Looking to increase my long runs…
Training mostly by myself so I need music to help.
I have a small iPod Shuffle.
What are you wearing? and why?
What to avoid?
Cheers -
Surfmonkey
My favorites are the ‘backphones’ with the band that rests across the back of your neck/skull. You don;t have to jam them
in place like earbuds, and they don’t wander around like normal headphones on top of your head. They also make wearing caps
& helmets easier.
I’ve been using a pair of Sennheiser PMX 80 for about 2 years. I paid about $40.
I have also never had to suck sweat out of the earpiece like I ahve had to do on earbuds on 2 hour runs.
I can’t believe I fessed up to that…
.
Check out the Monster iFreePlay for the shuffle (depending on what generation shuffle you have). Is it dorky looking? Absolutely. But is it awesome to run without messing with headphone cords? Hell yes.
if you have a 2nd gen shuffle, get these. http://www.arriva.com/buyshuffleheadphones.html
Looking to increase my long runs…
Training mostly by myself so I need music to help.
I have a small iPod Shuffle.
What are you wearing? and why?
What to avoid?
Cheers -
Surfmonkey
Which shuffle? The third gen adds in a wrinkle of complexity with the inline remote. The how mechanically adept are you? I took the headphone off the apple pair and replaced them with a pair of Seinheiser CX-300. They work great.
I have Shure SE530, $550 a pair, and then another $100 for custom molds. I just sold my second pair of them used on ebay for $230.
I will be the first to say, I am not enough of an audiophile to be able to tell the difference between them and the stock earbuds that come with an ipod.
The one thing I like about them is they have a really short cord that I plug into my shuffle, then clip to my hat and its completely out of the way. They make lower versions.
I have an older 2nd gen shuffle. I also bought the new Shuffle. It is super small, but no buttons.
Just wanted to have a small player.
Not sure I’d like to run with an armband.
Custom molds? Are they worth it?
Any concern of sweat with $550 headphones?
IMO custom molds are worth more than the headphones. I have sweat all over mine and they sound the same as they did as I got them. I sweat a LOT too.
I have never thought twice about ruining them. the molds sort of hold the actual headphones a little further out from your ear than they would be otherwise.
As for comfort, I can wear them for hours where I have had all kinds of shaped earbugs and ear pieces, the shures come with 10 different sizes and shapes of foam, etc.
I also work in a data center and at the same time I went to the audiologist to get the Shure molds made, I had custom made ear plugs that I wear at work and in the pool. I tend to get swimmers ear bad. They were an extra 50.
I can’t stand ear buds and I don’t like anything sitting directly on my ear.
I have used these thru a 2nd Gen shuffle and now on the 3rd Gen (with the Belkin adaptor for buttons) - http://www.amazon.com/Philips-SHJ070-Neckband-Headphones-Semi-Clear/dp/B001587LOO
The sound is “okay”, but they are comfy and durable.
search the forum for similar posts. Shure E2C is the bomb at $100.
I’ve gone through lots of different styles and models mostly in the $25-$50 range. Surprisingly, I found the $10 Philips Flexible Earhook Headphones SHS3200/28 from wal-mart work great and hold up to massive sweat. They stay put and sound good enough for running.
Alright, I am totally setting myself up for ridicule, but in New York City I run in a pair of AO Safety Worktunes headphones. From yesterday:
I am kind of fast, and I like to tune out the noise of Manhattan. Also, they kind of look similar to yellow antlers. When I run by, people probably think I am an anorexic deer with jaundice. That being said, I am a huge fan, and they make for some pretty interesting catcalls 
I picked up a pair of these http://www.yurbuds.com/ at the Georgia Marathon this year and love them. Just pop them onto the end of regular ear buds. I can’t really find a way to knock them out of my ears. Improved the sound quality but I can still hear more of the ambient noise than before.
Not sure how well the measuring works online. They just used an iphone app at the Expo and it worked perfectly.
Best headphones for running?
**
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None.
Whatever you get, keep them at a reasonable level or you may well become a member of the Tinnitus Club. It is a dubious distinction. If you have the wrong personality it could truly drive you nutz. Fortunately, I have the right personality and I just ignore it 99% of the time. The voice of experience is talking.
If you want to know what it sounds like….
http://www.neuromonics.com/patient/treatment/index.aspx?id=50
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i get 'em for $3/pair at a local surplus store. about 14 months of sweat & punishment on current set with no change in sound quality - comfortable, and they don’t fall off.
cheers!
-mistress k
Best headphones for running?
**
**
None.
X2!
I’m a part-time pro musician, and I spent years going through different kinds of headphones for running. When I discovered the Sennheiser PMX 80s, I felt like a beam of light shined down from the skies onto my forehead. It’s that good (for me).
Very comfortable, great sound, doesn’t fall off or require readjusting while running. It’s simple and it works and isn’t that expensive (at least compared to the audiophile models out there). You can definitely get audiophile head phones that sound better, but with road and wind noise, I’m not sure how much difference it would make, plus I like being able to have the option of hearing the environment around me (i.e. cars and bikes) if I turn down the volume a little.
With a Sansa clip and an unlimited Rhapsody To Go subscription, you can have 8 million different music tracks available to you on every run for the cost of 8 CDs per year. My most favorite technology combo since the steam engine and railroad…
best headphones are none. let the voices in your head keep you happy.