Why doesn't Apple package ipods with decent headphones?

[LeftyMom]

I got some Sony earbuds today to replace the cheap ones that came with my ipod and the difference is like night and day. Vocals are clear, the bass isn't muddy even when I turn the volume up way too loud for my own good. The really nice part- my ears don't hurt any more. :D I should have got decent headphones sooner.

[Omphaloskepsis]

1. I agree.

The ones they ship with are total shit.. I bought a cheap pair of sony earbuds (<$10) and they kick the ass out of the crap Apple ships with the iPod. It was worse when the iPod first came out. The damn things were huge. Painful. It was like they engineered them for Steve Jobs huge ears.

[Deja Q]

3. Apple sells a high quality earbud set for only $40

They just don't want people to know about the competition. :D

[ghostsofgiants]

2. Which sony earbuds did you get?

[LeftyMom]

6. These ones

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3691559

I had a pair of these or something very much like them a few years back for my minidisc player and liked them a great deal. Being able to turn them up without distortion was a big deal at the time since I mostly wore them on public transit. Now it's still pretty useful, but mostly to drown out the cartoons the kid is watching in the other room. :)

[ghostsofgiants]

9. Cool. I have the 51 (next model up from those) and they're incredible

[GOPisEvil]

4. Because the damned iPod is expensive enough.

I bet decent ear buds would make them more expensive.

Just a guess. :shrug:

[DainBramaged]

8. Not enough profit margin, must buy IPod earbuds

Must spend all available money on IPod accessories, must have every gadget on wall, accessories is critical to the industry future. You cannot leave IPod store without emptying wallet or pocketbook or pocket. IPod will take it anyway.:sarcasm:

[GOPisEvil]

10. You know what sucks? I have the shuffle with the lanyard case.

If you want to use any other headphones than those that came with it, you have to use this adapter which has an awful connection. So, either I use the Shuffle without the case and use good headphones or use the case and the shitty headphones. Right now I'm using the case with the shitty headphones because I'm accident-prone. :dunce:

[DainBramaged]

15. My daughter has the "yo Momma don't love you IPod"

By creative, 30 GB, works great, sounds great, can drop it and it survives, and has a replaceable battery. Took it to Europe last summer. Loves/loved it, never spent a dime on accessories, didn't need them.

Then she got a Nanno (Nanna? Nannerneener?) from her Aunt for Giftmas. She's (we've) spent over $100 on fecking accessories from a case to earbuds to car FM transmitter/recharger.

IPod, the give that keeps on taking.

[BuddhaGirl]

17. I'm about to buy the Creative 30 GB

I did a lot of research and it seems just as good if not better than an IPOD. Plus, it will be compatible with more music download sites. I just can't buy into the cult of Apple :eyes:

[DainBramaged]

19. We didn't either. We got the Creative last year for $219

But her Nanerneener is like a stick of gum, so she can sneak it to school.

[Pithlet]

5. Thanks for posting this.

I think I'll try replacing mine. I don't like the earbuds that came with the iPod, either. What model did you get?

[LeftyMom]

7. I got these

http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product=3691559

I like them. :)

[Omphaloskepsis]

11. The difference is amazing..

Really.. I bought the cheapest Sony ones I could find. It was 9.99$. Best money ever spent.

[Redstone]

12. Twenty years from now, there's going to be an epidemic of

deafness in this country.

No way in hell I'm going to listen to music for hours a day with earphones jammed into my ear canals. I have enough hearing problems from having been a musician, and I wasn't even injecting the sound directly into my ears like those ipods earbud things do.

Go easy with that, would you?

Redstone

[LeftyMom]

13. I already can't hear well

It runs in the family, but my concert habit and tendency to listen to Rage with the sound turned way up probably isn't helping heredity along. :blush:

I'll turn it down a bit. :)

[Redstone]

14. Thanks for doing so. If we ever meet, it'll be bad enough that you'll

have to shout at me without making it worse by making me have to bellow back at you.

Hey, maybe we can get flvegan to learn sign language, and he can translate for us?

Redstone

[DainBramaged]

16. It's already begun, started with the carfi revolution

Go into any audiologist. They don't call them brickheads for nothing. Pump up the volume.

[Fleshdancer]

18. I hate earbuds...especially the ones that come with the ipod

I don't know if my ears are unusually small, but I can never get earbuds to stay in my ear and when they are in they hurt...especially my left ear.

I spent too much money on headphones that aren't very good and the chord is ridiculously long but at least they don't hurt. :(

[SofaKingLiberal]

20. profit

They don't waste money on better headphones because they know people will buy the ipod anyway.