Designing the new iPhone 5 EarPods
Along with the iPhone 5 Apple has completely redesign its Earphones. The new earphones are now call EarPods. According to the company a lot of work went into developing the new EarPods. The Cupertino company said, they have tested over 600 people with over 100 iterations of the iPhone 5 EarPods leading to a design that is defined by the geometry of the ear.
According to Apple:
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The biggest determinant of what you hear from any speaker is the movement of its diaphragm. The inward and outward motion is what creates sound. But earbud speaker diaphragms are typically made from a single material, which can limit sound output.
[pullquote]So you hear deeper, richer bass tones.[/pullquote]
So Apple acousticians re-engineered an earbud speaker diaphragm with both rigid and flexible materials to minimize sound loss and maximize sound output. Adding to the superior audio quality are strategically placed acoustic vents. The most notable of these vents is the one located in the stem of each EarPod. It allows air inside the stem, which acts as an acoustic chamber, to flow out. So you hear deeper, richer bass tones. The overall audio quality of Apple iPhone 5 EarPods is so impressive, they rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more.
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Here is what people saying about the new iPhone 5 EarPods:
Apple says its goal with the EarPods was to deliver the experience of “a person sitting in a room listening to high-quality speakers.” The EarPods aren’t quite that good, but they’re close. Distinct instruments and inflections are much clearer now, and there’s been a noticeable boost to the mid-range and bass. This is largely due to all the ports in the EarPods.
Apple says it spent three years designing its EarPods, with more than 124 different prototypes tested out on more than 600 people. Given how much better the EarPods are than EarBuds, there’s no question that the effort was well worth it.
Note that there’s also some sound leakage that people nearby will hear. It’s a bit more than you’ll get with in-canal earbuds, but a little less than with the regular Apple earbuds. Also, for the same reason, the EarPods don’t block out much external noise; if you want something that minimizes train or airplane noise, for example, go with an in-canal design or a noise-cancelling pair.
Finally, for phone calls, voices sounded fine in both directions, with a warm tone in the earpiece. Transmissions through the inline microphone were clear and well balanced, if slightly muffled.So the EarPods aren’t perfect—far from it—but in most cases, you’re not paying for them since they come with iPods and iPhones. Apple is still selling the original “classic” earphones for the same $29. Steer clear of those and grab the EarPods instead; you’ll be glad you did. Even better if they came with your new iPod or iPhone.
Sources: Apple, Wired, PCMagazine
Image: Apple
