Earphones for iPhone?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
Barefootgirl
Posts: 2519
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:05 pm

Earphones for iPhone?

Post by Barefootgirl »

I'd like to use my iPhone for listening to various items on my commute.

Can someone recommend a decent pair of iPhone compatible earphones? lightweight, good audio, reliable?

I am not able to wear ear buds, it's a long story.

Thanks
How many retired people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Only one, but he takes all day.
curmudgeon
Posts: 2630
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by curmudgeon »

Barefootgirl wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:14 am I'd like to use my iPhone for listening to various items on my commute.

Can someone recommend a decent pair of iPhone compatible earphones? lightweight, good audio, reliable?

I am not able to wear ear buds, it's a long story.

Thanks
Not a driving commute, hopefully. Many (most/all?) states have laws against driving with both ears blocked by headphones because it impairs hearing emergency vehicles or other situations. If you are comfortable swapping a car stereo, bluetooth stereos are pretty cheap these days and you could play through the car system.
bloom2708
Posts: 9855
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:08 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by bloom2708 »

Get a Bose SoundLink Mini or Mini 2. Use bluetooth from your phone to the speaker. Set it on the seat next to you. Great sound. Small.

Do not use headphones when driving. :wink:

If not a car drive (riding), then Bose QC25 or QC35. Over the ear and comfortable.
Last edited by bloom2708 on Fri May 25, 2018 10:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
mhalley
Posts: 10424
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:02 am

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by mhalley »

For listening on your commute, perhaps headphones are not the best way to go. There are multiple ways to hook up the iPhone to the cars stereo, or else get a Bluetooth speaker for the car. If your car doesn’t have a Bluetooth capability:
Here are some ways to hook it up to the current stereo system
https://www.lifewire.com/using-ipod-wit ... nit-534597
And some car Bluetooth speaker kits at amazon
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i ... 8G9EDIKQKG
Another option is to replace the car stereo with a modern one.
inbox788
Posts: 8372
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2012 5:24 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by inbox788 »

I got a Sony wired headset that sound pretty good for under $20 and is no biggie if lost or damaged. I think it's this one:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NJ2M43M/

Do you need wireless? noise cancellation? (inconvenience of cord vs. sync vs. charging batteries)

Which iPhone? Does it have a headphone jack? Wired or wireless?

Budget?

What kind of commute? Car, train, bike, other? Noisy?

I'm no Bose or Beats fan, but Bose QuietComfort Noise Cancelling ( https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfor ... B01E3SNO1G ) and Beats sound very good to me, but the small improvement is not worth the added cost to me (especially in a noisy environment, plus I use and abuse my headphones). Depending on the kind of usage, I'd look for alternatives like Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7b recommended by Wirecutter (check out their other recommendations).

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best- ... -under-100
onourway
Posts: 3778
Joined: Thu Dec 08, 2016 2:39 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by onourway »

Why does everyone assume a commute is in a car?

Can you give us an idea of what kind you are looking for? If you can't wear ear buds, does that also rule out the wireless Apple model?

Does that mean any brand ear bud is out or just Apple? If ear buds are out, are you looking for over-ear headphones? Wired or wireless? Price point?
User avatar
oldcomputerguy
Moderator
Posts: 17878
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 5:50 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

curmudgeon wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 10:35 am
Barefootgirl wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:14 am I'd like to use my iPhone for listening to various items on my commute.

Can someone recommend a decent pair of iPhone compatible earphones? lightweight, good audio, reliable?

I am not able to wear ear buds, it's a long story.

Thanks
Not a driving commute, hopefully. Many (most/all?) states have laws against driving with both ears blocked by headphones because it impairs hearing emergency vehicles or other situations. If you are comfortable swapping a car stereo, bluetooth stereos are pretty cheap these days and you could play through the car system.
+1. I j just changed out the stock radio/CD/cassette player in my truck (yep, 2004 factory original) with a new Kenwood radio that includes AM/FM/digital radio, XM, USB, aux connector, and bluetooth for around $250 installed. My iPhone has become my drive-time media center. As a side benefit, it came with a hands-off kit through which I can answer phone calls with a touch of a button and never take my eyes off the road.
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. (Christopher Morley)
Freefun
Posts: 1237
Joined: Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:55 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by Freefun »

I feel safer without headphones in a car and I've used amazon tap or dot devices in some rentals. My own car has apple CarPlay so I don't need anything else. The amazon devices work great for me to listen to music or more often for me, audiobooks.
Remember when you wanted what you currently have?
mhalley
Posts: 10424
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:02 am

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by mhalley »

Good point about the assumption of a car commute. For a good site with headphone reviews based on price, check out head-fi.org For a commute, you will want closed back headphones.
https://www.head-fi.org/articles/headph ... ide.14163/
WhiteMaxima
Posts: 3323
Joined: Thu May 19, 2016 5:04 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by WhiteMaxima »

Actually iPhone OEM earphone is super good for traveling. For travel over the head phone, you would need a close port to isolate the noise. I would choose Sennheiser, Byerdynamics with low impedance. No Beats, no Boss. Read Stereophile and you will know why.
curmudgeon
Posts: 2630
Joined: Thu Jun 20, 2013 11:00 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by curmudgeon »

oldcomputerguy wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 10:49 am
curmudgeon wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 10:35 am
Barefootgirl wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 8:14 am I'd like to use my iPhone for listening to various items on my commute.

Can someone recommend a decent pair of iPhone compatible earphones? lightweight, good audio, reliable?

I am not able to wear ear buds, it's a long story.

