How to distinguish Chinese headphones from iPhone 5. How to distinguish original EarPods? The difference in the quality of packaging of original EarPods and fake ones

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 that what you have in front of you is a fake AirPods headphones or original.

7 main signs of fake AirPods

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

too much low price. 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 the 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 of a fake (copy):

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.
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:

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.
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.
In supermarkets, kiosks and markets. Here you will definitely find only copies and fakes.
In the underground. 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 one distinguish original headphones Apple Earpods for iPhone from a copy or fake:

You can easily notice the seams.
No corporate logo original manufacturer. The logo must be embossed.
The control unit buttons are too tight.
There is embossed HTP text.
There are visible gaps.
The packaging is of very poor quality (blurry picture).
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 a Chinese fake Apple Earpods 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 will not see the Apple logo, which every original should have;
the original headphones weigh three grams more than the fake ones;

How to distinguish original ones apple headphones from counterfeiting is the most logical question that arises in the mind of a person intending to give away a large sum for a branded device. What should you pay attention to when purchasing? How does the sound of a product from a Californian manufacturer differ from a non-original version of the “black” market? How to quickly catch a seller trying to sell a copy of Apple headphones passing off as the original? The article below will not leave these questions unanswered, having received which potential buyer accessory from Apple you can be confident in your choice.

Apple electronics, as well as its accessories, are considered premium products. Not every person can afford to buy products from a Californian corporation. It is for this reason that many manufacturers recreate copies of branded devices, which are subsequently passed off as the original. Most often you can come across replicas of Apple headphones, EarPods, sold not only through online trading, but also located in the windows of city stores.

Package

A real device from an American corporation comes in a white square case with a clear engraving of the campaign logo (a bitten apple), the perfect execution of which is often neglected by the creators of counterfeits. This package, transparent on the front side, contains the device itself. Box for original headset The iPhone is made of high-quality plastic that does not have any tint, with the device itself inside. Upon closer inspection, it will not be difficult to distinguish the original from the fake. In addition to the sloppy external design (cracks, burrs, etc.), the material used to create the replica packaging is usually of lower quality: it has a yellowish or cloudy tint, and is susceptible to even slight external influences.

The wire

On iPhone headphones, the wire fits tightly to the base of the device. This fact allows you to minimize the risk of various types of damage to the main element of the accessory. The creators of EarPods replicas, in turn, do not worry about the presence of gaps and cracks, which allows the user to easily recognize their “deception” when purchasing a product.

Based on tactile sensations, those who want to purchase original Apple products will also be able to distinguish the “original” by the more elastic wire and its grayish tint. The replica wire will be more rigid in its characteristics and whiter in color.

The wire of the original EarPods must have serial number product and the inscription: “Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China.”

Headphone shape

It will not be difficult for the buyer to distinguish the original headphones presented by the Apple campaign from their cheap counterfeits by carefully examining the device itself. On a genuine iPhone headset, starting with the 5 and 5S line, the manufacturer designates the right and left earbuds with the inscriptions L/R. Most replicas do not have such a mark.

In the manufacture of diffusers, as for all products, Apple uses high-quality material (metal mesh), which, in comparison with a replica (rag mesh), allows you to quickly determine the “original”.

The external design of the original device looks solid, neat, and of high quality, as, in fact, do the technical components of the device. Most non-original headsets contain seams and imprints of mold parts used in the manufacture of plastic headphones.

Remote Control

In identifying counterfeit EarPods, it is important to check both the quality of the presented design of wires, headphones, and the device’s control panel.

It’s easy to recognize the original, since the button on its remote control remote control pressed smoothly, without obvious sound accompaniment. In the case of using a fake, some effort must be made, and when you press the button, a loud, characteristic click will be heard.

Manufacturers of some replicas do not completely recreate the functions of the remote control inherent to the original. This fact is also worth keeping in mind when checking the authenticity of the selected headset.

Sound

The sound in Apple headphones should be spacious, without extraneous whistles, hisses, and with high-quality noise reduction. The world's premium electronics manufacturer also provides high-quality transmission low frequencies, expressed as a slight vibration when listening to a track with bass. It is logical that counterfeits are devoid of such properties and can only provide high quality sound, standard for the segment of headsets of basic smartphones.

Apple headphones features

Since Apple headphones are designed in such a way that the user receives not only high-quality sound, but also whole line unique features, the high demand for EarPods is understandable. Basic headset remote control iPhone configurations allows:

receive and reject incoming calls;
"call" Siri ( voice assistant iOS operating system);
give commands to the voice assistant;
play, stop, switch, rewind media tracks;
“hold” an incoming call;
switch between active conversation lines.

Pros and cons of apple wireless headphones

In addition to the basic headset from Apple, wireless headphones Californian manufacturer - AirPods, which have both positive and negative characteristics.

