3 Top iPhone Headphone Solutions Showdown
Feb 27, 2009
SMART TALK
We tested the Smart Talk and we loved it!
Very clever accessory that lets you take calls and manage songs on your iPhone at a very affordable price ($19.95). It is not as practical as having the inline mic due to the added cable length, but if you want to preserve the quality of the sound of your favorite in-ear earphones, then that’s the way to go.
Sound when taking calls was crystal clear. The caller we tested them with mentioned a somewhat loud background noise but I tested these in the kitchen and rattling some pans was part of our testing. Just like with the Super.fi 5vi, you’ll have to mind your surroundings.The earphones connect directly into the mic, and the clip is really a must. I had my iPhone on my waist and the Westone 3 cables dangling from the back. The added cables were not a big issue. No interference on the quality of the music. The smart button lets you take calls, skip the songs forward and backward. The Smart Talk is an excellent solution for less than $20 and it will work with both iPhone 2G and iPhone 3G.
MPA
Like the Smart Talk, the MPA is another device you use in order to use your favorite earphones with the iPhone to listen to your music and take calls.
It was developed to be used with the Shure SE line, but in reality, it will work with any earphone.
The clip is not located on the mic, it is located on the cable and you can slide it to position it the way you prefer. I had it slid all the way towards the mic, and I clipped it to my shirt. I had my iPhone on my waist and the added cables were not an issue, just like with the Smart Talk, however because the clip is on the cable, the mic kept bending down (this would not happen when using one og the Shure SE earphones.
The sound when taking calls was loud and clear. The caller noticed less background noise (around 20% less than Smart Talk and Super.fi 5vi) and the button to manage the calls and music worked just fine, skipping the songs forward and backward, pausing or choosing to answer a call. For twice the cost of the Smart Talk ($39.99), we expected a bit more. Nevertheless, the caller on the other end heard the pans rattling at a lower volume which would make the MPA a better choice for noisy environments.
Super.fi 5 Liquid Silver vi
With a smaller size, the Super.fi 5vi has the best fit of the UE family. It is super-light. It’s a complete solution since you get the earphones and the mic built-in the cable. The best seal was achieved with the Comply Tips (foam). It is nice to have the option of routing the cables behind your ears or to just let them dangle like regular earbuds.
The sound is a pleasant surprise. It is clear and strong on the mids and highs. However, do not expect excellent bass. Depending on the song you are listening to, it tends to be bright.
Phone calls were no hassle to handle. The mic reproduces your voice loud and clear. At times my caller complained about background noise, so mind your surroundings.
The inline button lets you pause the songs, skip them (forwards and backwards) and take calls. Everything is pretty straight-forward.
- “single click” = pause/play song or take/end incoming calls
- “double click” = skip song forward
- “triple click” = skip song backward
Microphone performance with the iPhone 3G was very similar to the Smart Talk. Loud and clear but let a bit more background noise in than the MPA.
CONCLUSION
- If you don’t have a set of high quality in-ear earphones yet: Super.fi 5vi is a great tested solution
- If you want to continue to use your favorite in-ear earphones, the Smart Talk is hard to beat on performance/cost
- If cutting around 20% background noise (for the caller on the other end, not you) is very important to you, the MPA would be my choice