I just got an iPod yesterday, and I'm already sick and tired of the stock earbuds. I was looking at getting the Sony Ex-81s or the Shure e2cs, but I thought I'd ask and see what other portable audio users had. I'm not really looking to spend over $70, so if you have any other suggestions, try to keep it under that. Thanks for your help.

Dont know the model number, but they're about 20 bucks at Wal-Mart and I love them. I use them with my iPod and they sound great.

I swear by these things:

Sony MDR-E828 earbuds
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... e&n=507846

I think they are pretty comfortable (make sure you put the pads on). Sound is extremely good in my opinion. They have surprisingly deep bass, but its not booming. They are very clear sounding and I found subtle nuances in songs I had not heard before.

My roomate has some sony earbuds that have the rubber tips that you put inside your ears. I think they cost like $40. I found that they didn't stay in my ears at all and didn't sound any better than the MDR-E828s.

To give you an idea how much I like these, I bought a pair of Grado SR-80s and returned them because I didn't think they were much better (if all) than my trusty sony earbuds.

At $10 you can't beat them.

Wow that's an incredibly bold statement.

Yes, I know. The grados probably did sound a bit better, but not enough to justify me spending $90 I felt.

Can you not use normal headphones? I'd just go to Wal-Mart and guy a set of those behind-the-head style headphones. Those seem to work the best for me. Can even sleep with them on.

Nah, I want some decent ones, something that will let me to get the most out of this iPod. It just doesn't make sense to have a $300-400 device coupled with really crappy headphones. I just got a pair of Sennheiser HD497s yesterday, but they aren't portable at all and they were more designed to be used with my computer anyway.

Hmm, true. I can understand wanting good quality headphones to match that investment

http://www.epinions.com/content_96872861316
I swear by these. They are, by far, my favorite type of headphones. THey hit the bass in techno, but give you clarity in Acoustic. Also, wont fall out of your ears while on the treadmill. I know that i love these...

=)

Cory

i have some of those sony behind the head ones except they just clip on your ear. I find them to be a wonderful alternative. i hate earbuds, give me a headache

I use Shure e3cs with my Rio Karma. The parametric eq combined with the shures is amazing (well, about as amazing as portable can get). Before that, I had Senn px200s, and they were great for the price, but I wanted more isolation.

If you want a decent resource for headphones, check out head-fi.org. Just be warned, your wallet will hate you.

Haha, yeah I already went there. Some of those people are absolutely insane, dropping like 3 grand on headphones, but hey, whatever you're into I guess. I just can't afford $140 for the shure e3s. I borrowed a pair of Sony EX-71s from a friend and they sounded pretty good, so as soon as I get enough money, I think I'll go with the ex-81s.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 1826204625

I use these and I love them. I blast music through them when I'm playing the drums, they muffle outside noise really well, and stay very clear with plenty of bass no matter how loud you blast them. Also very comfortable and don't fall out easily.

Well I just ordered the EX-81s tonight. Thanks for your opinions everyone.