2. Mechanics

See the section Mechanics and Performance: A Summary Table for the specific measurements this section is base on.

I will discuss the significance of many of my mechanical findings in the next section on performance.

First let’s consider the mechanics of this pair of headsets, then well look at sound quality for both music and phone use. After that, you’ll find a table that summarizes my conclusions about the mechanical and sound quality of each headset.

Rivet’s cushioned earbuds

The Rivet headset comes with nice soft rubber cushions for the earbuds. Actually, the headset comes with three sets of cushions: large, medium and small. The set you use depends on the size of your ear cavity and your own personal comfort preferences. Using the right cushion for your ear cavity size both seals the earbud-to-cavity space to improve sound, especially the bass, and adds to your comfort over longer listening periods.

Apple’s earbuds

Apple’s plastic earbuds have no cushions. They are well designed and shaped, but there is nothing but fairly hard plastic between them and your ears.

Mechanics continued on the next page.