How to distinguish fake earpods from the original ones. EarPods comparison: original or Chinese copy? Buyer's instructions. The difference in the quality of packaging of original EarPods and fake ones

Getting somewhere every day by public or private transport, it is quite easy to draw the appropriate conclusions. A lot of people listen to music using headphones while moving from one point to another.

It is quite unimaginable how this insignificant thing can brighten up the activities of the bulk of the population. Do you use headphones to distract yourself or while you wait? Yes, headphones have become a necessary attribute for people and sometimes it is simply impossible to do without them.

Is it possible to distinguish unique Apple headphones from fakes?

If ideal sound is important to you when listening to your favorite music, and your headphones have served you faithfully for months, then you need to purchase original headphones from a well-known manufacturer. You have to pay for the quality of products, since free cheese is only in a mousetrap.

With a wide selection of headphones, it is quite easy to get confused, since fakes are made better and better every day. In any case, you have come across various products for mobile phones such as cases, batteries, chargers, headphones, and many other products that indicate the manufacturer’s brand, you need to focus on the pricing policy of such an item and all doubts will immediately disappear. Such cheap counterfeits are mildly called “analogues” of well-known companies.

Quite often I buy such a product, buyers are disappointed in the choice of their purchase due to the poor sound quality and rapid wear of the accessory. The article will focus on the characteristic differences that are inherent in analog headphones.

Quite often, a product that is counterfeited is called a certain word “replica” meaning (remark, answer, objection). As for counterfeits, they do not have any particular objections, since the feature inherent in all products that are considered analogues is quite characteristic of low quality materials, sound reproduction quality, faded color and a number of other features.

True quality can only be attributed to branded products with excellent quality indicators and service life. But still, let's focus on the obvious characteristics of a non-original product.

As previously stated, the main distinguishing feature is the low price of a counterfeit product. The price serves as a regulator and a significant difference between the original and similar products. Non-original products have a significantly lower price than original Apple headphones.

Unfortunately, pricing is almost the main distinguishing factor when purchasing and choosing headphones. Yes, you can’t do anything in such a situation - this is market policy. Cheap headphones for several hundred rubles will not bring the expected result and will not allow you to feel the full value of high-quality sound. An illiquid product will only emit the original sound, accompanied by squeaking or crackling.

First of all, when buying EarPods in person, do not hesitate to examine, unpack and, of course, listen to the new headphones in order to save money and not stumble upon a fake. When buying original Apple EarPods for iPhone, pay close attention to all the details. Be sure to check the sound of the new headphones so as not to fall for a copy.

As we know, the inventive Chinese, who seemingly simply do not know the word “plagiarism,” have learned to counterfeit almost everything that is produced both in the Celestial Empire and abroad. Of course, this fate did not spare the Apple EarPods headphones, which were introduced about a year ago. During this time, counterfeits have also evolved, and if at the beginning of 2013 it was possible to distinguish a fake quite simply, now this can only be done by carefully examining the device or listening. It is quite difficult to determine from a photograph where is the original and where is the copy,At first glance, both headphones are identical in appearance, but this is only at first glance...

Buy original Apple EarPods for iPhone →

1) Packaging

I would like to say that in the very first fakes there was no Apple logo on the back cover at all, and from this alone it was possible to determine that this was a fake; now this is practically not observed. But, nevertheless, if you look closely, there are differences - the color of the box and the color of the headphones themselves should be identical, for fake Chinese headphones they are often slightly different - the box is lighter than the headphones themselves. The box itself is not made of very high quality and closes quite tightly, so there are difficulties when opening it.

2) Wire

The original wire is thicker and more elastic, therefore stronger, and it will tangle less. The rubber casings in the form of a tube near the headphones themselves and the 3.5mm mini jack connector are soft and pleasant to the touch; by the way, very cheap fakes may not have a rubber tube at all. In addition, the length of the wire of the right and left earphones should be identical, and not differ even by a few mm. By the way, On original headphones, the wire should have the inscription “made in China”, or “made in Vietnam”, or “made in Brazil”.

