If you are not against the in-ear earbuds, e.g. Shure, these work well with the iPod.
http://www.shurestore.com/earphones/index.html#eseries

At this price range, the limiting factor is not the headphone but the iPod. If you have "audiophile" aspirations, consider a headphone amp.

Cheers.

Another vote here for the Shure.

They are quite effeicient, making for longer battery life when you are going fully portable and the iPod can supply enough current to really make them rock.

Beware long term excess SPL's! (You'll thank me in 20 years.)

I agree with TEvo that the quality problem won't be the phones, but the iPod's ability to drive 'em. I just got two Nanos, BTW, and I've been driving 'em on a Barcelona vacation with Ray Samuels' The Hornet, and I'm in Hog Heaven. Full review to follow, but the lesson is that the iPod is probably better than you'll hear with many headphones, unless they are driven properly. And the great thing about headphones and headphone accesories is that they are affordable (or DIY-able) and they are FUN!

I'm just glad this thread hasn't degraded into another "iPod is not high end" debacle.

Buddha brings up an important point. Please do use headphones- particularly the in-ear buds like Shure- with a modicum of sensibility. It is tempting to run them for long periods at high levels and thus risk serious long term hearing loss without even realizing it.

While I don't share your music preferences, I too listen on an iPod from time to time and I'll enter another vote for the Shure phones (E3's or 4's). Drive them with a Headroom Total Airhead. It'll give you improved sound, lengthen the battery-charge life of the iPod, and can be attached to the back of the iPod with velcro dots. If you want something that will also improve listening when you're drawing music straight from your computer get the Total Bithead which will work off the USB and provide an outboard DAC almost certain to be better than your computer offers.

Another item that makes a real difference is the interconnect from the iPod to the headphone amp. Cardas makes one that sells for about $15 US. It's worth it.

Happy listening. Try some jazz for a change.

You must spend some time auditioning some phones for yourself. With the IPod you will probably need a headphone amp if you want to drive them cleanly, but please keep the levels sensible as YOUR hearing is your most important asset.

WP in "Phile" has raved about the Ray Samuels unit (Portable) as well as the Mudical Fidelity and Channel Islands units (AC) and I would also consider the Grado which runs on 9V batteries. Portability with the Grado is a problem due to its size where the Emmeline(?sp)is very small.

If you do the headphone amp you can run with just about any set of cans you want. In trying to keep within a budget I am using my Grado SR60 and 80s with my IPod U2 with results that "work" for me.

Many like the Sennheiser HD280 or the 580's, 600, and 650's. I have used my Sony 7506's from my location recording rig, but I grow more tired of them each time I use them and feel it is time to move up. I still like the Grado's so far. Great Bang for the Buck.

Start test driving soon. Good luck.

It's hard for me to use fones for any length of time before they become terribly uncomfortable. If at all possible, try to use them for a day or two before buying. The Grado 60s are very nice sounding for the money, but just awful feeling after not too long a time.

Quote:
Beware long term excess SPL's! (You'll thank me in 20 years.)

I'll echo both the sentiment that the Shure E4 is a dynamite can and that you should be carefull not to liten too loud. But, I'll also note that one of the great things about IEMs is that you don't have to turn them up too loud to overcome outside noise because they do such a god job of islation.