Apple Headphones Right Bud

DTWD · 3 Jun 2010 at 15:00

Afternoon all,

I got an iPhone 3G from work a few years back and have been using it pretty much every day since then. The majority of it's use (because I am not very popular) is as an MP3 player which I use in the car and when walking the dog, along with doing a lot of my manly duties, like the cleaning the house etc.

However in the (getting on for 3) years I have had the phone I have replaced the headphones twice and with the sound of it I am going to have to do it again. The right headphone bud volume slowly drops over time until (like now) it get's to such an extent that it's obvious and unpleasent to listen too.

So far I have had 2 3G style headphones and currently have the 3GS style ones, however I am getting fed up with this, especially as they aren't exactly amazing quality either.

So really two questions:

Is this happening to anyone else? I notice a few mentions on the net but no solution.

And secondly, any recomendations? I need good set headphones with the controls built in as when I am walking the dog the phone tends to be burried under about 5 layers of clothes and not easy to get too.

Blackhawk47 · 3 Jun 2010 at 19:31

It just so happens my headphones which I use with my iPhone have just died on the right bud...no sound out of it what so ever but the remote/left bud works fine.

Ordered a replacement...but may take these back to the Apple store and try and get them swapped if it's still in warranty.

khimbar · 3 Jun 2010 at 20:07

Mine does something similar, I thought it was just me!

wilko49 · 4 Jun 2010 at 00:54

apple headphones are truly useless. as soon as someone comes out with am iphone mic/headphone extension cable that doesn't break after a month, quality of life will be improved for all us apple fanboys

mrgubby · 4 Jun 2010 at 12:55

My son gets this problem with his Sansa Clip...........

It's earwax blocking the tiny holes in the earbud, a good clean & it's back to normal

DTWD · 4 Jun 2010 at 13:11

Well I can see that being a reason and would make sense, however the holes on the headphones are very small and there is nothing obviouse.

However I am willing to give it a go, the iPhone headphones don't come apart so any suggestions on the cleaning?

Oh and I am also glad I am not the only person suffering this problem.

Nexus · 5 Jun 2010 at 09:28

Every pair of iPhone/iPod headphones I've ever had, and I've had a few, has faded or died in one ear. It's best just to buy a pair by a better brand.

DTWD · 5 Jun 2010 at 13:12

Nexus said:
Every pair of iPhone/iPod headphones I've ever had, and I've had a few, has faded or died in one ear. It's best just to buy a pair by a better brand.

That's my plan, however I need the controls, and headphones with the controls are a dash expensive.

DTWD · 7 Jun 2010 at 10:32

Right, after the weekend of rain the headphones have pretty much given up.

Dug out my old sony MD "groove" headphones, they fit so much better, but sound considerably worse on the iPhone that they do on my MD. How odd.

Anyway, I was just discussing this with a friend at work and he suggested something I had been thinking about but hadn't done. I just wondered if anyone knew of any reason it wouldn't work.

The 3rd party mic/control extensions are a bit cheap and tend to fail after a bit from what I have read, so how about chopping the buds off my old headphones and wiring the wires into a female 3.5m jack and then plugging ordinary headphones into that?

I can't think why it wouldn't work, anyone got any theories?

DTWD · 9 Jun 2010 at 09:44

Ruddy hell.

Found a nice set of headphones. Found a nice adapter to make the headphones work as a handsfree and with the controls. Found out that hands free kit had a problem with it being proud of the phone, spent ages trying to find a suitable extension cable that carried the controller information, found one.

I could get them all off play, and I had been adding them to the basket as I went through the day. Eventually, with everything I wanted, I went to the checkout, Play put the price up of the headphones by half again. I called them this morning and they claim they are out of stock and that price is from a Play trader, even though it's quite obviouse it's not as it says Play on the damn thing, no mention of Play trade.

Really annoyed now