There might be something wrong with the equilibrium of personal audio equipment when headphones cost as much as portable CD players.

But newer headphone models, with lightweight designs and deejay features, are more than just musical earmuffs for students at NIU.

Sony established a lightweight headphone system a few years back and it’s slowly begun to overtake the traditional hair-denting style we were/are accustomed to.

The new style wraps around the back of your neck and allows plenty of support and flexibility. This allows users to wear hats and skull caps during the winter while still keeping the beat on their way to class.

Another lightweight design features ear buds. Ear buds are small pieces of foam and plastic that go not onto the ear, but in the ear.

“I’ve got a pair of Koss ear buds,” sophomore history major Lee Jimenez said. “They are comfy and they slide right into my ear.”

Jimenez said the ear buds are small but they pack quite a punch when he turns up the volume. He’s only found one problem with the buds.

“They slip out when I’m running, but other than that, they work great,” Jimenez said.

Jimenez added that he felt constrained with traditional headphones, while with the ear buds, there was none.

Earlier designs left listeners with cauliflower ear, but new designs provide a softer touch to ears while blasting them with tunes.

“They have a great sound and I like using them because other people can’t see that you have them on,” Jimenez said.

Another innovation in headphone style is the wrap-around design. Each headphone is typically sized with a foam covering, but each has a small, retractable clip that fits on each ear. The headphones are not attached, so each hangs from its connecting wire when not in use. They’re on an ear-to-ear basis, so to speak. If you have small ears, the phones will push them down like Roseanne at the end of a diving board. But if you have ears like Fivel, then you’re a perfect fit. The price tags on wrap-around headphones typically range from $5 to $40.

Then there are wireless headphones, which cost $50 or more. What you get is a transmitter that can be set anywhere close to pick up a radio signal and shoot it over to the headphones.

Remember those old-fashioned headphones that made you look like a runway coordinator? They still make those, but they’re usually used by deejays for mix tapes and shows.

The new addition is the twistable head band, which allows deejays to hold them to one ear so they can use the other to feel the beat. The price tag on these headphones runs up to and above $100.

Junior psychology major Melinda Dickey still opts for classic headphones, but with a twist. Nike has designed an mp3 player with an armband for jogging. The headphones that accompany it are extremely lightweight and collapsible.

“I love using my headphones,” Dickey said. “I barely feel them on my head while I’m working out and they fold up nicely when I’m done.”

So whether you work out, trek through the snow or sit at your desk, a good pair of headphones can be your best companion for music.