What original apple headphones look like. How to distinguish original AirPods from fakes and Chinese copies

Quite often, our customers, interested in buying AirPods headphones, ask the question: “Are you sure you don’t have a copy?”

Of course, this question hurts us to the core, we immediately want to take the bundle on a stick and go into the sunset, like Tom from the cartoon, but we don’t hang our noses! :)

But seriously, then We do not sell any copies. Only original AirPods from Apple with an official one-year warranty.

Before purchasing headphones, we always recommend checking the serial number on the Apple website:

If they are identified as AirPods, this is the original, if the site gives an error, this is something else. :)

And in order to dispel all the remaining doubts of our customers, we purchased these, God forgive me, fake AirPods and in this article we will compare the “formidable competitor” with the magnificent headset from Apple.

Name

The copy is called either iFans or Afans. At least these two inscriptions are present on the box. Apparently, the Chinese had not decided on the final name, so they decided to use both. :)

Box appearance

For those who are familiar with Apple technology, everything should become clear at this stage. Apple never skimps on the packaging of its products. The box for real AirPods is made of high-quality cardboard with a minimalist design:

• two headphones are drawn on the front side;
• shiny Apple logos on both ends;
• on the third end there is a shiny AirPods inscription;
• at the fourth end brief description configuration and serial number of the headphones, which you can always get on the Apple website and check if these are real AirPods.

In general, Chinese craftsmen tried to copy the design of the box, but when your goal is to make cheap squalor and not a quality product, even here they failed.

The box is made of disgusting quality cardboard, there are no inscriptions on the ends, there is no serial number, but on the front side there is a drawing of headphones reminiscent of Airpods. By the way, the print quality of the drawing on the copy suggests that the Chinese also have a problem with the toner on the printer, the drawing turned out so faded.

Set

Inside the box with the original AirPods there is a short instruction manual, the headphones themselves in a translucent film and a Lightning cable for charging the case.

Inside the box with a copy there is no book with quick guide no, but there are some inscriptions on Chinese, glued to the bottom of the box. Perhaps these are characteristics, or perhaps gratitude from the manufacturer for spending money on this horror. Well, the ugly blue film is not Apple style at all. :)

The headphones themselves are not on a thick cardboard backing, but in some kind of incomprehensible chemical contraption that can be found in a stall at a Chinese market. The charging cord is present, it even looks like Lightning, but it’s not Lightning at all, of course, but a cheap, low-quality Chinese something.

The headphones themselves

The copy is much larger than the original. The case itself is almost twice as large, and the headphones are so much larger than the original AirPods that the Chinese plastic ones simply won’t fit into my ears.

The case of the original headphones has a pleasant springy opening and closing mechanism, while the case of the copy closes with some kind of latch, which looks, sounds and feels very cheap (but what did I expect for 1500 rubles?!).

In the photographs on the left is the original, and on the right is a copy.

The magic of Apple is why we love this company

Apple is not only about “why is it so expensive”, but also about advanced technology and fantastic thoughtfulness of the user experience and ergonomics.

So, for the original AirPods, the pairing process is as follows: you turn on Bluetooth on your phone, open the case with the headphones, the iPhone immediately sees the AirPods nearby and prompts you to press the “connect” button. Click and that's it! They just work.

It took me almost an hour to connect the copy to the phone.

I, of course, understood that I would have to connect to the headphones manually through the Bluetooth menu on the phone. I go to the menu, open the case with Chinese Airpods - and nothing happens. I waited a minute, tried again - nothing again. I put them on charge, waited, opened them again - again nothing. I was about to get upset, but then I looked at two small buttons on the headphones themselves, pressed them on both, and the treasured “afans” appeared in the menu, and I was able to connect to them. Here they are, cheap technologies! :)

Of course, there is no Siri, no “tap to pause”, no recognition of being in the ear of a copy at all. All control occurs from the phone. But these are the features that make AirPods so cool to use.

Sound

I’ll be honest: I’m not a music lover at all and I don’t understand practically anything about sound quality. But I can say with absolute 100% certainty that it is impossible to listen to music on Chinese airpods! They creak, groan, make noise, there is no hint of low, high, or any frequencies at all. All you can use this headset for, so to speak, is for listening to audiobooks, where sound quality fades into the background. No music, period!

Verdict

Do not buy a Chinese copy even under the threat of execution! :)

This is a rather ridiculous attempt to “appear and not be.”

