Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Pros - Much better bass response than previous earbuds Comfortable! No more rubber trim to flake off Excellent 3 button remote/mic for convenient access to Siri or Voice Control, play/pause, etc Cons - Treble can get sibilant/clipped at higher volumes Mids sound a little dry, overwhelmed by harsh treble Earbuds, so no isolation Good values in headphones for $29, but not with remote/mic Summary - An excellent update to a ubiquitous product. The ears of millions of people who wouldn't upgrade anyway are in for a treat, but if you're comfortable with over-the-ear or in-canal style those headphones, those styles will block more outside noise. These aren't the most detailed or cleanest sounding earphones either, but for a set of earbuds, they are grand, and a good deal at $29. Review - Gizmodo just ran a hit piece on the EarPods, labelling them crap and not worth $29. Almost every other tech site to review them has been impressed, so I let my curiosity lead me to my local Apple Store and grabbed a set. My bundled Apple earbuds had broken months ago and I have a number of other headphones in various styles handy for comparison. My immediate first impression of the EarPods was on a voice call that was still in progress when I got to the Apple Store and checked out. Caller's voice was clear and she heard me well over the din of the store. This functionality has always been a highlight of the bundled Apple 'phones, even if sound quality wasn't so great. I queued up "Busy Bodies" by Elvis Costello and the first thing I thought was "yuk!" Treble was sharp and painful. Bass is there and much improved from the previous earbuds - in fact, this is probably the best element of the EarPods sound. This is NOT Beats by Dre levels of bass emphasis. I have Skullcandy Titans in my bag also - those headphones have lots of bass and require a bass reducer EQ. These EarPods have excellent, well balanced bass. Moved on to "Lucky" by the Gaslight Anthem. Same impression - too much happening up top to enjoy the music. It seems like the aiming of the driver does improve how much noise you hear from outside, but you will still want to be careful not to turn these up too high. Joni Mitchell, Big Boi, Guided by Voices, I tried a lot of different stuff and decided these needed the treble reducer EQ engaged. With the treble dialed down, these are a much more listenable headphone. Cymbals are much more natural and the whole presentation benefits. The do stay in my ears better and they are very comfortable. Time will tell on durability, but they seem solid. I think these are an excellent freebie and an OK aftermarket purchase. I'll update this review if I encounter any problems with durability. I think I'll switch to these as my everyday headphones - at work and commuting, you need to hear around you. All told, a solid update.