The advantages include:

a unique design that seemed impossible in the development of traditional in-ear headphones;
a high-quality battery, the charge of which, according to Apple, will last for 5 hours;
unique functions of the headphone case (the ability to “recharge” the device, interact with a paired device, transmitting information about the AirPods charge level, and so on);
function fast charging(15 minutes), which makes it possible to subsequently use the device for another 3 hours;
automatic playback (pause) when placing (removing) headphones in the ears;
quick automatic pairing with other user devices;
account synchronization.

The disadvantages of AirPods are:

difficulties in pairing the device with devices on operating system older iOS 10;
high cost for the European market;
no significant difference in sound from EarPods;
“unfinished” unique characteristics (inability to launch Siri voice when the smartphone is locked).

If you intend to invest a considerable amount of money in the purchase of original headphones, it is important to take into account the above features of the devices when choosing. However, no matter how hard manufacturers try to qualitatively counterfeit Apple products, the impeccable design, unique characteristics, and innovative ideas of the Californian corporation remain to this day distinctive features brand, allowing you to identify the original and promptly refuse to buy a “fake”.

Have you ever thought about the question that in the market of modern headsets, and indeed in the entire market, you can find fake earpods. In this article we will look at how to distinguish original EarPods from fakes.

Most of the fakes come from everyone's favorite China. These people even fake things that they haven’t yet produced; often the fakes are practically no different from Apple EarPods, but that’s all at first glance.

Manufacturers of top products are a tasty pie for scammers in this industry. This fate did not pass by apple earpods. On sale of this product A huge number of pages have appeared on the Internet selling the product for “ridiculous” (compared to the original earpods) money.

Once we conducted a kind of experiment and counted 827 different fakes from China.

Most often, the decisive sign of a fake apple earpods is its price, at this device There is an official specific price range, find out about it before ordering a “super promotion”. If the price is two or three times different...you understand.

There are times when the expensive price of headphones does not allow you to buy them in a store, but you have enough money for a used product. You go to the next “Avito” or other similar site where you can buy products that have already been used and start choosing your headphones...

So, how to distinguish original EarPods from fakes?!

The first thing you should do is to carefully look at the original earpods on the official website. View the entire package and generally examine the product inside and out.

After you have studied the product in detail, you can move on to inspecting the headphone box. The packaging is not always similar to the original, and most often it is completely different. Very often the “Chinese” remove the apple logo from the front of the packaging. Ideally, if you already have a box from Apple EarPods, then you can see how the packaging differs. Pay close attention to the color of the headphones and the color of the packaging; in the original case, the color of your headset should match the color of the packaging. With fake headphones, this is all problematic; the color of the headset rarely matches the color of the box, since they pack and assemble it all in “makeshift” conditions.

Low-quality plastic can also be used, the Chinese don’t really bother about this and in many cases the plastic will differ from the real thing. Boxing should be given special attention; competitors have a lot of problems when opening the box. The box closes very tightly or does not close at all.

What is the difference between plastic?! In the original packaging, the plastic has a bluish tint of color, while the Chinese one has more of a yellow color scheme.

Pay attention when purchasing a wire, the original wire is very elastic and does not get tangled as it Chinese competitor. If you have dealt with Chinese headphones, then you have probably come across a knotted coil of wires more than once and spent a lot of time untangling them. Apple saved us from such a thankless task and their wire is made of very high quality material, all this needs to be touched by touch.

You'll probably find it funny now! Our elastic cord must be marked “Made in China”. Yes guys, not everything made in China is bad. This is explained by the fact that manufacturers do not want to spend extra money and build factories in China, although the product is made in China, its quality leaves ordinary Chinese goods uncompetitive.

Very important point, the letters “R” and “L” are drawn on each of your headphones, which means “Right” and “Left”. Counterfeiters don’t bother much with these letters and either forget or simply don’t want to write them.

If the headphones were used very often and the letters were erased during use, this does not mean that the headphones are fake. The wires of the headphones must be the same length, the right earphone must be the same length as the left one and nothing else! Chinese manufacturers often make one earphone longer than the other.

On each of the headphones you probably noticed a hole, which in the original cases was covered with a mesh. This mesh must be made of very high quality; our “brothers” in this matter use either non-symmetrical meshes, or even some kind of rag material that will not last you long.

All buttons on the control panel should be switched “like clockwork”, pressing is done with a very light movement of the finger; on Chinese counterfeits in this regard, the toggle switch clicks. And on some copies, these buttons are simply made for beauty.

There should be no gaps between the two halves of the remote control; if there is one, it should be very small, and not the size of a match head. Sometimes the creators of fakes forget to draw a microphone icon on the remote control.

