Headphones or earbuds good for dancing?

onela

onela

New member
I spend a lot of time listening to my belly dance music on my iPod, and when I practice at home, it's with headphones on. Right now I'm using the classic earbuds that came with my iPod, but I hate them for dancing (and running and capoeira and listening to music on the bus and and and- I just hate the standard-issue earbuds, I guess)- can anybody suggest a good, comfortable, sport pair of headphones or earbuds that stay in place while dancing and moving around? Our choreography this term is high-energy and I get distracted during my practice at home when my earbuds fall out. I prefer a behind-the-neck headset or earbuds (except for the ones with hooks, they don't stay in at all) but I'll give just about anything a try.
 
onela

onela

New member
They look pretty sweet, I hadn't considered a bluetooth headset. Looks like I might have to research a bluetooth iPod adapter, too :) I guess at home, my laptop already has bluetooth built in so I could dance with my playlist on iTunes...
 
Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
A good set of laptop speakers will enhance your music on your hard drive. HP has a pair of USB-powered notebook speakers that have a BEAUTIFUL sound to them (available at Wal-Mart for approximately $40 XD ).

I don't like ear buds because they sit too far into the ear, causing damage to the ear drums even more so than head phones, but you also want to be careful to not use head phones that have too long of a cord (I speak from experience). :rolleyes: :redface:
 
onela

onela

New member
Farasha Hanem said:
A good set of laptop speakers will enhance your music on your hard drive. HP has a pair of USB-powered notebook speakers that have a BEAUTIFUL sound to them (available at Wal-Mart for approximately $40 XD ).

I don't like ear buds because they sit too far into the ear, causing damage to the ear drums even more so than head phones, but you also want to be careful to not use head phones that have too long of a cord (I speak from experience). :rolleyes: :redface:
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I have a pretty good set of altec lansing speakers, but I also think my downstairs neighbours are serial killers- they are so hysterically upset when we walk around or run water that I think if I used speakers to play my dance music, they might smash through their ceiling with that broom they're banging with and beat me to death with it. Unfortunately, I am not really kidding :/

I try to make sure I'm not using a noise cancelling earbud (for dancing and running, I want an earbud that lets *in* as much ambient noise as possible) and I keep my iPod's max volume pretty low, that way even if I keep cranking up the tunes it never really gets that loud.
 
Farasha Hanem

Farasha Hanem

New member
Ohhhh, how awful! :( We live in an apartment, so I kind of have the same problem, only in reverse, kind of. We have college kids on both sides of us who are in bands, which doesn't bother my husband, but he freaks if he thinks the kids and I are watching TV or playing video games too loud. :confused: As for my bellydance music or zill playing, I have to "keep that racket turned down," even though the neighbors are singing and playing their drums and other musical instruments on both sides of us next door. When I practice zills, I have to wear baby socks over them. Husbands---go figure. :confused: So yeah, I dance listening to my mp3 player, and tend to practice while making dinner in the kitchen. My husband and kids think it's the weirdest/funniest thing to catch Mom dancing in the kitchen with "no music." :rolleyes:

I think using headphones/earbuds that aren't noise canceling is a wise choice, especially when you have a family that seems to still constantly need your attention, like mine. :confused:

Altec Lansing is another good brand; they carry a variety of ear buds as well as speakers. I have a pair of Altec Lansing ear buds that have pink bling! :D
 
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onela

onela

New member
Lol! I've spent my Sunday making mufflers for my zills so I can learn to play them without upsetting the serial killers. Hubby says he doesn't mind the sound of them (I've only been mucking around with them for a while and I'm sure it'll make him crazy sooner or later...). I practice dancing in the kitchen too, I work on my shimmies while I'm blending with the magic bullet :)
 
adiemus

adiemus

New member
Great discussion topic! I've never used my headphones while dancing, although I've thought a lot about it! I find the 'in-ear' headphones really uncomfortable and although I've tried a lot of them they either fall out or hurt, so I wear really big headphones that look like ear mufflers. Not so sure this is a good look while dancing, but it does mean my ears don't hurt and the sound quality is a lot better because they eliminate more of the outside noise. I've got one of those arm band things for the ipod that you're able to use while walking or exercising, so I'm going to have a go with it while dancing (save putting the ipod into my belt or hipscarf!) and see whether I can practice without my family going nuts 'not that awful middle eastern wailing' they say! (pet hate for them is anything with the mizmar! and don't mention the zills...)
 
Jujube

Jujube

New member
Here's the bluetooth transmitter I use:

Amazon.com: IOGear Bluetooth Wireless Audio Transmitter GBMA211: Electronics

It has worked well for me as well. I like that the headset and the transmitter are rechargeable--no dealing with batteries.

I get sore ears easily like some other posters, with ear buds or headphones, but this headset doesn't make my ears sore unless I have them in continually for 2-3 hours (which rarely happens). They don't cancel noise, and I feel the volume is controlled enough to not cause damage.
 
onela

onela

New member
gisela said:
They look a lot like the ones I got for my birthday
Sennheiser Worldwide - CX 300-II Precision Black
The sound is great and they stay in place. To get the wire out of the way, you could put it down your shirt maybe?
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Being a runner as well, I've developed a variety of elaborate ways to keep cords out of my way :) Depending on what I'm doing, cords go at least down my shirt, sometimes down my back between my back and my bra, and I'm also experimenting with a trick around the neck I read on a runner's forum (but that looks like a setup for a decapitation scene in a Z-list horror movie so I don't fancy that trick). Those Sennheiser earbuds look pretty nice, I've been contemplating the Skull Candy models that look kinda similar.
 
~Diana~

~Diana~

AFK Moderator
On another note I picked up these recently. Everything is built into the ear buds so there are no cords to deal with. I use them at my gym as well and they don't fall out.

W Series Walkman® MP3 Player Sony W-Series Walkman: Wearable and wireless | CES 2009 - CNET Blogs

Unlike the description on that website there is a switch on it that lets you play in shuffle mode and it is not set as a default. I don't use the Zallpin mode at all.
 
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T

teela

New member
Please be careful when you order and use those earplugs that fit in the ear because they can damage the ear and cause hearing loss. There is an increase in hearing loss due to the earplugs that fit directly into the ear channel.
 
~Diana~

~Diana~

AFK Moderator
teela said:
Please be careful when you order and use those earplugs that fit in the ear because they can damage the ear and cause hearing loss. There is an increase in hearing loss due to the earplugs that fit directly into the ear channel.
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There is an increased risk of hearing loss but one can't say that everyone will have hearing loss because of them. Nor by using that particular style will you have hearing loss. It only does physical damage to the ear by sound waves. It can't physically cause harm by itself cause they don't actually sit/fit that far into the ear canal to reach the delicate inner parts.

Most people don't use any headphones correctly. They blast the music like they normally do. The fitted ones don't let sound waves disperse as much as the external ones do. However all ear phones, no matter what the style, put people at risk for hearing loss if they are not used correctly.

Granted the internal fitting ones can put you at a higher risk but if used correctly then they will be no different then external ones or not wearing them at all and having music blasting from a CD player.
 
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onela

onela

New member
Cheart99 said:
On another note I picked up these recently. Everything is built into the ear buds so there are no cords to deal with. I use them at my gym as well and they don't fall out.

W Series Walkman® MP3 Player Sony W-Series Walkman: Wearable and wireless | CES 2009 - CNET Blogs

Unlike the description on that website there is a switch on it that lets you play in shuffle mode and it is not set as a default. I don't use the Zallpin mode at all.
Click to expand...

Interesting! Actually, I might consider this, or the Sony Walkman that has a bluetooth headset, when my iPod dies.
 
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