MyMac guest review by Polly Dicker
A quick comparison of $80 iPhone in-ear headphones from Zagg and Scosche
Z.buds (available in four colors)
Company: ZAGGaudio
http://www.zagg.com/audio/zbuds-iphone-earbuds.php
Price: $80 for iPhone model with microphone, or $60 without microphone
IDR400m (black only)
Company: Scosche
http://www.scosche.com/products/sfID1/210/sfID2/320/productID/1703
Price: $80
Introduction by the editor:
Based on these two companies’ web sites, Z.buds are a clear winner. Zagg’s online presentation is superior to Scosche’s, but how do these in-ear headphones sound, and how do they fit, compared one to the other? Our guest reviewer, Polly Dicker, sets the record straight.
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I do not know which ear tip inserts came with which set of ear phones, because Nemo sent them all to me in one envelope. Three sets of rubberized tips are clear, and eight sets are black.
I was able to find two sets that fit my ears, sort of. Not a perfect fit, but okay. One is black and one is clear. When I run, which isn’t often, they fall out. These companies need to make their eartip inserts even smaller. Some adults have really small ear channels. Like me.
The sound is similar in each set of earphones (Zagg and Scosche). Audio was good, but not knock your socks off great. When the propaganda says that these are noise cancelling, I disagree. I can still hear cars and my dogs and people talking and all the outdoor noises that are there when I walk with either brand in my ears. Â
The “Hangin’ tight” orange cord on the Zagg phones is really nice material, but way too long. Perhaps it is made for someone with a really long body. I think this cable will wear better than rubber ones. The material it is made of will help it to stay tangle free, which is a real plus. The cord has multiple sliders which do the job, but some people will find them to be irrelevant. Extra bells and whistles I guess. The volume control is a nice feature, but really unnecessary. I found the bright orange color of the cord to be disconcerting for some unknown reason, though I imagine it would be easy to find in a pile of stuff.
The black cord on the Scosche phones is straightforward and nothing special, although it looks like it will wear poorly, over the long term. But these earphones will probably break or get lost before that happens anyway.
I tried both earphones with a radio that I walk with, and they worked fine. Neither set was operational with my FM radio attachment for my iPod. Â Â
My rating is 3 out of 5 for Scosche’s IDR400m, and 3.5 out of 5 for Zagg’s Z.buds. Neither gets a strong recommendation.
Another editor’s note:
It’s worth noting Zagg’s 45-day money-back guarantee, and “lifetime trade-in guarantee,” explained on the company’s web site.
Links:
http://www.zagg.com/audio/zbuds-iphone-earbuds.php
http://www.scosche.com/products/sfID1/210/sfID2/320/productID/1703
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