The Apple EarPods with Mic and Remote are earbud-style headphones crafted to ensure user comfort. This description will examine the four main features of the Apple EarPods that make them a comfortable choice. Apple Earpods use the following features and design elements to deliver high-quality headphones to all apple users. Familiarity with these features can help users make a more informed choice on earbud-style headphones. The Apple Earpods are white in color with a sleek, minimalist design and consist of four major parts (see figure 1):
3.5mm Jack
Cord
Remote
EarPods
Figure 1
3.5mm Jack
The Apple EarPods come equipped with a 4-pin 3.5mm jack or male pin. The jack is a ½ inch cylindrical aluminum-plated pin. It is segmented with three white grooves and a bulbus tip. When plugged into a 3.5mm female connector, these 4 segments or pins are responsible for both audio imput and output.
Figure 2
As seen in figure 2, the first three pins starting with the tip and working down relay audio output to the right and left earpods. The forth pin carries voice imput from the microphone—housed in the remote located on the right headphone cord—back to the device. A smooth, white Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic casing houses the wires that connect the jack to the cord.
Cord
The exterior of the EarPod cord functions as a pliable, tube-like case for 6 separate wires. This cord is lightweight silacone material that is white in color and smooth in texture. From the jack to the earpods, the cord runs 46 inches long. The cord can be broken down futher into three categories: main cord, split cords, and wires.
Main Cord
The main cord is thicker (roughly 1/8 of an inch) than the two split cords in diameter and houses no plastic components. Its length from the jack to the split cords is 34 ¼ inches. Two thick silicone pieces with a grip-like texture are in place to protect the most vulnurable areas on this section of the cord. The first abuts the ABS casing connecting the jack and the main wires. The v-shaped piece forks off from the main cord and splits the wires off to the earpods.
Split Cords
The two split cords are each 1/16 of an inch in diameter and made out of the same material as the main cord. The cords measure 12 7/8 inches from the v-shapped plastic piece to the base of the earpods. They are distingued as right and left according to the earpod they are attached to:
The left cord houses two thick silicone pieces (similar to those on the main cord). One piece is circular and adjoins the cord to the left earpod adding an aditional layer of protection for the wiring. The second silicone piece is square in shape with two holes running through. The first hole fully encloses the left cord and allows for spinning and vertical movement. The second hole is a half circle with a tapered opening facing away from the cord. This tepered opening acts as a clasp to join both split cords.
The right cord houses the remote which sits 8 inches up from the main cord. The right cord houses two thick silicone pieces (also found on the main cord): two on either side of the remote and one at the base of the right earpod.
Wires
There are six wires housed within the cord run that a current directly from the 3.5mm jack (when inserted into a device) to the remote and earpods. All six wires are string-like threads of copper and insulated with a thin layer of enamal. The specific wires connect to the remote and ear pods and the funtions of the each is shown below in figure 3:
Figure 3
Remote
The remote resides on the right split cord and is rectangular in shape, measuring a total of 1 3/8 inches. It is marked with light gray text to indicate the +/– for volume and microphone capability. Made from ABS plastic, it is smooth and white with a slight ½ inch rectangular indent in the center on the volume control side.
Contained within the ABS case is an integrated circuit (IC)—used for volume control—and a microphone mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB is responsible for diverting current to both the mic and the IC. The Apple EarPod remote is capable of the following functions:
In-line volume control: By taping the +/– buttons on the remote, the user is able to change the volume of the audio.
In-line song control: Clicking in the center of the rectangular indent twice in rapid succesion will play the next song, and clicking thrice in rapid succession will go back one song.
Phone controls: Clicking in the indent once when receiving a call will answer, and clicking it again will hang up.
EarPods
There are two white ABS plastic earpods located on the end of either split cord. The teardrop shape of the earpods nestle naturally into the ear. As shown in figure 4, the primary acoustic outlet is angled to fit snuggly into the ear canal. The earpods also have 3 long, slit-like vents: front, rear, and bass. The front and rear vents are responsible for pulling air in and allowing for better acoustics. The base vent also allows for air flow which helps produce rich base tones.
Speakers
Figure 4
Contained within the ABS earpod casings are paper-based speaker cones responsible for converting electrical current travelling through the cord to audio. The speakers consist of a gray gauzy material which is thin and circular in shape. There is a skinny copper wire coiled into a circle resting in the center of the speaker cones.
Conclusion
Using the EarPods with any Apple product allows for full control of phone, song, and volume functions. Inserting the jack into any 3.5mm female port will allow for audio at the very least. A 4-pin female port is required for use of the mic for phone calls or any other communication functions on the device.
References
EDN Network. (2012). The Apple EarPods: Inside and out. Apple Tear Down Analysis Collection. Retrieved July 17, 2015 from http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/apple-teardown-and-analysis-collection/4397048/The-Apple-EarPods--Inside-and-out.
Epsilon Industries. (2015). Most Common Materials and Their Uses.Epsilon Industries. Retrieved July 17, 2015 from http://epsilonindustries.com/resources/plastic-injection-material-selection/.
Google. (2013). Headphone Cord Sleeve. Google Patents. Retrieved July 19, 2015 from http://www.google.com/patents/US20110290532.
IFIXIT. (2012). Apple EarPods Teardown. IFIXIT. Retrieved July 16, 2015 from
https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Apple+EarPods+Teardown/10501.
Mashable. (2012). Meet EarPods, Your New Apple earphones. Mashable. Retrieved July 23, 2015 from http://mashable.com/2012/09/12/apple-earpods/.
Specout. (2015). Apple EarPods. Specout. Retrieved July 16, 2015 from http://headphones.specout.com/l/1105/Apple-EarPods.
StackExchange. (2013). Are All of the Wires in Headphones Copper?. Electrical Engineering. Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange. Retrieved July 22, 2015 from http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/60031/are-all-of-the-wires-in-headphones-copper.
Images
Figure 1: https://www.heimkino-hifi.de/images/produkte/i11/Kopfhoerer-fuer-iPod-und-iPhone-Original-Apple-EarPods--.jpg
Figure 2: https://technosyndicate.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/122312_0549_common35mm11.png
Figure 3: Cord Wires: http://www.circuitbasics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/iPhone-Headphone-Wires-EDITED-RESIZED.jpg
Figure 4: http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/apple-teardown-and-analysis-collection/4397048/The-Apple-EarPods--Inside-and-out
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