[Walker]

I purchased some silicone earbud covers at radio shack for my iPod ear buds. I really like these covers much better than the standard foam covers, but I've noticed that the row of little holes on the back of the ear buds are now covered up by silicone. The ear buds still sound good, but I'm wondering what the is the purpose of these little holes?

Thanks,

lw

[red44dog44]

Originally posted by Walker:
I purchased some silicone earbud covers at radio shack for my iPod ear buds. I really like these covers much better than the standard foam covers, but I've noticed that the row of little holes on the back of the ear buds are now covered up by silicone. The ear buds still sound good, but I'm wondering what the is the purpose of these little holes?

Thanks,

lw

Air movement altho small

[chabig]

They could also be necessary if the face of the earbud is sealed to equalize internal pressure as the atmospheric pressure changes.

[Squozen]

They're there to allow air to escape as the driver moves back and forth (effectively the size of the 'enclosure' that the speaker sees becomes infinite, which is why this is called an infinite baffle design).

You'll notice if you cover the holes with your finger the bass will drop off, as the air has nowhere to go and the iPod doesn't provide enough grunt to compress the air trapped within the earpiece.