*Updated 2-8-10*
When shopping for headphones for the iPhone, it’s important to look for headphones that are full-featured, meaning they come with a microphone as well as call/music controls that allow you to take full advantage of the iPhone’s phone and iPod features. Below is a list of the top-rated full-featured iPhone headphones under $100.
Klipsch S4i
When considering a price-to-sound quality ration, the Klipsch Image S4i ($99) currently give you the best band for the buck. The headphones are well-designed and stylish, and are comfortable to wear thanks to their snug-fitting silicone eartips. The headphones are fully iPhone-compatible thanks to a mic and music control dongle located on its cord. CNET made the headphones their Editor’s Choice in the summer of 2009. The earphones come with 4 different-sized silicone eartips, a ear-tip cleaning tool (for earwax), a clip for attaching to clothing, and a carrying pouch.
Helpful links:
Amazon.com: Klipsch Image S4i $99
V-Moda Vibe Duo Earphones
The V-Mod Vibe Duo Earbuds ($55.00) line of earbuds are some of the best-looking iPhone earphones around, and they also produce a solid bass-heavy sound. iLounge gives them a B+ (review), and CNET gives them a 7.3 out of 10 (review) (based on an outdated model without play/pause capabilities).
iLounge found the Vibe Duos to be a real value based on the entire package: style, size, extra features, and dramatic bass ehancements.
The Vibe Duos come with six sets of silicon eartips, three in black, three in clear. The kit also features a leather pouch to store your headphones in.
The earphones come in three different colors: Black, Chrome, and Gunmetal Rouge. The buds are accented by shiny industrial-looking bands of metal. The cord is covered with fabric and features a clip that can be attached to clothing if you want to keep the microphone from moving around as you walk or run. The cord features a cloth covering instead of the usual plastic/rubber.
iLounge found the sound of the microphone to be superior to the Shure brand of extension cords that adds microphone/playback functionality to their earphones. However, the sound didn’t measure up the original iPhone earphone’s microphone.
Because the V-Moda has gone through two revisions recently, buyers should be careful to get the latest version that comes with a call button/music control.
Links
Official site for V-Moda Vibe Duo
Maximo iMetal iP-HS2
The Maximo iP-HS2 iMetal ($39.00) earphones received a B+ from iLounge.com (review) and a 6.5 out of 10 from IGN (review). The Maximo iP-HS2 earphones come with full iPhone functionality of a microphone and play/pause button.
iLounge liked the audio of the iP-HS2, calling it “a little cleaner and more balanced, but flatter,” than the V-Moda Vibe Duo. They suggest using the Vibe Duos for rocking out, and the iP-HS2s for “clinical listening.”
The iP-HS2 uses a more efficient earphone, requiring less volume from the iPhone, and the sound isolation of the earbuds also contribute to volume efficiency by doing a decent job of blocking environmental noise.
iLounge found the microphone of the iP-HS2 as comparable to the Apple earphones and better than the V-Moda Vibe Duo’s. The iP-HS2 microphone does a good job of filtering out environmental noise and isolating the caller’s voice.
Maximo chose wisely in separating the microphone and play/pause button. They placed the play/pause button at the intersection where the left and right cords connect and located the microphone farther up on the cord, closer to the mouth. The problem with the location of Apple’s play/pause button is that sometimes you don’t know which side it’s on, leaving you grasping the wrong cord. iLounge suggests that more companies use Maximo’s approach.
The Maximo iP-HS2 earphones come with three sets of silicone ear tips, a 2-foot extension cord, and a carrying case.
Links
Official site for Maximo iP-HS2
Skullcandy iPhone FMJ
The Skullcandy iPhone FMJ ($59.00) are stylish full-functioning iPhone earphones, with an inline microphone and play/pause button. The headphones received reviews of B+ from iLounge (review) and 6.7 out of 10 from CNET (review).
Both review sites loved the Skullcandy’s microphone call quality. iLounge even found the sound superior to the microphones in the original Apple and V-Moda Vibe earphones.
The music audio quality is bass heavy, according to iLounge, having the side effect of masking some midrange and treble sound. CNET seemed to find the opposite, stating the FMJ’s high-end “was generally very good” and the bass “to be lacking.”
Sound isolation of the FMJ earphones is not quite on par with other similarly priced earphones, but better than Apple’s default headphones.
The Skullcandy iPhone FMJ comes with only one size of silicone earbuds, but also has two sets of Comply foam ear tips. Buyers should beware if you have larger ear canals, as the foam tips might not fit. However, the silicone medium-sized tips will fit most “normal” sized ear canals just fine.
The FMJ earphones also come with a carrying case with a zipper and a special mesh inner pocket for storing the extra ear tips.
Links:
#1 by lin on August 26th, 2008
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The VModa newest ones have a metal headphone jack connector with the wire coming out of the side in a rubber flexible gasket. If you get ones which come straight out the top, you have the old ones which shorted out all the time….
Pingback: New Apple In-Ear Headphones With Microphone Not Compatible With iPhone
#2 by Alias Node on September 14th, 2008
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Regarding the new Apple in-ear headphones, some people are saying that they do work with iPhones, but that the volume control doesn’t work. Song pause/skip and microphone reportedly work fine.
#3 by Herr Doktor on November 6th, 2008
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Wrong, wrong, and wrong.
V-Moda Vibes lose all of their bass the instant there is any outside noise (riding a bus for example), owing to their poor sound isolation. And when watching videos (movies, TV shows), they make everything sound like James Earl Jones in a wood box.
The Maximo’s are dull, dull, dull in sound and can’t be saved with any EQ setting. And the hard-to-press call/control button has no tactile feedback whatsoever.
Skullcandy’s are sold to teenagers from mall kiosks. They have skulls painted on them. ‘Nuff said.
For under $100 (street price) you can get the Sennheiser CX400 (split-cord design) + Shure MPA-3C music adapter. Great sound, great mic, great controls.
#4 by Alan on November 6th, 2008
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Herr Doktor, the Sennheiser CX400s require an adapater dongle that many iPhone users find awkward. The article is about full-featured iPhone earphones. But yes, there are much better iPod headphones out there under $100, they all just require the purchase of an awkward dongle.
#5 by Alfred on November 30th, 2008
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can you use the skullcandy fmj headphones for the i phone 3g
#6 by Alan on November 30th, 2008
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Alfred, yes, the Skullcandy can be used with the iPhone 3G.
#7 by chris on January 2nd, 2009
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Any news around this subject alan?
#8 by Alan on February 13th, 2009
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Chris: I updated the article Feb. 2009.
#9 by Kevin on October 9th, 2009
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Do the skullcandy control the play/pause and other ipod functions of the iphone?
#10 by Alan on December 20th, 2009
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Yes, but there are no volume buttons like on the default headphones for the iPhone 3GS.