iPhone headphones not as loud as they once were

• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  I swear my iPhone 4S headphones used to be MUCH louder. Lately, whenever I'm listening to music on my iPhone 4S, it's like I can barely even hear the music. Yet, when I plug the same headphones into my laptop, while they're not LOUD, they are louder. It's even gotten to the point where I swear the volume must be turned down, so I pickup my iPhone and crank up the volume meter all the way, just to find out that the volume ALREADY was turned up all the way.
  
  Am I the only one? Any ideas?
  
  And please, no "Should have gotten a Droid" or "earwax" or any of those other b.s. replies. This is serious business.
  
  I will note, however, that I've been exercising a lot more lately... so could it be that sweat is leaking into the ear-buds and shorting out some of the circuits?
  
  And if someone wants to be smart, then please be smart and recommend some headphones that are 1.) inexpensive, 2.) boisterous (i.e., loud audio output), and 3.) has a microphone (like the iPhone headphones), so that when I'm listening to music and a call comes in, I don't have to take out my headphones and can simply hear the caller thru the headphones and talk via an integrated microphone.
  
  Okay. That's my rant. Thank you to anyone who can help.
  
  Appreciate it (in advance).
• hasbeen

  

  Is the volume on the program your using all the way turned up? Not just the device.
  
  Maybe the headphones just wore out.
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Yeah sounds like headphones are wearing out. I typically go through 2 pairs a year.
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  hasbeen;1321486 wrote: Maybe the headphones just wore out.

  Commander of Awesome;1321489 wrote:Yeah sounds like headphones are wearing out. I typically go through 2 pairs a year.

  Really? That's common? Headphones wear out that quickly?
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Yeah they're not made of metal.
• like_that

  

  Scarlet_Buckeye;1321490 wrote:Really? That's common? Headphones wear out that quickly?

  If you use them often, it is not uncommon at all.
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  Any recommendation then on some good headphones with a microphone integrated in them like the Apple iPhone ones?
• Commander of Awesome

  

  Apple's or bust IMO. The new iPhone 5 headphones are pretty good.
• Scarlet_Buckeye

  

  Commander of Awesome;1321547 wrote:Apple's or bust IMO. The new iPhone 5 headphones are pretty good.

  Yeah... I was wondering about Apple's new iPhones... haven't used them, but was thinking they might be good.
• ZWICK 4 PREZ

  

  Commander of Awesome;1321497 wrote:Yeah they're not made of metal.

  It'd be an impressive feat to carry pulses thru non-metallic wire and vibrate off a non-metallic magnet and non-metallic coil.
• swamisez

  

  love the new iphone 5 headphones. so comfortable, only ones i have been able to wear without my hears hurting after about an hour.
• gut

  How much use are you guys talking about wearing out your headphones?
  
  I'm sure I don't use mine as much, but I got a good pair of BT earbuds about 3 years ago and they're still kicking just fine. Great sound quality, too.
  
  What I'm saying is, maybe stop buying cheap earbuds?
• I Wear Pants

  http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Enhanced-Hi-Fi-Isolating-Earphones/dp/B007VEQ2UU/?tag=gmgamzn-20
  
  
  You're welcome. Seriously, those things are incredible for the price.
• dlazz

  Earbuds shouldn't "wear out" unless they're complete garbage.
• Automatik

  

  Scarlet_Buckeye;1321540 wrote:Any recommendation then on some good headphones with a microphone integrated in them like the Apple iPhone ones?

  Klipsch S4i
• namod65

  

  Apple earbuds are complete shit. I love how they advertise the new ones like the new shape is some revolutionary idea of theirs. Ummm.... no, there are plenty of earbuds out there that are shaped to fit in your ear comfortably.
  
  I've gone through many pairs of apple earbuds. They are just not designed to last long. My last pair even started to shock me, which surprised me to say the least. I finally just bought a mid level priced pair of Sony earbuds. They are much more comfortable and the sound quality is better as well. A suggested above, just buy a decently priced pair of Sony or Klipsch. I guarantee you the quality will be better.
• GoChiefs

  

  gut;1323394 wrote:How much use are you guys talking about wearing out your headphones?

  I generally purchase 2 pairs a year. That's with about 7 hours of use, 5 or 6 days a week.
• dlazz

  GoChiefs;1325161 wrote:I generally purchase 2 pairs a year. That's with about 7 hours of use, 5 or 6 days a week.

  Then you aren't treating your headphones right, or you're buying shitty ones.
• GoChiefs

  

  dlazz;1325266 wrote:Then you aren't treating your headphones right, or you're buying shitty ones.

  
  Eh, I don't really care. The ones I get are about 40 bucks. I don't really work in an environment where I can take care of them.
• gut

  dlazz;1325266 wrote:Then you aren't treating your headphones right, or you're buying ****ty ones.

  That's what I figured. All that tangling, twisting, unwinding is probably breaking some of the tiny fiber wires (or whatever you call them).
  
  But that much use it stands to reason that components are going to give out at some point. But it seems strange that it's lower volume and not some other problem. Maybe an amp is burning out or something.
• gut

  GoChiefs;1325399 wrote:Eh, I don't really care. The ones I get are about 40 bucks. I don't really work in an environment where I can take care of them.

  Still, for $80 for 2 pairs a year you might try a higher-end pair and see if you don't actually end-up saving money in the long-run. I've got a pair of Sony BT for $100 a few years ago, and they sound great. Little clip to go on your shirt and then it also has skip and volume controls. Except I'm not sure you'd get 7-8 hours out of a charge.
• GoChiefs

  

  gut;1325647 wrote:Still, for $80 for 2 pairs a year you might try a higher-end pair and see if you don't actually end-up saving money in the long-run. I've got a pair of Sony BT for $100 a few years ago, and they sound great. Little clip to go on your shirt and then it also has skip and volume controls. Except I'm not sure you'd get 7-8 hours out of a charge.

  
  The only thing is, at my work, it is VERY loud. I've tried some high dollars before and they just don't go loud enough to where I can hear over the noise. The ones I use do. So I'm hesitant to spend a lot of money on a pair I'm unsure about.
• gut

  GoChiefs;1325649 wrote:The only thing is, at my work, it is VERY loud. I've tried some high dollars before and they just don't go loud enough to where I can hear over the noise. The ones I use do. So I'm hesitant to spend a lot of money on a pair I'm unsure about.

  Wow, that sounds like you would be doing some serious damage to your hearing then. You should look for a pair of earbuds that are good for noise cancellation so you don't have to crank them as loud.
  
  Lifehacker had a pretty slick thing where they show you how to make your own by hollowing out foam earplugs for the post.
• GoChiefs

  

  My hearing is already jacked up. Lol