Apple's iPods and iPhones may have great audio quality but the same can't be said of Apple's earbuds, which deliver an aural experience only marginally more pleasant than sticking live scorpions in your lugholes.
To the (rather belated) rescue comes Burton Technologies, with Acoustibud Earphone Adaptors that turn Apple's white earbuds into in-ear sonic isolating earphones.
The silicone adaptors fit directly on to Apple-style earbuds, using acoustic horn methodology to capture sound waves from the speaker driver, transfer them through a 'converging cone' into a transition area that fits snugly inside the ear.
Cone of silence
Apparently, sound waves then move into a second diverging cone and gradually into the ear canal.
The result, according to John Burton, company owner, is a "stunning sound quality improvement that rivals audiophile-grade earphones many times their cost". Which is a thinly-veiled jab at miniature audio meisters Shure and Kilpsch.
As well as (possibly) making your digital music sound better, the Acoustibuds have rubber fins and an angled design that allows for a customized fit, so your headphones don't fall off when you're going for a jog - a genuine problem with Apple's earbuds.
If you want to try out the Acoustibuds, they're available in the US now for around $13 (£9) for two pairs, in two sizes and colours.
