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Ear buds for an IPhone; Help trying to find some for nephew

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Dec 5, 2016.

  1. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    My sister tells me that my Christmas gift list for my nephew might include a pair of ear buds for use with his IPhone. Considering that my experience begins and ends with the little white things that came with transistor radios in the 1960s, I am totally out of my element.

    But, I figured there might be some younger (or older) Prius folks who use these new fangled things or know a lot about them...Remember this is a 20-year-old with an IPhone (SE model).

    I found an old thread from 2007, and a thread from Sept. with Bob Wilson touting Audio‑Technica ATH ANC23 QuietPoint Noise‑Canceling buds, but not sure if those would meet the "groovy" factor...or whatever it is they say nowadays.

    Any tips?
     
    #1 Stevewoods, Dec 5, 2016
  2. hkmb

    hkmb Senior Member

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    Is it one of the new iPhones that doesn't have a headphone socket? Or an old one that does? That will be the key thing to check before you buy anything.
     
    #2 hkmb, Dec 5, 2016
  3. KennyGS

    KennyGS Senior Member

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    I have an iPhone SE, and it has a jack. However, wireless is the big thing. There are many good brands, and they can be fairly expensive.
     
    #3 KennyGS, Dec 5, 2016
  4. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    +1

    You'll also need to set a price range, and determine whether nephew wants studio-type headphones (sometimes called "on-ear") or the kind that clean out the ears.

    The "go-to" seems to be the "Beats" type but they're $150 and up.
    Probably not the thing to get a pre-teen.....or.???
    Maybe not.
    I'm old school when it comes to audio and even my half-century-old, tendinitis-plagued ears can detect the loss of fidelity with wireless-versus-wired headsets.
    Not typically a deal-breaker for me, since I listen mostly to books and podcasts....BUT, if your sister's kid is a budding audiophile you may want to start being the wise old unc that teaches that quality > quantity.
    Besides....
    Tendinitis is a BITCH, and listening to music at levels that will shake rust off of a screen door is really cool.......until you can't anymore.

    Bluetooth audio vs. wires - CNET

    Or?
    He may just want the Mk-1, Mod-0 wired kind, which the Apples are trying to relegate to the technological trash heap.
    Of these, I lean away from the $200 Bose sets, simply because of fragility and use $10-15 JVC Gummies which provide a good blend of quality-for-price along with decent noise isolation.
    Just remember.....sometimes noise isolation works against you out in the world. ;)

    Here's a thread started by our own @bwilson4web that you may find interesting.
    Noise cancelling ear buds -- winnner! | PriusChat

    Good Luck!
     
    #4 ETC(SS), Dec 6, 2016
    Stevewoods likes this.
  5. PosauneGuy

    PosauneGuy Member

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    How does your nephew use his iPhone for listening? Does he exercise with them? Does he just plug in when he's studying? If he does some exercising, I would definitely recommend a pair of bluetooth sports ear buds. If he just listens with his phone in his pocket or nearby, wired buds are fine (and more reliable, since they don't require charging). There may be style/brand issues that might determine what he would want to be seen in! Looks might be more important than quality.
     
    #5 PosauneGuy, Dec 6, 2016
  6. Stevewoods

    Stevewoods Senior Member

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    Well went for Beats Tour 2, based on comments I received on a "youthful" board o_O

    They are going for around $130 most places, but I caught a special and got two-day air, etc. for $50. Think they will be fine.
    Thanks for the comments, all. Esp. ETC!!!!

    You put some effort into it, dude!
     
    #6 Stevewoods, Dec 6, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 7, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  7. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    ;)
    Merry Christmas!!
     
    #7 ETC(SS), Dec 7, 2016
  8. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    What! Christmas already! I've only just paid for last year's
     
    #8 RCO, Dec 7, 2016
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