They THINK they do,
but they don’t.  They used to maintain their monopoly via distribution, but
those days are DONE!

Anyway, as Bono said, Apple is a band, hotter than any being purveyed by the
major labels.  And what the major labels have forgotten is…if a band is hot,
if they’re credible, if you can BELIEVE IN THEM, people will give you ALL
THEIR MONEY!  If you’re pooh-poohing Apple, I feel sorry for you, to analyze
their products vis a vis Windows is to MISS THE POINT!  Nobody’s dick ever got
hard over a Dell, but holding an iPod, buying a Mac, is akin to sex, you get all
warm and tingly inside, you contemplate the move for days, maybe weeks, and
when you finally take the plunge you’re in uncharted territory, that turns out
to be BETTER than what you’ve left behind, you want to tell ALL your friends
about it!

So, bottom line, Apple’s earbuds SUCK!  Even THEY admit it.  But even though
iPods are compatible with ALL headphones, people won’t switch.  I mean really,
if you’re listening through those buds I feel sorry for you.  Even ten dollar
Sony over the head phones are better than they are.  I use twenty dollar
behind the ear Sonys when I’m working out, and if I’m stationary, or on a plane, I
use my Bose noise-canceling cans, but I’m in the distinct minority.  Or maybe
it’s that I’ve got enough in my life that I don’t need white cords to feel
good about myself, maybe I consider myself an OFFICER in the club, I don’t need
a membership card.  But the public does.  So, people wear these shitty
in-the-ear phones JUST so other people will think they’re cool.  Ain’t that America. 
And, like I said, if you don’t understand this America, you’d better get a
factory job, if they still exist.

8 Responses to White Earbuds »»


Comments

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  1. Comment by Tom Golseth | 2005/05/25 at 14:23:38

    Can’t argue on the iPod, but can argue against their headphones. I left that
    club a couple of years ago in favor of the Shure E-series. Based on their
    professional in-ear monitor system, the range of these headphones puts those
    little white earbuds to shame.

    So I guess that puts me in an elite club within an elite club.

    http://www.shure.com/personaltech/default.asp

  2. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  3. Comment by Michael Fremer | 2005/05/25 at 14:24:07

    Put a pair of Shure E4Cs or E5Cs on your iPod, and the stock earbuds will be
    put in a drawer and never come out again….

  4. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  5. Comment by David Basskin | 2005/05/25 at 14:24:30

    I agree with you about Apple’s earbuds. I’ve had six or eight iPods but I’ve
    never used them, even once. As I think I mentioned to you a long time ago, I
    use the FABULOUS Etymotic ER-4 in-ear phones. They’re consistently the best
    around, and the only headphones that effortlessly make the distinction between
    128 kb/sec and 192 MP3 files immediately apparent. I know, you’ve told me you
    don’t like (or can’t wear) in-ear plugs, but they’re really the best for
    fidelity and blocking out external ambient noise. They’re a godsend on flights. I’ve
    got the Bose cans as well (and I’m old enough to know why they’re called
    "cans" and it’s NOT a recording studio term!) and they’re great, but they’re not
    ideal for travelling. I’m on my second set, and I only wish that its physical
    construction was the equal of its sound quality,. The parts that connect the
    earpieces to the headband are poorly designed and constructed and don’t stand up
    to repeated use over the long term – this has been my experience with two
    sets. Hello, Bose? The market is ready for a really high-end product. Have a look
    at the better Grado or Sennheiser phones for clues.

  6. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  7. Comment by Jim Willcox | 2005/05/25 at 14:25:03

    If you haven’t already, check out Etymotics ER-6 in-ear monitors (they make
    iPod version, called the ER-6i, but in NYC people are getting shot for their
    white earbuds). By the way, Shure completely ripped off Etymotic’s design and
    should be sued. The ER-6 is less than $120 at retail. For more conventional
    headphones, try out Grado’s SR-60s, the best entry-level ($69) audiophile
    headphones I know of.

