A Rant About Earbuds

This is more a complaining post than any kind of an idea post, although there might be a decent idea or two inside. I am complaining about earbud earphones. They come with iPods, MP3 players, and all manner of personal electronic devices. You can buy them at any discount store, if the first set is broken or lost. They are an essential item in today's world. If you have an iPod or a PSP, you will probably have headphones.

There are a couple of problems I have with earbud earphones. First, the cords are way too long. The makers seem to think that a longer cord is a selling feature. The shortest I can find are four to five feet! Does anyone make a headphone with a cord less than four feet? Many people have iPods that they wear on an armband. This makes a four-foot cord a real hassle for getting tangled in clothing or machinery.

I wonder if anyone else has noticed how the earbuds themselves are like litle hooks. For some reason, mine are alway getting snagged on table edges, chairs, seats, just about anything, if they are allowed to dangle when you bend over. I hate that. It is a function of the cords being too long.

The other problem I have with headphones is the cord surface. The cords are very thin, almost as thin as kite string. They are usually made of rubber or some other plastic-like material. In every case so far, they feel like they have a traction at the surface. They don't slide well at all. They are always pulling against skin or clothing. It would be so nice if they had a smooth surface, like nylon. That would be nice and slippery, and allow for more freedom of motion.

So, some combination of a smooth surface on the cord, and a cord length of less than 30 inches would be a real improvement. They can't easily change the shape of the earbuds themselves, or they wouldn't stay in your ear. Eliminating the hook effect will be next to impossible. But, a shorter cord would sure help.

Read my next entry on volume-self-limiting earbuds, coming soon. It's one of my best ideas so far.