Another anecdote: I tried to buy Apple EarPods on Amazon. The first search result, ranked #13 in the best sellers claims "Apple EarPods Genuine OEM" for $9.99 when all reviews say "do not buy, not genuine!". How can Amazon let these products be listed???
I ended up buying them for $30 in person at my local electronics store.
Off topic but why do you like those enough to pay $30? They're horrible at noise reduction (for you and those around you) and have shit for low frequencies. You can get a much better pair from Sony at that price . Always curious why people use them
Personally have never liked the sealed ear buds as the seals usually do not fit correctly. More importantly though, most of the time I need the ability to listen to the ambient noise around me to catch other people talking to me or hearing announcements like train stops.
The sealed off from the world feeling is usually only useful when concentrating on a task and that is pretty rare.
I like them because they are the only headphones I can sleep on my side while they are still in and not hurt. I've got expensive headphones for listening, the ear pods are good enough for listening while laying down.
I ended up buying them for $30 in person at my local electronics store.