An iPhone Question…

Let’s say I lose all self control in the near future, and accidentally pick up an iPhone (despite the lack of Exchange support)… What’s the most compact headphone adapter I could get? OR Which headphones should I replace my beloved entry-level Shures with? An on-line mic is not a requirement.

19 thoughts on “An iPhone Question…”

  1. I picked up a $5 adapter that’s about 4-inches long. It does the trick with my Shure 210s but I think I would have preferred a solid headset with a mic. Gives another option. For $50, you can buy a long adapter from Shure that uses your old ‘phones and adds a mic. Check the Shure site to see that option. If you don’t need a mic, a small, cheap adapter (<$10) will work just fine. Oh, and stop resisting the lure of the iPhone… ;)

  2. If you want something guaranteed to work in an iPhone, V-Moda’s Vibe Duo comes in version both with and without an in-line mic and plugs neatly into the iPhone’s narrow jack.

    But!

    Etymotic also introduced some iPhone-ready earphones (the hf2) with an in-line mic. They’re often considered some of the best for portable media players alongside Shure, so it’s probably worth a go. Should be out now at $179.

  3. Took me a second to realize you probably were looking for music-focused headphones to replace Apple’s. I was going to suggest a Motorola Bluetooth headset, but I guess that doesn’t help if you want top-notch stereo.

    Apple’s are that bad?

  4. Actually, video-focused. I’m flying so frequently these days, it’d be nice to watch some TiVoToGo on an iPhone (without unpacking the whole laptop) and I really appreciate the passive noise-cancellation of my Shures.

  5. For planes, step up to serious over-ear Sony or Bose or similar headphones. The additional noise cancellation that the newer in-ear ones can’t provide is worth it in that environment. Other than that, stick to the Apple earbuds or a Moto headset.

  6. Given all my gear, I do try to be as minimalist as I can. I went on a few trips with a very nice Able Planet over-ear headset for review (which I still need to write) and that style is just too bulky for me. (My backpack usually has two laptops, a small wireless router, several phones, all the power adapters, etc – I need to cut back where I can. An iPhone with earbuds in my pocket, and an untouched backpack appeals…)

  7. I’ll second the V-Moda Vibe recommendation, and up the ante with the Duo Nero model, which has the microphone and button for iPhone use. I’m using it right now, as a matter of fact!

    I love my iPhone, and have bought two! But the headphone jack is my least favorite aspect by far. I bought the Belkin adapter and hate it – it’s WAY too big, and ugly.

  8. Side note – The iPhone does support Exchange, but it doesn’t support an active connection. If your host supports IMAP you can use IDLE, but only with a third-party app (that rarely works for more than an hour or so before crashing).

  9. Why not just pick up Shure’s iPhone adapter (with mic and control button)? If you’re looking for better headphones, you can spend as much as you want by going up in the Shure line. MacWorld is a great place to check them out, but don’t listen to any that you can’t afford (or aren’t willing) to purchase.

    I love my (discontinued) e3c’s, which I use with my old-fashioned iPod. They’re the first headphones that have made me consider re-ripping my entire CD collection at higher quality.

    Newer models (i3c, etc.) actually do have a built-in mic which seems it would be the way to go.

  10. Zach, I want true OTA syncing. In the short-term I should be able to read my work mail via IMAP relatively simply. Sending is another story… I may have to get tricky with Gmail to assist.

    Steve, I think I must have the (also discontinued) e2c. I’ll never use the mic and my cord is already too long, so I’ll just get a basic adapter for the short term and think about another set of buds at a later date.

  11. I would say either the Shure adapter like Steve suggested or count this as another vote for the V-Modas. I got the duo,s but although they have the mic, they don’t have the button, so I took them back. I ended up getting the conversion isolators from Ultimate Buds.I got the ones that are Extreme Mac FS1s but they also have Eytomics.

  12. I’ve seen a lot of folks recommend the v-moda’s. I think I remember Costco selling v-moda’s, are these the same model everyone is recommending. Post some picks of the new phone. We devout ZNF followers know you don’t make a post like this without the intention of purchasing an Iphone. Which begs a the question, Mr. Sling, how does the slingbox perform over the Iphone’s edge connection? Of course the last question is moot if my assumption that you are a new iphone user is incorrect.

  13. Moman, I have the iPhone. I picked up an overpriced yet cheapie adapter at the Apple store ($10, Belkin v2) as a stop-gap and will work on new earbuds at a later date. No Slinging at this time – waiting for the SDK. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I carry several phones with me most days…

  14. Note that as GadgetGav said, there are two versions of the V-Moda Vibe Duo headphones – the original, which has a mic but no button, and the Nero model, which adds the button. The latter is almost universal in stores today, but look for the “Nero” sticker on the side of the box.

  15. The sports case for the original shuffle comes with a short lead which works perfectly.

    I picked a couple up for a couple of bucks each shipped on eBay.

  16. OK, I’m about ready for a new set of ear-buds. Those of you with the V-Modas – how’s the durability? Some reviews have mentioned them dying pretty early… Keep in mind, I’ll often stick them in my pocket or backpack with no case/protection. My Shures have held up well over the years like that, but I worry about these smaller, fragile looking buds.

  17. I’d check out Shure once again, though I hear the audio quality on the SE110s isn’t so hot (move upwards if you want more). Etymotic and Ultimate Ears are good picks, and I hear the latter has a new $150 Super.fi set for the iPhone that both sounds good and builds in a mic.

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