Gizmodo: iphone retail bait

Hands-On Vmoda's Vibe Duo Headphones for iPhone (Verdict: Punchy, No Remote)

Brian Lam — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 20:52:01 EDT

What made these $100 headphones irresistible Apple store iPhone retail bait? If it was a sin to use white earbuds with a nano, it surely was a sin to use it with a $600 phonepod. They're also the only headphones to launch with the iPhone that explicitly work with the recessed headphone jack. They sound great, but they've got one flaw.

Pros:Listening to a frequency sweep, base came in more clearly and with more tactile oomph off the line, while slightly peaky on the high end. They were more punchy, and the earpieces (comes with several sizes) were comfy and stayed in while not picking up too much ear grease. More efficient, so louder at a given volume setting than stock buds. Better sound isolation. Cloth covered black cables were nice. Microphone built in for calls. Leather carrying pouch included.
Cons:Headphone jack stem is too tall. Unbelievably, no remote control button for play/pause, track skipping, or call accept/reject.
Verdict: If you're into the headphones for calling, instead of using a bluetooth headset or the handset itself, you'd better pass. If you find yourself using the iPod in the iPhone a lot, these might be worth it, but consider Belkin's $10 adapter that will allow all your old headphones to work with the iPhone, first.
[VModa]

Monster iCarPlay Tested with iPhone (Verdict: GSMBZZZZ)

Brian Lam — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 16:20:53 EDT

Monster's iCarPlay tape adapter is total Apple Store iPhone retail bait. Why was it irresistible on checkout? Because fat-jack aside, my old one was highly susceptible to iPhone's self-inflicted GSM buzz: the dreaded EMI that speakers exhibit when placed near cellphones. Did this fix it? Despite the Compatible with iPhone sticker, NO NO NO NO NO NO!

The Good:The headphone jack fit perfectly with the iPhone's recessed headphone jack. (The old one broke after I lopped off the adapter's plug trying to shave it down.)
The Bad: A simple test revealed that the Monster was no more resistant to the GSM buzz than the 10-dollar version from RadioShack. This one is $25.

Verdict: If you're trying to kill the iPhone's self-inflicted GSM buzz, forget it. You're better off shaving the extra plastic off your old one. Careful, now, careful! And Monster, we'd like to think that if anyone can shield a tape adapter from GSM EMI, you could, so get working on it. And maybe change that Compatible with iPhone sticker to Kinda CompatibleZZZZZ withZZZZ iPhoneBZZZ!.

(I would switch to airplane mode, but you know what? I don't want to miss calls because I'm listening to music.)

Incase Protective iPhone Cover Tested (Verdict: OK)

Brian Lam — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 18:46:15 EDT

This Incase Protective cover is the first piece of iPhone retail-bait I couldn't resist in the Apple store. The good: It's the sleekest of all cases in stock there, so it won't make your iPhone look like a Tonka truck; it's rubberized, available in black, red, and grey; and has a neat topographical pattern all over it that supposedly helps grip; cutouts or ridges for all buttons; helps the iPhone fit snuggly in iPod docks.

The bad:

It's isn't actually so skinny that it allows handset to dock with the Apple iPhone dock, despite it being the sleekest around (see photo), requiring me to remove the case or just use the dock cable alone. You should be acutely reminded that this won't help protect your screen, but this isn't so much a fault as a part of the design. (Maybe it'll work well with the Invisible Shield coating. The company says it won't impact the touchscreen's sensitivity, but we've yet to test that out.) As I remove the case for docking reasons, it is starting to stretch out, like a wizard's sleeve. That could be a problem as debris falls in between the sleeve and the iPhone. (I think this would result in abrasions, not pearls.) This should cost $15, not $30, and Incase, you know it.

Verdict: I'm satisfied with it.