Apple In-ear Headphones with Remote & Mic

Frequency Response (3.59)

The Apple In-ear Headphones with Remote and Mic had ok frequency response. Their main issue that brought their score down is the downward spike just before 10kHz. This is a significant, sudden drop. It might lead to some instruments sounding slightly blanketed, especially spoken sibilance.

The 10kHz plunge aside, the headphones didn’t perform poorly. They have a strong bass response, but some might find it a bit too strong. If the headphones had a slightly plateaued bass, it’d be preferable to the response curve at right, where the bass emphasis is inversely proportional to the frequency. When the bass steadily increases in volume the lower it goes, playback can sound boomy.

While the graph trends off, it does so relatively gradually (except for the valley at 10kHz). If you like bass-heavy music, the Apple In-ears might offer a good sound. If you prefer vocals, the Apple In-ears are less ideal.

Click here for more information on our frequency response test.

Distortion (4.26)

The Apple In-ear Headphones with Remote and Mic do not have much distortion. Annoyingly, however, there is a bit of noise present towards the high end. Chances are, your playback’s volume will mask the noise and you won’t notice it the majority of the time. During quiet bits, however, those with impeccable hearing will be notice the noise.

Even with the distortion, the Apple In-ears w/R&M had lower overall distortion than many headphones we’ve reviewed.

Click here for more information on our frequency response test.

Tracking (10.10)

The Apple In-ears had great tracking. They start off a negligible 2dB louder on the right side, which is probably due to a minor fit issue. Even towards the end, where the tracking graph usually turns into a block of scribbles, the Apple In-ears manage to remain reserved. This is one of the best tracking results we’ve seen to date.

Click here for more information on our frequency response test.