Earbuds
March 11, 2012 at 12:36 AM by Dr. Drang
Hey, I just got a new pair of earbuds, and there’s an internet rule that says I have to tell you about them. Actually, based on the usual earphone/headphone post, the requirements are:
- I must pay more for the headphones than I did for the iPod they’re connected to.
- I must compare them to at least two other brands that I bought in the past that were similarly priced.
- I must tell you how important music is to my life, my work, and my overall psychic wellbeing so as to justify my headphone habit.
- I must tell you the kind of music I listen to so you know what good taste I have.
I’m afraid I may fail to meet some of these requirements.
Let’s not keep you in suspense any longer.
I was going to get the violet/blue combination instead of the red/green, but they cost almost $2 more and were on back order. I’m replacing a pair of violet/blues after about a year of service.
Ah, you’re saying, if you bought more expensive earbuds they’d last longer. Maybe. I’ve had Etymotics and Shures and they’ve lasted three years or more. But they cost a lot more than three times what these Sonys cost and I didn’t give them as much hard use. I sleep with the Sonys on; they lull me into the Land of Nod at night and jar me back into Reality in the morning. I would never have dared do that with the more expensive models.
But the sound quality, you’re saying. These cheapos can’t deliver the fidelity of the upmarket brands. Maybe. But my ears are 51 years old; there’s a limit to their fidelity. Plus, most of what I listen to on my iPod are spoken-word podcasts and recordings of music streamed over the internet. These are just fine for that kind of audio.
And if your tastes run to rap, metal, or Phish concert recordings, the quality of your music doesn’t require expensive headphones.
That was unkind. I guess I’m still broken up over the death of Davy Jones.
