Best ear/headphones for listening to iPod

[maclamb]

I am wondering what you think are the best:
1. in-earphoens
2. Noise-cancelling headphones

and why?

[St Soichiro]

I really love my Bose Noise Cancelling headphones, especially during air travel. In a typical year I take 2-3 flights long-long flights - they are amazing then. Work best with white noise. But, they are expensive!

In regular use I tend to prefer my regular iPod earphones.

[Nspace]

I am still waiting for my iPod, but with previous mp3 players such as my creative 20gb, I just used standard ear-bud panasonic headphones. I like the earbud style the best for being on the road. So natually I will probably use the standard ipod headphones when it arrives.

When I am at home listening to music and the player can be plugged in or I am on my computer, I have a pair of Sony MDR-v700's. These things are dj headphones, block like all outside noise, fit really snuggly to your head, can go real loud and have amazing bass definition.

[Whigga Spitta]

I HATE the iPod headphones. Maybe I have weird shaped ears or something, but they can never stay in, EVER. The sound quality isn't *TERRIBLE* but I much prefer my Bose QuietComforts. If you can justify spending the money for them, they will be one of your best investments, especially if you fly. Our family has 4 pairs of them, that's how good they are. They are unrivaled in sound quality and super comfortable.

[kbonnel]

I am a real big fan of apples in-ear headphones. They sound fantastic, and reproduce bass real well. not only that, but when I am flying (which is a lot), I don't hear anything other than the music. Another big plus, they are comfortable.

Kimo

[Duff-Man]

Duff-Man says...the Apple in-ear ones were not availabl;e yet when I got my original 5GB iPod and I did not like the Apple supplied buds much....so I got the Sony MDR-EX70's - really happen with them. I think they've now been updated to EX71's and there is a cheaper version (EX51) too.....oh yeah! **

[aptmunich]

I prefer in-ear (canalphones) as well.

I use either the shure e2 or the shure e3, depending on what mood i'm in

But the shure e2 are excellent value at around $80, which sounds like a lot, but isn't when you consider that these are almost professional musicians quality...

But the sony ex51/71 are also quite good at around half the price

For more info check out www.head-fi.org


apt

[jemeinc]

Originally Posted by aptmunich

But the shure e2 are excellent value at around $80, which sounds like a lot, but isn't when you consider that these are almost professional musicians quality...


apt

I'll second that about the shure e2's... I got a pair at "The Guitar Center" for $79.99— the guy at the store asked me if I was going to be using these to perform on stage with or for my iPod... lol... When I asked how he knew I had an iPod he said the only people that buy them are either performers or people with iPods...

They are comfortable (unlike the iPod earbuds- those things feel like an ear infection to me) & they block all outside noise... I just finished cutting my grass & couldn't even hear the tractor running at all...lol...

[puckhead193]

Originally Posted by St Soichiro

I really love my Bose Noise Cancelling headphones, especially during air travel. In a typical year I take 2-3 flights long-long flights - they are amazing then. Work best with white noise. But, they are expensive!

In regular use I tend to prefer my regular iPod earphones.

I have to agree, I love my bose headphones. I have the first ones there like gold/champage color.... Everyone is so jealous when i can't hear a single thing. There even good around the house.
There expensive but are the best!

[Xenious]

Yea noise cancelling is great for headphones. Note that for a while American airlines was giving away Bose v2 noise cancelling headphones if you flew business class to london from several american cities.

Also I like the Sony V700DJ's for studio work (nice boosted low end for electronic tunes). And the upcoming Etymotic ER-6i's sound very interesting (if they come through on their promise of increased bass without compromising fidelity).
-jim

[suraj]

I like my Bang& Olufsen A8's although many will say they aren't worth the money.

They are definately expensive, but they are stylish and comfortable.

[Chip NoVaMac]

Originally Posted by St Soichiro

I really love my Bose Noise Cancelling headphones, especially during air travel. In a typical year I take 2-3 flights long-long flights - they are amazing then. Work best with white noise. But, they are expensive!

In regular use I tend to prefer my regular iPod earphones.

For your type of use, do you think that the cost is worth it for the rest of us ?

[jsw]

Maybe I have strange ears, but, for me, comfortable over-the ear headphones are much better - noise cancelling or not. Not as portable, no, nor as cool. But, listening at my desk at work, I can leave over-the-ear ones on all day. I can't do that with earbuds. My choice is the Sennheiser HD600, but they cost a fair amount. However, I wear them while at work a number of hours most days, and I've had them for years, so it was a good investment.

Noise-cancelling ones are great during travel, but I have no real use for hem otherwise. And they don't sound as good, IMHO, as similarly-priced "normal" ones.

[St Soichiro]

Originally Posted by Chip NoVaMac

For your type of use, do you think that the cost is worth it for the rest of us ?

Probably not. I am as cheap/broke as the "rest of us" and this is one of the few wanted-but-not-needed items that I have splurged on in the last one year.

However, a week after buying them I got to use them on a last-minute transatlantic flight in which I was seated in the middle seat in the last row (the one that does not lean back) The headphones made that ungodly trip fairly bearable

[JFreak]

i also recommend the shure E-serie. i myself have the flagship E5 earphones, but that's just because i'm a musician and need those on stage. however, for most of us, the E2 model might be enough to be in awe of how great the music sounds

[homerjward]

i have some sony h.ear's. i would have gotten them in pink but circuit city didnt stock them so i got blue. very comfy, fit my ear perfect. sound really good for earbuds which never do sound as good as over the ear.

[whyrichard]

etymonic research er-6's are absolutely incredible. expensive, but incredible. i heard things from them and my ipod that i never heard from a cd and a $4000 stereo.


they are incredible.



r.

[geeman]

[quote=whyrichard]etymonic research er-6's are absolutely incredible. expensive, but incredible.


I use the ER4-S Etymotic combined with a headphone amplifier running out of the "line out" of the iPod. Etymotic do a version of the ER-4S specifically for portable players called the ER-4P which, while I haven't heard them myself, are supposed to be very good also.

Etymotic have also just released an "iPod-version" of their ER-6 (much cheaper than either the ER-4S or the ER-4P) in white

Etymontic Research: http://www.etymotic.com/

When I'm travelling (which I do a lot) I use the PocketDock adaptor which is fantastic as you don't have to lug around your Dock:

http://www.sendstation.com/us/products/pd_lineout.html

IMO a headphone amplifier improves the sound output quality immeasurably. Yeah, it's a bit of a pain carrying around yet another piece of kit; but the pros outweigh the cons.