Headphones

The first thing you will notice as a new iPod owner is that the white headphones that Apple Computer ships with your iPod leave a lot to be desired. Upgrading your headphones is the single most popular upgrade iPod owners make. All the following headphones work with all iPod and iPod Mini units.

Tip

Not all headphones sound the same to everyone. Your best bet is to actually try the headphones before you buy them.

Even headphones that look alike don't feel alike. Comfort is very important in your choice of headphones. Try them on before you buy them! Remember, they will be sitting on your head for long periods of time, so you want something that fits and feels well.

Apple Headphones

Besides the headphones Apple bundles with the iPod, they also sell an in-ear headphone. These headphones fit completely in your ear (hence the name) and offer a noticeable improvement in sound quality over the stock iPod headphones.

They come with three different sized caps, to ensure a fit with all the different ear sizes out there.

There are much better sounding in-ear headphones out there, but none come close to the price range of these.

Price: $39.00

www.apple.com/ipod/accessories.html

Shurewww.shure.com

Shure makes a number of different headphones that you can enjoy with your iPod. They range in price and performance, and are all in-ear. The different models include the following.

E2 Sound Isolating Earphones

These are similar to the Apple In-Ear headphones. They perform well, and have a richer overall sound than stock Apple headphones.

Price: $99.00

E3 Sound Isolating Earphones with Extended Frequency Response

The only real difference between the E2 and E3 is better sound quality and price.

Price: $179.00

E5 Sound Isolating Earphones

The granddaddy of the Shure line of headphones, the E5 sports dual micro speakers per headphone. They sound terrific, look great, and cost as much as your iPod!

Price: $499.00

Learn more about the Shure line of headphones at www.shure.com.

Bosewww.bose.com

Known for years as one of the premium home speaker makers in the world, Bose is also known for their superior headphone audio quality. As an iPod owner, you obviously love music, and want to have it reproduced in the best sounding headphones you can afford. Bose has two different headphones that you might be interested in, depending on your budget.

QuietComfort 2 Noise Cancellation Headphones

One of the problems you will encounter when trying to listen to your headphones is background noise. For those who try to enjoy your portable music on an airline or in a noisy room, you will appreciate the Noise Cancellation technology Bose has built in to the QuietComfort 2s.

In essence, these headphones cancel out any external background noise, such as an airliner's engines, loud air conditioning, and any other general "white noise" sound that can interfere with your listening enjoyment.

Combine the ability to cancel out the background noise with the superior sound quality of the QuietComfort 2 headphones, and you are in for a music lover's treat! These headphones are not earbuds or inner ear, but are more conventional looking, over-the-ear headphones. And for most people, they are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than the inner ear or earbud variety (although obviously not a wise choice for joggers).

Price: $299.00

TriPort Headphones

Not as expensive as the previous QuietComfort 2s, and with no noise reduction technology, you will still be pleased at the tonal quality of the TriPort headphones. They, too, are over-the-ear headphones, so they are not ideal for joggers or more active iPod users. However, if you do not listen to your iPod while on the move or in an excessively loud environment, you will enjoy these headphones.

Price: $149.00

Sennheiserwww.sennheiserusa.com

Most of you reading this have probably never heard of the Sennheiser brand, but they are quickly making a big name for themselves in the world of audio. Not only are they making headphones for your iPod and computer, as well as for your home entertainment system, they are also making cutting-edge amplifiers for your iPod. But more on that later.

Tip

Just because you don't recognize a name brand does not mean it is not as good, if not better, than the more advertised brand.

PCX250

I personally reviewed these headphones back in September of 2003, and they became the headphones I use more than any other. With noise reduction technology, similar to the above-mentioned Bose, the PCX250 does an admiral job of both quieting loud background sounds and reproducing music much better than the standard Apple earbud headphones. These are over-the-ear headphones, rather than the inner or earbud types. They are very comfortable, but you need two AA batteries for the noise reduction to work.

Price: $199.99

Sonywww.sony.com

Known for their top-quality products and brand recognition, Sony headphones will probably be the easiest to find in stores in your area. They make a wide range of headphones that will work great with your iPod. Here are some good choices if you are looking at Sony headphones.

MDR-EX71SL

These earbud type headphones are very similar to the earbuds that ship with the iPod, with two advantages. First, they sound much better, which is the reason you want to upgrade. Second, these earbuds are much more comfortable than the Apple earbuds.

Price: $49.99

MDR-V300

These over-the-ear headphones sound wonderful, and are very comfortable as well. Surprisingly, these are also very lightweight for their size, and perform well in office settings. They are not easy to transport, however, but more than make up for it with their folding design. These are nice headphonesyou would not be disappointed.

Price: $49.99

MDR-G72LP

Although these are over-the-ear, they actually wrap around the back of your head, rather than the top. The MDR-G72LP sport a nonslip design, so that they do not fall off as easily as other behind-the-head designed headphones. The biggest drawback with these, however, is their not-so-superior sound quality. Only slightly better, if at all, than the iPod stock headphones.

Price: $39.99

Kosswww.koss.com

It is impossible to think about headphones without thinking about Koss. They have been making headphones since the 1950s. Koss has been at the forefront of headphone design and innovation for years, and continue to lead the industry in sales, service, and quality products.

UR29

These over-the-ear headphones are both comfortable and affordable, and more importantly, are very decent sounding. You can get much better headphones for twice the money, but they do sound better than the stock Apple earbuds.

Price: $25.99

SportaPro Traditional Collapsible Headphones

An earbud headphone is of a different flavor, in that they fit in your ear differently than most others. Don't let the differences sway you away from taking a closer look at the SportaPros, though, as they sound very good. They also have a volume control switch on the cord, though some people have reported problems with some iPod models. This is a nice headphone buy.

Price: $29.99

QZ-2000 Technology Noise Reduction

Another in the popular noise reduction category, the QZ-2000 sound fantastic, which, for the price, you would expect. These over-the-ear headphones are a bit bulky, and the twisted bulky cord is more "1970s" than any other headphone listed here. For the price, these are very nice headphones.

Price: $199.99