If you can hold the headphones in your hands, then be sure to do so. If you have held anything from Apple before, you will immediately feel it. If not, then just remember how “Chinese junk” behaves in the hands,

By the sound, if you heard these headphones in the original, then you can immediately identify a fake. Usually Chinese headphones squeak and crackle when good bass, this should not happen with earpods, if such a problem is discovered, it happens that the speaker on the earphone itself goes dead.

Also on Chinese fakes, songs are often interrupted or slow down, since the speed of the music being played does not match the quality of the cable.

You should also check the recording quality of the microphone, the original version has a function for noise reduction, and if you record something with a microphone, then your quality will be excellent, unlike a competitor from a red country.

My next meeting with a friend began with a question: “Volodya, yesterday I bought new ones, I lost the original ones. See if they're real or Chinese copy? Of course, I asked where exactly he bought them. The answer was convincing: “In the official Apple reseller. For 1200 rubles." Shabby iPod Classic fully armed, the miniJack is inserted and I’m ready for the “investigative experiment.”

I can't say that the EarPods that come with several latest models iPhone and iPod cause wild delight with their sound. Yes, these are ordinary earphones that correspond to their price category in the range of “up to 1200 rubles”. There’s nothing supernatural about them, but when music is needed “here and now” and you can’t get around to buying good ears, EarPods are a big help.

From the very first sounds it became clear that something was clearly fishy here. And if the absence of any bass can still be forgiven, then the wheezing is high frequencies, rattling and disgusting “plastic” sound... Of course, in just a couple of hours you can kill any headphones, but these are new, just pulled out of the “branded” box. Having disappointed my friend, I immediately began to look for an answer to the question: “How to buy really real EarPods and not fall for the bait of shady Chinese industrial “copier companies”?

The boxes look completely identical: transparent plastic, a smooth white stand, neatly stacked EarPods. But don't rush to conclusions.

Considering the packaging

Before you shell out your hard-earned cash for new EarPods, take a close look at the packaging. Some Chinese fakes come in exactly the same box as the original, but they may lack Apple logo based on the box body:

My copy Chinese fake The logo doesn’t disappoint, but just take a closer look at the box and doubts arise as to whether these are really original Apple headphones. Look carefully at the quality of the box, touch the plastic. Curiously, the original weighs 3 grams more than the copy:

The original EarPods are packaged in a box made of high-quality material. Transparent plastic has a slightly bluish tint; the Chinese copy is yellowish. The “real Chinese” plastic bends under your fingers, and on the box itself you can find a lot of burrs, snags and irregularities:

What is inside?

Let's move on. The headphones are opened, at first nothing attracts attention. The wire is really high quality, it feels like soft-touch rubberized plastic. If everything is really so, you may have in your hands good copy headphones (or, rejoice - the original). Inspect each earphone carefully. There should be no gaps or holes at its base:

The first thing that catches your eye after examining the earbuds themselves is the absence of the Left/Right designation on the Chinese copy. For EarPods, indicating L/R is especially important, since out of habit, users often confuse the left and right headphones, and then scold Apple.

Now pay attention to the grilles covering the speakers and diffuser. Often, the speaker grille may be no different from the original one, but with the diffuser everything is more complicated: the Chinese copy of EarPods is covered with a cloth grille, while the original ones have a metal mesh installed:

Another nuance that you should pay attention to: each earphone should appear “molded,” almost a solid piece of plastic and not have the characteristic protrusions and traces of industrial soldering of plastic.

Now let's turn our attention to the control panel-headset. Visually there are no differences between the original and the copy. In order to figure out which headphones are original, you need to listen to the sensations of pressing:

Pressing original remote control passes very smoothly and makes a characteristic soft click. When you press the remote control on copies of EarPods, you have to apply a little more effort. Compared to the original, it makes a louder clicking sound.

The main thing to consider when buying EarPods: if you want to buy truly original headphones, be prepared for detailed consideration your purchase. Feel free to demand the seller to open and show the headphones. If the auditory senses can deceive, then any roughness, plastic burrs, lack of markings or suspicious packaging will immediately lead you to the trail. The number of fakes is simply huge and each “noname” manufacturer has its own identification mark of the copy.

By adhering to the tips listed above, you can insure yourself against supporting an unscrupulous Chinese manufacturer and if you really like EarPods, buy original headphones. Have a nice shopping!

website My next meeting with a friend began with a question: “Volodya, yesterday I bought new EarPods, I lost the original ones. Look, are they real or a Chinese copy?” Of course, I asked where exactly he bought them. The answer was convincing: “In the official Apple reseller. For 1200 rubles." The battered iPod Classic is fully armed, the miniJack is inserted and I’m ready for the “investigative experiment.” I can't...

It is a well-known fact that headphones are counterfeited. Moreover, they do it without hesitation and without fear of anything. The funny thing is that fakes can be made in the same factory as the original. This doesn't happen often, but there have been such cases. Basically, counterfeits are made at other factories, where the cost will be much lower, because the equipment installed is simple and old, the workers are not interested in high quality, only one thing is important - to make as many fakes as possible in short term to make money and disappear forever.

