Practical Ear Bud recs for Ipod?

C'mon, Doc. It's iPod, not Ipod. Jeesh!!!

There are some that are truly noise cancelling, like Bose. There are others that are noise dampening (or some other phrase). The former actually cancel noises that do not come from the iPod by creating the reverse wave pattern and sending that through the speakers. This really works very well for white noise, and these phones are perfect for use on airplanes. The latter seems to just boost the sound coming from the iPod. Both use some additional power source (eg, AAA battery). The latter costs much less, but I think it just boosts the volume of the desired sound.

I say you can't get noise cancellation under those guidelines. Just get something that fits your ear well, regardless of whether the price is above or below $30. At that price you aren't asking for (and shouldn't expect) a high-quality sound.

 

I don't have an iPod, but I do have an MP3 player, and a laptop, and frequently, it's just nice to use earbuds.

My Dear Hubbs and I both love the KOSS "sparkplug" style earbud.
They are very not expensive, ($13 at Amazon), but the sound quality is really, really good.. AND, they stay in my rather small ears, and in DH's rather large ears, with no trouble.

 

http://www.target.com/Sony-Earbud-H...=UTF8&index=target&rh=k:earphones sony&page=1

those have worked great for me for well over a year.

 

I have these and they work very well and produce very high-quality sound. They fit snugly in the ears, and require you to tug on the ear to get them in. They are a bit over your price range, but why are you throwing shirts in the washer without checking the pockets first anyway? (They were cheaper when I got mine.)

I also have the original ones, which work great for me, but I have no idea what the model name/number is for those. The foam covers came off and got lost, but they still work fine.

For the airplane, I would never be without my Bose noise-canceling headphones. They use active circuitry, battery-powered, to pick up ambient noise and generate a waveform to cancel it. It is very far from 100%, but it reduces the outside noise greatly. They cost four or five hundred dollars and are worth every penny if you travel much. They come with several adapters and can be plugged into the plane's audio system.

 

I have had a set of these for a while and really like them. (I got mine for ~$35 I think.) The little silicone rubber things make them comfortable and the sound quality is about as good as I've heard out of my portable MP3 player. I also find that the in-the-ear style does a decent job of blocking ambient noise without the need for expensive inverse waveform electronic mumbo jumbo.

 

Check out www.headphonereviews.org. I bought a pair of Creative EP630s a few weeks ago and I think they're significantly better than the standard issue iPod stuff. They come with three sizes of little rubber thingies to ensure a good fit, which is essential for good sound and long-term comfort. They're clear and crisp, with a surprising amount of bass for such tiny speakers. Any 'noise cancelling' you get at this price is due entirely to having something stuck in your ear, and not to any waveform anti-matter. According to the review, they're better than most of this type costing two and three times as much. I paid $30, and I'm very happy with them.

 

I got my daughter the Creative EP-630 headphones. She loves them and refused to use the OEM iPod buds when she got her new video Nano.

 

Evan, I had the these with my first Nano, and will get the again as soon as they're out there for the new nano. (I lost the first one) What I like: 3 different earbuds sizes that are nice & soft, they isolate, the lanyard, and the price at about $30, give or take.

http://www.amazon.com/Rivet-Stereo-...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1197342230&sr=1-3

- formerly Screaming Red

 

Evan, I had these with my first Nano, and will get the again for my new nano. (Lost the first one )
http://www.rivetnow.com/home/file/product/iproduct_id/96/Earphones_iPod.html

What I like: 3 different sizes of isolating gel earbuds that are nice & soft, the lanyard, decent sound, and the price at about $30 on Amazon, depending on model.

formerly Screaming Red

 

Uh, Evan...nothing personal, but if you were going to buy something within hours of asking for recommendations, you weren't giving the process much of a chance. And for what you've spent on several pairs, you could have bought something much better.

 

I've been a big fan of the Shure E2 line for several years. They do an excellent job blocking outside noise and they give much more detail to the music. 2 year warranty too. They have been discontinued, but the replacement model seems just as nice if not more. They can be found for around $80.

 

I just heard that Starkey Labs (the hearing aid people) now make ear buds. They custom fit them for your ears just like your getting a hearing aid. Havn't seen the price though, maybe they are the $450 ones.

 

Remember. The better the buds, the more likely you'll get hearing loss.

 

What did you say?

 

Noise canceling headphones are for helping you sleep on planes. The audio quality on the Bose QuietComforts is as bad as all other Bose equipment, which is to say it completely blows. It's not any better on the other brands either.

I travel with one set of noise canceling headphones, plus several sets of earbuds. I've got a pair of expensive Etymotic earbuds but I'm not that impressed with them. My reference is a $10k pair of Arnie Nudell designed Genesis 6.1 loudspeakers.