[mscelica]

Can anyone recommend a good set of (inexpensive) headphones for use during treadmill, elliptical, walking, etc? I absolutely HATE the music in my gym, so I listen to my mp3 player, but only have the earbuds that came with it. I really need something to block out the gym's music (at least somewhat).

I am not a technophile, just want to be able to hear my MP3 while I'm on the treadmill!

Thanks!

Luanne

[silverbirch]

Luanne - I have walked along the same road! You have my sympathy about the music.

You can get something called noise cancelling headphones which block external noise. In the end, I didn't get them because (a) I want to use them outside and so I have to be able to hear a little for safety and (b) they are either earbud-style which I don't like, or huge cans. I'm using street-style headphones but the gymn music still gets through a bit (I don't want my volume to be very high). EDIT - they're Sennheiser not Sony. I bought them for work as well as the gymn.

I found this thread helpful http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=71455

Good luck! Do let us know what you decide.

[WaterRat]

I just have a set of cheap ones that cover my ears and go behind - rather than over - my head. I think they were $7-$10 at our local "Target-like" store. My brain seems to filter out the gym music in favor of the closer stuff coming from the headphones, and yet I can still hear if someone speaks to me (usually DH telling me he's arrived at the gym ) What is it with gyms that they universally play such annoying stuff???

[mscelica]

Thanks everyone for your input. Really gave me some good ideas. Silverbirch, thanks for the link.

In the process of reading the link provided by SB, I decided to join Audible.com, paid my dues, then found out my MP3 doesn't work with their service.They were really good about refunding my membership $$, and I ordered an MP3 that WILL work with theirs and other services (Napster to Go, etc.) from Amazon. Didn't realize this would be so involved!

Total cost of my original post: $63 + 9.99 = $73, and I STILL haven't bought the headphones! (but I will next week).

[silverbirch]

Glad the link was useful.

I've also joined audible (.co.uk has a free iPod so I went for that). I'm just working out exactly what spoken word stuff I like to listen to at the gymn. At the moment, I think I like a range of voices (eg discussion programmes, downloaded from the BBC podcast experiment bbc.co.uk) or dramatised stories (have been very successful with Northern Lights by Philip Pullman - but I'd already read the book). Not so successful has been the audible technology review. Can't decide whether it's because it's just one voice, because it's in American (and I have to work a lot harder at listening!) or if it's just the way the subject matter is put across.

But it's all much, much better than what's on offer from the televisions.

Enjoy!