a good pair of headphones for the iPod?

[tzikeh]

I need a new pair of headphones that will work with my iPod. I'd like them to be comfortable, portable, sturdy, something I can use at the gym, and with the best sound quality I can get at a decent price. I *hate* the kind that go inside your ear. I feel that "over-the-head" and "over-the-ears" brands are six of one, half a dozen of the other. If they meet *all* of my requirements with high marks, I'm willing to spend a bit more on them.

Anyone have any good suggestions?

Comments

[absolutedestiny.livejournal.com]

http://www.goodcans.com/

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

I swear by the Shure in-ear headphones. What goes in the ear is tiny, and comes with an assortment of soft covers -- like the soft rubber of a cellphone earpiece, or an earplug. They block ambient noise and their sound quality is excellent.

[amireal.livejournal.com]

senhauser. They're not 'cheap' in the usual sense, but they have a couple nof versions of the over the ear types that fold down and have a case.

[nestra.livejournal.com]

I love these, especially the fact that they include three different sizes.

[luminosity]

Sony MDR-G42. About $25. Practically indestructible. Good-to-excellent audio quality. Under your hair and around your ears. The most comfortable headphones I've ever experienced.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_abulafia/]

I like the Sony MDR-V150, a headband model -- they deliver the best sound that I've found (and I've looked!) for under $50, and they actually only cost about $15. I use them as laptop headphones, iPod headphones, and I've found them suitable for long walks through the city (though sweating might become an issue if you take them on the treadmill). The only problem I can report is that it's possible to snap one of the thick hard plastic components around the earpiece if you get incautious and sit or step on them (I do it about once a year). And that only becomes a problem because they're so durable that I find I start to get careless.

Some of the Amazon reviewers (http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V150-Monitor-Headphones-Reversible/dp/B000092YPR) complain that they squeeze the head, though -- I have a small head, so I don't have any problems on this score, but it might be something to consider. Most of the other complaints are from people who seem to be using these as studio headphones, for serious editing and recording, to which I can only ask, why did you choose $15 headphones for studio use? (They are marketed as studio headphones, but they're also $15! Come on, now.)