Apple tracking an issue with defective Monster headphones?

We just received a tip and some screencaps, purportedly from the Apple-verse, with a word of warning about Monster's headphone lineup. Apple is apparently blaming the "conductive flanges" used in many of Monster's earbuds for erratic stopping and starting of playback on Apple devices. The point of this internal memo seems for support staff to recognize that what a consumer might assume is a defect in an Apple product might actually be a Monster problem. Interestingly, Apple's list of problem headphones doesn't mention any of the Beats-labeled products that Apple actually sells, and is limited to Monster headphones that include "ControlTalk" tech for controlling playback with a cable-mounted mic / volume / pause remote, modeled after Apple's own iPhone-bundled earbuds. We're not sure if this means Monster is mis-applying Apple standards or just has a manufacturing defect, and it's also unclear if this problem also extends to the ControlTalk-equipped products in the joint-developed Beats lineup, but if you've been having some trouble with random stop-starts in your music on your $400 pair of Copper Turbines (and you aren't listening to James Blake), perhaps this will clear up some confusion. A full list of the affected 'buds is after the break.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

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Apple tracking an issue with defective Monster headphones? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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