For 2,000 rubles you can buy quite good wired headphones, and if you want “Wireless”, save up the required amount for real AirPods. You won't regret it! :)

The purpose of writing this article is to help the average user figure out how to distinguish a copy from the original wireless headphones from Apple and dissuade them from buying a fake.

Then you shouldn’t go to the market for them - you definitely won’t find a headset there good quality, unless it's a copy or a fake. So, if you go to a good, trusted store, then you are unlikely to need to check the headphones for originality. But if you find yourself in some unknown market, then one or two minutes will be enough for you to determine whether the AirPods in front of you are a fake or an original.

7 main signs of fake AirPods

We list 7 main aspects by which you can distinguish a fake from the original:

• the price is too low. For the original AKG K872 you will pay at least $200;
• you don't see a barcode on the package. For example, if the original Beats have a barcode, then the fake ones only have a barcode sticker;
• the sound quality is not encouraging (suspiciously muffled sound);
• the quality of the packaging itself is significantly different from the original one. If the seller tries to convince you that the headphones are really branded, while the box is yellowish in color and does not have a logo, then it is better to refrain from buying such “branded” headphones;

• the structure differs significantly from the original;
• special errors in the title. Always check the headphone model number by letter;
• too many advertisements on the packaging. The original manufacturers try to avoid excessive advertising, since Apple products are known throughout the world for their quality and superiority. That is why the sellers of this company do not need to praise their products. So if you see that there is an overabundance of advertising messages on the packaging, such as “Ultra-Super Bass,” then be skeptical and distrustful of this inscription.

Sometimes original AirPods do not fit well in the ears, so this indicator cannot be used to determine the authenticity of the device.

2 main signs of a quality copy

Now we have figured out how to distinguish a fake from the original. But what to do with a copy of headphones? After all, copies have the maximum resemblance to the original headphones. That's why do some serious preparation before going to the store. Download several of your tracks in Flac, WV, or APE format.

Some obvious signs fakes (copies):

1. Connect AirPods to your Android gadget or iPhone and turn on music. If you hear a sound that sounds like it's coming from your head, it's fake. This shouldn't happen. If you buy a not particularly expensive sports model, then you can somehow come to terms with this drawback. But if you are buying a luxury model, then such things are unacceptable.
2. The sound has an unbalanced sound. This shouldn't happen either. There shouldn't be any problems with frequencies.

Where you shouldn't buy AirPods

Try to purchase such products from trusted stores that provide customers with documents and a guarantee. Such stores are reliable, because even if you damage the headphones through your fault or not, you can return the goods.

You definitely shouldn't buy a headset in the following places:

1. In the online store. If you are looking for headphones from the Middle-End category, then you should not take risks and use Internet services.
2. On Avito. Buying electrical equipment secondhand is risky. Buying from hand cannot be called safe. Most likely, the battery charge of AirPods purchased second-hand will not last long.
3. In supermarkets, kiosks and markets. Here you will definitely find only copies and fakes.
4. On the subway. This is the most unreliable place to buy quality headphones, they will last you no more than three weeks.

How else to distinguish original Apple Earpods

By what characteristics can you distinguish original Apple Earpods for iPhone from a copy or fake:

1. You can easily notice the seams.
2. There is no original manufacturer's logo. The logo must be embossed.
3. The control unit buttons are too tight.
4. There is embossed HTP text.
5. There are visible gaps.
6. The packaging is very bad quality(blurry picture).
7. The wire is too thin and fragile. In addition, it does not fix well.

Photo: main signs of a fake Let's look at how to distinguish Chinese fake Apple Earpods headphones from the original ones:

• Many Chinese copy companies produce headphones in the same box as the original ones, so it is quite difficult to distinguish them. But if you look at the base of the box, you won’t see the brand name Apple logo, which every original must have;
• the original headphones weigh three grams more than the fake ones;

1. Place

If you're serious about headphones, buy them from manufacturers' official websites, authorized distributors, or reputable electronics stores.

Of course, the original product can also be found on bulletin boards, but the risk of running into a fake in this case increases. You should also be suspicious of AliExpress sellers: some of them offer real headphones, but most are counterfeit.

Check the reputation of the store where you looked at the product. Deceived customers often share information about unsuccessful purchases. If a store has been caught selling counterfeits or reviews about it cannot be found, it is better to refuse the purchase.

