Ear gear

ten years ago, when you see someone wearing an earphone, he or she looked cool because it meant he or she has a walkman. if i remember correctly, the concept of a portable cassette player was an innovation of sony and the walkman became a popular term for such kind of device. i got my first sony walkman around 1994 and the first cassette i played on it was The Lion King OST. i think i got both for my birthday. but im digressing because thats not what the entry is about.

ten years ago, seeing someone with an earphone wasnt very common as compared today where it seems everywhere you look someone's wearing an earphone. and a few years back, two to three years ago, when wearing earphones isnt as common as today, people would think you have an Ipod. because of the Ipod's success, cellphones improved their built-in mp3 players and different mp3 players emerged. so now, when someone's wearing an earphone, you cant tell if he or she has an Ipod or some cheap mp3 player like mine which i bought in Quiapo two years ago (and still in good condition. its got a lot of scratches but still plays fine).

whats the point of this entry? well, i just noticed that wearing earphones has become so common, something i didnt imagine happening four years ago. most likely this fad was introduced by the Ipod and further popularized with the mp3 players that followed (im still not getting to the point, might get there because im not really sure whats my point, let me just write a bit more and maybe i might hit my point and purpose of this entry). it seems the earphone has become an accessory of sorts like the cellphone (something i didnt imagine happening when i was in highschool or to be more specific until the latter part of my senior year in highschool). i mean, you cant use your mp3 player without the earphones and the earphone isnt really something thats part of the mp3 player. its a separate gadget or instrument. im not sure if people have realized that being a separate gadget, simply having a good mp3 player isnt enough, one also has to have a good set of earphones. sometimes its the earphones that improves the quality of the mp3 player. actually, or most likely, it really depends on the earphone to produce the good sound quality of the player. if you have an Ipod and you have a lame-ass set of earphones with poor sound quality, the Ipod wont be able to do anything about it. thats common sense. but my point is, the earphones is or should be the focus of the fad now and not the mp3 players (ah, ok, im getting warmer). some people would argue that earphone wearing is due to the mp3 fad introduced by the Ipod. thats true but now, i think the focus should shift on the earphones because wearing earphones is no longer an indication of whether a person has an ipod (like the previous notion ten years ago of somone owning a walkman, but then again, the walkman has become a generic term for portable cassette players, like the discman which didnt really have the same level of popularity compared to the walkman and Ipod). and its the earphones that really matter because its the one that improves the sound quality of the player.

so i guess, its time that the earphones or the makers of earphones make some sort of leap and capitalize on the fad. i mean, you dont see advertisements of earphones, you only see mp3 players or cellphones with better mp3 players. and when you see the earphones they're using on their players in their commercials, you're not sure if they are available as a separate unit.

why do i want this happen? well, because whenever i go to malls, there's a very limited selection of earphones. ive been a philips earphone user since 1996. and now i know why. because its the best earphone brand thats usually available. its either you buy the philips earphone or some poor quality ones (and ive tried them cheap ones for my discman, and its not worth it. aside from the poor quality, they dont last very long). i have no problem with philips earphones. they're expensive compared to the other earphones but its the most affordable ones among the best brands. and its durable and it really has good sound quality. and its the brand that offers the most extensive selection of earphones (in the malls ive been to anyway). they have earphones, headphones and canalphones (not sure if they call it canalphones). though i have nothing against philips earphones but i would like to have a wider selection and be able to choose from different brands. i would like to have another set of earphones thats not philips for a change. ive seen some sony earphones but im not sure if it has better sound quality than philips. there's sennheiser which is said to be better than philips but the selection available is very limited and its very expensive. point is, even if its common to see people wearing earphones, there's really not much information about earphones and their sound quality and durability. advertisements about it could help me find and choose a good set of earphones or at least entice me to buy it making it easier for me to decide. its hard to just read whats indicated at the back of the product. the best information you could possibly get is a recommendation from a person using it and the better recommendation would come from a person who has used different brands and different earphone styles (and of course knows what he's talking about). because using earphones is not only about sound quality but comfort. sometimes style matters but with the limited information around, i wouldnt think about it very much until im guaranteed of the sound quality and comfort.

on the earphone's stylishness, the way i see it, its possible to re-introduce earphones as something similar to the way nokia introduced its 3210 with its changeable cover or casing. earphones can come in different colors and styles. i mean, it seems to me wearing earphones has reached the status of being a daily accessory and could be stylish and fashionable too the way cellphones are. well, thats disregarding the mp3 players, but like i said, or in my opinion, the player dont mean much without a good set of earphones.

so now whats the point. well, i dont know exactly. i just made a round-about way of saying that i just noticed a lot of people use earphones but there isnt much information and kinds available to maximize the listening pleasure to get the most out of the mp3 players we use. earphones arent regarded much as a separate product but still thought of as an accessory for mp3 players. i see it differently. i see earphones having the same importance and of equal status to mp3 players. it should be treated as a product separate and distinct from mp3 players and that it should be adverstised and sold the same way as mp3 players or other gadgets.

over the years, people dont seem to give much notice to the changes and improvements it underwent. mostly, its the sound quality that usually matters but it has underwent changes not only on its comfortability and ease of use but also stylishness. the earphones though it seems to look the same way it did years ago isnt really exactly the same. the earphones now are much more comfortable and easier to wear (although im not satisfied yet with the current accomplishments, like the neck strap, or the one which has some sort of clip so that it wont easily slide off one's ear for persons with active lifestyles...doesnt look comfy to use though). then there's the pull-relief system so the cable or wire wont easily wear out or be easily damaged. then there's the shift from the old-fashioned headphone which you wear like the headphones that come with the sony walkman which is over the head, to the headphones worn behind the head. but even with those accomplishments, im still expecting further changes. changes that would make earphones easier to wear and more comfortable for longer usage. some people wear it beneath their shirts and let the earhphones hang over their shoulders when theyre not using it. i think they do this so that the wires wont get tangled while theyre moving around. im not contented with having to wear the earphones underneath the shirt and i cant think of any possible way to solve this problem. so if sort of expecting that if earphones are given more focus, more improvements would be done and it would be more available and a wider selection could be offered. like earphones with personality or more attuned to different lifestyles.