  8. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  9. Comment by Josh Freni | 2005/05/25 at 14:25:28

    You know, those sony earbuds I told you about (fontopia MDR-EX71SL), they
    come in white now. IMHO, they are the best iPod peripheral you can buy for under
    $50. Well worth the extra investment. They even come with 3 different size
    ear buds so you get the "just right" fit no matter how big or small your ear
    canal. I wear ’em snowboarding and they never fall out. No matter how hard I
    bail. Nothing like plowing through the glades with REIGN IN BLOOD blasting
    your brain.

  10. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  11. Comment by Mike Mettler | 2005/05/25 at 14:25:48

    Have you seen the stories (in the New York Times and on TV) where the biggest
    crime now happening on NY city subways is people being robbed of their iPods,
    essentially because thieves can identify who has them by the ubiquitous
    dangling white cords? Word to the wise when you’re out and about… I wear a pair
    of Philips SBC HN050 headphones myself, BTW…

  12. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  13. Comment by John Horn | 2005/05/25 at 14:26:03

    Jay Leno had a great line the other night. Subway theft in New York is up
    substantially for the first time in years-mostly due to thefts of IPods and MP3
    players. Can you imagine..people stealing music from people stealing music!!

  14. comment_type != "trackback" && $comment->comment_type != "pingback" && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content) && !ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>
  15. Comment by Dan Kennedy | 2005/05/25 at 14:26:27

    Sure, everyone knows that the iPod earbuds suck.

    But to Bono’s point about Apple being a band, Steve Jobs has created so
    mething bigger than just another grift to get our dollars, he’s created a culture in
    REPLY to the state of the music business that you want to be a part of. A
    culture that instead of treating you like an idiot with a wallet seems to
    basically say, "We get it, there are those of you that are operating steps ahead of
    the so-called music business. We see the proof of your demand and we’ll supply
    it, and more than that, we’ll innovate to drive it, because we’re in the same
    club."

    On the street, especially in midtown, the last thing I want anyone to think
    is that my headphones lead to a portable CD player and that I’m still about the
    CD in any way shape or form — the CD that dinosaurs my age are sitting in
    major label conference rooms thirty floors OFF the street trying to convince
    each other is still relevant.

    To me the white cords feel like flying the pirate flag — and even if they
    kind of suck sound-wise, you’re almost willing to take the hit to differentiate
    yourself from dinosaur culture. There’s a bit of a, "Screw the man!"
    statement there.

    There are other white cords, I know. I bought some white Sony EX71 earbuds,
    but they have this weird cord management system; one goes around the back of
    your head, one goes this way, that way, whatever…total hassle and turns out
    the sound is only marginally better than the stock iPod ear buds.

    I have a pair of Shure e2c’s I use on planes, and at home I listen to AKG
    K-240’s if I use phones at all. I usually play my iPods through an amp and four
    Mission m-5’s in the living room. But when I’m on the street I always come
    back to those iPod earbuds…especially if I’m going to be walking around the
    Midtown stomping grounds of major labels.


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Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

  1. Comment by Tom Golseth | 2005/05/25 at 14:23:38

    Can’t argue on the iPod, but can argue against their headphones. I left that
    club a couple of years ago in favor of the Shure E-series. Based on their
    professional in-ear monitor system, the range of these headphones puts those
    little white earbuds to shame.

    So I guess that puts me in an elite club within an elite club.

    http://www.shure.com/personaltech/default.asp

  2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

    Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

    1. Comment by Michael Fremer | 2005/05/25 at 14:24:07

      Put a pair of Shure E4Cs or E5Cs on your iPod, and the stock earbuds will be
      put in a drawer and never come out again….

    2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

      Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

      1. Comment by David Basskin | 2005/05/25 at 14:24:30

        I agree with you about Apple’s earbuds. I’ve had six or eight iPods but I’ve
        never used them, even once. As I think I mentioned to you a long time ago, I
        use the FABULOUS Etymotic ER-4 in-ear phones. They’re consistently the best
        around, and the only headphones that effortlessly make the distinction between
        128 kb/sec and 192 MP3 files immediately apparent. I know, you’ve told me you
        don’t like (or can’t wear) in-ear plugs, but they’re really the best for
        fidelity and blocking out external ambient noise. They’re a godsend on flights. I’ve
        got the Bose cans as well (and I’m old enough to know why they’re called
        "cans" and it’s NOT a recording studio term!) and they’re great, but they’re not
        ideal for travelling. I’m on my second set, and I only wish that its physical
        construction was the equal of its sound quality,. The parts that connect the
        earpieces to the headband are poorly designed and constructed and don’t stand up
        to repeated use over the long term – this has been my experience with two
        sets. Hello, Bose? The market is ready for a really high-end product. Have a look
        at the better Grado or Sennheiser phones for clues.