2. Price

If the headphones you find are 70% cheaper than in the official store, most likely they are not real. As a rule, the high price of the original is due not only to the popularity of the brand, but also to the use of high-quality components. Selling such headphones at a deep discount is simply not practical.

3. Packaging

Sometimes it is not at all difficult to distinguish an original from a fake. Counterfeit manufacturers rarely copy packaging designs, fonts and materials with 100% accuracy. Find a photo of the actual headphones in the box and compare them to what they sell you.

4. Appearance and quality of materials

Visible burrs and uneven seams, traces of hardened glue, cheap plastic and a flimsy cable indicate low quality of the product. Naturally, these signs cannot be found in genuine headphones from a reputable manufacturer.

On top the case is from original Audio-Technica headphones, on the bottom - from fake ones. The fake is given out by poor-quality printing and stitches / doctorhead.ru

5. Sound

They are even good in different ways: they differ in the emphasis on specific frequencies, nuances of detail and other characteristics. But if the sound is flat, the bass is unreadable, and high frequencies too loud, most likely you are dealing with a fake.

6. Popularity of the model

As a rule, an abundance of fakes is the lot of prestigious headphones. If you buy EarPods or any Beats from other than official stores, most likely you will get a fake. But if you focus on less popular models, then the risk will be significantly reduced even when buying secondhand.

The fact is that the production of copies popular goods pays off much faster. There is no point in counterfeiting something that is not so popular. For example, you can be almost sure of the authenticity of the Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro or Grado SR80E.

Which headphones are most often counterfeited?

1.EarPods

EarPods are headphones included in the basic package of iPhone and iPod. It is difficult for users to give up their usual headphones when they get lost or break. That’s why EarPods are in constant demand.

There are dozens of fakes that copy Apple headphones with varying degrees of accuracy. Some manufacturers forget to put the company logo on the box, others give themselves away through the cracks in the headphone mounts.

Most reliable way identify a fake - compare the dubious product with the original EarPods.

2. AirPods

AirPods - wireless headphones from Apple. Having gone on sale at the end of last year, the plugs attracted the attention of users with their signature laconic design, compactness and convenience. But these headphones also have a significant drawback - their high price.

This is what sparked the demand for budget alternatives. As a rule, manufacturers do not try to sell pseudo-AirPods under the guise of the original, but openly call them replicas. There are quite a few types of such headphones. Some of them really turn out to be quite good, others are just an ordinary Chinese marriage.

The main factor when buying AirPods is the price: even a used original is unlikely to cost $50.

3. Sennheiser headphones

Sennheiser is a German company that has been making quality equipment for over 70 years. Over the past decades, it has released dozens of headphone models, many of which became popular and spawned thousands of fakes.

A common feature of many counterfeits of German plugs is that the cable is insufficiently elastic and too thick. For the rest, you should rely on your feelings and comparison of the product with the original.

WITH full-size headphones everything is less obvious, so try to follow the general rules.

Sennheiser is fighting counterfeits. The company's official website contains a list of models that are discontinued and cannot be sold in stores. The manufacturer also recommends that you pay attention to the presence of a QR code and a sticker on the packaging indicating that the importer is Sennheiser Audio LLC.

4. Beats Electronics headphones

Many criticize the frequency response of Beats Electronics for biased sound, others consider the headphones to be unreasonably expensive. High price and popularity are the main reasons why counterfeits are found on sale no less often than original headphones.

Many fakes copy the originals very faithfully. But you can still draw up basic rules when buying Beats.

Please note the serial number on the bottom of the package: it should be printed on a sticker, not on the box itself. Too much large number hieroglyphs are a sign of counterfeit. Inside the packaging of fake headphones there may be no tab that allows you to pull the tray out of the box (this is important for Beats models with a removable tray). The tray itself should be made of textured material, not glossy plastic.

5. Bluedio headphones

Bluedio appeared on the Bluetooth headphone market recently, but you can already come across fakes of various models.

There is a hologram on the packaging of Bluedio headphones. For the original product it is blue with a noticeable iridescence, for fakes it is blue, the iridescence is barely noticeable.

If we are talking about earbuds, pay attention to the ear pads: they should be elastic and retain their shape even after compression.

What to do if you bought a fake

If you discover that you bought a counterfeit secondhand, contact the seller. Perhaps he did not know that he was selling a fake and would agree to return the money. If you purchased the product in a store, contact its management. The chances of resolving the situation in your favor are small, but perhaps the sale of counterfeit goods occurred due to a misunderstanding.

