Headphone Suggestions for Sports
As I’ve been into the whole Nike+ thing recently, I have been trying to hunt down a great set of headphones that stay put. The standard Apple iPod earbuds are worthless when it comes to sports activities and fall out quite often for me. I have been using an old pair of Sony behind-the-neck headphones but they are slightly bulky for running and have a very long cable that I have to tie up.
I ran a little poll on Twitter; here are the results.
- Eston prefers Shure E2c earbuds.
- Graham likes in-ear earbuds in general.
- Eric recommends the Sennheiser street line of earbuds.
- Akshay says the Sennheiser CX300 earbuds offer a great value.
- Nicholas likes the Sony MDR-EX71 earbuds but thinks they need wrap-around ear support.
- Lance likes the Sony MDR-EX71SL/WK earbuds as well, adding:
They are inexpensive, light, stay in the ear well with three bud size options, have good bass, and have a duel length cord with the shorter version working great with a clip shuffle on the collar.
What headphones do you use for sports activities? One small pet peeve of mine with earbuds is the where the cord going to one earbud is longer than the other (many Sony earbuds have this); I’m not sure how that is a feature, it just ends up putting more weight on one side causing it to fall out easier. All of these suggestions were for earbuds; do you know of any sporty behind-the-neck headphones?
Paul, with Sony headphones it’s best to wrap the longer length around the back of your neck. Then it’s less likely to feel heavy on one side and keeps the wires out of your face while you run.
Was just about to mention the neck-thing with the Sony earbuds.. but Phil B beat me to it!! Darn..
I find it impossible to use earbuds when working out as I spend every other step repositioning them. Instead, I use some Sony sport headphones (similar to these) for working out. They never slip, ever. Plus they fold up for storing. I’ve probably had them 3+ years, kept them in backpacks, tossed them around, dropped them many, many times and they still work like a champ.
Shure E2c’s as well. Love them.
I just purchased the Shure E2c set with the deal on Amazon ($40) - unfortunately so did everyone and their dog, so who knows how long it will take to actually get them.
Of course, when I get them, I’ll post a review.
Right now, I’m pretty unhappy with the standard Apple for running. They fall out occasionally.
I also need something that will work under my motorcycle helmet, which the Apple ones fail miserably at.
hey check out http://www.head-fi.org. There is plenty to go through but you can find what you are looking for there.
I got some cheap ones from Sony that besides hanging from behind your neck, they attach to the back of your ear (ring shaped). Sorry, I can’t remember what model these are.
Yeah, the one cord longer than the other is great for running.
Otherwise, I have a relatively el Cheapo pair of $20 Sony’s that have an inline volume control that I usually use (foam tops included, I ripped them off). They work, they sound good enough for my non-audiophile self, and they stay in my ears.
On a recent trip to Europe, the wiring got ripped out of the bud itself (not the part connecting to the plug, the top part that has a “chip” on it)…popped it back in, still works.
Can’t beat the unbreakable, imho :-).
My recommendation - Etymotic ER6i’s. They seem to be on the outdated side but they’re great all-around earphones. I’m almost convinced though that their sound isolation is almost too good. Sometimes you need to hear that car behind you about to run you down.
I use the Fontopia Sony ear buds for everything mobile. I just bought this pair a few weeks ago after the first ones I had broke down after about 5 months of frequent daily use. I’m not very knowledgeable about the longevity of earphones so that may be bad, I don’t know. But I don’t have much problem with them falling out while exercising - it’s probably happened once or twice.
Shure E2Cs here. Just wish the cord wasn’t 43′ long!
I too recommend Sony headphones. I previously used Sony MDR-EX71 and absolutely love them. I since upgraded to Sony MDR-EX81 and find them even better. They sound clearer than the 71s and have wrap around ear support like Nicholas mentioned.
I have the EX-71SL earbuds but I never use them for exercising, I recommend the “Street Style” headphones for overall sturdiness during physical activity. I think it’s best to have a few different headphones for different situations. I wrote this nearly 2 years back, but I think it is still very relevant.
http://paininthetech.com/2005/10/18/good-headphones-make-all-the-difference/
I use the Sennheiser MX75 Sport. You can’t go wrong with that pair of headphones. Sounds quality is good but the most important thing is that they stay in your ear no matter what!
I have Sony MDR EX51LP’s (my 6th pair, the washing machine isn’t so friendly) and I have had a pair of Etymotic ER6i’s.
The Etymotic’s were nice but when the cord jostled I heard more feedback and vibration from it. The Sony’s are DIRT. CHEAP. and definitely offer the best bang for the buck.
BTW, The only difference between the 51’s and the 71’s is the cord style and color, etc… in terms of sound quality they have identical drivers, same same.
EX51LP’s for the win. You can get ‘em for like $25 on Newegg.
I just use the ones that came with my 2G iPod Shuffle. They work fine for me.
