Introduction

Evaluating reviews of earbuds and earphones

Earphones and earbuds are tiny and usually unobtrusive; reviews say they are best for the gym or for commuting on public transit. For long listening sessions, many people find full-size headphones to be more comfortable. We cover these headphones in our separate report.

Earphones and earbuds have eclipsed headphones as the most common way to listen to music on the go (and while working out), and with the profusion of models, there is an equally bewildering amount of earphone reviews. One of the best sources is CNET, which maintains a number of top-five lists of different types of headphones, including earphones and earbuds.

PCMag.com also does a great job of comparing earphones to other similar models in their reviews, though some of the older reviews lack the detail of more recent articles. Gadget-review sites can be another valuable resource. iLounge.com, which reviews accessories for the iPod and iPhone, covers a wide array of earphones and earbuds, while Good Gear Guide of Australia gives useful input with ratings and pros and cons for each set of earphones.

Macworld, Laptop Magazine, AnythingButiPod.com and BitTech.com also provide fairly good coverage. There are also many British websites that provide useful evaluations of earphones, including What Hi-Fi?, HiFi Headphones, AVReview and TrustedReviews.com.

Owners usually have experience with far fewer models than professional reviewers, but they are better positioned to tell how well earphones satisfy and hold up over long periods. For instance, the V-Moda Bass Freq (*Est. $30) is rated highly by review sites such as CNET, and users generally agree that music quality is above average. That said, we also noted a relatively large number of complaints about build quality. Of the 750-plus reviews on Amazon.com, too many users report that they have had to replace these earbuds within months of owning them for us to name them as a top choice.

Picking the right earphones, like picking the right headphones, is a matter of personal preference to some degree. Reviewers often point out which earbud headphones would be better for those who like bass-heavy music, for instance, or which would be better for those seeking a more balanced sound. Finding the right fit is especially important with earphones. However, reviewers are unanimous in saying that nearly any earphones would be a great improvement over the small, basic earbuds that come packaged with most MP3 players. Even some modest $20 earphones, they maintain, will make your $200 iPod sound a whole lot better.