3) Headphone shape

There are slight differences even in the shape of the earphone; the fake one is more elongated; in addition, the seam on the fake one is very noticeable, while on the original it is almost invisible. The mesh should be metal, not fabric, and the two round holes should be located exactly in the oval, and not be moved to one side.

4) Control panel

On the original, the gaps are hardly noticeable, unlike the copy, the buttons are pressed without any effort, and the clicks are practically inaudible, but they can be felt with your fingers; by the way, in a fake, the buttons sometimes do not work at all.

5) Sound

The most important thing about headphones is their sound. The sound quality in the original EarPods and the fake ones is very different, as you understand, not in the direction of the Chinese copy. Fake headphones have terrible sound, they are practically devoid of bass and volume, and it is better not to listen to your favorite songs in them, so as not to get upset. When recording with a microphone or communicating through a headset, your interlocutor will hear a hoarse sound. Naturally, we are also not talking about noise smoothing in non-original headphones.

In general, we can conclude that the fake headphones are inferior to the originals in all respects, and if in the design the Chinese tried to create at least some semblance of similarity, then as for their sound, they didn’t bother at all, putting in the “stuffing” from cheap headphones for a pair dollars, passing them off as an Apple product. If you can still talk on the phone or listen to audio books, then you will get absolutely no pleasure from music. Still, you can best distinguish Fake from the original only by listening, because although there are many external differences, they are not so obvious and are not immediately noticeable.

Anything is possible.

One day we went and bought fake EarPods.

They were found in an underground passage in an unremarkable Russian outback. They cost about 300 rubles, available in different colors to suit any demands of street fashionistas.

The aunt sold them to us without a twinge of conscience - most likely, she didn’t even know that it was a fake. But it may happen differently - on eBay, many sellers pass off fake EarPods as original ones, and some small online stores do the same.

Sometimes fake EarPods are included with iPhones sold second-hand. Keep the normal, supplied headphones for yourself. Be careful!

In this article we will tell you how to distinguish fake EarPods from original ones. If you want quality, buy only from official sellers with a guarantee.

1. Packaging

Original: Neat box without any defects. If you shine a light on the logo, a uniformly illuminated area is formed around it due to the high quality of surface treatment. No gaps, no dots. There is a company logo - when purchasing, check our photo, this is the only design option.

Fake: Like a fake. The bases of the supporting pins are visible in the light. The logo is poorly executed or missing. Illumination is uneven. The surface quality is low - there are traces of flash and roughness. Most likely, it was opened - without polyethylene.

2. Quality of plastic and inscriptions

Original: Perfect finishing of all edges. Almost invisible joints, you can barely feel them. There are no roughnesses, the gloss is even in the light. After all, this is Apple - everything should be “Amazing”!

Fake: C quality. Manufacturing defects are present in all their glory: the joints are high, the gloss has dimples in the light (including the packaging itself). Crooked font of headphone letters (left/right), smeared or torn off with fingernails.

3. Bass reflex

Original: If you turn on a good composition, rich in low frequencies, drums and bass guitar - air shocks are felt. Thanks to this, the sound of the headphones becomes richer, and excess pressure is removed from the ear canal.

Fake: They play a purely decorative role - just holes. Of course, the sound suffers. If you cover them with your finger, nothing changes - a good sign that this is a fake.

4. Cable

Original: EarPods have perhaps the best wire among all available in-ear headphones models. Soft, matte - dirt does not remain on it for a long time. He does not tangle or break. Even at minus 20 it does not lose flexibility. There is the inscription “Designed by Apple”.

Fake: Conventional insulation is of medium quality - often glossy and smooth. Dyed with clothes. Being brittle, it has a clear memory - just as it was folded, the creases will remain. It gets dull in the cold.

5. Quality of speaker grilles

Original: dark, not shiny. Dense, not translucent - a consequence of protection from sweat and dirt. They do not sag when cleaning (in general, Apple EarPods are the most comfortable and easy-to-clean headphones).

Fake: The mesh is dark blue, shiny, and can be translucent. Try to pick it with your finger, if it bends or moves, it’s really a fake, and of the lowest quality. Some also have fabric mesh.

