I am looking for a pair of headphones and a microphone to use with the iAUDIO U2 which I'm planning on purchasing. Preferably they should be available from amazon.com, as that's where I think I'll order the U2 from.

When it comes to the headphones, I'm looking for something I can easily stuff away in a bag, or maybe roll up and put into a pocket. Also, I wear glasses.

When it comes to a microphone, I may be looking for something similar -- something which isn't too tricky to carry around and can be stuffed away easily. Maybe something I could clip onto my clothing or so. I'm open for other variants though.

I've also read/heard a lot about amped microphones, though I'm still not sure what it means. From what I recall, mp3 units don't have an integrated amp, so the microphone you purchase needs to be amped. I'm not sure if this means non-amped microphones are unusable with mp3 units, or if it's just that the quality won't be too good.

Of course, I also want overall good quality, both with the microphone and headphones! Price is also a factor though.

Advice and suggestions much appreciated!

So no one has any experience using headphones and microphones with mp3 units?

There are lots of threads here about headphones. I don't recall many about mics, though. You might try the Live Music Archive forum at archive.org:

http://www.archive.org/audio/etree.php#forum

It seems to come with a set of reasonable earbuds but for decent reproduction you'll have to throw those away and use a set of hifi headphones. However almost by definition these are going to be many times bigger than the MP3 play back devices.

You will also have to be careful as many good headphones require an beefy headphone amp to get the best out of them which you aren't going to get on a battery powered device.

For portability and size a pair of Audio Technica ATCH5 would do. They are fairly sensitive and foldable http://www.audio-technica.com/guide/other/headset/ATCH5.html and will only set you back about $30.

I use a pair of Sennheiser HD-25 http://www.sennheiserusa.com/newsite/produ...?transid=002976 with my iPod which are again easy to drive however they aren't foldable and are much more expensive at about $160 however once you've used a pair of headphones of this calliber you never want to go back to cheap ones.

On subject of microphones there are two basic kinds

Dynamic: Do not require power and work like a speaker in reverse with the soundwaves moving a a coil to produce the signal.

Condenser: Require power and work via a parallel polarized backplate and diaphragm. Movements of the diaphragm in this field produce a signal which can then be amplified. Power is needed both to polarize and to amplify the signal. Most professional mics use low impedance balanced outputs.

Both types of microphone output a much lower level than the line level output by CD players etc. The web page for that thing does not mention if it's input is line level or microphone level but since they say you can connect the output of a cd player direct to the thing it's probably line level. This means you need an external preamp to bring the microphone leve upto line level or you need a microphone with a built in preamp.

I'm afraid I don't know where to get consumer mics with unbalanced outputs and built in amps from, I suppose the best thing is to go to your nearest Radio Shack and ask.

Unfortunately we don't have Radio Shack in Norway.

Thank you for your advice! I'll try to check out the links. Right now, I have been looking into and am currently considering these:

Kosa PortaPro

Sony MDR-A34G

Sony MDR-EX51LP

Right now I'm using a very cheap earplug variant headphones, which came with the DiscMan. Though the sound isn't much, they do fit fairly well and aren't uncomfortable, at least not when wearing them not longer than one hour at the time. Others can't easily pick up my music either, which is good; I'm sometimes annoyed if someone uses a pair of headphones which doesn't keep the sound restricted to the one wearing them.

Not sure how easy it is to stuff away the Koss PortaPro as they look fairly static and fragile, but it does say they're foldable, and that they come with a carrying case.

I may also consider getting two pair of headphones, one to use while walking about and commuting, and another to use when I am training.

So basically a preamped microphone makes the sound louder when recording with an mp3 unit?

I use a pair of EX51s with my iRiver and have no complaints about them really. I have to clean mine fairly regularly to keep their sound clear because it will muffle slightly if too much earwax gets built up on them since they fit in the ear canal. Still very nice earbuds.

I'm currently using Aiwa CM-P11 microphone to record my leatures. I got them under 30 bucks, and I have nothing to complain. This microphones are very small, and easy to carry around. Recently, I am using a pair of Pioneer SE-CL30's. These phones are clean, balance, and comfy.

I have the Sony MDR-EX51LP, isolation is good but I don´t recommend it for walking, it´s a bit dangerous if you crank up the volume . Also they come with a neat pod case to store the phones. As for the mic, sorry, I can´t help :-(

If you are looking for a pair of in-ear phones, I recommend Sharp HP-MD33S. Simply they are the best earphones under 50 bucks. However, they need the extension cord to transfer from 4 pole to 3 pole, and it may cause some problems. Recently, I heard some good feebacks about the Sony MDR-Q66LW. People said you can uncoil the cord only as far as needed so the cords won't be flopping around. I think I am going to order one in the upcoming weekend.