Those little white jobbies aren't cutting it anymore

October 18, 2008 7:29 AM

What are the best iPhone-compatible, in-ear headphones one can buy for around $50?

By iPhone-compatible I mean they have a little mic on the cord so that I can talk hands free. Call/iPod controls on the cord would be nice, too, but not 100% necessary. I'd sacrifice those features for so for better sound. I listen to a lot of rap and electronic music, so something that can handle deeper bass better than the standard headphones would be supreme. Of course, something with all these features that matches my price range would be great too.

posted by wordsmith to Technology (6 answers total)

I've been keeping my eye on the Apple In-Ear Headphones that are due to be released this month for $79. They're supposed to have a mic, click control, a volume control. One note though, the Apple website leaves out the iPhone from it's compatibility list:

"The remote and mic are supported only by iPod nano (4th generation), iPod classic (120GB), and iPod touch (2nd generation). Audio is supported by all iPod models."

Current speculation on the message boards I've seen are that although the iPhone isn't listed as compatible, everything should work except the on-cord volume control. That, of course, is just speculation, though since the headphones haven't been released yet.
posted by perrce at 7:53 AM on October 18, 2008

I bought a little cord at Target that has the mic and a button that I can plug my own headphones into. It's made by Philips and only $10.

http://www.target.com/Philips-iPhone-Microphone-Adapter/dp/B0015C5CSM

It works pretty well and I like the headphones I had much better than the standard issue iPhone ones.
posted by advicepig at 9:52 AM on October 18, 2008

Several manufacturers make adaptors that go between your iPhone (or other smartphone) and headphones to provide a microphone: Monster Cable ($20), Shure ($50), and the Philips mentioned above.

The Philips and Shure models are cords with the mic and socket for your headphones at one end. The Monster Cable model is a stubby adaptor that plugs into the iPhone, and the mic is on a cable that clips to your headphone cable.

iLounge has reviews of the Monster and Shure units; the Monster rates higher than the Shure, largely on price.
posted by ardgedee at 11:07 AM on October 18, 2008

I was surprised to discover that the standard apple headphones performed pretty well when I added the Griffin EarJams, which are little snap-on extenders that turn the earphones into in-ear headphones. They can be had for less than $10, and come with a nice little case for your earphones. I had been looking for in-ear headphones with a mic, but after trying this I decided I didn't need new headphones. (They don't look as goofy as I had worried either.)

Here's a review I googled.
Here they are on Amazon.
posted by raygan at 12:33 PM on October 18, 2008 [2 favorites]

I have a pair of V Moda Vibe Duo (Ugh, terrible website music) headphones which are especially made for the iPhone, and have a plug that will fit into the recessed iPhone jack. They have a mic on the cord, and come standard with a variety of earbuds to help you get a comfortable fit. The sound quality is also phenomenal. Here's a pair on eBay (3 hours left on the auction as I write this) for $45 + s/h, although they retail for around $90.
posted by Demogorgon at 3:20 PM on October 18, 2008

AFAIK there is a difference between original iPhone and iPhone 3G earphone plugs. so you may want to make sure you get the right thing before purchasing.

Since you didn't specify, I would recommend for the 3G model the

"Coby CVEM86 Hands-Free Stereo Earphones with Microphone (iPhone Compatible)"

~$20 on amazon. They have better quality than the original set IMO, and include three different soft in-ear pieces so you can choose your favorite one. It has a mic that works as well as apple's and it has button compatibility.
posted by joemax at 10:33 AM on October 21, 2008