Asymmetric headphones -- what is their purpose?

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Yesterday I went to my local Best Buy and bought a replacement set of earbuds for my iPod. After looking at their (minimal) selection, I bought these Philips earbuds for 20 bucks.

http://www.electronicsoutfitter.com/images/items/62596-phihe591.jpg

Leaving aside for a moment that they manage to both hurt my ears and fall out regularly, I was startled to discover that the wire for the left earbud is about 5 inches long, and the wire for the right earbud is 20 inches long. I thought there was some kind of manufacturing error!

According to the vague, tiny diagram on the back of the packaging, you're supposed to wrap the right earbud around the back of your head so that the wires sort of float around your neck and shoulders rather than your chest.

Am I using these correctly? Does anyone else have experience with this asymmetric contraption?

― vermonter, Friday, 6 April 2007 23:28 (nineteen years ago)

I have, in the past. My current earphones have symmetric cords but I do tend to wrap the right wire round the back of my neck anyway. It stops them flapping about so much, and rubbing against my clothes, the friction from which creates quite an audible noise when you're wearing in-ear canal ones.

― Alba, Friday, 6 April 2007 23:38 (nineteen years ago)

http://www.texaschapbookpress.com/magellanslog91/opticalillustion2testicles.jpg

― sanskrit, Saturday, 7 April 2007 00:21 (nineteen years ago)

Your search - asymtesticle - did not match any documents.

― vermonter, Saturday, 7 April 2007 00:31 (nineteen years ago)

If this product is to be defeated, classic headphones will have to adjust their tactics.

― fife, Saturday, 7 April 2007 01:11 (nineteen years ago)

I bought a pair of Sony MDR-EX51LP Fontopia headphones a while ago and had the same issue. The earbuds are extremely comfortable and the sound quality is great but the wrap-around chord design is stupid and makes me feel like I should have a pair of bifocals dangling around my neck.

Anybody know what in-the-ear headphones are worth a damn?

― Jlahr, Saturday, 7 April 2007 01:28 (nineteen years ago)

Have to admit that after I had it explained to me, I like the asymetrical design, mainly because I can take both earphones out (while in a store, etc.) without having to deal with holding or moving the cord.

Sorry to be so earnest on ILM, but it actually does what it's meant to do.

As for in-the-ear, I always used to like Etymotic, but now that I work around the uber-rich it seems that these huge ugly molded plastic things that are cast to fit your ear are the snob's choice. They look pretty ugly.

― dlp9001, Saturday, 7 April 2007 01:58 (nineteen years ago)

I was never able to wrap my brain around this until I read this thread.

― Jena, Saturday, 7 April 2007 02:06 (nineteen years ago)

Ha - I'm an idiot. The (very good, Sennheiser CX300) in-ear canal ones I have *do* have asymmetric cords. I'd forgotten! Anyway, as dlp9001 says, you get used to wrapping the right one around your neck and it makes it much easier to temporarily take them out without having to hold them in your hand or have them drop to the floor.

― Alba, Saturday, 7 April 2007 08:20 (nineteen years ago)

two years pass...

was really not expecting the pic

― dyao, Tuesday, 13 October 2009 08:02 (sixteen years ago)

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