Thanks
Not a driving commute, hopefully. Many (most/all?) states have laws against driving with both ears blocked by headphones because it impairs hearing emergency vehicles or other situations. If you are comfortable swapping a car stereo, bluetooth stereos are pretty cheap these days and you could play through the car system.
+1. I j just changed out the stock radio/CD/cassette player in my truck (yep, 2004 factory original) with a new Kenwood radio that includes AM/FM/digital radio, XM, USB, aux connector, and bluetooth for around $250 installed. My iPhone has become my drive-time media center. As a side benefit, it came with a hands-off kit through which I can answer phone calls with a touch of a button and never take my eyes off the road.
I've been shopping around this space for the last week. I'm comfortable installing myself, so there are a lot of options. It's easiest if you stick to the space already existing in your dash, typically either the older "single DIN" or the newer "double DIN". Often you may need a dash filler kit to make the bezel fit cleanly, especially for the double-DIN format, and a wiring harness kit to help plug into the car wiring cleanly. Crutchfield.com is a good resource, but they don't necessarily have the cheapest options.

My 07 pickup has a double-DIN dash space, so I'm planning to use a larger unit with a 6-7" display and include a backup camera. Still debating about one with included Nav system. There are a bunch of cheap ones on Amazon which are essentially an android tablet tacked onto an amplifier, but I don't have a lot of confidence in the quality and durability. I'll probably go with a standard brand, even if lower end (Dual/Blaupunkt/Boss).
User avatar
simplesimon
Posts: 4566
Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:53 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by simplesimon »

I was recently deciding between the Airpods and the QC35II's. If price is no object, then I'd recommend the Bose headphones as it will drown out the commute noise (I take the subway).
User avatar
Pajamas
Posts: 6015
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by Pajamas »

onourway wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 10:48 am Why does everyone assume a commute is in a car?

Can you give us an idea of what kind you are looking for? If you can't wear ear buds, does that also rule out the wireless Apple model?

Does that mean any brand ear bud is out or just Apple? If ear buds are out, are you looking for over-ear headphones? Wired or wireless? Price point?
I would assume it's not in a car. Why would someone need headphones for use in a car?

Barefootgirl, assuming you are using shared transportation, you would probably like over-the-ear (not on-the-ear) headphones with active noise cancelling. Wireless vs. non-wireless is an important factor. The most suitable headphones for you will depend on the price range.
Topic Author
Barefootgirl
Posts: 2519
Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 7:05 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by Barefootgirl »

yes, I travel by train. My iPhone is the 6 PLUS.... price range? I am not an audiophile on the train :) but I would prefer reasonable sound quality.

Can that be found for less than $100? less than $50?

thanks
How many retired people does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Only one, but he takes all day.
dsjohns
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri May 25, 2018 2:19 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by dsjohns »

I'd recommend studio headphone monitors. Made for wearing for long periods of time and to isolate sound.

https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-A ... 00HVLUQW8/

$59.99

https://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Pro ... 000AJIF4E/

$79.99
User avatar
oldcomputerguy
Moderator
Posts: 17878
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 5:50 am
Location: Tennessee

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by oldcomputerguy »

curmudgeon wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 11:22 am I've been shopping around this space for the last week. I'm comfortable installing myself, so there are a lot of options.
In my younger days, I would have been as well. But I didn't want to mess with it, so I just bought the radio at Best Buy and got them to include the install. They did a very good job of it.
There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way. (Christopher Morley)
User avatar
Pajamas
Posts: 6015
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by Pajamas »

Barefootgirl wrote: Fri May 25, 2018 1:56 pm yes, I travel by train. My iPhone is the 6 PLUS.... price range? I am not an audiophile on the train :) but I would prefer reasonable sound quality.

Can that be found for less than $100? less than $50?

thanks
Look at these in the $50 to $60 range. To get better than that you have to go up quite a bit to about $100. If you don't want noise cancellation or need wireless, you could go a little cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/TaoTronics-Cance ... B075CBHN9M

https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Cancelling- ... B0798G3248

https://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-SonicS ... B01MTIUQD0

Your phone has a headphone jack but I don't think most newer models do so you might want to go with wireless. A wired set obviously has wires but doesn't need charging for listening although active noise cancellation either requires a small swappable battery or recharging. At this point, it's probably the path of least resistance to go with wireless.
mhalley
Posts: 10424
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 5:02 am

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by mhalley »

I have the mpows listed above. I only listen to podcasts so can’t quantify music, but they sound great for that. I got them mostly for the noise cancelling when mowing the lawn, and they do a pretty good job on my gas lawn mower. Cuts the noise down by maybe 40-50%. Much better than using my earbuds with no noise cancelling. For the price, they do a good job for my purposes.
User avatar
KSOC
Posts: 645
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2016 3:53 pm
Location: Central Pennsylvania

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by KSOC »

I got a set of the mpows a few months back & liked then enough to get my wife a pair. Lightweight, good sound & great price under $40. Use them for phone call, podcasts, music, radio streaming. Wired & Bluetooth. Ordered thru Amazon.

https://www.xmpow.com/mpow-h1-bluetooth ... hones.html
I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round. | Nobody told me there'd be days like these.
student
Posts: 10720
Joined: Fri Apr 03, 2015 6:58 am

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by student »

fogalog
Posts: 414
Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2015 10:31 am

Re: Earphones for iPhone?

Post by fogalog »

Since no-one else has mentioned it I'd recommend taking a look at the Wirecutter. It is generally pretty good in terms of value versus quality trade-offs.

https://thewirecutter.com/electronics/headphones/

Good luck!
Post Reply