Apple iPod Headphones

Apple iPod Earphones Headphones for iPod Nano, Touch & Classic

Advantages: Good sound quality, last for a long time.

Disadvantages: Cost, can be uncomfortable for some.

I don't think there has been a pair of headphones like these that at one point become a part of fashion. Wearing a pair of these white iPod headphones recently became the thing to be seen wearing as if you have a pair of these on, then you must have an iPod.

Being completely white in colour apart from a grey band on the ear piece, they have become a staple part of the Apple iPod brand image. On the adverts you see the white headphone cable against the blacked out bodies and instantly think iPod. Whoever decided to make it an integral part of the brand has done a brilliant job.

The headphone cable itself it about 90 cm long and about 1mm in diameter. It is a single cable until you get 2/3rd's of the way up the cable where it splits in two, one for each earpiece. The headphones plug in through a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. The actual earphones are white and grey with a metal surface that covers where the sound comes out. On the rear of the piece are 5 small holes. There is a small R and L for each ear designation.

The first thing I noticed that unlike other headphones, there is no soft cover or padding on the earpiece, it is all solid plastic. Initially this feels quite uncomfortable in your ear and is not that pleasant. After using them a few times it starts to get more comfortable until you don't notice it at all. I listen to quite a wide range of musical genres on my iPod so I feel I have heard most things that could come out of the earphones. I have found that the sound quality is very good for everything that I have tried through them. Mine are starting to get quite old and damaged now and the quality is as good as I remember it when I bought them. Despite the plastic cable cover starting to break, the headphones still work very well indeed.

Every time I have bought other pairs, I have always come back to these as anything else I have tried always breaks with ease, these have withstood everything I can throw at them. The only downside to these headphones is the price. To buy a pair new you would have to pay around £15 from the Apple store, maybe more! You can get headphones for £5-10 which initially will match the sound quality, but they won't match the build quality. With these headphones you are paying for a quality, robust build manufactured by a brand that delivers quality with all of its products.

Overall, these have to be rated 4/5 as the price is the only factor that may put me off buying a replacement pair when these eventually break. 

This review may also appear on Ciao and Dooyoo under the username Qroo.

Unbeatable - Apple iPod (3G) 8GB

Apple iPod nano 8 GB Black (3rd Generation) OLD MODEL

Advantages: Ease of use, perfect size, huge memory.

Disadvantages: No longer produced!

I've had my 3rd Generation Apple iPod Nano now for around 4 years and throughout this time I have had no problems with it at all. When purchasing, I decided to get the 8gb instead of the 4gb model as I had a growing music collection at the time.

The iPod works on the PC when connected up with the iTunes software, which is downloadable free of charge from the internet. From this program, you can upload all your music onto it, so it can act as a "Jukebox" on your computer. When you transfer music, you simply select which tracks you do and don't want on the iPod and it quickly transfers them over.

In the 8gb memory, I have 1836 songs on my iPod with 4.4Mb free space. This is a huge selection of songs and it means I can always listen to something different. With the music you can have the album artwork displayed as well. This does look nice, but I have chosen to turn this feature off as it takes up space on the iPod that I needed for music.

The iPod doesn't just do music though, you can add music videos, TV shows and films to it, all of which can be watched quite comfortably on the 2 inch colour screen. If you want to listen to podcasts then this is perfect for them as it can store many on it as well. Other features include a clock, calender, contacts, alarms, games, notes and a stopwatch. When synced to your computer you can download data for all these extras.

There are other mp3 players on the market that can offer the same memory for a lower price, but for what the brilliant functionality and ease of use that the iPod Nano offers, it is worth paying the extra for it. The iPod has become the world leader for portable music and this is due to the simple designs, easy computer synchronisation and the unbeatable sound quality that you get with the free headphones.

Sadly this model is no longer available for purchase as they have subsequently released the 4th and 5th generation Nano, which I believe are no match for this one. I find size is just right for carrying, especially when jogging or in the gym. If you look at the newer ones, they are either long and slim, not great for pockets or very small with a touch screen, which could be fiddly with sweaty hands.

Once this iPod eventually breaks (hopefully not for a few more years), I will definitely try and get another of this model just because I like it so much. I've tried other iPods and mp3 players in the past but none have been as good as this one.

If you want an iPod and can find someone who is selling this model then I would highly recommend it.

Summary: Best iPod to date.

Review can also be found on Dooyoo and Ciao under the username Qroo.