I have some Sennheiser PMX70 headphones that I quite like, in particular because the around-the-neck design allows me to quickly drop them down onto my neck and out of my ears.
The one thing that I don't like about them is they create a lot of wind noise, which makes it hard to hear both what I'm listening to and ambient noise. Can anyone recommend headphones of similar style with low wind noise?
For discussion on safety of cycling with music, see this question.
I use a pair of the basic Apple ear buds that came with my iPod Shuffle for riding. I've found that they put out "ok" quality sound (not as good as my Sennheisers), but the open-air design of them lets a lot of road noise through, as well. I can hear almost any car coming up behind me (including hybrids), and can hear about 90% of the bicycles coming up to pass as well. As for dropping them down around your neck, I usually take my ear buds out and slip them in the neck of my shirt. They might look like funny little lumps on your chest at first glance, but it is obvious what they are after you notice the wires.
I would certainly steer clear of anything with "noise canceling" however. In the case of ear buds with rubber tips, the rubber is intended to seal out outside noise, like cars. Bad idea.
I would also suggest perusing this question about safety concerns.
I use a combination of a single earbud (currently Sennheiser CX380s) with a head band (I've 3 Assos headbands in rotation: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?PartnerID=79&ModelID=38937).
The headband both stops the sweat rolling into the eyes but also routes the wind around the ear. (I do generally wear a lid, so the headband doesn't look so daft.)
Not exactly the same category, but I use Creative Aurvana Live! They cut off most of the sound from outside (including wind), so you need to rely on your sight more.
You might want to look at this before deciding to ride with earphones.
You could always wear a hat that covers your ears to block the wind. I think that most in-ear phones will be affected by wind, maybe you could try some over-the-ears types.
There are some earmuffs with integrated headphones, for instance the KitSound Audio Earmuffs or Vibe Sound Earmuff Headphones, that finally solved the problem for me since they have a soft cover on the outside that dampens the wind noise. There is, however, some trouble fitting these under the helmet straps and they probably won't be much fun in the summer. :-)
Without getting into the advisability of using earphones while riding; I have hearing aids that amplify not only what I want to hear, but any other sounds in the usual frequency ranges. Hence a comparable wind-noise problem. Have not tried all the products advertised for wind noise reduction, but have experimented with various wraps and covers to winnow down the choices. Best so far resulted in a purchase of long-nap faux-fur strap wraps that do a fair job of reducing wind noise without interfering with ambient sound. My hearing aids have microphones on tiny tubes that curl into the fold of my ear, not built into the in-the-canal amplifier or behind-the-ear. That feature is in itself fair at avoiding some wind noise, but the Cat-Ears help more.
