What headphones do you use with your Fairphone 1(U)? (Discussion on Compatibility Issues)

The long answer on Fairphone headphone compatibility is here:
https://fairphone.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/201136126

This discussion continues the one started on the old forum (now closed/defunct)

So please tell us your experiences with using headphones for the Fairphone! Tell us about headsets that you have found and discuss compatibility issues

[Edit by Chris_r - 05/01/15: Deleted old forum link and updated the information]

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I tried a lot of headphones in a local electronics store in cologne some weeks ago. However they are all plain sterao headphones with no special features. However if you are using the nice Fairphone case, you will notice that some plug simply wont really fit, for example my older generation Koss Porta Pro was a bit loose when using with the case because the hole in the case is to narrow.
But: I was glad to disover that most phones in the store had a smaller/thinner plug that perfectly fits, amongst others:

  • Newer Koss Phones like the classic Porta Pro switched to a more narrow plug and cable! No more issues
  • Portable Sennheisers (mid-range price) like PX100-II and PX200-II ( i ultimalty bought the PX100-II and really like it. Great value for the price and comfortable)
  • Some phones by Sony (did not like the sound)
  • Marley Headphones
  • Some of the AKG phones
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The Samsung ehs64avfbe are compatible: volume Up/Down, Next/Previous track, Pause/Resume track, Answer/Hold call: it all works.

I did need the app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kober.headset to get all working.

I use the headphones from my old HTC phone. The plug is really thin (comparable to iPod/iPhone headphones) so it fits through the hole in my case. The sound quality is a bit crappy I guess but I donā€™t use it that often anyway.

I use hearing aids due to impaired hearing, so in-ear headphones are not an option, and classic headphones inconvenient.
A few months ago I read about open-ear headphones from Aftershokz (www.aftershokz.com), transferring sound via vibrations through the cheekbones. I got a pair (model Sportz M3 with a mic), and they work fine both on my FP and connected to a laptop. They are in fact not developed for people with impaired hearing, the idea is that you should be able to hear ambient sound, e.g. traffic, when on the road running or cycling - a wise safety measure.
Donā€™t expect hi-fi quality, though! Review at wired.com: http://www.wired.com/2012/05/aftershokz/

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Iā€™ve tried to day with the headphones I got with my ASUS gaming laptop a couple years ago. Quite OK. Havenā€™t tried with the official case yet thoughā€¦

Got my caseā€¦ my headphones donā€™t fit. :confused:

Why are the cases always so close to connections such as the jacks or the usb ports. It seems so pointless to meā€¦

I personally use a pair of Thinksound MS01 This small company produces high quality earplugs (lotā€™s of reviews are very positive) and they sustainable materials! My younger brother also owns a pair and had great experiences with their customer support.

All in all, I think they are a good match for your Fairphone if you are looking for a new set of plugs!

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this is indeed an issue we are aware of and could not fix in the current model. Really sorry about that. I know some people fixed it by taking a stanley knife to itā€¦ or maybe find a slim adapter plug that does fit as a workaround.

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Well, I more or less managed to plug it in but it may easily be pushed out by some manner.

I guess itā€™ll do for now, Iā€™ll try next time I take it out.

Case is cool though, although the screen isnā€™t protected.

Iā€™m using the Philips SHE5105BK/10 Citiscape headset - has mic with 1 button. The button answers/hangs up calls and a quick press can put a call on hold. Can also start/stop music, but thatā€™s it.

Iā€™m happy with the functions, even though I would prefer to be able to skip tracks etc, but not essential for me. Sounds quality is pretty good for music and calls.

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I rarely use any phone for audioā€¦ I mostly use an iPod shuffle, because I prefer controls that I can operate by feel (donā€™t want to have to take out my phone, unlock the screen, go to the audio appā€¦ just to change to a different podcast or whatever). However, the phones I use are theseā€¦

Soundmagic E10

The earbuds that come with them arenā€™t great (the soft rubber type) so I replace them with some of theseā€¦

Comply foam tips

That works out about 35 GBP in total (I buy multi-packs of Comply tips) which is pretty cheap, but the quality is impressive. I went through a phase of buying phones in the 60-80 GBP price range (Shure and Audio Technica) and was disappointed every time, mostly with the poor quality control. These Soundmagics are easily as good as the Shure SE115 I used to have, but they donā€™t mysteriously die after a few months!

I use the ā€˜regularā€™ headphone from my iPod, and they work quite well :slight_smile:

I use a pair of SANDSTROM SRIOB13X headphones which I bought at a Dixonā€™s Tax Free in the airport one day when I forgot my usual headphones. They fit the case well and seem to work just fine, although I havenā€™t tried to used them to control music.

Thanks for the link on the Thinksound headphones @Marco, Iā€™ll have to check them out!

One thing I have noticed though is that when I plug in my headset, it doesnā€™t always get recognised by my phone as having a microphone built in, I sometimes have to plug and unplug them several times before they get recognised. This happens with or without the case, so itā€™s not an issue of depth, which was what I first thought. Anyone else had this issue?

Hello everybody,

I think any headphone will just work fine and I will start with the ones I have from a previous phone. Nevertheless I have some ā€œdreamā€-head-phones for which I currently save month by monthā€¦ and one fine day, I want theseā€¦
http://www.ultrasone-headphones.com/en/products/in-ears/pyco

Since it has been a while:

Can anybody confirm fully working headphones (volume, next/previous track, pause/resume), exept the Samsung ehs64avfbe?
When you search for those on Amazon, you get dozens of different resultsā€¦ and most of them have very bad ratings.

It seems like those are the only ones reported to really work with the fairphone, and I am wondering if there are others with better audio quality :slight_smile:

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When I want to use non-wirless (what a word) headphones for radio usage I take my Philips SHE3590BL/10:
http://www.philips.de/c-p/SHE3590BL_10/blau

They work fine for me and fit exactly into the opening of the Fairphone case. Plus, its blue matches the blue that my case hasā€¦ :slight_smile:

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Hi!
I have tried two pairs of Nokia WH-102 headphones and they work fine, but the volume level is a bit low.
Iā€™ve also tried the Samsung EHS61 headphones and they work very well, the answer button is compatible and with an app it support all the functions.

But i have noticed one thing, when i plug in my headset slowly it doesnā€™t get recognised by my phone as having a microphone built in, instead when i plug in it quickly the microphone is recognised too!
I hope that this advice will be useful!

Iā€™m using the Philips SHE5105BK/10 Citiscape headset - has mic with 1 button.

I too am safisfied with a Philips basic set, low cost and very reasonable function IMHO

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Thanks kgha for the trick re. hearing aids -Iā€™ll have at least two persons very interested here (of which one is already with a FP :smile:)
Thanks really.
HervƩ

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