My boys are getting MP3 players for Christmas and we would like to get them some over the head headphones. The eldest would like a pair of Skullcandy Agents but the reviews are pretty average. Any suggestions for a set of cool robust headphones would be very much appreciated.

Cheers

Dogsby

As a bit of deaf lad these days I’d genuinely only buy something I could control the volume on. Got out kids iPods last year an they still haven’t used (because I sort of removed them) the headphones. I genuinely accredit my hearing loss to headphones and gigs in my teen years!

Using a sample size of one I wouldn’t recommend skull candys. Jnr had a pair, bought them with his Christmas money last year, lasted about 6 months until they stopped working properly, lots of noise interference now when the wires move about. They should last longer as he looked after them.

They do however come with a 2 yr warranty, but Jnr’s hasn’t kept proof of purchase so can’t really do anything about it.

My kids have the marley ones, look good, sound good, environmentally friendly and seem pretty robust (left here there and everywhere so been trodden on, kicked, dropped etc)

They’re the ones Jnr has votchy.

Wrightyson, I have to point out that the ‘phones are irrelevant when it comes to volume; they are only as loud as the volume setting on the player allows them to be, unless they are specifically designed to attenuate the volume.
About the only ones I know of are these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Logitech-Ultimate-Enough-Childrens-Earphones/dp/B001AAF23O
Ignore the colour, I think they come in a whole bunch of colours. Also, if you go into the iPod settings, you can adjust the volume setting, although it is actually pre-set to a fairly low volume for EU safety reasons, so you can go lower than what the EU deems safe. Also, the crap ‘phones that iPods used to come with encouraged the volume to be pushed up, because background noise interfered with the music. The UE’s will block most, which means the volume doesn’t have to be so high anyway.

Id say cheap ones. My 3 yr old threw my 50 quid pair in the bath and my 7 yr old cut up my £75 pair as she ‘needed some string’ to make a picture….

They aren’t going near my AKG’s….!!!

Picked up some 1/2 price scullcandy hush 2 for #29 in comet last weekend.

You can get some noise limiting ones that prevent them going to loud – they have a battery powered volume control on the lead that prevents them going too loud. They can still blare out a reasonable level but not too loud.