Never miss an update Follow AppleInsider
Monday, November 01, 2010, 12:30 pm
Apple investigating iPhone issues with Monster-branded headphones
Apple is said to have advised its support employees of iPhone and iPod issues caused by some Monster headphones with integrated microphones and controls.An anonymous tipster provided Engadget with information claimed to be from an internal memo from Apple detailing the purported issues. The documentation shows issues with a variety of Monster-branded headphones, including Jamz, Turbine and Heartbeats models.
"Several Monster headphone models using Apple's Remote and Mic technology do not meet Apple's technical specifications," the alleged memo reads. "These headphones use conductive flanges, which can result in electrical shorts that can cause an iPod or iPhone to pause and play erratically."
The information was apparently provided to support personnel at Apple because the company has received complaints from customers who believe the issue is the fault of their Apple device. The documentation states that the headphones can cause issues with Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod lines of products.
"Customers may not be aware that the issue is caused by the headphones and may believe that the iPod or iPhone is defective instead," the memo reads. "There are no known safety concerns and no known risk of damage to the iPod/iPhone or headphones."
Symptoms of the apparent issue include pausing, playing and skipping forward or back through songs. Engadget noted that the list of problem headphones does not include any of the "Beats" line of products that Apple sells in its own stores.
On Topic: iPhone
- iPhone urinalysis app draws scrutiny from FDA
- Best Buy to offer $50 off all iPhone 5 & 4S models starting Sunday
- New service delivers passes for Apple's Passbook via text message
- AT&T to reportedly add Apple's iPhone to GoPhone prepaid lineup
- Apple airs new iPhone ad, continues brilliant 'quiet' TV campaign
Previous Comments View All
I thought Monster made the best engineered cables and such on the plant. This is why a 6ft HDMI cable costs half a months paycheck. You mean to tell me their products are no better or worse than anything else, and sometimes defective and non-functional? /sarcasm
crazy since Monster is a premium brand
Interesting....
I plugged my sons Skull Candy headphones into my iPad a few weeks back and couldn't get a sound out of them. I then tried them in my iPhone4 and again no sound.
I thought he'd broken them but i've seen him wandering around the house and walking to college with them plugged into his iPod. He assures me they work perfectly well.
Very odd.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Underhill 
Interesting....
I plugged my sons Skull Candy headphones into my iPad a few weeks back and couldn't get a sound out of them. I then tried them in my iPhone4 and again no sound.
I thought he'd broken them but i've seen him wandering around the house and walking to college with them plugged into his iPod. He assures me they work perfectly well.
Very odd.
Interesting....
I plugged my sons Skull Candy headphones into my iPad a few weeks back and couldn't get a sound out of them. I then tried them in my iPhone4 and again no sound.
I thought he'd broken them but i've seen him wandering around the house and walking to college with them plugged into his iPod. He assures me they work perfectly well.
Very odd.
my skull candy Full Metal Jacket earbuds+mic work great on the iPhone 4 for listening... as soon as you try to hook up to a mic-enabled program (phone , recorder, google voice search), they freak out. If I had my druthers, my guess is the noise cancellation logic on the iPhone4 is totally confused by the noice cancellation of the SC mic.
I reported this, and no action has occurred (thought 4.1 would fix it, but nope).
I bought my Skull Candy FMJ at an Apple Store... when I went there last, they were not on the shelves. Likely a new spec for mics and noise cancellation is the issue.
Monster stinks. Funny how the peeps that sell it at stores swear by it.
I had this with my first set of Dr Dre Beat earphones! I took it back to the Apple store the next day and swapped it for another, identical, pair which are fine, I've been using them for about 3 months now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ghostface147
Monster stinks. Funny how the peeps that sell it at stores swear by it.
Monster stinks. Funny how the peeps that sell it at stores swear by it.
Agree. Remember when a 6 ft. Monster HDMI cable cost $100?
Monster's cables are cheaply made to resemble real high-end audio cables.
And they're sold at high-end prices. How else do you think Monster could
afford to put their name on Candlestick Park?