And please, do not try to sell a accidentally purchased fake as an original. Better help others: spread information about an unscrupulous store, tell us in the comments about your bad experience.

You have decided to buy original Apple headphones called EarPods. This device is from Apple was announced in 2012 as universal device for playing audio files from various Apple devices. But how can you buy them without falling for the bait of the Chinese and purchasing a fake?

Counterfeits, as we know, are almost never of high quality, and the cost of such devices is around a ridiculous few dollars. How to distinguish original EarPods from low-quality ones Chinese copies? We will talk about this and more in this article.

The original headphones have enough high quality assembly and sound. They don’t get very tangled, they have original design, but the Chinese production of counterfeits is also not standing still.

They have learned to fake almost all the most famous models of equipment, copies of famous earpods headphones is no exception. Everything is not as good as it seems, since the fake is much inferior in quality, sound, assembly, as well as in the quality of the components themselves included in the headphones.

How to distinguish original EarPods?

There are several ways to distinguish original Apple headphones from non-original ones. high quality copy. If you follow these tips, you will be able to determine the authenticity original earpodsEven from a photo, you are unlikely to be deceived even if you buy it second-hand.

When purchasing devices of this type, you need a detailed inspection, testing, and comparison. Also the best criterion The quality is determined by the price of the device; if it costs two or even three times less than the original, then most likely this is a fake. Demand from the seller the opportunity to test the purchase, open the box in front of you, you have the right of the buyer to do this. When ordering on Chinese online sites, in case of counterfeit, you can return the full cost of the product.

Original earpods packaging and Chinese packaging

The packaging of the original earpods and the Chinese copy are different enough to determine this with the naked eye. Original apple headphones are delivered in a plastic box, in the land of the rising sun they often do not squeeze out the Apple logo on the packaging, but the original apple earpods supplied in a box with a shallowly embossed logo.

The counterfeit box itself is of poor quality, which is why it is quite difficult to close and open. Also, when purchasing, pay attention to the color of the box and the headphones themselves, they should not be different . The quality of the plastic of the box should be at high level, without traces of gluing and burrs. Please also pay attention to the color of the transparent plastic cover, it is different from a fake it has a bluish color, despite the fact that Chinese plastic always gives off a yellowish tint. What’s also surprising is that the earpods are from a copy may differ in weight.

If you have a precision kitchen scale, it would be a good idea to take it with you. Find out how much the purchased headphones weigh (the original weighs about 31 grams, which is 3 grams more than the analogue). Why is unknown, most likely there are low-quality, lightweight components inside. The packaging indicates a specific batch number by which you can check on the official website whether your headphones are real.

Opening the box

At the base of the headphones themselves, unlike the original, the fake has a noticeable gap between the wire and the earphone. The shape of the “droplets” of the fake is more elongated, which will negatively affect their ergonomics. The wire should be quite rough, pleasant to the touch, it is not surprising that the wire should have the inscription “made in China”, low-quality wires are unpleasant to the touch, and also quite often get tangled, which leads to quick breakdown of the device.

The length of the wires from the headset to the speakers themselves must be strictly the same size; the Chinese apparently have Chinese rulers too. Now you need to check the “droplets” themselves that are inserted into the ears; they should have inscriptions that indicate the side of the earphone. English letters“L” and “R” which respectively indicate Left and Right, left and right earbuds respectively.

Chinese headphones are different in that they do not have such inscriptions, they forgot to write them, or did not write them on purpose. Close attention should be paid to the grilles that are installed on the speakers and diffusers; they should be metal, located exactly in ovals without distortions, because this directly affects the sound, as well as the durability of the headphones.

The plastic from which the headphones are made is definitely It should be without obvious seams from soldering, monolithic, so to speak, without burrs and sharp protrusions.

Headset

Visually, you can determine that the counterfeit headset is slightly shorter than the original. Traces from the fastening of the halves of the headset body are almost invisible in the original headphones. The control buttons should have a soft movement, and a slight “click” should be felt when pressed. A fake cannot boast of such data.

The halves of the headset body are not fastened properly, gaps are visible, the control buttons are hard to press, and sometimes they don’t work at all. The microphone may also not be installed. Tested headphones record sound through a microphone without noise, the developers took care of this; by the quality of the sound recorded from the microphone, you can also determine whether the representatives of Apple devices in front of you are real.

