Suggestions for ear/headphones

I would avoid the Phillips HE932 (I think they're like $20). They worked great to start and fit in my ear just right (I had the same problem you did and am a runner, too), but one of the little rubber covers for one of the headphones fell off and I can't find it. I called Phillips and spent about two hours of my life dealing w/ it, and the bottom line is that they won't send you a replacement rubber thing and you can't buy one. So that's that.

I would have liked somebody to help on this too... before i bougth several earphones and didnt get the results one would expect...
one key thing about it is the weight itself of the cord... so find a way to keep it from bouncing around... the nike+ shirts have cord management (seamless long sleeve is delicious)... BUT you can put the cord inside your shirt and pull it to where you have your nano (armband or other) and also use the little thing on the cord that makes the two earphones come 'closer' and adjust it to your face countour... ah.. the best place is in front of you and not on the back..

hopes it helps you...

Couple of points before a specific recommendation.

1. For me, the most important thing is fit. The apple earbuds sound fine, but like the OP they fit loosely in my ears and jostling from running would cause them to slip out. Putting the windscreens on helped, but the windscreens would wear out too soon for me.

2. For safety's sake, you probably want to stay away from canal buds. They sound great, but who wants to listen to them in the hospital after getting hit by that truck you couldn't hear behind you. Besides, do you really need super hi fidelity while running?

I've ended up using the remix m-class from v-moda. Sound is very good (highly recommended by iLounge, Playlist pick, and strongly endorsed by iPod Garage). They're much more solidly built than the apple earbuds, and they have an extra soft rubber gasket around the buds that's somewhat sticky. The extra heft and the gasket keep them from slipping out. Biggest downside is they're kind of pricey.

Sennheiser makes a line of sports headphones that have great sound and have different designs for folks who are active.

You can check them out here: http://www.styleyoursound.com/us/

Sony makes a nice sport headphone, actually a few different models. I like the earbuds, they have clips so they stay on and they are sweat/water resistant/proof. It also has a clip for attaching the cord to your shirt. I believe it is the Sony h.ear model.

Incidentally be careful if you sweat alot, I have already ruined a pair of apple earbuds, from one run! They failed during the run from getting wet, left one went out and then both started sounding real tinny.

I use the Nike Sport Headphones (cheap). They work great for two reasons: They come from around the back of the neck (plastic - sort of kike a reverse stethoscope)and since they don't have foam they don't soak up sweat.

I feed them through the inside of the back of my shirt, through my left sleeve to the nano (under the band).

This set up works extremely well!

Good Luck,

Pablo

I have tried several different brands, all earbud style:

Sennheiser OMX-70 -- these do not fit my ear. The neck from the speaker to the outside piece is short and thick and so the headphones constantly pop out. I bought a podfitkit, which creates a mold around them to hold them in. It helps, but its difficult to get them in my ear with the mold. Plus, they are bright green, not my favorite color.

Shure e2c -- these are great sounding headphones, but I had trouble keeping them in after I started sweating. Plus, the cord is heavy, so you really need to use a clip with them.

Skullcandy smokin' ear buds -- these sound the best (to me, even better than the Shure e2c's). Lot's of bass without sacrificing quality for the higher frequencies. Very light, but are in canal models and thus can be difficult to keep in when sweating. Also, I don't like the cord. It is shorter for one ear. I prefer an even length cord. There is a merchant on EBay that sells them with Etymotic ear inserts. Have read other reviews that say this improves the sound quality and how well they stay in your ear.

Philips MP3-CD with flexible ear hook -- these don't have the best sound, but they stay in my ear better than any others. Indoors, the sound quality is pretty good. But, they are designed with a bass port which creates a lot of wind noise when running outside. Have never had one fall out. Probably my favorite for use while running, but not otherwise. Walgreen's has them for less than $10.

I had the same problem with the earbuds falling out so I opted to buy a cheap pair of earbuds before going with something substantially more expensive.

I purchased the Nike Vapor Flight headphones from the Apple Store. They were cheap and black to match my Nano. Those are the ones with the three-way adjustable clip that goes over and behind your ear. They certainly solve the problem with the earbuds falling out. Sound is average only because they sit out from the ear canal a bit.

Another good alternative is the Sony MDR-EX81, more expensive then the Nike's though.

I'm interested in trying the in-ear type earphones like the Etymotic Research ER-6i, Shure E3C or the Ultimate Ear super.fi 3. Has anybody tried using any of these for running? Were they successful in staying in your ear?

I use the Etymotic headphones. For me, they fit great. Even when running and sweating. The fidelity is great. I have several pairs and use them for all my headphone needs.

They are noise isolation headphones and they work very well. In my opinion, they are much better than the Bose active noise cancelation headphones. Even for airplane use.

As some poeple have pointed out on this thread, you have to be aware of those around you. They isolate noise so well, you do not hear what's going on around you. Personally, I run against traffic, not with traffic. I don't trust every single driver is always watching the road.

I have a Pair of Sony Stereo HeadphonesMDR-J10/BLACK. You can hear the traffic and have run with them in snow and rain. I have also run with them in Greece in 36 degrees C. I was sweating a lot. The don't fall out of your ear, if you look them up on Sony's webpage you can se why.


Kasper

I have the same sony MDR-J10s. They work great, and the sound quality is decent enough while I am running.

I recommend the Sennheiser PX-100s. They're light-weight, comfortable, and they sound great. There's an article on my site about these headphones and what to look for in "running headphones" in general:

http://podophile.com/2006/07/20/the-best-headphones-for-running/

Feel free to post comments on my site with recommendations of your own.

There is no question on this issue:

The Etymotic Research earbuds are the best there is. Don't let anyone tell you different. They stay comfortably in your ear, they simply do not come out (I have run 40+ miles at one stretch and they didn't budge a bit), and the sound is amazing.

Two negatives: They are pricey, but if you go to a place like buy.com, you can save about $60. Next the noise isolation is so amazing that you really cannot hear anything around you - even without music playing. I also wear these while mowing and it completely blocks out the mower noise. They are amazing.

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