Today we will look at the example of EarPods headphones on how to distinguish original Apple headphones from counterfeit ones.

At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish a fake, but it only seems so when you don’t know what to look for when choosing. Today I will tell you in detail about how to distinguish fake EarPods from insidious fakes.

Where to buy Apple headphones

Manufacturers always place special emphasis on ensuring that potential buyers buy products only from official sellers or dealers, and never trust dubious individuals, basement stores and other unserious places.

If you are walking along an underground passage full of kiosks and in one of them you see seemingly real EarPods or AirPods at a price several times lower than the recommended price, it is obvious that this is a fake. Fake headphones may look very similar to the original, be similar in color, shape and size, but they are fake.

The following simple logical conclusion will save you from buying counterfeit not only headphones, but also any other product:

How can sellers sell the specified product several times cheaper than the official price? After all, the official price is formed taking into account the purchase price from the official distributor and cannot be lower. Usually on household appliances all official stores make a markup of no more than 30% in rare cases, usually the markup is from 10% to 15%. Competition is doing its job, so honest sellers who sell original products cannot lower their prices much, much less make them several times lower than the official ones.

Always remember this reasoning before buying suspiciously cheap headphones and then the pursuit of cheapness will not turn out to be main reason your disappointment with your purchase.

The price of original Apple headphones is always approximately equal to the recommended one

Always remember that the price of original EarPods or AirPods should be very close to the recommended price unless there are any promotions or discounts. But even taking into account the discount, the price of Apple headphones should not be several times lower than the original. Even a price that is 2 times lower already raises strong suspicions, and personally I would turn away from such a dubious purchase.

Let me note once again that the price in stores for Apple headphones is determined by Apple itself; end sellers have almost no influence on it, because In order to officially sell Apple headphones, each seller signs an agreement on the final price and options for changing it. He cannot unilaterally significantly influence it.

Products Apple is always in constant high demand, so sellers never have to resort to cunning tricks, such as sudden sales, huge discounts and similar techniques.

The difference in the quality of packaging of original EarPods and fake ones

The original packaging is made of very high quality, there are no noticeable seams on it, it is evenly transparent, there are no shimmers, color changes, etc. The very first fakes of EarPods did not have the famous Apple symbol on the packaging - the apple. Today it is on all fakes.

Besides the fact that fake EarPods packaging is not so neat, you can distinguish it from the original by the color of the transparent plastic. But, unfortunately, the difference in color is visible only with direct comparison, because the color greatly depends on external lighting and without experience you are unlikely to be able to distinguish a fake from the original. The original packaging has a slightly blue plastic color, while the fake ones are yellowish. Pay close attention to this.

Please note that the color of the plastic of the headphones in the original version exactly matches the color of the plastic of the packaging. There is not the slightest difference between them. While fakes very often have different shades of white. If you see that the color of the headphones and the plastic of the packaging are even slightly different, rest assured, these are fake EarPods and you shouldn’t buy them.

Appearance and quality of materials

First of all, the quality of materials, assembly and joints suffers in fake AirPods and EarPods headphones. Pay close attention to seams, color and shape. More about all this below.

Remember: with the original AirPods and EarPods, everything is done very carefully, almost perfectly. If you see a seam between the two halves of the headphone body, if you see some kind of uneven joint, if you see a gap between the wire seal and the wire, there is no doubt that this is a fake.

Plastic quality of fake Apple headphones

Once again, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the plastic of the headphone case and the plastic of the packaging must be identical in color. If you see even a slight difference in shades, then most likely you are looking at a fake.

Pay attention to the color of the original EarPods, it is saturated, in certain lighting (as in the photo) it has a noticeable gradient, thanks to additives to the plastic. While the fake EarPods are just white, there is no gradient, it's just plain plastic.

Also note that fake headphones usually do not have markings indicating what kind of headphone they are: .

The quality of the seams on the body of the EarPods or AirPods headphones

Pay attention to the seams connecting the two elements of the headphone body; in the original, the seam is almost invisible, and even if by some miracle you see it with your eyes, it is impossible to determine it by touch. While fake EarPods do not hesitate to show you a sloppy seam, which is not only clearly visible from the very first second, it can also be instantly identified by hand.

If you see a sloppy seam on the case or on the remote control, it’s a fake; original Apple headphones are always made perfectly.

Metal protective mesh for EarPods headphones

Pay attention to the protective metal mesh of the headphones. The original EarPods have a metal mesh, smooth, fine-mesh, neat, and pleasant. Counterfeits often use plastic mesh instead of metal, or even fabric mesh. Quite often, fake EarPods have an uneven mesh, displaced in different sides. As soon as you see fake headphones in person, you can easily distinguish them from the original by the protective mesh.