headphones for ipod

[Michael Weber]

Kind of embarassing to admit I know nothing about music technology but..... My wife is going to be on an airplane for 12 hours and we bought her a small ipod (the tiny one) to listen to music and blank some of the aircraft noise. She has decided she would like noise cancelling over the ear headphones instead of the buds that came with the ipod. Looking online at Amazon, I can't really tell for sure if the ones that are sold will work with ipods. Will the little ipod drive the larger headphones? We looked at a set of smaller noise cancelling headphones last night at Sam's Club, but again no mention on the package of them working with an ipod although they were on the shelf right beside some ipod ear buds. Cost is a factor as always. Not looking to spend 200 dollars:eek:. Maybe someone knows of a better solution? To me, tight fitting earbuds would seem to block the most noise but sometimes battles aren't worth fighting:rolleyes:

[Matt Meiser]

I've got a set of Skull Candy brand ear buds that I bought when I forgot my better ones. The sound great and because they are "noise isolating" they work great on planes. I can just barely hear that they are making an announcement so I know when to pull them out so I can hear, but they really block out the aircraft and occupant noise. I think I paid $17 or something. Might want to have her try those before spending the big bucks on active noise cancelling.

[Greg Portland]

Kind of embarassing to admit I know nothing about music technology but..... My wife is going to be on an airplane for 12 hours and we bought her a small ipod (the tiny one) to listen to music and blank some of the aircraft noise. She has decided she would like noise cancelling over the ear headphones instead of the buds that came with the ipod. Looking online at Amazon, I can't really tell for sure if the ones that are sold will work with ipods. Will the little ipod drive the larger headphones? We looked at a set of smaller noise cancelling headphones last night at Sam's Club, but again no mention on the package of them working with an ipod although they were on the shelf right beside some ipod ear buds. Cost is a factor as always. Not looking to spend 200 dollars:eek:. Maybe someone knows of a better solution? To me, tight fitting earbuds would seem to block the most noise but sometimes battles aren't worth fighting:rolleyes:

Go get a set of Etymotic ER6. They are basically ear plugs that completely block all sound (crying babies, etc.). Your ipod should easily be able to drive them and you can get a pair for ~$70. Shure, Ultimate Ears, and Westone all sell similar products (over a wide price range). The only downside to in-ear phones is finding the fit & ear sealed correctly (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=11&sqi=2&ved=0CHMQtwIwCg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8Kw XEqe6Gq4&ei=KGWhT_TvA-SWiALD-s2PAg&usg=AFQjCNGj8evcNNl6beuoJzzeN_y66AOx8g&sig2=_Y8MasWlTVPoSJoVXYhFWw).

I have nothing positive to say about active noise cancelling headphones. They don't block noise as well, they are more expensive, and they have lower sound quality.

[Greg Cuetara]

I know you don't want to spend the $$ but if there is any chance you will use them often a good set of over the ear noise cancelling headphones are worth the money. I have the Bose Quietcomfort II over the ear and that is one of the best purchases of my life. I use them every day at work and take them while traveling.

for one of your questions most of the over the ear noise cancelling headphones run on their own power. the QCII run off a AAA battery in one of the ear pieces so they don't draw power from any device that you have. You do need to realize that noise cancelling headphones only cancel the ambient noise around you which is nice because on a plane I have had them on and talk to the flight attendant in a low soft voice because i can hear her and myself but she can't hear me becuase of all the noise. I end up taking them off so that I can talk to other people.

Good Luck,
Greg

[Larry Browning]

I don't think anyone has answered your basic question yet. Most everything about ipods are proprietary, except the headphone jack. They have the industry standard jack, so just about any modern headphone or ear buds will work fine with your ipod. So your set of choices is pretty much unlimited (by the ipod anyway). I think the reason the marketing info never mentions them working with the ipod is that they all work with ipods so why bother using up valuable space telling you they can do what every other one can do. Also, any of these headphones can be used with the airline sound system now days, so if she wants to use them to watch a movie or listen to one of the music channels on the plane, she can do that as well.

I really like the over the ear headphone better than any of the other choices. I find that for long periods of time anything else bothers me. The on the ear headphones and the ear buds make my ears sore. I suppose if you could get the ear buds that have the custom fitted ear pieces those would be fine, but I have not had a pair of those.
I have a pair of audio-technica noise canceling headphones that I got after quite a bit of research and really do like them. They were rated as good or better than the Bose at about 1/2 the price. I suppose the one thing I don't like about them is that they are large as compared to the ear buds and you have to keep up with them and it's case. The ear buds usually come with a small case that can easily fit in a shirt pocket of purse.

[Greg Portland]

I don't think anyone has answered your basic question yet. Most everything about ipods are proprietary, except the headphone jack. They have the industry standard jack, so just about any modern headphone or ear buds will work fine with your ipod.Certain headphones have a high input impedance and are not recommended for portable use unless you have a headphone amp. In the <$100 category I don't think Michael has to worry about this issue.