Sound

The most important thing that is required from gadgets of this type is impeccable sound. Based on the sound quality, it is best to hear where the fake is and where the branded product is. The defects of low-quality speakers that are included in the assembly of fakes are almost impossible to hide.

The fake has a plastic sound, the equalizer is not adjusted, there is practically no bass, as surround sound music tracks. Such headphones are only suitable for listening to monotonous audiobooks, and then only with great strain.

Tracks may be interrupted or stop playing altogether. In short, the sound of a fake is terrible, and you are unlikely to get pleasure from such a purchase.

Let's summarize

Chinese craft products are at a terrible level. You wouldn’t wish such a purchase even on your enemy. Maybe someday they will start making quality fakes, but not now. In a place with a device that is not inferior in price to the original, you will get terrible sound, a low-quality body, short-lived materials, and the absence of some important interfaces.

The craft does not perform its functions; it is unlikely that you will be able to talk on the phone using a headset, or even listen to music. When buying second-hand goods at flea markets, it will be a little easier for you; you can ask the seller to test the device fully. Branded headphones from apple earpods and their copy differs in many ways and now you know what.

Appearance the original and the “Chinese” are similar, but they differ in what we discussed in this article. I hope from the knowledge gained you will not fall for the bait of enterprising Chinese, and still choose the original, not a copy.

I've been wanting to write a review for a long time this topic, but having only the original headphones included with the iPhone 5 and not having a fake one on hand did not give me this opportunity. On one of the forums, I noticed a similar comparison and asked the author for permission to post his note on our blog. He kindly agreed, for which many thanks to him.

The review will be presented without edits or comments, only citations. If you have any additions or comments, please write, I will definitely take them into account.

So:
“I would like to shed some light on the topic of fakes and original earpods.
I have two headsets. One is original and the other is fake.
After all, everyone who wants to buy a headset from Apple wants to be sure that the headset is original.
The fake headset was purchased for 100 UAH (400 rubles), the original one was purchased for 450 UAH (2000 rubles).

We start with an external examination.
The plastic boxes are completely identical, with apples and earpods written all over them.
In both boxes the headsets fit equally tightly and do not fall out or rattle.
It's almost impossible to tell from the boxes
(on a fake, the paper box is a little worse made and the printing is a little paler.
But this is only visible if you hold two boxes side by side).

We examine the headphones.
All holes are identical and cannot be distinguished by them.
On my copy of the fake, on both headphones in the main hole you can see through the mesh that the internal holes are slightly offset relative to the main hole. On the original everything is exactly the same.
The joints on the fake are more obvious, while the original ones are less noticeable.

We examine the remote control.
On a fake, the longitudinal gap between the two halves is uneven in length and has a wedge shape.
The minus key and the middle button are pressed clearly and click loudly and clearly. The "plus" key is pressed indistinctly and does not click (it works normally).
On the original, the gap between the halves of the remote control is even in length and the keys click much quieter and softer.

Please note: overall quality manufacturing.
The rubber tubes that are installed wherever the wire enters the plastic parts on the fake have a fray at the edges.
There is no flash on the original.
The color of the wire and plastic parts is almost the same.

A fake headset sometimes does not respond to remote control presses.
If you twist the jack a little in the socket it starts to work.
I didn't notice this on the original.

The sound on the fake one is worse.

A separate question is whether the original headphones are worth the money they ask us for them?
They suit me perfectly because of the remote control, which is very necessary when listening to audiobooks in a foreign language.
It is not always possible to understand everything that is being read, so there is a need to rewind and listen again.
This eliminates the need to take the phone out of your pocket and make a bunch of unnecessary movements in crowded public transport.
Actually, both headsets are equally suitable for listening to audiobooks; the difference is either insignificant or not detected by me.
When listening to music the difference is very noticeable.

Conclusions: you can confidently distinguish a fake only after careful inspection and listening.
It is impossible to do this when purchasing from a photo. external features identical.
Be careful when purchasing. All the recommendations that I found on the Internet do not make it possible to distinguish the original from the fake. Except for listening.

“You can add information about operating experience.
The original headset, forgotten in a shirt pocket, was washed with a spin cycle, and despite this continues to serve properly.
Fake despite the fact that it has been used very little, it constantly glitches, the buttons on the remote control do not work or the sound disappears.
The original has been used for slaughter for more than 2 months and does not have any flaws."