The best iPad headphones and bluetooth headphones are great to have if you are going to enjoy music, making music, videos or talking (via skype) using your iPad.  Here are some of the top headphones and bluetooth headphones for 2010…

Before we dive in, we thought you might want to learn a little bit about them and what to look for when you are shopping around and comparing.  Keep in mind, there are all ranges of headphones in both price and technology.  You can buy a pair for $20 or you can spend $1500.  It all depends on your personal preference and what level of income you want to invest.

For mobile headphones, however, it is important to know that the ones which come with iPods and iPhones are not generally the best in terms of sound technology.  So for the iPad it’s wise to invest in some that will give you the best sound for what you want to spend.

There are generally a few terms to know:

• In-Ear. These fit directly into your ear (ear buds)
• Over The Ear. These sit on the ear but not inside the ear (supra-aural)
• Noise Reduction. These effectively drown out the surrounding noises around you but these do cost a little more and are best for travelers.
• Bluetooth. These are wireless headphones and use the iPad’s bluetooth to transmit sound wirelessly. The sound quality is OK but not the same as wired headphones.

Note:  Many people have asked if the iPad will support their Bluetooth headset.  Currently, the iPad does not support Bluetooth headsets (ones with a mic for calls) as it only supports Bluetooth headphones.

The bottom line is that it is possible to spend a lot of money and just because they are more expensive does not necessarily mean they sound better to the average listener.  The sound difference between iPad headphones that cost $99 and those that cost $349 may not be recognizable.  The more expensive ones will have better sound technologies and different audio measurements but again it all comes down to your level of audio needs and sensitivities.

Top Rated In-Ear Headphones

Klipsch Image S4 Earphones

These were a CNET Editors choice.  They offer exceptional sound quality for the price.  They are also very comfortable and they come with a storage box and a cleaning tool.  The only complaint with these is not with the audio quality but the cable which does not feel very durable.  These sell for around $79.99.  You can see and buy them here.

Shure SE210a Sound Isolating Headphones

Shure is famous for it’s high quality sound and durability.  They come with a variety of eartips which help block out background noise but the sound you get from these is incredible.  The only complaint is the price.  They sell for around $149.99.  However, you do get a very quality name and device.  You can see them here.

Klipsch Custom 1 Headphones

Another Klipsch in the best iPad headphones category.  The Custom 1 delivers incredible sound and produces a “front row, center stage” listening experience.  They employ exclusive KG332 balanced armatures for deeper bass, a more robust mid range, and clearer high notes.  The complaints with these are their price, their larger size and the amount of emphasis on bass.  They sell for around $129.99.  There is also a Custom 3 which sells for around $199.99.  You can see them here.

Denon AH-C360K In-Ear Headphones

There are many models of the Denon headphones but these ones made several lists and are priced moderately for the quality of sound.  They come with a radial cascade damper system and an acoustic optimizer.  Some people have said that the Denon’s suffer from very loud highs at times and they do not come with any foam tips.  You can see them here.

Radius Atomic Bass

The Radius Atomic Bass headphones are for people that really like a ton of bass.  Perfect for the dance/hip hop type of music that delivers a lot of bass sounds.  Because of their strong focus on bass, there are some that say the sound is often muffled at times.  Also, the cable is very thin and thus prone to tangling easily.  They cost around $29.00. You can learn more and buy them here.

Sennheiser XC300 Headphones

These are  for under $100.  They offer solid sound quality, and ultralight design, and significant isolation from outside sounds.  They are not necessarily for bass or highs or lows but they are made for general listening and good, quality audio.  They sell for around$59.95. You can see them here.

Top Rated Bluetooth Headphones

Portable wireless headphones are definitely the latest technology and you can use bluetooth headphones with your iPad just as you can with your iPhone.  One thing to know, even as good as these are they still do not offer up the quality of wired headphones.

Nokia BH-905

The Nokias are one of the best wireless headphones for the iPad you can buy.  They are comfortable, noise canceling, excellent audio quality and they also come with other audio connectors.  The complaints so far about this model are that the price is kind of high and the noise canceling takes a few seconds to activate.  These sell for around $249.00.  You can buy them here.

Plantronics BackBeat 903

The Plantronics offer Altec Lansing sound quality, a bass-boost feature, and a three-way adjustment for a more comfortable fit.  They got really good reviews for their detailed sound and the only real complaint was the way they wrap around the neck.  They sell for around $59.99 and you can learn more about them here.

Motorola S9-HD Bluetooth Stereo Headphones

The Motorola’s are great as they offer a great design, user-friendly controls, and a very solid sound quality.  The only complaint with these isn’t the sound but that the earbuds have a tendancy to pinch if not set correctly.  These sell for around $66.00 and you can get them here.

One thing to keep in mind is that there are literally hundreds of different iPad headphones you can buy.  We scoured the net to find the top rated or best iPad headphones and if we tried to list them all it would take weeks.  The best advice is to get ones that are comfortable and ones that suit your audio needs.

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