I’m an over-the-ear kinda guy — my Sennheiser HD–280 PRO headphones are never far away.
The older Apple earbuds simply don’t fit well in my ears, leaving me with a distaste for earbuds in general. When I do use earbuds, I use a pair of the original high-end Apple ones, with the smallest fitting.
I might have girly inner-ears. Don’t judge.
The EarPods are a huge improvement for me. They are comfortable and fit in my ears quite comfortably.
Sound-wise, they seem on-par with my nice Apple ‘buds, and a good bit better than Apple’s previous built-ins. Mids and bass sound far more distinct than before, and highs sound less tinny.
The volume rocker is far bigger and sturdier, which is a great improvement. Likewise, the stems and buds are made of hard plastic, with the rubber to be found being the cables. That — coupled with the cool acrylic case they come with — makes these seem like a more premium product than they really are.
The EarPods aren’t going to stand up very well with more expensive hardware, like my 280s, but for free, built-in earbuds, they’re not shabby at all. Apple’s three years of work seems to have paid off.