6. Sound

Original: There is no predominance of certain ranges here - the frequency response is almost flat, the sound is calm. There aren't enough stars in the sky, but it really gives very good sound for in-ear headphones. There is even bass, albeit light and airy.

Fake: The best fake is the one that works. The headphones in the photo are already the second, the first ones had to be returned to the underground passage. One of the headphones may also not be working.

If everything is in order, then the sound will still be disgusting, like the black plastic earbuds for 30 rubles that are sold at newsstands. All frequencies are absent, except for the remnants of high ones. Just nothing.

The verdict is obvious: a fake in the firebox

Only a fool would deliberately buy non-original EarPods. Take a completely different model of headphones if you don’t have enough for real ones.

And if someone deceived you and slipped you a fake under the guise of an original, find him and punish.

Never, ever buy counterfeits of these headphones. If you bought it, don't be offended by what you hear worst sound of my life. And yes, one last thing: EarPods only come in white and only in the shape shown in the photo.

Barcode verification

ATTENTION! The correct barcode does not provide a 100% guarantee of the originality of the product. However, an incorrect barcode is a clear sign of counterfeit.

Enter 13 digit barcode:Check

Apple has released AirPods wireless headphones as an app for iPhone. They look very cool and stylish. The most ideal option for iPhones!

And it’s not at all surprising that copy manufacturers also want to make money from the sale of such cool related products. After all, on the same Aliexpress there are a dime a dozen offers of wireless headphones for iPhones. And the prices are very attractive. But the headphones will almost certainly be fake. How to avoid falling for scammers’ tricks and distinguish an original from a copy – this is discussed in this article.

For a comparative experiment, two pairs of fake headphones and one pair of original ones were taken. At first glance, they are no different from each other, but if you look closely, you can still find differences.

What is the difference between the packaging of copies and original Apple AirPods

If you have never seen the original Apple AirPods box, you can easily buy a fake, since the boxes are very similar. But there are some nuances:

1. The original box is made of high quality cardboard. It is not puffy on the sides. The fold lines are straight.
2. There should be a barcode on the sides of the box and information about the country of origin. Counterfeits are most often pure white or with Chinese marks.

1. The image of the headphones on the front of the box is placed on top of the box rather than printed on it. By running your fingers over it, you can feel the relief.
2. There should be no “ears” for magazine hooks on the box.
3. The bottom of the box shows a case with headphones and a charging cable. There is also information about the manufacturer. Please note: on one fake box there are no inscriptions at all, and on the other they are not completely written, and in different fonts and brightness.

How to buy the original cheaper than the store

If you still want buy the original, the most profitable way to do this is on Tmall - at the time of writing, 12,599 rubles. Upon purchase, you will receive an official guarantee from Apple in Russia and fast delivery - in Moscow it is possible even on the day of order!

Chinese craftsmen can fake almost any gadget. The copy is quite difficult to distinguish from the original. We will demonstrate how to do this using the example of Apple EarPods, introduced a year ago, in our publication. Let's learn how to distinguish from a fake.

Headphone packaging

Pay attention to the quality of the box and its color. The color of the fake is lighter than the color of the headphones. In the original they are identical. In the first copies, the Apple logo was missing on the box.

Earpods wire

The original wire is more elastic and thicker, therefore stronger. Near the headphones and the 3.5 mm mini jack connector there are soft rubber tubes - casings. In fakes, sometimes there are no casings at all. The headphone wires must be of equal length and marked “made in China.”

Headphone shape

There are differences in the shape of the headphones. The shape of the fake is slightly elongated, the seam is more noticeable. The original mesh is metal, the fake one is made of fabric.

Control panel

In the original model there are practically no gaps, the buttons are easy to press, but in the copy, the buttons sometimes do not work at all.

Apple Earpods sound

Sound is the defining quality of headphones. The sound of the Chinese fake lacks volume and bass; when communicating through a headset it will sound hoarse.

What can be concluded?

Having summarized all the characteristics, we want to make a conclusion. The quality of fake headphones is significantly inferior to the quality of original Apple EarPods. And if they look similar in appearance, then you will not get pleasure from listening to music. However, you can listen to audio books. Beware of fakes and don't pay attention to low prices.