Michael W. hit the nail on the head: the MDR-EX51’s are the same as the 71’s, only black and cheaper.
You can’t lose!
My favs are the Etymotic ER6I. They block out all the annoying distractions.
I’ve been annoyed when using my original iPhone earbuds when working out. They always seem to fall out too easily. Thanks for the list.
I second the vote for the Sennheiser MX75. The twist-to-fit locking method is great and holds the earphones securely in place.
Here’s my review of the Sennheiser MX75.
BTW, the MX75 has the asymmetrical cable lengths.
I used a Shure E2C a few years back, but it broke in two before the warranty was up. So had it replaced and the same thing happened!
Now I use an Etymotic ER6i and they’re great. It’s an in-ear earphone, so they stay in and it does a great job at blocking outside noise, as well as keeping your music in! (I don’t like the ‘itsss itsss’ sounds coming from headphones). I use it everywhere including the gym, so would recommend it.
Have fun earphone shopping!
If you’re going to be exercising, I wouldn’t think you’d need high-end type headphones. I was eyeing the Nike HJ020 headphones, which seem to have nice features for runners: sweat-resistant, cord comes out of the back, and it wraps around the head for stability. I’m not an owner, but at $20 I’d give them a try.
One reason I do not like the in-ear designs for exercising is the transmission of sound from the foot-impact sounds weird.
I love my Shure earbuds, but I think the only problem with using them while practicing sports is that you can hear your heart beating and your breath, and that’s quite annoying. Besides that, I think they’re the best!
I second the suggestion for Sennheiser’s street line, Specifically the OMX 70 Sport which I own. They’ll stay on, weight just right for the purpose, won’t be ruined by sweat and sound pretty decent.
Check out the bang & olufsen A8.
A little pricey but no one can beat the comfort, design and fantastic sound!
I have a pair of Shure E4c’s, totally kick ass earphones, but I would never take them to the gym or running. It gets a bit uncomfortable when the cord rubs against your shirt you can hear every vibration.
For me, I have a pair of clip on Sony ones, their sound / noise isolation is pretty pathetic compared to my Shure’s, but they works great for jogging / at the gym:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-J10-WHITE-Clip-on-Headphones/dp/B000FGIBKA/ref=sr_1_13/103-5990323-1530265?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190504981&sr=8-13
Saw on twitter you were heading out to buy some. What did you get in the end?
I’ve got 2 pairs of Sennheiser CX300s. One pair I bought for $40, another came with my Dell laptop.
I’ve also jumped on a $40 pair of Shure E2Cs through Amazon.
So far the CX300s are amazing for pretty much everything. Whether you’re walking to class, sleeping, or in an airplane, they hold up, and isolate you from everything. I had to rediscover my whole music collection after putting them on for the first time. You can make out the imperfections in MP3 music, and the clarity is incredible for the price point, especially given that the IEMs come with a 2-year warranty.
Its been perhaps a year and a half now since I got them. The left driver broke in March 2007, so I sent them to Sennheiser. They gave me a whole new set, no questions asked. I don’t remember how I managed to get through that whole week without my Senns, they are part of my daily routine now.
Plus, I can’t even hear your V8 downshift when you fly by on techwood :)
I’m waiting to test out the E2Cs. Hurry Amazon!
Five days late, but here are my suggestions. Since you’re going to be exercising, you definitely should grab a headphone with a light headband or the ones that clip over the ear. You want to steer away from IEMs since they tend to sound weird with heavy steps and might be uncomfortable with the sweat and all. Plus, you don’t want to have to worry about hurting your ears in the case that the IEMs are quickly tugged out of your ears. Earbuds suffer from the same problems as IEMs (except the part about the sound and heavy steps). With this in mind, I’d recommend the Sennheiser PX100, Koss PortaPro, or Koss KSC75. These headphones all have good reputations as good sounding from the audiophiles over at Head-Fi.
Well, this may be a bit late, seeing that you’ve already bought earphones, but the ones i use for running are the lanyard type things…so even if a earbud falls out…it doesnt cause the whole thing to fall to the ground and risk stepping on whilst running…
I have a pair of Motorola HT820 Bluetooth headphones. They are behind-the-neck style, and are very comfortable, while at the same time being very secure. They stay put through every physical thing I’ve done - running, biking (I even tried them out on a trampoline, and experienced only very minor shifting). Since they’re Bluetooth, you don’t have to worry about a cord getting in the way, either. One of the things I really like about them is that they connect to your music device AND your phone at the same time. So if you’re listening to music and you get a phone call, the headphones beep to let you know you have a call, at which point you just push a button to answer. When you’re done, you push it again and go back to your music. They work really well, and are great for running or working out.
I’m not a huge sports person but I’ll second the Sennheiser CX300’s. I am extremely happy with their durability and decent performance and they’re not too expensive either.