I suppose if you could get the ear buds that have the custom fitted ear pieces those would be fine, but I have not had a pair of those. The better IEMs (in ear monitors) come with multiple sizes of ear pieces so you can use the one that fits. As you mention, custom molds are the best but $$$.

Note that IEMs are NOT like cheap ear buds... they are designed to seal in the ear canal (versus sit in the ear) and be comfortable.

[Jim Matthews]

+1 on the Etymotic ER6.

The cheap earbuds will be no better at noise isolation than their seal.
If the seal is an open foam - it's basically a spacer - plenty of room for noise infiltration.

For those moments she's not listening to music, I highly recommend the disposable earplugs (http://www.amazon.com/MSA-Safety-Works-10087625-80-Pairs/dp/B0018MU2EI) available at your hardware store.
They really work.

[Ben Hatcher]

I bought these to listen to music while mowing the lawn or working in the shop. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004U4A5RU/ref=oh_details_o04_s01_i00

They are regular old earmuffs with built in speakers. They work very well and the sound is surprisingly good for $35 delivered. They are a bit bulky for travel, but so are most active noise canceling headphones mentioned thus far.

[Jerome Stanek]

I have a pair of the ryobi noise canceling head phones and they have a jack to plug your ipod in

[Matt Meiser]

Another thing to keep in mind is that active ones are pretty big compared to ear buds. Which means they weigh more and take up more room in a bag. All important travel considerations. A little here and there adds up to a lot quickly.

[Chuck Wintle]

Kind of embarassing to admit I know nothing about music technology but..... My wife is going to be on an airplane for 12 hours and we bought her a small ipod (the tiny one) to listen to music and blank some of the aircraft noise. She has decided she would like noise cancelling over the ear headphones instead of the buds that came with the ipod. Looking online at Amazon, I can't really tell for sure if the ones that are sold will work with ipods. Will the little ipod drive the larger headphones? We looked at a set of smaller noise cancelling headphones last night at Sam's Club, but again no mention on the package of them working with an ipod although they were on the shelf right beside some ipod ear buds. Cost is a factor as always. Not looking to spend 200 dollars:eek:. Maybe someone knows of a better solution? To me, tight fitting earbuds would seem to block the most noise but sometimes battles aren't worth fighting:rolleyes:

i think the part that plugs into the ipod is a standard size, about 3mm i think, so if they are next to the ipod's then they should work. as for noise cancelling probably best to look on the respective websites to see the specs of them. This is a spec they should publish.

[Harry Hagan]

I just buy the best that Costco has to offer since whatever your buy will invariably fail and Costco will refund the purchase price without a hassle no matter how long it’s been. The dog ate the first set that came with my iPod. The second and third high-priced sets failed after a year or two. I’m now on my second set from Costco.

[Jim Becker]

The iPod will work just fine with the noise canceling headphones. There are noise canceling earbuds, but just the nature of the beast doesn't provide as good of a solution than over-the-ear types, like Bose or similar, do. Do note that anything with a "low" price may not necessarily provide true noise canceling action, no matter what the description says. It does require circuitry with complex algorithms to pull off because it involves combining the live sound with a phase inverted version of the same sound to "cancel" them out. There is a cost to do that.

[Michael Weber]

Very useful information. Thanks to everyone. Talking to my wife, I find the noise she finds most objectionable other than the constant roar of the engines is the sudden "bongs" over the PA system that are for getting your attention or whatever. reading the discription of how noise canceling works, it wouldn't mask this sudden noise which she claims only happens as she is just about to get to sleep.:rolleyes: We'll go shopping tonight to see whats available in either an iem or earphones that completely cover the ear, noise cancelling or not.

[Matt Meiser]

My ear buds are pretty effective at blocking that. I think I might have lied on the price though. They might have been a whole $35.

Pretty sure these are what I've got:
http://www.amazon.com/Skullcandy-Titan-Ear-S2TTDZ-033-Black/dp/B004MWN37Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1336058828&sr=8-2

They are pretty comfortable for long use. I used to wear them mowing under ear muffs before I got the AO Safety ear muffs with the MP3 input. That would be about 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

[Larry Browning]

Very useful information. Thanks to everyone. Talking to my wife, I find the noise she finds most objectionable other than the constant roar of the engines is the sudden "bongs" over the PA system that are for getting your attention or whatever. reading the discription of how noise canceling works, it wouldn't mask this sudden noise which she claims only happens as she is just about to get to sleep.:rolleyes: We'll go shopping tonight to see whats available in either an iem or earphones that completely cover the ear, noise cancelling or not.

Michael,
I just noticed you were from Fort Smith! I live in Mountainburg, but work in FS. I can tell you now, Best Buy is probably going to have the best selection of headphones. However, that is not saying much. If you have the time before her flight to wait on shipping, I would highly recommend shopping online at Amazon. You will find a much larger selection of choices at much lower prices.
These look pretty cool:
http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-S4i-Premium-Noise-Isolating-3-Button/dp/B00264GYMG/ref=pd_cp_e_0

I think she would appreciate the inline controls. That way the ipod could be tucked away in a pocket somewhere and if she wanted to mute or pause it she could do so without having to find the device.

