| Ipods are the next wave in portable listening | | | | equipment: it varies in comfort level, |
| devices. Once, people listened to music on | | | | affordability, durability, and ability to |
| battery powered portable radios. Then came | | | | accurately transmit the sound. As well, there |
| the convenience of choosing your own music by | | | | are other features you'll want to consider. |
| carrying about the bulky Walkmans that played | | | | Let's look at comfort level: |
| cassette tapes. Then those Walkmans slimmed | | | | |
| down to something a little more portable. | | | | Ipod headphones are most frequently the |
| Then CD players became the must-have item. | | | | earbud style, meaning they are small, |
| Those, too, started out rather bulky but then | | | | semi-circular speakers that fit right into |
| became small and portable. | | | | the end of your ear canal and point the |
| | | | speaker into your ear canal. They can produce |
| Today, the must have portable listening | | | | a fairly good sound, however, if the earbuds |
| device is the Ipod. Ipods hold a small hard | | | | are too big for your ears, you will |
| disk drive inside of them that stores many | | | | experience discomfort. Supra-aural headphones |
| songs (sometimes hundreds). Depending on the | | | | (which are the second most common type for |
| unit that you own, it likely has many of the | | | | portable listening devices) are simply |
| popular features of most music playing | | | | speakers surrounded by pads that just sit on |
| devices, including play, random, and repeat. | | | | your ears, usually with a band that goes over |
| Many Ipods are coming with additional | | | | your head. There are other kinds, as well, |
| features now, too, that include photos, | | | | include canalbuds (which are more comfortable |
| video, cameras, and cell phones. | | | | and go right into your ear canal) as well as |
| | | | circumaural which don't just sit on your ears |
| Of course owning an Ipod means that you HAVE | | | | but encompass them entirely – like |
| the music in the palm of your hand (after | | | | you've seen professional musicians listening |
| all, Ipods are extremely light and portable) | | | | to while they record. |
| but now you need to get it from your Ipod to | | | | |
| your ears. Ipods can store high quality music | | | | Canalbuds are extremely comfortable because |
| so you shouldn't be tempted to save your | | | | they are encased in a soft housing, unlike |
| money by spending a dollar on cheap | | | | earbuds which often tend to be mass produced |
| headphones at the dollar store. Instead, if | | | | in a plastic housing. Supra-aural Ipod |
| you like the music you're listening to, you | | | | headphones can be comfortable but they can |
| should be willing to spend a little extra to | | | | mess up your hair, which isn't nice. |
| actually hear the music and enjoy it. You | | | | Circumaural headphones are great for |
| need Ipod headphones. | | | | transmitting sound but they can be heavy so |
| | | | if they are too tight, they'll cause a |
| Makers of Ipod headphones and other portable | | | | headache. |
| listening devices include Maxell, Sennheiser, | | | | |
| Shure, Sony, Phillips, and Koss. Each of | | | | Comfort level is an important consideration |
| these companies, and the many others that | | | | when looking to buy Ipod headphones for your |
| make Ipod headphones, offer a variety of | | | | portable listening enjoyment. |