Expert's Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
Stores your earbuds for travel.
What do you do with your iPod’s earbuds when you’re not using them? Stuff them in a pocket? Wind them around something in hopes that they won’t get tangled? Unfortunately, tangled is usually how they end up, and the next time you go to use your iPod, you spend a couple minutes untying earbud knots.
If this sounds familiar, Audio Outfitter’s earPod may be a solution. Closed, the earPod looks like a white plastic spool; however, one side of the spool rotates open to expose a compartment big enough to hold your earbuds. You simply wrap your earbud cable around the earPod, snake the bodies of the earbuds into the center compartment, and then close the case. Your earbuds are neatly stored for travel.
The earPod’s utility isn’t limited to Apple’s earbuds. Most earbuds will fit, as will smaller canalphones such as Apple’s In-Ear versions, Sony’s EX-71, and even Etymotic’s ER-6 and ER-6i.
Audio Outfitter also promotes the earPod as a way to reduce cable slack while listening — a clip on the back allows you to attach the earPod to your belt or bag. I found wearing the earPod on my belt to be a bit, well, dorky, but it wasn’t too bad when clipped to my bag strap. In either case, this is clearly a secondary use of the earPod. The fact that they allow you to store your earbuds tangle-free is likely good enough for those considering purchasing the product; in that respect, they work quite well.–Dan Frakes