      2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

        Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

        1. Comment by Jim Willcox | 2005/05/25 at 14:25:03

          If you haven’t already, check out Etymotics ER-6 in-ear monitors (they make
          iPod version, called the ER-6i, but in NYC people are getting shot for their
          white earbuds). By the way, Shure completely ripped off Etymotic’s design and
          should be sued. The ER-6 is less than $120 at retail. For more conventional
          headphones, try out Grado’s SR-60s, the best entry-level ($69) audiophile
          headphones I know of.

        2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

          Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

          1. Comment by Josh Freni | 2005/05/25 at 14:25:28

            You know, those sony earbuds I told you about (fontopia MDR-EX71SL), they
            come in white now. IMHO, they are the best iPod peripheral you can buy for under
            $50. Well worth the extra investment. They even come with 3 different size
            ear buds so you get the "just right" fit no matter how big or small your ear
            canal. I wear ’em snowboarding and they never fall out. No matter how hard I
            bail. Nothing like plowing through the glades with REIGN IN BLOOD blasting
            your brain.

          2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

            Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

            1. Comment by Mike Mettler | 2005/05/25 at 14:25:48

              Have you seen the stories (in the New York Times and on TV) where the biggest
              crime now happening on NY city subways is people being robbed of their iPods,
              essentially because thieves can identify who has them by the ubiquitous
              dangling white cords? Word to the wise when you’re out and about… I wear a pair
              of Philips SBC HN050 headphones myself, BTW…

            2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

              Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

              1. Comment by John Horn | 2005/05/25 at 14:26:03

                Jay Leno had a great line the other night. Subway theft in New York is up
                substantially for the first time in years-mostly due to thefts of IPods and MP3
                players. Can you imagine..people stealing music from people stealing music!!

              2. comment_type == "trackback" || $comment->comment_type == "pingback" || ereg("", $comment->comment_content) || ereg("", $comment->comment_content)) { ?>

                Trackbacks & Pingbacks »»

                1. Comment by Dan Kennedy | 2005/05/25 at 14:26:27

                  Sure, everyone knows that the iPod earbuds suck.

                  But to Bono’s point about Apple being a band, Steve Jobs has created so
                  mething bigger than just another grift to get our dollars, he’s created a culture in
                  REPLY to the state of the music business that you want to be a part of. A
                  culture that instead of treating you like an idiot with a wallet seems to
                  basically say, "We get it, there are those of you that are operating steps ahead of
                  the so-called music business. We see the proof of your demand and we’ll supply
                  it, and more than that, we’ll innovate to drive it, because we’re in the same
                  club."

                  On the street, especially in midtown, the last thing I want anyone to think
                  is that my headphones lead to a portable CD player and that I’m still about the
                  CD in any way shape or form — the CD that dinosaurs my age are sitting in
                  major label conference rooms thirty floors OFF the street trying to convince
                  each other is still relevant.

                  To me the white cords feel like flying the pirate flag — and even if they
                  kind of suck sound-wise, you’re almost willing to take the hit to differentiate
                  yourself from dinosaur culture. There’s a bit of a, "Screw the man!"
                  statement there.

                  There are other white cords, I know. I bought some white Sony EX71 earbuds,
                  but they have this weird cord management system; one goes around the back of
                  your head, one goes this way, that way, whatever…total hassle and turns out
                  the sound is only marginally better than the stock iPod ear buds.

                  I have a pair of Shure e2c’s I use on planes, and at home I listen to AKG
                  K-240’s if I use phones at all. I usually play my iPods through an amp and four
                  Mission m-5’s in the living room. But when I’m on the street I always come
                  back to those iPod earbuds…especially if I’m going to be walking around the
                  Midtown stomping grounds of major labels.

                This is a read-only blog. E-mail comments directly to Bob.