How many of you who own an iPod/iPhone/iPad (hereafter collectively referred to as "iPxxx") use the headphones it came with?
If you are, STOP IT! I'm begging you. I'm not saying they're not good earphones because…no, I'm saying it. They fit poorly and they do a disservice to whatever you're listening to. For free earphones they're not bad, but as in all things you get what you pay for. And you paid for all that good music, movies and games, and you're listening to them through less-than earphones.
Good sound is most important for movie watching. Good sound makes a movie on a small screen seem much larger. Those of you who have upgraded from the plain TV speaker in your living room to a home theater system know how audio enhances the whole movie experience. Good sound does even more to enhance small screen movie screening.
So, toss those Apple earphones. Tease the cat with 'em. Use them as a mini bolo. Save 'em for when your kid or grandkid inevitably breaks theirs.
Replace them with a Made for iPhone pair from Shure. Ultimate Ears. Etymotic. Monster Cable. And not noise canceling earphones.
PLEEEEEEEZE!
But getting a new set of better-sounding earphones is just step one to access and exploit all of iPad's/iPhone's/iPad's aural opportunities.
Found sound
Step two is a new gadget from SRS Labs called iWow-3D Adapter. SRS are the folks who provide the built-in sound processing in every type of sound-emanating device – TVs, AV receivers, MP3 players, DVD and Blu-ray players, cell phones, car stereo head units, and more.
iWow works in conjunction with the free SRS iWow App, available in the iTunes store. First download the app onto your iPxxx device, then jack the adapter into the 30-pin charging connector at the base of your iPxxx. You then plug a GOOD set of head/earphones into the headphone jack at the other end.
iWow somehow seeks out all the sonics submerged in the compressed audio, spreading the revitalized signal over a wider sound field, and boosting buried bass and treble, which is especially helpful for those of us slowly losing our ability to hear higher frequency sounds.
How does it sound?
Fan-f*$#^&@-fantastic (let's see the SRS people lift that quote for their PR and ads), an aural revelation. All sound – in music tracks and video – was wider, crisper, deeper and bassier, with more distinct separation between disparate sounds. It's name is accurate – sounds sound 3D.
Watching Star Wars (the original) on the iPad I could hear all the subtle ambient sounds that lend an added realm or realism to the proceedings, such as the low engine hum inside the starships or the gently hissing desert wind blowing on Tatooine.
I could hear all the instruments of Paul McCartney's band in his Citi Field concert film, Good Evening New York City, better than I could hear them at the actual show (although I'm still super glad I went). I mean, I could hear all the instruments to the point where I now have to watch/listen to the concert again as if I hadn't seen/heard it before.
Plain music also is improved; the more severe the compression, the better the improvement. But even The Beatles' Abbey Road ripped without compression (called "lossless") received a substantial iWow makeover.
The lit button you see on the iWow in the photo is an on-off switch, but I'm not sure why you'd turn it off except to show off the difference to other people.
iWow woes
iWow comes in two packages, the iWow 3D ($60), which is just the adapter, and the premium iWOW-3DHF ($80), which includes five interchangeable faceplates, and a pair of "high quality" earphones.
Save 20 bucks and opt for the former. You don't need the faceplates – for one thing, they don't match the iPad smart cover colors – and the "high quality" earphones aren't.
Earlier I emphasised you should use iWow with GOOD headphones. I tested the iWow with my own Etymotic hf3, then with the "high quality" earphones. SRS's included earphones with iWow sounded muddy and thick, which leads me to believe that iWow will accentuates the flaws in whatever headphones you use, another reason to lose Apple's free ones and get yourself a high quality set.
You can use iWow with iPhone, but I won't, which is a bummer. iWow disables the in-line mic and controls, which means you can't answer calls when your Made for iPhone earphones are connected. If a call comes in, you don't have to disconnect the iWow, you just put the phone to your ear. To me, this defeats the purpose of connecting a wired headset with an in-line mic, and then there's the whole brain cancer thing…
If you use iWow, you leave the normal iPxxx headphone jack available, but it really isn't available. A second set of earphones plugged into the regular headphone jack disables iWow. Plus, you may hear hissing from the cell phone transmitter/receiver.
Since iWow is powered by the iPxxx, it doesn't need batteries, but it has to drain its host's battery somewhat, though probably not a lot.
And, there are a couple of iWow ergonomic issues. Of course, you have to unplug iWow when you have to charge your iPxxx, so remember where you put it or you'll lose it. And trying to slip your iWow-endowed iPad into a shoulder bag or backpack will be like the Cowardly Lion trying to sneak into the Wicked Witch's castle, trying to keep his wagging tail undernearth the guard's coat.
But I can't wait to use iWow on my next plane ride when I whip out my iPad to watch movies.