I think the only way your are going to block those annoying BONGS is to find something that blocks all noise. Sounds like the IEM ear buds will be you best bet. However, as a person who has taken many of those long overseas flights, I can tell you that once the plane settles in for the long haul and turn down the lights, they won't be setting those off or saying anything over the PA unless it is REALLY important, in which case you should probably be listening anyway! If you are sleeping or even listening to your headphones, the flight attendants will leave you alone as well.

[Ron Natalie]

I use the Bose QC2 not only for planes, but also in my office as it knocks out a lot of the computer fan noise.

[Greg Portland]

There are noise canceling earbuds, but just the nature of the beast doesn't provide as good of a solution than over-the-ear types, like Bose or similar, do.
A true in ear monitor will provide 20-30dB of noise reduction across the entire frequency spectrum. I don't believe that active solutions can make the same claims. You are right that "noise cancelling" implies active circuitry which also reduces sound quality. IEMs use noise-blocking... when the music is not playing you essentially have a set of (comfortable) ear plugs in your ears.

Michael, based on your wife's needs (block the transient noises + background noises) I would still suggest the ER-6i. They are engineered for portable electronics like the iPod.

[Jim Becker]

My experience with my Bose noise canceling headphones is that they effectively reduce the background noise (engine rumble, etc) while flying, but don't keep you from noticing announcements which are important for safety. When I use them in my shop on occasion, the same is true...they reduce machine noise when they are running, but allow for normal conversation.

[Michael Weber]

This is like going into a bookstore. So many options that trying to choose the best one is just overwhelming :D So as Larry Browning suggested, it's off to Best Buy this weekend. Larry, I had noted you lived in Mountainburg. Lovely area. I live only a block or so from the Rogers Greenwood intersection near Hardees.

[Larry Browning]

This is like going into a bookstore. So many options that trying to choose the best one is just overwhelming :D So as Larry Browning suggested, it's off to Best Buy this weekend. Larry, I had noted you lived in Mountainburg. Lovely area. I live only a block or so from the Rogers Greenwood intersection near Hardees.

I know exactly where that is. Actually I used to live not too far from there myself. I lived about 2 blocks north of Ramsey School on Boston St.

[Eric DeSilva]

I know there are a lot of people that like the etymotics--I have a pair, and the sound is quite good. The issue that I have with them is that the seal that is critical to in-ear isolation messes with my balance. Wearing them while on the DC Metro used to make me nauseous. The other oddity is that if you do effectively isolate external noise, you start hearing things that can be very strange--walking with the etymotics, I used to hear my feet hitting the pavement with each step due to bone conduction. I know people swear by 'em, but I've put mine away.

[Michael Weber]

I know exactly where that is. Actually I used to live not too far from there myself. I lived about 2 blocks north of Ramsey School on Boston St.
I grew up just north of there in Park Hill (2200 south U) in a house my dad had built in 1948 when I was 2. I'm the first of the baby boomers. America beware:eek: Had next door neighbors that moved down to Boston St. named Bridges right at the intersection of Atlanta and Boston where they meet after coming down Boston off that really steep hill. We called that Devil's Speedway :D

[Larry Browning]

I grew up just north of there in Park Hill (2200 south U) in a house my dad had built in 1948 when I was 2. I'm the first of the baby boomers. America beware:eek: Had next door neighbors that moved down to Boston St. named Bridges right at the intersection of Atlanta and Boston where they meet after coming down Boston off that really steep hill. We called that Devil's Speedway :D

Oh my goodness! Our house was at Boston and Atlanta. 2200 S Boston was the address. I think Mrs. Bridges house was right across the street. I can't tell you how many out of control cars came right through our front yard! We lost the mailbox several times.

Well, did you get your wife some headphones?

[Michael Weber]

Oh my goodness! Our house was at Boston and Atlanta. 2200 S Boston was the address. I think Mrs. Bridges house was right across the street. I can't tell you how many out of control cars came right through our front yard! We lost the mailbox several times.

Well, did you get your wife some headphones?
No, but I've told her what I've discovered. Thanks to everyone here BTW for your insight. Some things are just not worth the frustration and indecisiviness to arrive at the one best answer. She is on her own now with the decision and I suspect she will just get what's available at the local Sam's Club. That's where we started looking and the whole bru-ha-ha about head phones/iem's/noise cancallation started. To quote Clark Gable "Frankly my dear, I don't give a darn":eek:

[Larry Browning]

My wife's the same way. I think it has gotten to the point she will just not ask me for help deciding which one to get when it come to electronics or anything mechanical. She knows I will research it to death and only add doubt, indecision and time delay to whole process. I've also learned from experience that when she goes out and buys one of these items, to just not give her my opinion as to what might have been a better choice. Only when she asks will I offer advice, and even then, I choose my words carefully:eek:

[Michael Weber]

Brother, you are preaching to the choir.:D:D:D I have finally learned that..... 40 years married + keeping my mouth shut = serenity now.
Oddly enough, she will be gone for 2 1/2 weeks and I know I'm going to miss her.