In the digital era, even a coat hanger wire will deliver as pure an audio signal as
silver plated Linear Crystal Oxygen Free Copper. For one ten-thousandth the price.
(Of course, speaker cables, which are still analog, do require high-quality
interconnects...)
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOtherGeoff
my skull candy Full Metal Jacket earbuds+mic work great on the iPhone 4 for listening... as soon as you try to hook up to a mic-enabled program (phone , recorder, google voice search), they freak out. If I had my druthers, my guess is the noise cancellation logic on the iPhone4 is totally confused by the noice cancellation of the SC mic.
I reported this, and no action has occurred (thought 4.1 would fix it, but nope).
I bought my Skull Candy FMJ at an Apple Store... when I went there last, they were not on the shelves. Likely a new spec for mics and noise cancellation is the issue.
my skull candy Full Metal Jacket earbuds+mic work great on the iPhone 4 for listening... as soon as you try to hook up to a mic-enabled program (phone , recorder, google voice search), they freak out. If I had my druthers, my guess is the noise cancellation logic on the iPhone4 is totally confused by the noice cancellation of the SC mic.
I reported this, and no action has occurred (thought 4.1 would fix it, but nope).
I bought my Skull Candy FMJ at an Apple Store... when I went there last, they were not on the shelves. Likely a new spec for mics and noise cancellation is the issue.
My sons are over the ear types with what looks like a mic built into the cable. I'll have to have another try.
I work for at&t and all but the cheapest Skullcandy earbuds are doing the same thing, but, additionally, the microphone seems to way too sensitive, or the peak levels within the iPhone are too sensitive for the microphones included with these earbuds.
Latest Apple Headlines
-
iPad shipments could see first ever year-on-year decline in Q2, analyst says
~7 hours ago -
Google's Motorola issues second appeal of dismissed ITC case against Apple
~8 hours ago -
iPhone urinalysis app draws scrutiny from FDA
~10 hours ago -
South Australia's first Apple Store draws line hours ahead of opening [update: photos and video]
~10 hours ago -
Best Buy to offer $50 off all iPhone 5 & 4S models starting Sunday
~12 hours ago - more...
Want to write for AppleInsider? Submit your application now!
| Model | White | Black | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad mini (WiFi only) | |||
| 16GB WiFi |  |
$329.99 | $329.99 |
| 32GB WiFi | |
$429.99 | $429.99 |
| 64GB WiFi | |
$529.99 | $529.99 |
| iPad mini (WiFi + 4G) | |||
 |
 |
 |
|
| 16GB 4G White | $459.99 | $459.99 | $459.99 |
| 32GB 4G White | $559.99 | $559.99 | $559.99 |
| 64GB 4G White | $659.99 | $659.99 | $659.99 |
| 16GB 4G Black | $459.99 | $459.99 | $459.99 |
| 32GB 4G Black | $559.99 | $559.99 | $559.99 |
| 64GB 4G Black | $659.99 | $659.99 | $659.99 |
Lowest Prices Anywhere!
| Model | Price | You Save |
|---|---|---|
| Core i5 MacBook Pros w/ Retina | ||
| 13" 2.5GHz/8GB/128GB | $1,406.48 | $292.52 |
| 13" 2.5GHz/8GB/256GB | $1,479.99 | $519.01 |
| 13" 2.5GHz/8GB/512GB | $1,699.99 | $799.01 |
| Core i7 MacBook Pros w/ Retina | ||
| 13" 2.9GHz/8GB/256GB | $1,599.99 | $599.01 |
| 13" 2.9GHz/8GB/512GB | $1,799.99 | $899.01 |
| 15" 2.3GHz/8GB/256GB | $1,899.99 | $299.01 |
| 15" 2.6GHz/8GB/512GB | $2,299.99 | $568.01 |
| 15" 2.7GHz/16GB/768GB | $2,699.99 | $499.01 |
I'm having trouble with apple branded headphones for iphone4. I have returned 3 within warranty so far. The microphone is failing.
Apple has been great sending me the headphones for each warranty event.