Mar 14
- For use with any standard headphones or earbuds
- Control play, pause, adjust volume, skip tracks, navigate playlists and activate the VoiceOver feature on your iPod shuffle (Gen 3)
- Includes 3ft. audio cable for connecting to most stereo systems
- High impact polycarbonate material protects against knocks and nicks
Product Description
Scosche White tapSTICK Polycarbonate Case with Integrated Controls for iPod shuffle 3G, 4G (Black)… More >>
Scosche tapSTICK Polycarbonate Case with Integrated Controls for iPod shuffle 3G, 4G
I am pleased with the Tapstick, plan to keep it.
I am not sure which I will end up using regularly at the gym with my shuffle: Tapline or Tapstick?
There are a few caveats to the Tapstick that I will spell out below. Also, I can’t help but think that the previous generation Shuffle was easier to use than any of these, but it’s not a big deal. I definitely want the 4 gig of the new shuffle, and also reviewers claim it sounds better (quieter background?) which I find a subtle difference if at all. Not losing sleep over this!
Pros
Sonically transparent.
Easy to use.
Looks sharp.
Pricing is ok.
Looks less sloppy than having an accessory wire for the controls (e.g. Tapline).
Cons
Size: Roughly doubles the size of the latest shuffle, but hey if you double the size of something tiny, you still get something tiny!
On/off: Tapstick covers the shuffle on/off switch. Argh! You literally have to remove Tapstick to gain access to the on/off switch. I have observed that the shuffle goes into standby after a few minutes of non-use, so I’m going to gamble that I can just leave the Tapstick on the shuffle all the time. Not sure though. Need more testing to see if all the functionality is available in this mode. OPEN QUESTIONS: (1) Will it awaken by itself or do I have to remove the cover and cycle the on/off switch? Forgot to test this, sorry. Later. This would be a bummer. (2) How much battery will it use in standby? TBD
Quality Control?: When I first installed it, Tapstick did not communicate with the shuffle. I had to remove it and reinstall it a couple times. Once it clicked in, it seemed fine. Works great. This could just be initial break-in or it might suggest problems down the road.
Bottom Line: I’m grateful to Scosche for producing Tapline and Tapstick so that I can finally enjoy the latest generation iPod shuffle with high quality earphones (I use Westones :)
Rating: 4 / 5
Unfortunately the design of the new shuffle precludes the use of any other headphones except the provided Apple phones and once they get damp they don’t function anymore. You can’t change the volume or use the voice over feature. Bad design. Go to Apple forums and read all the people’s comments on these dreary phones. With this unit the controls are on the shuffle and best of all you can now use any phones that you like. I waited for months for this unit to be available and I’m so glad I didn’t throw the shuffle out which was my first instinct! This unit works just as promised and now I can enjoy the benefit of a 4gb ipod with the phones of MY choice. Thank you Scosche.
Rating: 5 / 5
Have used this project for over a month and find no fault with it. I am now pleased to use my ipod shuffle (3rd gen) for all of my workouts without fear that sweat will destroy my apple earbuds rendering the shuffle useless. I recommend this product for those of you who want a simple solution to your headphone issues.
Rating: 4 / 5
I was experiencing the same problem as many other iPod Shuffle 3rd Gen users: the controls stop working after some workout sessions. This is supposedly due to sweat entering the controls, which to me means “bad design”. I started searching for an accessory to work around the problem and find the tapStick just when it had just been launched. I have already used it several times and yes, it works very fine. It is a very clever solution, of good finishing quality, and it preserves the original Shuffle 3G style. The only things I can say that it could additionally feature are the possibility to plug a second cable e a way to turn it on and off without dettaching it from the iPod.
Rating: 4 / 5
Problem: the new (4th generation) shuffles have the controls in the earphone cord, so you have to use the included Apple earphones. I have big ears, and the erphones fall out on the treadmill. I read all the Amazon reviews trying to figure out how to adapt my JVC headphones to the shuffle. Most of the reviews suggested this TapStick (which I then ordered from Amazon). Since the shuffle has the on/ play/ shuffle switch on top, once you turn it on and slide it into the TapStick, you have to slide it back out to turn it off (although you can hit pause on the TapStick).
The three large buttons on the TapStick work just like the three little buttons on the Apple earphone cord, only now you can plug in your own headphones. Also included is a cord that plugs into the earphone jack so you can plug the shuffle into a stereo. You also have to remove the TapStick to charge or download the shuffle on a laptop, since everything uses the same jack on the shuffle.
That’s all there is to it. It’s an extra twenty bucks or so to make the shuffle work like you thought it would all along, but nevertheless, it’s TapStick to the rescue.
Rating: 4 / 5