Help me pick headphones!
 

I need them primarily for travel. Here's what I need;

1) On ear or over ear. No ear buds.
2) Noise canceling or at least quiet.
3) Need to fold nicely for stowage in my backpack.
4) A hard case would be nice.
5) Short cord. I'll use it on airplanes with my iPad or iPod. Don't want a 10 foot cord.
6) A microphone would be nice but not essential.
7) Could I go cordless and find a bluetooth set?

I've looked at Amazon.com but searching for features is difficult. The only cans I can find that fit the bill are Dr. Dre's, but I'm 53 years old so I'm NOT buying Dr. Dre's. :D

I have 2 bluetooth headsets which meet your criteria.

KYOCERA CE90M2770-01 and a Brookstone model.

This Motorola unit would meet your needs

Amazon.com: Motorola S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headset (Black)[Retail Packaging]: Cell Phones & Accessories

Like my units, it also have a microphone built int, so it will work for phone calls while listenting.

The Sony "Eggo" line would fit the bill exactly but I have a sinking feeling they are NLA. Which is unfortunate, because I love mine and have been thinking about getting a pair for my son.

Mega Eggo Comparison ~MDR-D22, MDR-D33, MDR-D55, MDR-D66, MDR-D77~ [56k Warning] - Audio T-Board - Internet's Friendliest Board on Audio and Electronics

If you search you might find some at a store that sells Japan-market electronics...

I think AKG is the gold standard in headphones.

you find the truth and then turn it away.... :D

You might rethink the earbuds. I got a set of Jlabs J4 buds and the. Went to academy and got a custom ear plug kit and made me some custom fit earbuds. Most comfortable I have ever had, and quiet too

Amazon.com: Sennheiser HD 218i Supra-Aural Headphones Compatible with iPod, iPhone, and iPad: Electronics


Or, a pair of Dr. Dres, replace the "b" logo with some round sticker of your choice to throw the kids off.

I have a pair of Senns...older version, less ear coverage, but with the noise canceling feature, which has kept me out of prison on long airline flights.

They work great with my iPhone and I plan on using them to stem the demons when I drive the 356 across country in a month or so.

+1

But step it up a couple notches from the typical OEM/iPod variety.

1. You will get much better (passive) noise-isolation than any on/over ear designs.
2. The higher-end offerings with multiple balanced-armatures sound amazing.
3. Several models to choose from with built-in mics.
4. Less bulky, and obviously way more portable.
5. Most mid-fi+ models come with several "tips" for custom fit (Comply foams are my fav).
6. Some of the higher-end variants even have removable/replaceable cords.

I'd look at Ultimate Ears, Etymotic, Westone, Future Sonics, Jays Audio (q-jays), etc.

You could go the full-custom route as well, and have some seriously good, comfortable earphones. Of course, that route starts at around $500 and goes up from there.

I like Bose Quiet Comfort. Not quite as good as the bose, but way cheaper are ableplanet. The ableplanet's can be found for <$100 on Ebay.

Old school Bose user here. Series II. I can wear them for long hours. That's a big part of the selection process for me.

+3. I love my Sennheisers. I have the travel headphones that fold up and have excellent noise cancelling. They have an accessory plug so you can use them in the airplane seat if you want to watch the in-flight movie screen but don't want to use their cheapo headphones. They also work well with my phone and video camera.

Been using my ableplanet for 2 years for monthly flying commute... happy camper here.

I agree. The earcups on the Bose seem to be just a bit bigger than the ableplanets. My wife uses QC2s as her flying headset and happily wears them for hours. When her first set got dropped/cracked they weren't stable enough for daily pilot use, but I repaired them and now use them when I work. Having spent hours wearing both, I prefer the Bose, but the ableplanets are a really good substitute considering the price.

I recently bought a pair of Klipsch phones on sale at Best Buy for about $129. They have iPod/iPad controlsandgreat sound. Also comes with a hard case..;)

RE: Earbuds,

I can't abide having things stuck in my ears, and it is not because I'm old (get off of my lawn!!!!)

Tried doing the bluetooth thing... bugged the heck out of me! (ended up getting a bluetooth speaker that clips to the visor)

Same with earplugs... I have to wear earmuffs.

I'm just a sensitive guy!

I've been using Technics RP-DH1200 for a few years now. I really love the things, but they're on the heavy side and come with a (replaceable) very long cord.