Apple iPod nano (second generation) Lanyard Headphones

We reviewed Apple’s Lanyard Headphones for the original iPod nano last year; with the introduction of the second-generation (2G) iPod nano, Apple has released a new version of the Lanyard Headphones to match. (Because the distance between the headphone jack and dock-connector port on the bottom of the nano differs between the two nano versions, each requires its own version of the Lanyard Headphones.)

Basically a lanyard for the nano with Apple’s new-and-improved earbuds built-in, the Lanyard Headphones are appealing because they let you carry the lightweight 2G nano around your neck, where the iPod is easily accessible and relatively safe, without having to deal with a mess of cables. Just below each ear, a short (8-inch) cable protrudes from the mesh lanyard itself and ends in one of Apple’s new earbuds. You just plug the Lanyard Headphones into the bottom of your nano; a plastic-and-metal replica of a dock connector plug connects securely to your iPod’s dock-connector port and a headphone plug connects to the iPod’s bottom-mounted headphone jack.

As with the original nano Lanyard Headphones, the lanyard is adjustable in length: The left and right lanyard cords actually wrap around the back of your neck to the other side, where the right and left earbud cables, respectively, emerge at clips (one on each side) that determine how long or short the lanyard should be. The design is difficult to explain, but the photo above illustrates it nicely.