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[Lectorog]

Recommend me some earbuds please.

Looking for whatever's cheap and easy to hear even with lots of outside noise. Read on for more info, or recommend immediately.

I'm a fan of quality headphones, but not earbuds. I've just used the pair of earbuds that came with my mp3 player; first the padding fell off, and now one ear's stopped working. Carrying around large, expensive headphones is not an option for listening to music in noisy locations (for example, in a car). And I don't always have big pockets.

I could always walk over to the nearest electronics store and buy whatever they have for $10, but I'm concerned that will get me uncomfortable, hard-to-hear earbuds that last for a few months max. So I figured I'd ask this open forum first; I'm sure some of you have had good experiences with average earbuds.

So I guess noise-cancelling would be optimal, but that tends to be a gimmick where average products are just as easy to hear.

Optimal price range is below $30, and I'd really have to justify paying over $50 for a secondary-importance item like this.

Thanks in advance. All suggestions welcome.

[Haschel]

Ear buds tend to be one of those "get what you pay for" kind of things. There are always some sets that sound better than the others at their price point, but they generally don't sound much better than something you could get at a higher price point. I would highly recommend looking at slightly more expensive models and trying to find a used pair, audiophiles of every price-point are always trying to upgrade.

A handful of recommendations shamelessly ripped from this guide:
Philips SHE3590, $12
Brainwavz Beta, $13-$29
Meelectronics M6, $17-$23
JVC HA-FX40, $20
DUNU Trident, $30-$40

I'd also recommend Shure ear-tips, depending on the buds you buy they might take some work with needle-nose pliers to fit over the flange, but getting the right fit as pretty much the single most important aspect of getting the most quality sound, as well as blocking out external noise. I hear the foam ones get recommended most often. If you weren't looking for in-ear style, well... The only ones I'd recommend are Yuin PK3's. If you're moving around they aren't likely to stay in your ears, and they don't really block any noise... But they sound pretty damn great for their price.

[Lectorog]

Yeah, I guess I'm looking for IEMs. Never used any before, but there's adequate reason I don't like earbuds.

Looking at the JVC HA-FX40 for now. That guide was helpful, as were the links. Probably won't get the extra ear tips, because the packs come with so many for the same price as the JVCs, but it just depends on how well they fit.

I'm still not fully decided, but I'll probably buy the JVCs later today.

EDIT: Ordered, topic closed.