Arriva Shuffle Headphones Review

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A few months ago or so, Arriva created a new listening device for Apple’s second and third generation iPod shuffle – the “clip”
model. Rather than dealing with a cord that can get tangled up while you’re working out or cleaning house, Arriva’s given us a
pair of wraparound-style headphones that attach directly to the shuffle.

Arriva sent me two pairs of the “regular” style, in both iPod white and basic black.

arriva shuffle 6

The idea behind this is that you just clip your shuffle on, wrap the earphones around your ears, and go. If only it were that easy…

Perhaps it’s just the model I received from Arriva, but my shuffle does not attach very well to either pair of earphones. The clip
is stuck in a partially open position, which I highly doubt is very good for the kind of spring clip that the shuffle has.

arriva shuffle 5

I’m pretty small, so the circumference of my head isn’t overly large, but I’m not exactly a pinhead, either. Either way, Arriva’s
white earphones are noticeably uncomfortable. You can bend the wires a bit to conform to the shape of your head, but this has thus
far been unsuccessful for me. The black pair is much more comfortable for me.

A friend of mine was nice enough to model both pairs for me. The white pair seemed to fit him much better, so it could just be a
personal preference sort of thing.

These earphones actually don’t look to silly when you’re wearing them, either. They’re almost invisible from the front, and the shuffle
hides behind my ponytail nicely. For the women in the audience here, don’t bother trying to put these on before putting your hair up –
it’s nearly impossible to get the earphones situated with your hair in the way. If you’re a guy, others might notice them a little more,
but it’s nothing completely weird-looking or anything.

arriva shuffle 1

I think the real problem with the white pair is that they try to emulate the original iPod earphones…that shape, however. is not
meant to be worn upside-down, so they don’t fit quite right.

arriva shuffle 2

The black pair is a standard in-ear style with soft rubber ear cups. This was much more comfortable for me.

arriva shuffle 3

arriva shuffle 4

Of course, the other important part about choosing your earphones is the audio quality. The Arrivas are nothing special, to be sure.
I’m definitely not an audio snob – these sounded about the same as the stock earbuds that came with my Zune. The black pair with its
rubber ear cups has a more muffled sound, because of how the phones fit in your ear canals. The white pair don’t sit as snugly in my
ears, and the sound is a little different as a result.

I’ve used the black pair to listen to music while cleaning my apartment. They’re comfortable, lightweight, and don’t move around
at all. It’s definitely a better alternative to getting my headphones cord caught on stuff while I’m doing the dishes or
vacuuming. The white pair doesn’t fit as well, and I wouldn’t want to wear them while working out or doing anything that involved a
lot of jostling about – they’re just too loose.

At just under $40 MSRP, I wouldn’t recommend these if you just want a new toy for your shuffle. They’re good if you run, bike,
or otherwise engage in some sort of physical activity where you’d want some tunes to keep you company. The quality doesn’t really seem
to fit the price, though. The white pair was too uncomfortable, and the fact that the shuffle’s clip wasn’t fully closed on either
pair bothered me. Once my shuffle’s clip gets worn out, that’s really going to impact the usability of it, so I’m hesitant to use
these earphones too much. There’s nothing else like this on the market, so if you’re active and want something for your shuffle other
than a standard pair of earphones, this is more or less your only choice. I can’t say I’d really recommend these, but it just
depends on your listening needs.

 

Product Information

Price:39.95
Manufacturer:Arriva
Requirements:
  • iPod Shuffle
Pros:
  • Good idea for exercising
Cons:
  • Poor build quality
  • Difficult to fit to head
  • Expensive for what you get

3 thoughts on “Arriva Shuffle Headphones Review”




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  2. A fair review, but I must respectfully disagree.

    I own these and love them. I keep the Arriva and my iPod shuffle in my car’s glove compartment and wear them whenever I hop out of the car for shopping — especially the supermarket, Home Depot, or other situations where I am easily annoyed by the check-out line and happy for some musical distraction.

    I used to unplug my larger capacity iPod from my car’s audio system, get out the earphones, unpack them, then have to repack them to avoid tangling cords next time, plug the iPod back in to the car’s system…

    With the Arriva I just grab the little pouch it comes with out of my glove compartment and I’m on my way. No tangled cords.

    I have not experienced any problems with the clip that holds the Shuffle in to place.

    The earpods do fit snugly in the ear and seal out most outside sound. This is an old debate — some people love this style; others hate it.

    I think the sound is fine, but definitely not audiophile quality. I’ve been in touch with the manufacturer, and they tell me that a higher-end model with better sound will be available in the future.

    Are these as good as my old Etymotics? Definitely not. Do I prefer them to other earpods in the same price range? You bet!

    All just my two cents.

    Glen

  3. I just found these on the internet and decided to give them a try! My biggest peeve with portable music players are those darn wires- so when I came across these I got very excited! So I’ve placed my order and now I wait. I found your review and wanted to drop this little note to help others that may also be considering this product.. One great thing is that currently they are being sold at a special rate of only $35 + FREE shipping! I’m always happy to get a better price on items as I’m sure most of you are. One other thing I wanted to touch on is the proper way to install your Shuffle — I noticed in the review that you mentioned how the clip stayed open and you worried that it might eventually wear out the spring — well, to clarify that is not how it is meant to fit- you actually want to firmly press the clip so that you hear a snap and it closes/appears flush. Complete instructions can be found on Arriva’s website at http://arriva.com/Howtofitshuffle.htm
    Also, they are now offered in sizes: small (for women, kids, and shrunken heads) and regular (for guys and “regular” people) — they also state that if your head exceeds a particular measurement, to go ahead and contact them! This leads me to believe that they may be willing to create custom headphones for those of you with monster heads out there!! Wow- I’m already impressed with this company! =P
    Oh and if you’re a snowboarder (like me) you will like to know that these were developed with local riders out in Telluride! Frankly I trust that, because I personally know what’s most important when you’re flying down the trail – I look forward to great fit, ease of use, and decent sound/volume!

  4. Yea, bad review. They fit great and the I Pod fits in the setup just fine. But then again Rolling Stone slammed every album Led Zeppelin ever made so there you have it with critics…

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