[bengoshi2000]

My two boys (8 & 9 yrs old) are getting into listening to music and the like.  I've sourced some used iPods for them and now want to find some decent 'phones to go with.  I wanted to know what users here would suggest (or tell me to avoid).  
 
I mentioned closed 'phones in the title since they often like to listen to books on tape at bedtime and I don't want to referee arguments over someone's volume being too loud.  
 
I would like them to experience decent sound quality, but if I had to choose, I'd pick a rugged build over audiophile SQ.  These 'phones will be abused.  Cords will be yanked and chewed on.  The 'phones will be sat on, dropped, farted on... you name it.  I need "Headphones for Honey Badgers."
 
That being said, I don't want to drop a lot of cash on these either...
 
I'm not particularly concerned that these phones be efficiently driven by an iPod.  They don't need to be listening to anything loud, period.  That's what their teen rebellion years will be for...  I don't want them to have earbuds for the same reason (besides, earbuds would be easily destroyed or lost).  
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[MalVeauX]

Heya,
 
Very little will truly be rugged to withstand children. I had a two year old pretty much tear apart a Vmoda M80. So there's no hope in that sense. Just get something that is relatively bulky without flimsy little parts that easily twist and you'll have as much rugged as you're gonna get.
 
Koss UR 80
 
Very best,

 

[nikp]

The HD25 looks and feels rugged - it's made to be abused around the studio anyway. 

 

[Roller]

Quote:

The HD25 looks and feels rugged - it's made to be abused around the studio anyway. 

While the HD25-II are decent and rugged, they're not really cost conscious

 

[roma101]

Maybe some Panasonic RP-HTX7s to keep the costs down? I think the build is pretty good for an inexpensive headphone.

 

[our martin]

 
Quote:

My two boys (8 & 9 yrs old) are getting into listening to music and the like.  I've sourced some used iPods for them and now want to find some decent 'phones to go with.  I wanted to know what users here would suggest (or tell me to avoid).  
 
I mentioned closed 'phones in the title since they often like to listen to books on tape at bedtime and I don't want to referee arguments over someone's volume being too loud.  
 
I would like them to experience decent sound quality, but if I had to choose, I'd pick a rugged build over audiophile SQ.  These 'phones will be abused.  Cords will be yanked and chewed on.  The 'phones will be sat on, dropped, farted on... you name it.  I need "Headphones for Honey Badgers."
 
That being said, I don't want to drop a lot of cash on these either...
 
I'm not particularly concerned that these phones be efficiently driven by an iPod.  They don't need to be listening to anything loud, period.  That's what their teen rebellion years will be for...  I don't want them to have earbuds for the same reason (besides, earbuds would be easily destroyed or lost).  
 
Thanks in advance!

i grados are the perfect headphone for children especially for ipods..and they are well built so will take the force of someone sitting on them..they have very good sound with an ipod..and are $49

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 
 

 

[Headstar]

Tyll of InnerFidelity recommends Philips O'Neill Bend for kids.
http://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-ear-pad-sealed
(^bottom of the page)
 

 

[Airframer]

AKG K518DJ's.  Good isolation, less than $50, and they won't be so dang uncomfortable on younger (smaller) heads.  I just gave my pair to a nephew, and he loves them.

 

[Ser182]

Panasonic HTF 600. 30 bucks from Amazon. I bought both my boys (6,10) but they are pretty good with their stuff. Even though they are semi closed I limit there volume on their iPods.

 

[bengoshi2000]

I ended up going with 2 pairs of Sennheiser HD201's.  I think the phones themselves will hold up pretty well... the cord remains to be seen.  I'm fairly confident I can do a re-cable if it becomes a problem.  Both of my boys have Charlie Brown heads like me and the HD201's fit them well.
 
I gave them a listen and as far as SQ goes I'm calling them "good enough" for beginners.  Bottom end has some mud and the highs are a bit rolled off for my likes (but I was listening from an iPod, not through my amp).  There are a whole lot of cans out there that cost more and sound worse.  Their iPods will have trouble driving the HD201's at ear-damaging levels, and that's fine by me.  I've told them that if I can hear the music from 5ft away, it's too loud.  8 year old understands... 9 year old not so much.  He may find his cable modded with a 10-15db attenuator.
 
They were given the 'phones and 'pods this morning.  My 8-year old immediately dropped into my lazy-boy, 'phones on, head back listening to some Chick Corea.  Same was true in the car on the way to church... a vast, substantial smile on his face.  During lunch he was talking a mile-a-minute about all of the  different sounds he could hear in Daft Punk tunes.  I think I have an audiophile in the making... 

 
I almost feel guilty...

 

[Ser182]

[=

][/]

Here are my boys with their Pan HTF600.

 

[roma101]

So cute!

 

[Lurkumaural]

Nice stories and picture!

I'm currently considering Numark HF125 for my 1.5yo and 3.5yo boys. Ideally they'd get something nicer at some point, but what I was specificaly looking for was something that would be on-ear for me but over-ear for them. Mini-circumaurals for small ears/heads, basically. My older son had my MDR-V150 on once, and that's what gave me the sizing idea. He has cheap little on-ears, like the style that used to come with a walkman, and he finds it hard to put them on and keep them sitting on his ears. That, and the FR is mountain-shaped, but that's more my concern than his.

The HF125 seem to have a sturdier hanger design, unlike the V150 and similar design where the hanger would break during normal use so the headphone would be on your head and suddenly one of the cups is dangling into your lap. Single-side cord also makes me more comfortable giving these to a very small child. eBay's got them for under $15, so that's pretty much what I've decided to go with.

Makes me smile to know that people are putting some thought into getting headphones onto their kids and not only showing them music but showing them how to best enjoy it. Maybe a quick and easy mod to 100ohm is sufficient attenuation. I can't imagine a young child liking some Chick Corea, but I think that's awesome.

Excllent thread so far gents. Sorry I'm not organizing my thoughts so well this morning.