I am a big fan of my my Motorola HT820 headphones. They work well with my cell phone for calls (Motorola e815) and my MP3/Video player for entertainment (Insignia NS-DVB4G). The sound is terrific. I can’t tell the difference between my Bluetooth headphones and wired earbuds. When I get a call it pauses my player and rings in my ear, I touch the button on my left ear and it answers. If I want to make a call I touch that same button and it pauses my player (if it is on) and the voice menu from my phone prompts me to ‘Say a command’. Controls on my left ear adjust volume and turn the headphones off and on. Controls on my right ear go forward, back, pause and stop. One feature I REALLY like about them is that they are charged via the very common mini-B USB plug, so wherever there’s a computer with USB (and that cable) I can recharge. I paid ~$54 after tax/shipping for these headphones through a vendor called cellguys (use pricegrabber.com to search for ht820 and they are listed.)

I think the only problem I have with them is that they look a little funky. My wife thinks I look like Lobot from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (you know, Lando’s right hand cyborg in Bespin’s Cloud City). If you want something a little different Motorola has a couple other models, the ear-budish Motorokr S9 and the DJ-style S805:

http://direct.motorola.com/ens.....music.html

One suggestion, if you want to listen to music off your computer (or podcasts, or radio streams, or whatever) get a good dongle. I love my dongle (Belkin F8T012) which claims a 100′ broadcast area. I haven’t scientifically tested it but I’ve been able to go down two flights of stairs and under metal ducts without it cutting out.

As I mentioned, I am using an Insignia player. When I bought it this was the only player that had built in Bluetooth capabilities (it may still be the only player). As Insignia is the Best Buy house brand it was also fairly inexpensive. But it’s proven to be a high quality gadget in my experience. I have also noticed it mentioned in reviews and comparisons as a well designed and solid performing player. I’ve never used an iPod so I can’t compare the two in terms of usability. I have used a Sansa and the Insignia blows it out of the water in terms of ease of use and functionality. I would have bought an iPod if it had Bluetooth, but the only way to get Bluetooth was with an external add-on. And who really wants one more thing that can break or get lost? It also charges with that wonderful mini-B USB connector. I wish my phone did, too.

Disclaimer: I work for Wi-Gear, makers of the iMuffs.

I’m now on my third set of Logitech’s Freepulse wireless headphones for the iPod. The first two were great when they worked, but they never worked reliably. It’s not clear if the problem is design, engineering or QA, or a combination of these. QA on the second set was flat-out terrible.

I returned the first set because I would lose signal between the transmitter and the headphones if I turned my head even a few degrees off center away from the transmitter.

Another hurdle I’ve seen mentioned is these wireless headsets’ tendency to be overcome by the jungle of other wireless networks elsewhere in the environment. Not sure exactly what kinds of EM causes the headphones problems, but WiFi is often mentioned as a likely culprit.

Again, I love having a wireless option for use at the track while running. If this third set of Logitech headphones doesn’t do the trick, though, I’ll be searching for a better solution myself.

My ideal solution would be Bluetooth device that can distinguish between iPod and cell phone, let me pause iPod easily (or do so automatically) to field a call if I choose, then resume where I left off.

I’d like to see wireless ear buds, but I don’t know how people wouldn’t lose them.